Hi Everyone,
A Word from the VASA Chair
Thank you for taking an interest in VASA’s work over the past year
As you read through our Annual Report, I think you will be amazed at the figures presented here. They represent the breadth, variety and impact of the work done in the community of South Ayrshire by VASA together with its partners. It is a record to be proud of.
‘Making Help Happen’ is what VASA does.
For the organisations it represents, this means building and supporting strong Third Sector networks to enable all to have a voice in community planning for the future. It means identifying and delivering training to make the most of Third Sector potential. It means supporting and promoting volunteering and its management so that partners can roll out their services efficiently and effectively. It means support when seeking funding to make a difference in the community.
For clients young and old, it means signposting them to the organisations most fitted to their needs. It means friendly support when life gets challenging. It means being able to access a listening ear, benefits advice, human contact in a digital world.
VASA calls its staff ‘The Dream Team’. I call them ‘The Busybodies’. That’s not an insult In fact, it’s meant as a compliment Just like the organisation itself, these ‘bodies’ are among the ‘busiest’ I’ve ever come across. As this Annual Report shows, they make everybody’s challenges their business, and help them make the best of those difficulties in difficult times.
I am proud to chair the enthusiastic team which is The VASA Board, and I hope that with me, you will applaud the work of the whole organisation for all the Help they Made Happen in the past year
LindaMuir
Linda M Muir Chair of VASA Board
Representation
Throughout 2024 the new representation model that was introduced in 2023 is now well established.
These forums are open to any Third Sector Organisation (Registered Charity, Voluntary Group, Community Interest Company, Trusts etc.) that delivers in South Ayrshire.
Groups can choose to attend one or more of the Forums that meet their area of specialism from the following list;
Third Sector Community Food Forum
Third Sector Employability & Social Enterprise Forum
Third Sector Children’s and Young Peoples Services Forum
Third Sector Welfare Forum
Third Sector Sustainability Forum
Third Sector Health & Wellbeing Forum
These forums are chaired by a Third Sector elected representative who attends the linked Community Planning Strategic Delivery Partnership meeting and is the conduit for the flow of information and ensure that the sector are included in decision making and have a strong voice in reports and plans. The role of VASA is to facilitate the meeting, take minutes and actions and book venues and speakers etc. These forums are led by the Third Sector and not VASA.
If we want to be seen as a valuable partner then ……. You need to be in it to win it!
During 2025 Forum members will have the opportunity to access reduced cost training courses for example First Aid, Leadership etc. 150+ Individuals
Representation
2024 saw the introduction of two new networks:
Chief Officers Breakfast Network
Both have been popular and have given participants a safe space to discuss issues, suggest topics for future meetings and have peer support.
During 2025 all Forum members will be able to take part in the second Third Sector
Marketplace event, following on from this year’s very successful event at Ayr Town Hall
During 2024 Third Sector services in South Ayrshire have started to be called Tier One services partially with regard to mental health services. This is an acknowledgement of the valuable preventative and early intervention services we all deliver. This is something that we need to focus on in 2025 as arguably Tier One suggests the importance of what we deliver as a sector.
Let’s strengthen our partnership with the public sector even further in 2025 and ensure we are seen and heard.
For more
Capacity Building Support
Capacity Building Support from VASA is one of the core functions that is offered to all voluntary sector organisations across South Ayrshire from small local volunteer led groups to large national or regional charities who deliver in South Ayrshire.
This year has seen support delivered, directly and indirectly, to over 200 organisations through a variety of events, information sessions, networking opportunities, programmes developed or bespoke one-to-one meetings.
Employability for Charities in South Ayrshire
One of the main areas of support to charities in South Ayrshire has been the opportunity to support them to develop and increase their workforce. Through partnership working with South Ayrshire Council’s Employability Service, VASA were successful in securing a budget from the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) to administer a fund that paid for ‘matched’ unemployed parents to work within a charity for 26 weeks. The partnership has seen joint working between the SAC Employability Service and VASA, where VASA initially identified potential charities who wished to take on staff for 26 weeks, for which they are promptly reimbursed for wages. SAC Employability Service were responsible for finding suitable ‘matches’ for these positions. Within the first 7 months of the programme, the voluntary sector saw 16 individuals matched to 10 charities Already 4 of these matches have been successful in securing permanent positions within the organisations they were matched to.
There are plans to roll this programme out further into 2025, opening up the programme to more people who are looking to be supported to get back into the workforce. There are also plans to develop a similar programme for those who require additional support needs.
