RVS Action 2015

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l SPRING 2015

TAKE TWO VOLUNTEERS BOURNEMOUTH’S LAURIE AND ALAN SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

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JOIN US AT GRANDFEST

Crafty classes in hip Hoxton Square PLUS VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS BEFRIENDING SERVICE DESSERT RECIPE

What does 2015 hold for Royal Voluntary Service?

HOME COMFORTS

OUR AFTER-HOSPITAL CARE CAMPAIGN TO END GOING HOME ALONE

WELCOME

Here’s to many, many more years

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JOE GASCOIGNE

We must never forget the great importance and value of the work that we do

t’s a pleasure for me to be welcoming you to this edition of Action. I am incredibly proud to have been involved in Royal Voluntary Service for 35 years in various roles, currently as a volunteer in the archive and heritage collection and a member of the Volunteer Advisory Group.

I’m sorry to say, though, that this is the last issue of Action magazine. We hope you’ll keep up-to-date with Royal Voluntary Service online, by signing up to our email newsletter or joining us on social media (see page 35). If you are not web savvy, I urge you to take this opportunity to get a friend or family member to show you the ropes and, if you don’t have a computer or internet access at home, to pop down to your local library.

In this issue, we present one of our key campaigns for 2015 – Let’s End Going Home Alone – ramping up our support for older people returning home from hospital.

We also visit Graham Williams, who had become lonely through a lack of anyone to converse with in his native tongue of Welsh, until our coordinator matched him up with befriender Dilys Walters. It’s a cracking story.

On page 6, we announce our fabulous new festival of creativity, GrandFest, and invite you to get involved.

Chief Executive David McCullough faces some difficult questions on page 19 and explains his vision for the future.

I hope the stories in this issue thrill you as they do me.

As Royal Voluntary Service develops and modernises, we must never forget the great importance and value of the work that we, as volunteers, do. Here’s to many, many more years of it for us all.

Alice Cleland CBE, Volunteer Advisory Group, Royal Voluntary Service

OUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS 2013/14 was another big year for Royal Voluntary Service. Here are just a few of our achievements: 1.6 MILLION healthy and delicious Meals on Wheels delivered 110,000 books delivered to people who can’t get to the library 86,000 journeys made with people to the shops, appointments or to visit friends 1,079 years of volunteer time shared by our incredible team across the country 6,229 older people helped to return home from hospital after receiving medical care

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-Meet

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N0

Maker-

GrandMaker Are you a GrandMaker or know someone who is?

we are looking for

baKERS, KNITTERS OR TOY MAKERS BARBERS, brewers & JAM MAkers We are the people who make things and make them well. We are the GrandMakers.

Whatever your skill is, join fellow makers at our unique ‘GrandFest’ event in June and together we’ll show the next generation how to do things properly.

Complete the application form enclosed or get in touch today: E. events@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk T. 02920 739 088 www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/GrandFest

IN THIS ISSUE

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CONTENTS 06 14 16

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OUR NEWS A round-up of all the latest Royal Voluntary Service news and events from across Britain

TIME FOR A BREW Catching up with all your photos and stories from last year’s Great Brew Break

JOE GASCOIGNE, PAUL UNDERHILL, MATT HORWOOD

ON THE COVER MEMBERS OF THE VOLUNTEER ADVISORY GROUP MEET TO DISCUSS THE LATEST ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS L-R: MARY SMALLEY, PAULENE LAMBERT, SIMON HOLLAND BROWN

MAKING VOICES HEARD Introducing our oral history project, Voices of Volunteering: 75 Years of Citizenship and Service

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ON THE RUN Our Baton Pass Challenge sweeps across Scotland by boat, train, plane, rollerblades and more

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Chief Executive David McCullough opens up about the changes afoot LET’S END GOING HOME ALONE An important campaign to support the elderly returning home from hospital

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FRIENDS FOR LIFE Meet Welsh Graham and his befriender Dilys, who share a common first language RECIPE Make a delicious passion fruit dessert from James Martin’s Home Comforts TV series and book TAKE TWO VOLUNTEERS Bournemouth boys Alan and Laurie share their volunteering stories

QUIZZES Stimulate your grey matter with our sudokus, quiz and word wheel – can you find the nine-letter word?

LEARNING TO LIVE Student Mary Flynn shares her experiences from the South African township of Umlazi SCRAP BOOK A look back at the oldest transport services offered by our organisation and how they developed over the years

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UR NEWS ALL THE LATEST FROM ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE

Hoxton Square will be GrandFest’s main location

GEARING UP FOR GRANDFEST WE HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU!

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his summer, we are launching GrandFest, a mini festival celebrating older people and the skills they can teach us.

GrandFest will take place in Hoxton, East London, on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 June. The main festival area will be held in Hoxton Square, with a number of local retailers taking part, too.

As well as celebrating our talented older people, or Original Makers, getting together and having a lot of fun, we hope the event will raise public awareness of Royal Voluntary Service, help us grow our volunteer workforce and increase donations.

We are in the process of recruiting Original Makers to give masterclasses on their specialist hobby/skill to the general public at the festival.

We are looking for talented volunteers or service users aged 70 and older from England, Scotland and Wales.

Those who are invited to participate in the two-day event will have their travel and accommodation arrangements paid for.

If you or an older person you know has any of the following talents, or any other skills that aren’t on the list, please get in touch with us via email at

events@royalvoluntaryservice.org. uk or call 029 2073 9088. The deadline for Original Maker applications is Tuesday 31 March. l Brewing l Knitting l Sewing (dress making/ alterations, crocheting, quilting and darning) l Preserve making l Canning l Traditional cooking skills: breadmaking, soup making, poaching, steaming, braising, baking, pastries l Wooden toy making l Barber – particularly an old-fashioned wet shave l Foraging For those who are happier in the crowd than the limelight, we hope you’ll still come along. It’s a fantastic opportunity to lap up the festival atmosphere and learn some new skills.

Look out for updates through your local hub and our newsletter.

ALEX SEGRE/ALAMY

Brush up on your baking skills in East London

OUR NEWS

EMERGENCY SERVICES £1.2 MILLION SUPPORT PLAN FOR UK A&E UNITS

OLDER AWESOME PEOPLE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO JOIN GINSTERS’ SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT CELEBRATES BRITAIN’S FABULOUS OAPS

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e are delighted to be teaming up with Ginsters for its online campaign to celebrate talented grandparents. #OlderAwesomePerson will be sweeping across Twitter and Facebook as www.olderawesomeperson.org gives young people a tool to create memes about the great OAPs – Older Awesome People – they know. Participants will be entered into a number of weekly prize draws to win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Linda Evans, Sales and Marketing Director at Ginsters, said: “RVS is one of

our chosen charities and we are delighted to be partnering with it on this campaign, which gives young people the opportunity to learn more about RVS and how to become a volunteer.”

Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Phillip Schofield said: “My elders have always inspired me, and continue to do so to this day. I would encourage everyone to share their grandparents’ talents and take part in #OlderAwesomePerson.”

To take part in the campaign, visit www.olderawesomeperson.org.

Café opens at Glasgow veterans’ residences CHARITY OF THE YEAR A NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR EX-SERVICE PERSONNEL HAS OPENED IN GREATER GLASGOW Royal Voluntary Service is running the café in the newly developed Bellrock Close, a residential complex for veterans in the Cranhill area of Glasgow.

The Bellrock Close complex has been pioneered by Scottish Veterans Residences, and our café stands alongside other services including an IT suite, training and counselling rooms, wifi, a residents’ gym and common rooms.

