Inspired Friendships Issue 2

OCTOBER 2020

WENDY PFFEIFER Friendship Manager

WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE

THE FIRST INSPIRED FRIENDSHIPS MAGAZINE IS HERE!

As most of you know, following redundancy from our previous befriending jobs, we were employed by Inspired Villages in August this year when they asked us to set up and deliver their new service Inspired Friendships and we haven’t looked back since!

As well as organising various events and chatting on the phone to you, we thought a quarterly magazine would be another way to stay in touch and to let you know what we are getting up to.

We are all living in a

bit of a topsy turvy world just now, so we have had to adjust to various ways of getting together, but the most important thing is that we have all managed to stay in touch which ensures we are here to support each other.

This is a very exciting time as we have never had our own magazine before. The first issue is just a trial really to see what you think of it, but the most important thing to remember is that this is your magazine so you

“ WE ARE ALL LIVING IN A TOPSY TURVY WORLD JUST NOW!”

must tell us want you want in it.

We hope you like this first issue with the next one due out in December and thereafter every three months. So be sure to send in your ideas and questions ready for our Christmas edition.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Sarah-Jane from One Maidstone who very kindly offered to produce this magazine for us. Now we just need to learn how to do it ourselves before the Christmas edition is due!

THE TEAM MEET WENDY

WENDY HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A PROFESSIONAL FRIEND!

FIND OUT ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP MANAGER!

I was born in South West London in 1960, delivered at home by nuns just like Call the Midwife. I had a lovely childhood with my older brother and when I was 11 a new baby sister joined the family. My family are three generational salvationists so I was surrounded by music and leant to play the piano (not very well) the cornet (played even less well) and a tambourine (I played that quite well!)

I was very close to both my

parents and I still am to my amazing 86 years’ young dad (pictured with me at a wedding last year) My mum sadly passed away at the age of only 62, she was my best friend and I still miss her today.

I married in 1985 and had two children Rachael and Alex now aged 30 and 26, although my husband left home in 2004. After this I decided to get a dog (much more dependable!) and Harry our beauti-

-ful Golden Retriever joined our family. He was a little life saver for me and his gentle nature allowed him to became registered as a therapy dog. I spent most of my working life before I had children in retail and later on within a medical environment. My most interesting job was working within an IVF unit in a private hospital where I met many famous people and had my first and only visit to Stringfellows Night Club, where someone quite infamous asked me to dance!

After Rachael was born in 1989 I could not bear the thought of someone else bringing up my baby so I became a registered childminder and remained at home caring

PROFESSIONAL

“I AM STILL CLOSE TO MY AMAZING DAD, 86.”

THE TEAM for her and other people’s children. It was only when Alex had started secondary school that I started a parttime job outside of the home, but I was still able to be there when the children came home from school.

After childminding in 2011, I started my first fulltime ‘outside the home’ job in 22 years! I was a support officer with the charity Guide Dogs and then went on to become Community Engagement Officer. In December 2013 I saw a job advertised to manage a new befriending service for Age UK in Maidstone.

In June 2020 we were made redundant but within six weeks we were offered a position with Inspired Villages to set up their newly formed ‘Inspired Friendships.’

We know how fortunate we both are to be employed by such a supportive organisation, doing what we do which is spending time with all of you!

Like many of you, I too live alone and I understand what

it is like to feel lonely at times, especially over the past months with the crazy world we are living in. However, I am very fortunate to have some amazing friends who keep me sane (well kind of!) Three of my closest friends I have known since our first day in secondary school, almost 50 years ago. I am very close to my dad, and my brother and sister too as well as my wonderful friends who live close to me. So that’s a little about me. Nothing very special there, just really quite ordinary, unlike many of you who I know have some pretty amazing stories to tell.

Over the next issues of the magazine, Diane and I will be answering some questions so if you have anything you want to ask us, please let us know.

DINOSAURS SET SAIL IN A DINOSAUR!

Having had to cancel our sponsored 30 people, socially distanced conga in Mote Park due to the new ‘Rule of 6’, 30th September saw us both clambering on board a red dragon pedalo on the lake at Mote Park. We promised you a laugh and it was indeed a giggle. Getting on it was the first challenge and then pedalling our way around the lake at Mote Park for 30 minutes might have looked easy but trust us when we say our legs said otherwise!

We only panicked once when we appeared to be getting closer and closer to a large area of trees and bushes. Despite frantically turning the steering wheel, the dragon refused to change course! We then realised we could peddle backwards!

We were very relieved when the 30 minutes was up, however, it appeared you had other plans for us! Just as

we started to walk away, we noticed three of you had kindly come to support and cheer us on but had only arrived after the event.

Well what could we do? Yes, you’ve guessed it, we clamboured back onto the old dragon and managed another 10 minutes around the lake!

Donations are still coming in, so if you wish to support the fundraising challenge that Inspired Villages are organising to raise £30,000 in 30 days, for Inspired Friendships, we will be happy to accept any cheques or cash when we see you next.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored us so far. We will announce the total raised, in the next issue.

MEET DIANE

FIND OUT ALL ABOUT DIANE!

I was born in 1962 right here in Maidstone! I am the youngest of four children by quite a long way. My brothers and sister are nine, ten, and eleven years older than me! Do you think I was an accident?! I lived in Maidstone until I was twelve, then my Dad’s work took us to South Africa where we lived for three years, which I loved. I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity!

My parents have both sadly passed away, but after my

Dad’s passing, we discovered he had changed his name by deed poll from Italian Di Palma to plain old Palmer in 1948! We will never know why, we can only think he wanted a good old English name so close to the war finishing. So far we have discovered my grandparents both come from the Amalfi coast, so one day when I have more time I intend to try and track down my Italian roots!!

I trained as a Dental Nurse,

MUCH LOVED CHARLIE

which I loved. I also worked in retail, and after I had stayed at home with the children for their primary school years, I returned to the dental world working on reception for nearly twenty years in a busy general practice.

I have two wonderful children, James and Emily. James lives in Heidelberg Germany, having met Franzi his German wife in Australia. He is manager of a Berlitz language school, teaches English, and speaks fluent German! I am also now a proud Nanny of an adorable one year old grandson, Liam. We video call a lot!!

Emily lives with her partner in Wandsworth London, where she is a pharmacist in a busy London hospital. We try to see as much of each other as we can, but we talk a lot on the phone! I also should mention I have a lovely husband, Martin, who is retired from the London Fire Brigade, but still busy with his fire risk assessment company.

I met Wendy when I volunteered to be a befriender. I quickly recognised a kindred spirit, and I love working with her! I feel so lucky to be able to work with a great friend and meet so many lovely people. It doesn’t really feel like work. How lucky am I being able to say that!

When I’m not at work, I love cooking, travel and like to try and keep fit with Zumba! Until last year I used to walk a lot more with my lovely springer spaniel, but sadly he is no longer with us. Maybe we will get another dog in the near future. A walk is just not the same without a furry friend at my side!