VASA are also working alongside Ayrshire College to look for opportunities within the voluntary sector for health and social care students to take up 10 week placement positions
Capacity Building Support
Third Sector Showcase
In September VASA facilitated a Showcase Event for Third Sector organisations delivering in South Ayrshire to come along and set up a market stall within the Town Hall, Ayr. 60 organisations took up this opportunity and the room offered a glimpse into the amazing, invaluable work that is carried out by the voluntary sector
Over 250 practitioners from many statutory and private agencies came to browse the stalls, as well as the general public. There was an amazing buzz around the room and loads of great chatter as information was shared and connections were made.
Funding
In partnership with South Ayrshire Council’s External Funding Officer, we facilitated 5 funding surgeries with The National Lottery Community Fund across 3 areas of South Ayrshire: Ayr, Troon and Girvan. 45 local voluntary organisations and charities each had a half hour slot with the Lotteries Funding Officer to chat over their own individual projects and get advice and guidance around potential Lottery funding that they may be able to apply for.
In recent months over £500,000 has been successfully received from the Lottery for 23 community groups/charities in South Ayrshire. Around 30% of this funding was received by groups who attended one of these funding surgeries. Due to this success, we will be looking to deliver more surgeries at the beginning of 2025
Capacity Building Support
Chief Officer/Senior Managers Breakfast Network
During the last quarter of 2024, VASA set up a Chief Officers/Senior Managers Network that meets for ‘breakfast’ the first Tuesday of every month in the VASA offices. This network is run between 8.30-10am and allows senior staff from charities in South Ayrshire to meet up and discuss relevant topics that are unique to managers running a charity, including:
Trustees – recruitment
Managing your Board Governance
Support from Local Authority and joined up working
Sourcing core funding
Staff recruitment – skills gaps
Funding and issues with short term funding
Delegation of duties
So far, after just running 2 sessions, the conversation has been very rich and in-depth offering those attending peer support in what is a safe space to network. We look forward to the growth and continued support of this network next year.
Continued Intelligence and Support of the Voluntary Sector
Through the many conversations with those working in the Third Sector, it is evident that the next few years will bring challenges for all, especially around funding. With cuts being made at every turn and costs increasing, most will need to find ways to make resources stretch further while trying to still deliver on all that the sector offers. There has been chat from several organisations around getting back to basics and reassessing if current services still fit the aims and objectives of their organisations.
This being said, the voluntary sector in South Ayrshire, as a whole, still offers invaluable support to the residents of this local authority area, often going above and beyond to ensure the health and well-being of their communities are met.
VASA build their intelligence of the sector throughout the year by being present at many local, pan-Ayrshire and national meetings and events, both feeding in and extracting information that will showcase our sector and also benefit it.
One area of concern for many charities is the rolling out of changes that OSCR are putting in place as they start to deliver on the extra powers they have been given through the new Charities Act that came into force in 2023. Although this will inevitably give Charities a little more work to do, it will ultimately ‘tighten’ up the register and make Charities more transparent to one another, funders and the general public. This should lead to all having more trust in our sector
Volunteering
At any time, VASA are actively promoting around 200 volunteer roles across South Ayrshire. Often each of these roles offers a number of opportunities, for example an organisation may be looking for 5 or 10 volunteers for each volunteering role. This equates to an average of approx. 1400 volunteer opportunities available at any time.
new volunteering roles listed and promoted
Voluntary Action South Ayrshire (VASA) supported approx 380 organisations to promote volunteering opportunities, by including an online and printed VASA newsletter, by listing nationally on Volunteer Scotland and by referring interested individuals to the respective organisations.
The VASA Volunteering Team participated in 30 events to actively promote and raise awareness of volunteering.
VASA supported 256 individuals aged 25+ to prepare for volunteering and to find suitable volunteering opportunities based on their interests, skills and availability
Case study: The volunteering team have taken a few referrals this year from the Occupational Therapy team at NHS Ayrshire and Arran. One of their referrals was for C, a lady in her late 30’s who had been out of work for a number of years due to ill health She was looking to volunteer in a charity shop as a step to getting back into employment, and also to build her confidence. Unfortunately, she was only able to provide one reference which proved to be a barrier to finding her a volunteering opportunity. C engaged really well with the volunteering team and was very keen to volunteer, but the majority of retail opportunities available locally required two references She tried a couple of opportunities out which weren’t a good fit for her The volunteering team were able to use the good working relationship that they had with a local organisation to reach out to them to discuss whether they would consider giving C an opportunity They agreed and were incredibly supportive of her during her initial training She has now been volunteering in their shop for several months and the last feedback we got was that ‘Yeah I’m glad I got into volunteering - I'm loving it.’