Alison Love, Head of Support & Development (Scotland), said: “Royal Voluntary Service is running the café within the complex and hopes that veterans will volunteer with us as a route to employment.

In addition, we have the opportunity to integrate with the local community, and are keen to use the complex to run activities for older people such as lunch clubs and social centre activities.”

Royal Voluntary Service is one of three charities that is extending their volunteer support in hospitals across the country to ease the current strain on the NHS’ resources and improve support for older patients.

The government has given £1.2 million in additional grant funding for Royal Voluntary Service, Age UK and the British Red Cross to introduce more volunteers into 29 NHS Trust A&E departments.

Our volunteers will work alongside clinical teams to provide a professional service both in hospitals and in the local community to reduce delayed discharge and ensure that older people are being looked after.

Approximately 700 additional volunteers will be joining 29 different hospital trusts across the country, building upon services that the charities already have in place in the area. More than 10,000 older patients are anticipated to benefit from the changes.

Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson said: “I’m delighted that we are building on the success of existing social action pilots to help improve the health of communities across the UK. These 29 projects will further demonstrate how the power of volunteers can make a real difference to public services.”

Read about Royal Voluntary Service’s Let’s End Going Home Alone campaign on page 22.

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DAVE J HOGAN/GETTY IMAGES

AWARD FOR BRIAN AT HEALTH LOTTERY BASH ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE VOLUNTEER RECEIVES RECOGNITION AND RUBS SHOULDERS WITH THE STARS

The Health Lottery has donated over £50 million to charities, and to celebrate this landmark, some big names in show business attended a champagne reception at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Music mogul Simon Cowell and co-host and Health Lottery ambassador Gloria Hunniford handed Special Recognition Awards to volunteers who have made outstanding contributions in their communities.

The RVS’ North Ayrshire community transport service is one of 41 Royal Voluntary Service projects that have received funding from the People’s Health Trust, thanks to money raised through The Health Lottery. Volunteer Brian Bingham was given a Special Recognition Award to mark the outstanding contribution he has made to his community.

Brian has been a volunteer for our charity for nearly five years.

Simon Cowell and Gloria Hunniford gave out the Special Recognition Awards to volunteers at the Savoy Hotel

He began his association with us in Perth as a volunteer driver and when he moved back to Ayrshire just over a year ago, he quickly got in touch to offer his services to the Ardrossan Hub. Brian said: “I had an amazing time, and not just because of the celebrities and winning an award.

I felt very emotional and proud to see the work of our charity taking centre stage and was glad I had played a small part in that success.”

Volunteers needed in Bristol NEW SERVICES LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE SUPPORT FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF HOSPITAL A partnership between Royal Voluntary Service and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) was formed at the end of last year to run several services helping older patients recuperate safely at home after a stay in hospital, and live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

More volunteers are being sought in the area to assist with Home from Hospital and Good Neighbours services.

Dr Rachel Bradley, Consultant in Care of the Elderly at UH Bristol, said: “I think this is a really exciting opportunity for volunteers to work together with 8

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health and social care professionals to help patients achieve their individual goals, get better sooner and support them at home. Volunteers can really help improve patients’ wellbeing and confidence at a time when many feel vulnerable and anxious.”

Contact Operations Manager Laura Goringe on 07736 825307 if you or anyone you know can help.

This improved service is just a small part of Royal Voluntary Service’s nationwide push to end going home alone. For more on our Let’s End Going Home Alone campaign, please turn to page 22.

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OUR NEWS

E-LEARNING TAKES OFF VOLUNTEERS EMBRACE ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE’S ONLINE TRAINING RESOURCES

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undreds of our volunteers and employees are benefiting from the exciting training resources that are available through our e-learning site.

Over a thousand modules a month are now completed along with videos and other learning resources. These all help us develop our skills and knowledge, with courses such as Dementia Friends and our new-style, interactive Data Protection module.

Atsuko Mason, a Home Library Service volunteer in Dorchester, said: “It’s great being able to complete training at my own pace and to fully concentrate on what I’m learning”.

EXCITING NEW VIDEOS COMING SOON! We have been given access to some fantastic new learning resources in the form of a series of videos, which will soon be made available on the e-learning site for you to watch.

HOW DO I ACCESS THE E-LEARNING SITE? To access the e-learning site, please visit www.learningroyalvoluntaryservice.org.uk Enter your username, which is your employee or volunteer number (minus any letters or zeroes) and your password.

If you experience any problems, please contact learning@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk So don’t miss out, log in today and give it a try for yourself – happy learning!

Stepping out

INNOVATIVE SLIPPER EXCHANGE SCHEME HAS LONDON IN ITS GRIP Following a grant of £9,906 from the People’s Postcode Trust, our London Hub is now able to provide over 1,000 pairs of new slippers to older people in the area through its Slipper Exchange and Falls Prevention Advice service.

This is one of its initiatives to reduce admissions or readmissions to hospital of older people. The hub has collaborated with local Age UK branches, the Alzheimer’s Society and Hanover Housing to make sure the slippers go to the people who need them most.

Daniel Swain, Community Development Worker for the London Hub, said: “Our slipper supplier, Spencer and Penn, has been outstanding in helping us to get our slippers to people who really need them. Good footwear is one of the main ingredients to keeping older people active and goes a long way in preventing falls.”

LUCK OF THE DRAW

PEOPLE’S POSTCODE LOTTERY RAISES £300,000 TO SUPPORT GOOD NEIGHBOURS SCHEMES We’re delighted to have received an amazing £300,000 funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery to help our Good Neighbours schemes tackle loneliness all over the country, including Fife, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire and North Wales.

As well as providing valuable company and friendship, volunteers check that the older person they are visiting is safe and well, and provide support that helps people to live safely and independently at home, whether it’s collecting a pension or a repeat prescription, giving them a lift to the shops or changing a lightbulb.

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “There is just no need for so many older people in this country to be so chronically

lonely when the solution is often as simple as a cup of tea and a chat. It is heartbreaking to think that’s all it would take to change someone’s day, or life, and yet so many people don’t even have that to look forward to. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery can support Royal Voluntary Service with the sum of £300,000 so they can get the kettle on and help more older people.”

MEN AT WORK

A WORKSHOP FOR OLDER MEN IN NORTHUMBERLAND OPENED ITS DOORS IN 2014 AFTER SECURING LOTTERY FUNDING THROUGH PEOPLE’S MILLIONS

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et up to provide the opportunity to get involved in woodwork and traditional crafts, Men in the Workshop offers men a chance to share their skills, and tackles loneliness in those who do not otherwise have regular social interaction.

97-year-old Tom Wilson is active in the workshop. His goal in life is to live

to be 100 and he believes attending the workshop will help him achieve this. He is proud to have outlived most of his generation, but this does mean that he has few friends remaining.

The workshop has given Tom new friends and a real focus in life.

Most of the men have a skill or trade to bring to the workshop that would

otherwise be going to waste. The age range so far spans from 55 to 97.

Royal Voluntary Service Operations Manager Roz Tinlin says: “The men have now taken ownership of the workshop and see it as an essential venue for maintaining an active social life. The camaraderie and atmosphere in the workshop is tremendous.”

Meet Betty Lowe

One of our volunteers seems to get rather more press coverage than most. In 2014, the incredible Betty Lowe appeared on BBC, ITV and Channel 5, and featured in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and more besides.

So what makes Betty’s story so special? l She is a very impressive 106 (and a half) years old l She has been volunteering for Royal Voluntary Service for

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over 40 years, and still volunteers in the Royal Salford Hospital café every week l She is the country’s oldest Girl Guide, and has been one for over 95 years l She was one of only four finalists in the Pride of Britain Awards 2014 l She was given a Point of Light award by Prime Minister David Cameron in October.

