Charities section.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2022 12:21 Page 76
MENDIP TIMES
Talking newspaper
Patron Bill Bailey with some of the volunteers
THE Keynsham & District Talking Newspaper service is free to people who are unable to read newsprint and is keen to have more users. Local news and listeners come from around the region, including Compton Martin, Cheddar, Keynsham, Bristol, Bath and surrounding villages; the service is open to anyone based anywhere in the UK. One of the sources is Mendip Times. Started in 1983, the KTN service is a free weekly audio magazine on memory stick, sent through the post weekly via yellow wallets using the Royal Mail’s Articles for the Blind scheme which gives free 1st class delivery to items for blind or visually impaired people. If listeners do not have the means to play memory sticks, they can supply an easy-to-use box to play them on. Details: www.ktn.org
Walkers wanted
BATH-based Mentoring Plus, which supports over 250 local young people each year with mentoring programmes and activities, is appealing for support for its fundraising Bath Marches on September 3rd. They are a fantastic day out suitable for all the family; you can choose from a 15-mile, nine-mile or four-mile walk. Routes are all marked out and there are stops and snacks along the way. Fundraising manager Jenny Perez said: “We are still very much feeling the impact of the pandemic and are still experiencing a huge demand for our services. Funds raised will enable us to keep providing support to young people in need through our mentoring programmes.” Details: community@mentoringplus.net https://mentoringplus.net/events/bath-marches
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Beach Walk returns
WESTON Hospicecare’s Moonlight Beach Walk is returning on Saturday, September 24th, when hundreds of ladies will gather on Weston seafront to walk either 5km or 10km along the beach for the hospice. It will start and finish from the Grand Pier, who are the event’s main sponsor. Event manager, Jane Murch, said: “It promises to be a wonderful event and we cannot wait to see all our amazing ladies there on the night.” Registrations are now open via the hospice’s website and will close a week before the event. Early bird prices cost £15 for adults and £12.50 for children. Prices will rise to £18.50 for adults and £15 for children at the end of July. Details: https://www.westonhospicecare.org.uk /event/moonlight-beach-walk/
End of life care
BATH Hospital’s charity, RUHX, has secured more than £100k in funding from The Liz and Jack Daniel Foundation for the Compassionate Companions Service at the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath, which supports patients in their last days of life. The service was originally set up in 2019 as a joint partnership between RUHX, RUH’s palliative care team and Dorothy House Hospice Care, where volunteers offer support, compassionate listening, comfort and companionship for hospital patients in the last days or hours of their lives. Helen Meehan, lead nurse, Palliative Care and End of Life Team said: “The Compassionate Companions Service is making an exceptional difference to patient care. “Sometimes it is the little things, the small acts of kindness, the holding of a hand, the words of comfort, and being present that give so much support to those nearing end of life and to their loved ones. “It also gives families the chance for some respite during what is an emotionally and physically exhausting time.” Milo Popperwell, trustee for The Liz and Jack Daniel Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to fully fund such an important project in our first year as a trust. I know that both Liz and Jack would be so pleased to be a part of something so special.”