Volunteering
Support given to Volunteer Involving Organisations
Information about recruitment and marketing
Opportunities to network & share best practice
Developing new and existing Volunteer Roles
Recognising volunteers via SAVA awards
Information about quality standards/accreditation
Case Studies:
“We just wanted to thank you for your excellent presentation at our CSH event yesterday evening. We have had some very positive feedback from attendees – I think you have them, and us, thinking about how we support our volunteers.
Thanks again for your contribution –much appreciated!”
(VIO Ayr)
Online and printed promotion of Volunteer Roles
Support with Saltire Awards
Information about current volunteering policies
“Thanks so much for your time today and sending through the resources which are very helpful, it is much appreciated.
The advice you gave us has already started to help us focus on strategies moving forward and given us some fresh ideas.
Your input has been very valuable and we look forward to a continued relationship with VASA and catching up again at some point.
Thanks again ”
(VIO Girvan)
Volunteer Managers Network Meetings
In September 2024, VASA reintroduced the Volunteers Managers Network. These monthly meetings are for Volunteer Managers/Coordinators across South Ayrshire to participate in to enhance their skills and make valuable connections. These meetings aim to be meaningful to participants and helpful to their practice and wellbeing.
Volunteering
SOUTH AYRSHIRE
Volunteer Awards 2024
To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of National Volunteers’ Week, Voluntary Action South Ayrshire (VASA) hosted the South Ayrshire Volunteer Awards event in Ayr Town Hall on Thursday 6 June 2024 to say ‘thank you’ to the local heroes who step up to support people in communities across South Ayrshire.
We received 519 nominations. Each volunteer nominated received an award certificate. Volunteers were nominated by 31 local and national organisations.
Around 200 volunteers attended the awards ceremony They enjoyed refreshments, a light buffet, entertainment and a huge round of applause as their names were read out in a roll of honour.
VASA administers the Volunteer Friendly Award for small – medium South Ayrshire groups and organisations with an income of less than £200,000 per annum. However, due to ongoing developments, it looks as though this award, as we know it, will no longer be offered
The Investing in Volunteers Award (IiV) is aimed at medium to large volunteer programmes.
VASA are currently in the process of developing a new local quality standard award for South Ayrshire volunteer involving organisations that should be available in 2025. https://www.volunteerscotland.net/volunteer-practice/quality-standards
Young Volunteering
Over the past year, South Ayrshire has seen a significant increase in young people showing an interest in volunteering. VASA supports South Ayrshire’s 12-25 year olds to participate in the Saltire Awards, a Scottish Government initiative which recognises, celebrates, and rewards young people’s dedication to volunteering.
Since launching our Saltire Ambassadors group in 2023, the group has gone from strength to strength, with a team of 12 young people now representing VASA and the Saltire Awards in secondary schools across South Ayrshire Pupils have arranged various volunteering activities including full-day intergenerational events at Belmont Academy and Girvan Academy, which brought together school pupils and older people to tackle ageism and promote community partnerships.
In April, young people from across South Ayrshire were delighted to attend the annual Saltire Awards ceremony which took place in Ayr Town Hall. Over 50 young volunteers received awards including 10 who were privileged to receive the Summit Award – a prestigious award decided by a panel of South Ayrshire’s young volunteers - presented by Depute Provost Mary Kilpatrick. Attendees enjoyed inspiring musical performances from local young volunteers Molly and Macie, representing Prestwick Academy and Heathfield Primary School.
Since November 2023
Young people supported to find volunteer placements
VASA as a Fund Administrator
VASA were delighted to find out that they would receive Year 4 funding to be distributed through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults. £331,942.13 has been allocated to be distributed to organisations across South Ayrshire who are delivering activities that support the community in mental health and well-being. This funding is for projects that will be delivered between April 2025 - March 2026.