Betty, you are an inspiration to us all. You go girl!

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Betty with the café team and local dignitaries during BBC filming in June 2014

OUR NEWS

FESTIVE FEASTS RVS BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR A REAL COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS

Royal Voluntary Service lent its support and more than a few helping hands to the Community Christmas project in December 2014, following research that showed almost half a million older people could be spending Christmas Day alone.

The Community Christmas website offers a portal for people holding events and activities to share and promote these, helping connect lonely people with dinners and other social occasions near them.

Former Locality Manager for Swansea Adele Francis and her 19-year-old daughter put on a three-course Christmas lunch at South Penlan Community Centre. Local stores donated gifts for those attending and a team of volunteers served up a traditional dinner of turkey with all the trimmings.

Shopping surprise

OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN RUNNING POP-UP SHOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO GENERATE FUNDS There has been a popular movement over recent years for temporary or ‘pop-up’ shops, filling vacant spaces for flash sales or selling seasonal ranges.

In 2014, volunteers from Royal Voluntary Service ran a number of short-term, pop-up charity shops around the country.

In Lancing, West Sussex, volunteers and employees from Chesham House Community Centre raised £1,300 with theirs, boosting the profile of Royal Voluntary Service in the local

community and recruiting new volunteers in the process.

Tayside Hub’s fundraising committee, led by Service Manager Barbara Macphee, took over a thrift shop in Aberfeldy for a week, and managed to take in £1,844.

If you are interested in generating funds by setting up a pop-up shop in your area, please contact Sanita in fundraising at sanita.guddu@ royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or on 01543 468402.

NEWS IN BRIEF Waitrose have named Royal Voluntary Service as one of three national charities for its Community Matters scheme that invites online customers to influence how much of a £25,000 donation goes to each cause. Votes can be cast between 1 March and 29 May, and at the end of this period, the donation will be divided between the three charities according to their share of the votes. So get shopping and give us your vote!

Long term supporters of Royal Voluntary Service, Yakult will be sponsoring our debut GrandFest event in Hoxton Square, London in June. Sonya Hayden, PR Manager of Yakult UK Limited said: “Supporting Royal

Voluntary Service is very important to us, as our two organisations share many of the same values, based on the importance of mind, body and community. We are looking forward to celebrating the valuable skills and experience of older people at the first GrandFest festival this summer.” For more information on GrandFest, see page 6.

We are delighted to be working with Pensions Insurance Corporation as one of its chosen charity partners. Although not officially launched until January, the company’s staff have been fundraising since September 2014, when they held a treasure

hunt. Royal Voluntary Service has participated in two of Pensions Insurance Corporation’s Policyholder Days so far. Sally Rivers, our Director of Business Performance (pictured), spoke at the events, sharing the bill with explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth, and BBC financial journalist Paul Lewis.

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INVESTING IN VOLUNTEERS Royal Voluntary Service is currently accredited with Investing in Volunteers (IiV), the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. We are currently being reassessed so that this accreditation can be renewed.

As part of this reassessment, some volunteers will be asked to complete surveys, be interviewed or take part in focus groups.

Some of you, selected at random, will have found a paper survey included with this magazine, and we would be grateful if you could take eight to ten minutes to complete this and return it in the freepost envelope provided by Tuesday 31 March. An online questionnaire has been sent out to volunteers through our e-newsletter, too.

In the last two weeks of April, assessors will visit local sites to interview our volunteers and hold focus groups. We want them to see the great practices we already have in place, as well as identify any areas where we could improve.

All responses will remain strictly confidential to the assessor, so please feel comfortable to have your say.

TURNING UP THE HEAT

KAYE ORSBOURN TELLS US ABOUT HER TREK ACROSS THE SAHARA DESERT IN NOVEMBER WITH TEAMMATE ANDREW WILEY, FOR WHICH THEY RAISED OVER £1,000 The Sahara trek was an amazing experience from start to finish.

We were walking in 36°C heat, but it was a dry heat and not uncomfortable.

I was expecting to be walking through sand and dunes, but was surprised by how many rocky areas we had to carefully pick our way through without any twisted ankles. At times we were walking on salt flats, which sounded and looked like half chocolate Easter egg shells and made a wonderful cracking sound with each step.

Evenings around the campfire were great fun, and the stars in the night sky were even better than I had hoped for – they were so clear and close you felt you could almost reach out and touch them, .

The other trekkers were from all walks of life, all raising funds for important causes. Ages ranged from early 20s to late 60s and there were very different characters, but we all got on really well. Some jokes will never be The trekkers had to endure 36°C heat crossing the Sahara

BINGO! On Saturday 6 December 2014, Community Development Worker Daniel Swain attended a glitzy party in Central London hosted by Gala Bingo, which raised over £6,000 for RVS through the support of their generous online bingo players. Daniel brushed shoulders with TV stars including The Only Way is Essex actors Leah Wright and George Harrison (pictured).

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forgotten or shared with anyone other then our fellow trekkers!

The trip did not end as we had expected, though: 36 of the 38 in our group went down with a stomach bug, including the doctor and one of the guides. This led to an emergency evacuation from the desert on day six.

It was a fabulous trip, only slightly marred by the illness that curtailed the last couple of days.

We would like to thank everybody who contributed for their generosity in supporting us and we are delighted to have raised more than £1,000 for Royal Voluntary Service in Medway.

OUR NEWS

FUNDING DEMENTIAFRIENDLY DEVELOPMENTS

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n December 2014, volunteers in Wigan and Leigh presented a £117,000 cheque to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, to be used at Wigan Royal Albert Edward Infirmary on Standish Ward to make Dementia-Friendly Environment Improvements. This includes a new ward entrance, break-out space for patients, a quiet room, toilets in bays and various pictures, murals and colour features.

The money was generated by our teams in Wigan Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Leigh Infirmary and Wigan Thomas Linacre Health Centre. Sadly, Royal Voluntary Service is no longer running these hospital café services.

Deputy Director of Nursing Pauline Law thanked our volunteers for their efforts and noted that the money would make a real difference to older people with dementia during their stay in the Wigan Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

Award for SEVAG

HOW VOLUNTEERS HELPED SOMERSET RECOVERY EFFORTS AFTER SEVERE FLOODING Barbara first joined WRVS in 1978, initially working in a clothing store. She soon moved into emergency services support.

RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY

In response to feedback from volunteers and service users, we have made changes to the way our Resilience and Recovery services operate.

These teams have traditionally supported the emergency services teams when dealing with crises in the community by providing food and hot drinks. However, the increasing availability of 24-hour supermarkets and fast food chains has reduced the need for such call-outs. We have therefore decided to focus our response efforts on daytime and early evening hours.

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The Somerset Emergency Voluntary Agencies Group (SEVAG), made up of 20 different organisations and led by Royal Voluntary Service’s Barbara Sparks, have been formally recognised for their efforts following the floods last winter.

They were collectively awarded the Emergency Planning Society Resilience Award 2014 for the Voluntary Sector. Following the floods, SEVAG helped emergency services and civilians deal with the aftermath in many ways, including evacuating residents from homes, deploying sandbags, rescuing pets and providing welfare support for those in need during the 82-day emergency.

In December 2014, Chairman of Somerset County Council Mr David Fothergill held a reception at County Hall in Taunton to thank those involved. Barbara, who has now stepped down from her role with SEVAG, was presented with a bouquet.

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YOUR BREW BREAK CELEBRATIONS WERE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE IN 2014

CALL ME MAYBE Volunteers Charlotte, Isabel and Issy invited their friends, family and neighbours to come along to their Great Brew Break in Newport. They raised an amazing £317.50 by selling tea and cakes, and holding a bake-off.

The winner was this homage to the iPhone – apparently it was a rather controversial decision!

BAKE-OFF Royal Voluntary Service Cardiff office had a Brew Break Bake-off. In first and second places were Katie and Caitlin with their impressive teapot creations. Craig’s Victoria sponge earned him third place.

BEARY GOOD Not all Brew Break participants were human – this teddy bears’ picnic took place at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.

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TEA LADY IN RED The lovely people at Brightsource held a fantastic vintage Brew Break. As well as having the most attractive tea lady we’ve seen yet, they raised an amazing £624 to help our volunteers support isolated older people in their homes.

AROUND BRITAIN

RELAY GOOD CUPPA Plymouth Hub attempted to set a new world record by carrying a cup of tea in a relay for 3.2 miles. The record attempt started off in safe hands with RVS Chief Executive David McCullough making this special cuppa in our coffee shop at the Cumberland Minor Injuries Unit. The cup of tea was then carried on foot across the city by a team of volunteers working in a relay to a coffee shop at our Mount Gould Local Care Centre.

A team of 24 volunteers worked together on the feat.

SCHOOL’S IN A group of sixth form students from Thomas Hardye School arranged a tea party for our home library service volunteers and clients in Dorchester.

Over 30 people attended the event, some picked up from the local residential home in their wheelchairs by the students themselves. Another tea party will take place at the school on 9 March 2015.

ANTIQUE ANTICS The people of Lancing were whisked back to a gentler age of bone china and doilies at a vintage Brew Break.

Tea, sandwiches, and homemade cakes and scones were all served by our very own Royal Voluntary Service nippies. They raised £157.37 to support our work alleviating loneliness in older people.

CASTLE POINT CAPERS Louise Peters and her team of volunteers and employees from Castle Point lunch club won the annual Brew Break photo competition with this fun snap of their event.

Got time for tea?

LOOKING FOR A FUNDRAISING IDEA THAT YOU CAN RUN IN YOUR HUB, SERVICE OR IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY? THEN WHY NOT PUT THE KETTLE ON?

With Great Brew Break (GBB) no longer being a national fundraiser for the charity this spring, this means that our services and volunteers can host a GBB any time of the year.

As you can see from the events shown here, 2014 went off with a real bang and we love that so many of you were enthusiastic and passionate about raising funds for your local service through cups of tea, delicious cakes and heaps of laughs.

If you would like to organise an event or would like some support to get your event underway, please contact Sanita at sanita.guddu@ royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

Materials are now available all year round for you to host your event – at whatever time of the year that suits you or your team best. A GBB pack consists of: l An informative guide on how to organise your event l Bunting l Flyers to promote your event (A5 to A3 sizes available) l Invitations to send to guests Royal Voluntary Service plans to launch a new national community fundraising event that will take place between 1–7 October to coincide with Older People’s Day, giving all our services and volunteers an opportunity to be involved and raise vital funds for their local services. More details of this will follow soon.

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VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS

MAKING VOICES HEARD ‘VOICES OF VOLUNTEERING: 75 YEARS OF CITIZENSHIP AND SERVICE’ IS A PIONEERING ORAL HISTORY PROJECT BRINGING THE VOICES OF WVS, WRVS AND ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS TO LIFE

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enerously funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, over two years we are professionally gathering 80 oral histories from our past and present volunteers for our Voices of Volunteering: 75 Years of Citizenship and Service project.

Subjects come from every part of Great Britain. The stories of the volunteers’ contribution to the largest voluntary organisation in British history are told in their own words and voices.

The oral history project’s subjects come from all walks of life and worked – and continue to work – to help deliver services including Meals on Wheels, emergency feeding, hospital shops and the Good Neighbours Scheme from the 1940s through to the present day.

You can listen to these oral histories in our online catalogue, and more will be added as they are recorded. Visit our catalogue and type ‘Voices of Volunteering’ into the search box to see what’s available.

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The culmination of the project will be the launch of our online schools resources, designed to assist in teaching the value of volunteering to secondary school students as part of the Citizenship elements of the National Curriculum.

These resources will be available from February 2016.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

Gillian Highley MBE is in her 50th year volunteering, delivering Meals on Wheels, running lunch clubs and much more. She shared her memories with Cataloguing Coordinator Jennifer Hunt last year. Below is a brief extract of the interview, which you can read or listen to in full on the new Voices of Volunteering archive at http:// catalogue.royalvoluntaryservice. org.uk/calmview What’s your earliest memory of RVS? I think it must be from during the war, when the WVS lady came round each week selling National Savings Stamps, wearing what I know now as

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the original green uniform with the sort of pork pie hat.

What did you know about WRVS before you joined? I didn’t know very much at all about it. I just knew that they did Meals on Wheels. I perhaps knew a little bit about their work for the troops during the war, and serving the teas and all the other things they did. Anybody who doesn’t know all the things WRVS and WVS did, really should read one of the books on the history of WVS – they’ll be amazed at what people did.

Royal Voluntary Service’s online archive contains a variety of fascinating material from the organisation’s history, including photographs and posters from our earliest days

Caroline Naylor, Christine Manby and Joan Beck’s are among the voices you can hear online

You can listen to these professionally gathered oral histories in our online catalogue – more will be added as they are recorded

And how did you feel about the Meals on Wheels service you were providing at the time? Oh, I thought it was very good. We had a few funny instances, too. For example, one time, when we got to an older lady’s house, she was sitting there and she said: “I can’t eat my dinner because I’ve lost my false teeth.” So we hunted around for these false teeth, but we couldn’t find them anywhere, so we said we would arrange for somebody to come and take her to the dentist. When the person went a few days later, she was sitting there with a set

of shining false teeth. “Nice to see you’ve found your false teeth,” they said. “Oh no,” she said, “these aren’t my false teeth – my home help had a spare pair, so we’ve filed a bit off and they fit me a treat.”

What would you say is your most treasured memory of being with RVS? Well, I suppose it would seem funny if I didn’t say representing WRVS at St. James’s Palace, when we met lots of important people to try to raise funds.

And after that, the thing I treasure most is the comradeship that we’ve had.

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BATON CHALLENGE

We got as many of our volunteers in Scotland involved as possible in our Baton Pass Challenge, which ran from 22 April until 21 July, just before the Commonwealth Games kicked off in Glasgow

ON THE RUN ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE’S BATON PASS CHALLENGE SWEEPS ACROSS SCOTLAND

A

head of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last summer, we got out and about in Scotland to celebrate the power of volunteering with Royal Voluntary Service’s own baton relay.

Covering 2,500 miles across land and water in 92 days, the baton challenge involved many Royal Voluntary Service Scotland volunteers and service users, and as many modes of transport as possible – from a vintage minibus and golf trolley to roller blades and zimmer frames. We even got up close with a shark!

Two-year-old Neve Graham started the challenge in a toy car, and our oldest baton passer was Margaret Miller, aged 103, from Glasgow.

The baton’s journey finished on 21 July at Edinburgh City Chambers, with a reception attended by the Duchess Of Cornwall.

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FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Looking to the future

CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID MCCULLOUGH OPENS UP ABOUT CHANGES AFOOT IN THE ORGANISATION

HOW WAS 2014 FOR ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE? We had a very tough year, working our way through the Fit for the Future programme, which, unfortunately, involved us having to lose a large number of people from the organisation. It was a painful and sad year, but two things that stood out for me were the incredibly professional way our employees behaved in the face of this difficult change, continuing to worry

about the older people we support and the volunteers we help. We also secured substantial amounts of funding from a variety of organisations, which is a very encouraging indication that people understand the valuable role we continue to play in society.

WHAT IS FIT FOR THE FUTURE? The programme is about trying to make the organisation the shape and size that will make it fit for the future. Over many years, we’ve not really financially balanced our books at an operational level. This has been in the middle of an external environment where our traditional means of funding have been shrinking rapidly. That’s because of the cutbacks in local authorities and the pressure in hospitals, which are equally struggling for money and so are looking to bring in retailers that can give them maximum cash. There are a number of hospitals where the need to maximise money has overridden all the good that our volunteers do.

David plans to develop Royal Voluntary Service’s role in hospitals

WHY IS THIS PROGRAMME SO IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANISATION? We have to make the organisation sustainable financially. We also needed to make sure we can make life simple and straightforward for everyone who works

FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Above: Members of the Volunteer Advisory Group get together at a meeting about organisational developments in Central London last month

WHAT CHANGES WILL THERE BE FOR HUBS? The hub is still a really important way of managing our support for older people to give support that’s based on their individual needs. It’s about saying, “We’ve got lots of ways we could help you stay independent, let’s talk about what you need, and we’ll bring our various resources together to help you.” However, there will be fewer hubs than there have been, because we’ve separated out the retail teams.

WHAT CHANGES WILL THERE BE FOR RETAIL? We need to increase the amount of money we take in our shops and cafés so we are competitive with the likes of Costa Coffee and WHSmith. We also have to make a clearer case to hospitals about how our money goes back in to help support patients and communities.

HOW WILL THESE CHANGES AFFECT VOLUNTEERS? We have tried to focus the changes on our management and paid employees because we want 20

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to protect the volunteers who are working on the front line. I hope, particularly in our retail arm, that we can think about how we can support our volunteers in the hospitals to do much more work around supporting patients.

David meets with volunteers and healthcare professionals at an event in 2013

WHAT IS THE MAIN FOCUS FOR RVS IN 2015?

There are two things really. One is about getting these changes bedded in, so that we’ve got our new structure sorted, people in the right jobs and everybody clear about their new roles.

The second is that we need to work really hard to build on what we have done in the last four or five years; to make the case very strongly that we have an absolutely critical role to play in the health and social care system right across Britain. We’ll be focusing on making that case to the health services of the three nations, the governments of the three nations and to the local authorities.

QUESTIONS FROM VOLUNTEER ADVISORY GROUP: HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE HISTORY OF THIS ICONIC CHARITY IS PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO APPRECIATE? We’ve got an amazing archive covering our whole 75 years. It is a fantastic record of social history since the war, and a fantastic record of the changing role of women in society across that time. It’s a

JOE GASCOIGNE

and volunteers in the organisation. I think we’ve got overcomplicated over the years, and so one of the critical things that we’ve done in the programme is to separate out the team that operates our shops and cafés from the team that supports older people in the community. We are hoping by doing that we can have a better focus on each of those vital activities.

FIT FOR THE FUTURE

“We have to make the organisation sustainable financially. We also needed to make sure that we can make life simple and straightforward for everyone who works and volunteers in the organisation.” really important asset that we have, not just for our organisation but for Britain as a whole.

We have a small task force from across the organisation, headed up by one of our volunteer trustees, Rosemary Brook, working to see how we can get financial support to preserve and to show off the archive, not just to our own people but to anyone who wants to use it, for historical research or documentaries or whatever their needs might be.

Everybody recognises the value of the archive, but there’s not a lot of spare money around at the moment, from anywhere. So we are trying to find a way of using the archive to try to generate some funds, too.

Changes afoot Royal Voluntary Service is undergoing a great deal of change at the moment. To make our organisation fit for the future, we want to be more efficient and to make things easier for our volunteers. Training and guidance will be given to volunteers on the changes that are relevant to them, but some of the key ones are detailed below.

KEY CHANGES TO ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE l A Volunteer Advisory Group, launched last year, with 12 volunteer members influencing volunteering strategy from the heart of the organisation A new volunteer recruitment process that makes it quicker and easier for people to start

volunteering for us and to access e-learning training A streamlined expenses process including an increase in cash limits which volunteers can claim locally. This ensures that expenses are paid quicker for the majority of expense requests, which is something volunteers have been asking for Making many of our forms available online to speed up processes and reduce administration.

Alice Cleland from the Volunteer Advisory Group said: “There are many changes underway and more ahead, but the impact on volunteers should all be positive, making things easier for them and giving them more time to focus on what matters – the people we serve.”

SHOULD WE MERGE WITH ANOTHER CHARITY? SHOULD WE CLOSE? There are 200,000 different charities in the UK, which is clearly mad. All of those charities will have been set up for very good reasons, doing important and useful things, but the expense of maintaining infrastructure and admin on that many organisations is ridiculous. We do similar work to a number of other major charities, such as the Red Cross and Age UK, and we’re busy at the moment looking at how we can collaborate with those other charities, nationally and locally.

There are absolutely no plans to merge at the moment, but I do think we have a really important obligation to make sure we can work with other people, as we always have done over the last 75 years, and that we do our best to minimise costs by working together.

We have to be really clear about what we do that is special and important, and what we do best, and work out how we can do those things alongside other charities with different but complementary strengths.

There are lots of cases where maintaining the existence of the charity overrides the importance of who they’re trying to serve. That’s where all of our discussions about collaboration and cooperation come back to. If there’s an older person out there, who is in the best position to help them? Is it us?

Is it someone else? Is it us working together with someone else? And that’s what we need to focus on.

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LET’S END GOING HOME ALONE

IN NOVEMBER 2014, ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT OLDER PEOPLE COMING HOME FROM HOSPITAL

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hile RVS volunteers have been serving those in need for some time, recent research highlights a need for more action. The Let’s End Going Home Alone campaign will see us support communities, local authorities and NHS trusts to provide more volunteers in hospitals and support vulnerable older people in their homes following discharge from hospital.

Over the last ten years, hospital admissions for people over 75 have been rising four times faster than ageing trends in the population (38 per cent versus ten per cent), and the growth in hospital readmissions has been higher still. A study conducted by RVS supported by the King’s Fund has revealed that older

THE GOOD NEWS IS WE’RE LIVING LONGER...

Key facts 38%

5.1 million 75+ year olds live in Britain today (7 million 75+ year olds estimated to live in Britain in 2035)

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of 75+ year olds returned home from hospital in 2014

( = 1 million)

46%

of 75+ year olds live alone

LET’S END GOING HOME ALONE

Over the last ten years, hospital admissions for those over 75 have been rising four times faster than ageing trends in the population

26% did not feel ready to go home after discharge from hospital

15% felt anxious when returning home

MANY NEEDED SUPPORT WITH... transport home shopping/trips out collecting prescriptions getting to appointments companionship

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LET’S END GOING HOME ALONE

people returning home from hospital without enough support are more than twice as likely to be readmitted within three months.

The research findings are detailed in the report Going Home Alone; Counting the cost to older people and the NHS, which was launched at the House of Lords

by RVS Chief Executive David McCullough and speakers including Liz Kendall MP (pictured below) and Baroness Sally Greengross OBE. This builds on the findings of the 2013 report, Avoiding Unhappy Returns.

In 2012, RVS in Leicestershire launched its Hospital 2 Home scheme, where volunteers support older people after a stay in hospital, making sure their house is safe and warm, helping with meals and transport to follow-up GP appointments, and providing a friendly face to raise their spirits. Within a year, the scheme had helped over 600 older people and readmission rates recorded were almost half the national average (7.5 per cent within 60 days). In a survey 91 per cent of users agreed their life was “a lot better” as a result of the service.

As well as reducing readmissions, Home from Hospital and similar interventions have been found to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

Within a year, the scheme had helped over 600 older people and readmission rates recorded were almost half the national average

13% 41% returned to hospital within three months

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of those readmitted said they did not receive the support they needed at discharge

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essentials (IN THE WORDS OF THOSE WHO KNOW)

1 2

“I want to be kept informed about when I will be going home and my family/carers need to know this too.”

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“I want my journey home to be comfortable and with someone who knows me (if only a little) and it would help to have someone to settle me back into my home.”

“It would be reassuring to know that someone is able to pick up my prescriptions for me and help me to my GP and hospital appointments.”

4 5

“It would be nice to know that the heating and lighting is on ready for when I return home.”

“I would like to know that there is bread and milk in the fridge when I get home and someone to help me cook a meal and collect shopping.”

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“Being home alone, especially if I am less mobile, can be lonely so it would be nice to know someone is coming to visit me.”

HOME FROM HOSPITAL SUPPORT COULD SAVE US

£40.4m per year in readmission costs

LET’S END GOING HOME ALONE

HOW TO HELP If enough people know about our campaign, we can help all older people leaving hospital get the help they need. Please do whatever you can, whether it’s volunteering your own time, working with us to start a new service if you’re in a local or health authority has none, making a donation or just spreading the word. Pass it on!

Sylwestra and Sara’s story When Sylwestra, 89, came out of hospital after a fairly long spell, the local branch of Royal Voluntary Service was on hand. Sara, a local volunteer, visited Sylwestra daily, helping her get back on her feet with all sorts of tasks, including shopping, laundry, and her favourite pastimes of crosswords and drinking tea.

Sylwestra says: “I had no transport to get to appointments. Now I can just call Sara and she takes me and waits for me, and another gentleman also takes me to hospital appointments. I really like the friendliness and genuine friendship of the volunteers.”

Sylwestra’s son, Andrew, has also found the service invaluable.

“This help means my mother can stay at home, which is what she wants” “My mother was offered everything she needed to get settled back at home. I try to visit her regularly, but in reality it’s only every few weeks due to work commitments, and it’s the day-to-day things that are the problem, such as visits to the GP and odd bits of shopping. My mother has lived in her house for 50 years, she loves the garden and this wonderful help means she can stay at home, which is what she wants.”

Sara, 57, has been volunteering with RVS for a year.

She explains: “I visit Sylwestra two or three times a week at home. She knows that if she is anxious, she can ring me and I will come and sort things out. I also keep in direct touch with her son.

“I searched online for local volunteering opportunities and found the Royal Voluntary Service website. I applied, went for training and the CRB checks, and got started. It was so simple.”

SPREAD THE WORD

Help us get the message out by sharing our video or the link to our website on social media l Our campaign hashtag is #HelpThemHome and don’t forget to tag @RoyalVolService on Twitter l Information on Let’s End Going Home Alone is at: bit.ly/helpthemhome l Watch our campaign video at: bit.ly/helpthemhomevideo

MAKE A DONATION

£8 could provide volunteer support to an older person in hospital; £24 could provide an escorted journey back to a warm and welcoming home; and £47 could provide a hamper of essentials and a week of intensive support. l Donate online at bit.ly/helpthemhome l Text RVOL75 to 70070 including the donation amount: £1, £5 or £10.

LEND A HAND

There are plenty of ways to help as a Home from Hospital volunteer. All you need is some time you can share – even just an hour or two a week could make a huge difference. Just put your name down and we’ll find something that’s perfect for you.

IN HOSPITAL

You could help someone get ready to leave hospital, getting to know them and their needs. Then you might pop into their home to get the heating on, clear post from the doormat and take our mini-hamper of essentials such as tea, milk, bread and a hot meal.

EVERYDAY TASKS

You could help with shopping, collecting prescriptions, getting ready for an outpatients visit,

posting letters or going for a walk… sometimes it’s quite small things like helping to reach a cupboard that can make all the difference.

BEFRIENDING

Often the most helpful thing to do is just be a friendly face, popping in to put the kettle on and making sure everything is going well. Or perhaps having a regular chat over the phone. Sharing a little time can work wonders for someone’s confidence.

TRANSPORT

A patient, friendly driver who can help with getting around can make a tremendous difference to recovery.

You could be bringing someone home from hospital, taking them to outpatients or to get some shopping, or even taking them to a place of worship or to have lunch with friends.

FIND A HOME FROM HOSPITAL SCHEME NEAR YOU

We have services up and running in the following areas, and hope our volunteers will help us expand and support as many of those in need as possible: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire Bristol Dumfries & Galloway Dundee Glasgow Stirling, Stirlingshire Middlesborough, Tees Valley Leighton, Cheshire Liverpool, Merseyside Kirklees, West Yorkshire Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire Leicester City, Leicestershire Southend, Essex.

If your area is not on the list and you’d like to change that, please get in touch with us by calling 0845 608 0122 or writing to us at RVS, Beck Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff, CF23 8RP.

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GRAHAM FELT LIKE HE HAD LOST A PART OF HIS IDENTITY WHEN HE NO LONGER HAD ANYONE TO CONVERSE WITH IN WELSH. OUR BEFRIENDING SERVICE MATCHED HIM UP WITH FELLOW WELSH-SPEAKER DILYS AND HELPED HIM RECONNECT WITH HIS PAST

Friends FOR LIFE GRAHAM WILLIAMS, 78, lives with his wife Jean in the small Welsh village of Cwmllynfell.

Jean is originally from England, and although she has picked up a reasonable amount of the language from her husband, the pair can’t converse in Welsh.

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aving been recently diagnosed with dementia and unable to leave the house alone, when Graham was first referred to Royal Voluntary Service, it was thought that his loneliness and isolation was similar to that of many others. On closer inspection, though, it was clear that Graham was missing something different.

LOST IN TRANSLATION Welsh was Graham’s first and only language in his early years. “When the war broke out, they sent evacuees here. I couldn’t understand English, but they taught me English and I taught them Welsh as well,” he explains.

His mother was “very anti-education”, so Graham was largely self-taught and worked in the coal mines.

Everything turned around for him, though, when he met his wife Jean. He explains: “I went to Butlins to 26

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Graham had no one left to talk to in his native tongue until we matched him with Dilys

BEFRIENDING

MATTHEW HORWOOD

When the war broke out, they sent evacuees here.

I couldn’t understand English, but they taught me English and I taught them Welsh as well

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When Dilys came, she filled a vacuum in my life

MORE INFORMATION Whether you feel inspired to become a volunteer befriender, or know someone who could do with that kind of support, you can find more information and local contacts online at www. royalvoluntary service.org.uk/ get-help/serviceswe-provide/ befriending

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work, and I was in a very bad state. I felt like my life was at an end. Then I met this very charming girl.

After speaking to her for five minutes, I realised she was in the same situation as I was. I said to her there and then, ‘we might as well get married’, and she said ‘why not’. That was 44 years ago, and it was magic, sheer magic. If it wasn’t for Jean, I would have done nothing. She is my backbone.” He went to college and then university, studied sociology, creative writing and Welsh, and ended up touring the world, lecturing on Dylan Thomas.

However, despite the love and dedication he and his wife still share, and although they moved back to Wales, the missing puzzle piece was always Welsh.

MORE THAN WORDS When the team in Wales identified that what Graham really needed was a Welsh-speaking companion, they made a smart move. No one could have predicted, though, just what a perfect match Dilys Walters would be. Their shared love of the literary, of poetry and previous participation in national and local Eisteddfod meant that the pair really hit it off.

Dilys explains. “I went along and quickly learned that he has won numerous chairs at the Eisteddfod. I follow the Eisteddfod every year as well, so we had a lot in common. He was really happy to have somebody who was on the same wavelength.

“Graham was an elocutionist and so was I. He’d recited the same pieces that I had, and we knew all the same poets. We had some of the same close friends. It was amazing to go there and find out we’d been doing the same things.”

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MATTHEW HORWOOD

Dilys and Graham both competed in Eisteddfod, for which Graham won many crowns and chairs

Graham says of Dilys, “She’s first class. The service sent her here because in my life, all I wanted was Welsh, Welsh speakers. But she did more than that.

When Dilys came, she filled a vacuum in my life.

She was talking not only about Welsh but about Eisteddfod. I miss those.”

There was a further bonus prize to be revealed, though: Dilys’ husband Eifrion. He is not a volunteer for RVS, but Eifrion became Graham’s close friend.

He is a lay preacher in the local church, and Dilys and Eifrion have taken Graham to the Welsh chapel and other events.

Graham says: “Eifrion worked in the pits, too. So he spoke the same language as me: not only Welsh, he spoke interest.”

A HEART OF GOLD Dilys has been befriending for Royal Voluntary Service for a number of years and has made a huge difference to others’ lives. She started as a favour to cover for an unwell friend who had been volunteering for years. She then volunteered at the limb clinic at Morriston hospital before it closed down, and then joined the befriending service.

The dedication of volunteers like Dilys can absolutely transform the lives of those in need.

To see the joy in Graham’s face as he talks to Dilys about their love of all things Welsh is incredible, and a massive turnaround from the isolation and frustration he showed before.

“Dilys and Eifrion have become pillars in my life.” Graham says. “They became great friends to me overnight. They have filled up my life.”

RECIPE

A sweet spring treat

TV CHEF JAMES MARTIN SHARES A RECIPE FROM HIS LATEST BOOK AND TELEVISION SERIES, HOME COMFORTS

gelatine, add to the syrup and whisk until completely dissolved. Add the remaining 75ml passion fruit pulp, then set aside to cool.

Impress dinner guests with this fruity delight

STEP 4 When it’s cool, pour over the passion fruit crème to cover (this layer only needs to be about 5mm thick). Return to the fridge to set for another hour. Remove from the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

STEP 1 Begin with the passion fruit crème. Put the double cream and 150g of the sugar into a large saucepan. Gently bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the lime juice and 75ml of the passion fruit pulp and whisk to combine.

STEP 2 Pour into four large Martini glasses and place in the fridge to set for at least two hours.

STEP 3 Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. Put the remaining 100g of caster sugar into a saucepan with 100ml of water, bring to the boil, and then squeeze any excess water out of the

STEP 6 Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together to a soft, sticky dough. Form it into two long sausages on a lightly floured work surface, place on the baking tray, and then bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

YUKI SUGIURA

G

iven up chocolate for Lent? That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy other yummy delights! Why not try this delicious recipe from James Martin’s latest book, Home Comforts, for a refreshing and fruity dessert.

STEP 5 Meanwhile, make the biscotti, Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with a layer of baking parchment.

STEP 7 Remove from the oven and leave for ten minutes to cool and firm up.

STEP 8 Using a serrated knife, cut the biscotti on an angle into slices 1cm thick, and then lay them back on to the baking tray (you may well need two trays now).

STEP 9 Return to the oven and cook for eight minutes, then turn the slices over and cook for a further ten to 15 minutes or until they are a pale golden colour on both sides. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.

SERVE the passion fruit crème with the biscotti alongside.

Home Comforts by James Martin (Quadrille, £20)

PASSION FRUIT CRÈME WITH COCONUT AND CHERRY BISCOTTI (SERVES 4) FOR THE PASSION FRUIT CRÈME l 600ml double cream l 250g (9oz) caster sugar l juice of 1 lime l 150ml passion fruit pulp (passed through a fine sieve) l 2 leaves of gelatine FOR THE BISCOTTI

l 300g (10oz) plain

flour, plus more to dust

l 250g (9oz) caster sugar l 100g (4oz) shelled

pistachios

l 60g (2oz) grated fresh

coconut

l 50g (2oz) natural

glacé cherries, roughly chopped l finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon l 1 ¼ tsp baking powder l pinch of salt l 3 eggs, lightly beaten

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ALTHOUGH STARTED AS A VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION FOR WOMEN IN 1938, MEN HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEERING FOR THE RVS SINCE AT LEAST 1949.

TWO BOURNEMOUTH BOYS TELL US WHAT THEY DO

“We get as much out of this as they do” ALAN LODGE, ROYAL BOURNEMOUTH HOSPITAL CAFÉ

Alan sorts the condiments at the café in Royal Bournemouth Hospital

What gave you the idea to volunteer?

That was when I was job searching. Before I did café work, I worked in an Oxfam warehouse – again on a voluntary basis – sorting books, DVDs and CDs. I joined the café because I wanted to try something new.

I’d never worked in a café before, so I thought I’d have a go at it.

I enjoy it a lot.

I do all sorts of things – for example, placing the stock by the oldest date first, helping customers, cleaning the tables, packing the dishwasher, mopping the floor if there’s a spillage or something, collecting the mugs…

Sometimes I’m on the till, and I’ve used the coffee machine as well.

I guess I do bit of everything… well, except the managerial work, of course. I also sometimes deal with deliveries.

I have actually been training some people as well, showing them the ropes, where everything is and that kind of stuff. I’d never really

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PAUL UNDERHILL

What are your main tasks?

MORE INFORMATION If you know someone who’d like to volunteer with us, pass on our number, 0845 601 4670, or visit www. royalvoluntary service.org.uk

ROYALVOLUNTARYSERVICE.ORG.UK

done that kind of thing before. It’s a very good skill to have.

What made you decide to keep on volunteering at the café once you’d found a paid job?

I really enjoy doing it.

What do you like most about working in the café?

Well, seeing my friends there, and all the lovely customers. They are

nice to talk to and I really enjoy having conversations with them, which is cool. The manager is always so nice. We’re usually busy.

My favourite thing is probably talking to the staff and customers.

What are the most valuable skills you’ve learned?

Customer service, dealing with stock, dealing with hot drinks… I’ve learned a lot!

TAKE TWO VOLUNTEERS Laurie prepares Katie is one of the the books for next generation another library of Royal Voluntary service run Service volunteers

LAURIE SMITH, LIBRARY SERVICE AND BEFRIENDING How does the library service work?

Every three weeks, we take a selection of books or audiobooks to someone who’s housebound. A lot of people don’t realise they can borrow a CD player to play the audiobooks on as well. Two of us go around, one driving and the other riding shotgun! The library keeps a record of what people like and don’t like, and picks a selection each time based on that.

And how about your befriending?

I’ve done two now. One of them went into hospital last year and came out a bit of a wreck. He was basically stuck in the house. My job was to go and cheer him up a bit, and I eventually got him walking again. These people often have families who can see them at weekends, but Monday to Friday they’re stuck on their own.

What do you enjoy most about it?

I think meeting people – we get as much out of this as they do. You might ask why we do it. The first reason, I suppose, is compassion.

The other is that when you’re retired, you no longer have job satisfaction and colleagues to talk to, so volunteering helps with that.

How long have you been volunteering?

For about 20 years, and not just for RVS. For ten years, I ran a team of drivers for our local GP, taking patients in. For the time it took for one home visit, they could see six patients in the surgery, so it made a big difference.

Do you have any advice for would-be volunteers?

Don’t take on too much voluntary work. If you do, it starts to be a chore, you stop enjoying it and it’s a waste of everybody’s time. You have to limit what you do to what you’re happy with.

QUIZZES

Time for a break

PUT YOUR GREY MATTER TO THE TEST WITH OUR TRICKY TRIVIA AND PUZZLES

WORD WHEEL

How many words can you create from this word wheel? See if you can also spot the nine-letter word

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GATHER EVERYONE ROUND TO TAKE ON OUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ 1. In which Londonbased music studios have The Shadows, Yehudi Menuhin, Lady Gaga and The Beatles all recorded?

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2. Although he became famous for his Cornflakes, what was John Harvey Kellogg’s day job?

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3. Who is the early 20th century inventor who shares his surname with a 21st century electric car-maker?

SUDOKU Get cracking with the classic numbers game DIFFICULTY: EASY

6. Which popular sitcom was set in a department store called Grace Brothers?

7. In which sport might you hear the French terms allez, passé and touché?

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ANSWERS: 1. Abbey Road 2. Doctor 3. Nikola Tesla 4. Winston Churchill 5. Lettuce 6. Are You Being Served? 7. Fencing. Word wheel: computers

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QUESTION TIME

ACTI N Action is produced by Royal Voluntary Service’s Internal Communications Manager, Kath Owen internalcomms@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

OUR AMBITION Our older generation made this country great and they deserve a fulfilled old age. We will unleash the power of volunteering to make Royal Voluntary Service great again, so that we can enrich the lives of older people. Our ambition is to help improve the lives of two million (almost one in SIX) of the older generation by 2023.

ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE Royal Voluntary Service is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 2520413. Registered office Beck Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff, CF23 8RP. Registered charity 1015988 (England and Wales) & SCO38924 (Scotland) royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Learning to live

MARY FLYNN SHARES HER EXPERIENCES FROM A WRVS BENEVOLENT TRUST-FUNDED TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA

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very year, a group of sixth-year students and teachers from James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh go to South Africa to visit three schools in Umlazi. A Benevolent Volunteering Bursary from RVS enabled me to go on the trip this year.

We held fundraising events and appeals for donated goods to take with us to the schools we visited.

We gave food to some of the most deprived children, along with clothes, shoes, pencil cases, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toys.

At Zwelibanzi High School, produce from the school’s garden goes to provide children with hot meals, as many come from poverty-stricken families and get little food at home. We taught some pupils Scottish country dancing, and they taught us their songs and some Zulu.

Dloko High School was quite different, as it is in an area with greater social problems.

However, everyone at the school was very welcoming. The pupils have an amazing enthusiasm for learning, and when a

teacher arrived late, a pupil would step up to the board and recap a previous lesson, or start new work if they knew enough.

Visiting Charles Memorial Primary School was an intense and emotional experience. The young children were clearly suffering from the effects of poverty: a lot of them had swollen stomachs, a sign of malnutrition. Sadly, many of the children also came from families affected by Aids, and some of them were born with the disease. They were all desperate for attention – they were so happy to blow bubbles or to play clapping games with us.

The trip was a truly amazing experience and I learned a lot from seeing poverty and its effects on these children and their education first hand. I am extremely grateful to Royal Voluntary Service for making it possible for me to go.

WRVS Benevolent Trust Youth Bursary is awarded annually to young volunteers or employees of RVS, aged between 16 and 25. The next deadline for applications is February 2016. www.wrvsbt.org.uk/ youth-bursary-awards

JOIN US, SUPPORT US To find out about volunteering opportunities with RVS, call 0845 601 4670. To make a donation to support our work, call 0845 607 6524 WRVS BENEVOLENT TRUST For volunteers in sudden financial need.

Write to PO Box 567, Tonbridge, TN9 9LS or call 07894 060 517 enquiry@wrvsbt.org.uk PATRON Her Majesty The Queen PRESIDENT HRH The Duchess Of Cornwall PUBLISHER Published on behalf of Royal Voluntary Service by Think, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH www.thinkpublishing.co.uk Editor: Fiona McKinlay Sub-editor: Kirsty Fortune Designers: Dominic Scott, Mark Davies, Alistair McGown Publisher: John Innes Managing Director: Polly Arnold © 2015 Royal Voluntary Service. All rights reserved.

Every reasonable endeavour has been made to find and contact the copyright owners of the images and works included in this magazine. However, if you believe a copyright work has been included without your permission, please contact us at action@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk Royal Voluntary Service Action is printed on FSC paper coming from a well-managed forest.

The publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Views of contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the policy of Royal Voluntary Service or those of the publishers.

Please pass on this magazine or recycle when finished.

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Wheels in motion

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n the summer of 1942, Volunteer Car Pool (VCP) was formed and administered by WVS to provide cars for emergency use and for day-to-day running in connection with civil defence, evacuation and other essential work.

By 1943, they were overseeing 570 VCP schemes across Britain. By the time VCP was closed down in July 1945, at the end of the war, it had clocked up over 60 million miles.

The disbandment and withdrawal of VCP would have been keenly felt, especially by hospitals, for which the largest amount of work – 45 per cent – had

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been done. Lady Reading, realising this need, sat down with the heads of British Red Cross (BRC) and St. John Ambulance Brigade, and organised a service for those sitting patients who couldn’t afford an ambulance or hire car to hospital.

The Hospital Car Service began with a pilot in Oxfordshire on 1 August 1945 before being rolled out across the country.

It was initially thought that the service would only run until the creation of the NHS in 1948, but it continued to be run by WVS until the mid-1970s, when it was taken over by the Hospital Authorities.

WRVS/HQ/P/TR/AMB002

TRANSPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED IS ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING SERVICES ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE STILL PROVIDES, ALTHOUGH IT HAS TAKEN MANY FORMS OVER THE YEARS

Stay connected

HOW TO KEEP IN THE LOOP WITH NEWS FROM ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE Unfortunately due to reduced finances, this will be the last edition of our magazine. We will continue to keep in touch and spread the word about new campaigns, great volunteering stories and more through newsletters, meetings and the world wide web:

l Our monthly newsletter goes out to volunteers by email. If you don’t currently receive this, please ask your local team to add your email address to your volunteer record. l Regional volunteer meetings take place across the country,

and are a great way to stay informed and get together with other volunteers.

Contact your local team for details. l Keep in touch with us online at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk Volunteers can sign up and access additional information online. Sign

up using your volunteer number at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/ sign-in/volunteer-lookup /royalvoluntaryservice @RoyalVolService

OUR VISION IS A FUTURE WHERE NO OLDER PERSON WILL FEEL LONELY. IT’S A PROMISE THAT WE HOPE YOU WILL HELP US KEEP. THANK YOU. David McCullough Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service

HOW OUR FREE WILL WRITING SERVICE COULD HELP YOU

GIFTS IN WILLS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE WORK WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OLDER PEOPLE IN BRITAIN. If you would like information on legacy giving, to tell us that you have already left a gift to Royal Voluntary Service in your Will, or to find out more about our free Will-writing service, visit

www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/legacy

If you are over 55, you can make or change your Will free of charge with the National Free Wills Network.

Find out more by ticking the box on your VIP Response Form.

DON’T MISS OUT, AVAILABILITY OF OUR FREE WILL SERVICE IS LIMITED