Applications are invited this year for 4 separate grants:
Chatty Space grant of up to £5K to deliver a regular social space for people within a community to come together
Small Grant of up to £15K
Large Grant of up to £30K
Consortium Grant of up to £40K with a minimum of 3 organisations delivering together on one of two areas: Mental Health or Dementia
The deadline for applications is Thursday 5th December 12pm. Decision panels made up of Steering Group members will decide most of these grants in January through inviting those successful in getting to stage 2, to come in and present their project ‘Dragons Den Style’. Year 3 funding, which was decided at the end of last year, has seen the successful applicants deliver their projects this year between January 2024 and March 2025 The VASA Funding Officer for this fund has been out to visit most of the successful projects recently and looks forward to visiting the remaining few by January 2025. There is an abundance of great projects being delivered through this funding and such a wide variety of services and programmes, all benefitting communities to achieve better mental health and wellbeing. With this 4th year of funding, VASA will have administered a total of £1,342,978.40 distributed to voluntary sector organisations delivering projects across South Ayrshire to support people’s mental health and wellbeing
Hospital Discharge Support
The most important part of the Hospital Discharge Support role is to listen and spend time with the patients, as there is no such thing as a simple referral. Each patient is an individual, so every referral is tailored to their wants and needs. There are patients who have been very independent before admission and find it hard coming to terms with having to ask for help There are also patients that have been in hospital multiple times and they are now looking for more support.
Some patients need to build their confidence up again after a fall so they can get back out to do their own shopping and stay independent. VASA have also been helping patients who have been admitted to hospital with only the clothes they are wearing and no family or friends locally, by supplying a toiletry bag with hygiene products that they would need for a stay in hospital. We make sure patients have support on their transition from hospital back to their home, from key safes and community alarms, to befrienders, chaperones, shoppers and cleaners. We can help patients and their families maximise their benefits by referring them to the right people, and signpost them to local activities and clubs to keep not only their bodies active but also their minds All of this is made possible by using resources from the Third Sector and private services
Within 6 months of working with the discharge team, our Hospital Discharge Support Worker has seen nearly 100 patients.
“Thank you for helping arrange my partner’s funeral, while I’ve been in hospital I just couldn’t have done it alone.”
“Really grateful for taking the time to talk to mum and I and putting us in touch with VASA to get mum Attendance Allowance ”
Out and About Service
The Out and About Service continues to provide support to people in South Ayrshire who are feeling isolated or are looking for support to boost their confidence in getting back into their local community, focusing on socialising and becoming more active. The service supports people for a maximum of 6 visits aiming to build the client’s confidence and independence. Some clients simply require 2 or 3 visits whereas some need the full 6 visits to start to feel confident again about getting out and about This service is delivered by a part-time member of staff over 2 days per week.
Clients are identified via referrals from other agencies who know their clients well enough to know who would benefit from it. Once a referral is received, the Service Co-ordinator makes initial contact via a telephone call to introduce themselves Often several telephone calls have to be made for some clients to ensure they feel more secure in what the service is going to support them with and also to build that relationship with the Co-ordinator prior to meeting face-to-face On meeting face to face for the first time, a discussion will take place regarding the client’s aims and wishes for their involvement with the service and a plan made for the next steps, which may also involve signposting to additional support services in the area
The service this year has seen a change in the referrals being made with less people looking for assistance to join or rejoin groups and more people seeking the support to deal with dayto-day activities such as getting on public transport or coping with social anxiety. The focus remains on increasing independence to enable people to move on to confidently complete these daily tasks alone. The service has also seen referrals for people who have spent an extended period in hospital requiring additional assistance to get their independence back and build their routines again
So far this year the support has covered travel from Troon to Girvan and many areas in between. Since January there have been 50 referrals for assistance made to the service. Out of these referrals 40 have been supported to become more active in their community again. Referrals come from a wide variety of statutory and voluntary services including Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Organisations and Rehabilitation Dept’s. 300 hours face to face 200 hours travelling
Out and About Service
The main activities conducted with referred clients this year included walking to build confidence and getting to know local areas, attending local groups with clients to overcome social anxiety, travelling on public transport or simply going into a café for a coffee and a chat. All activities are geared towards what that client needs or wants, based on a bespoke ‘plan of action’ agreed between the client and the Service Co-ordinator.
CASE STUDIES
“Mr A. was referred to the Out and About service by the Sensory Support team. The client suffered from severe visual impairment which meant he would struggle with daily tasks this resulted in him feeling social isolated and distant from the community. Mr A had no family local to him. Mr A was looking for support to get back into the community and potentially make new friends. An initial appointment was set up to meet Mr A at the supermarket to understand his needs and his goals from the service. The service has since stopped as Mr A moved into a sheltered housing unit, he had an operation to help with his visual impairment and he has joined some of the local community groups. Mr A is aware of the positive changes and his doing well in his new surroundings.”
“Mrs P was referred to the Out and About service by Physiotherapy as she had fallen and broken several bones when out by herself. When recovering, Mrs P had another fall. She was referred to the service to help build her confidence with public transport and walking. When the service got in touch with Mrs P she was already walking around the park near her and attending some groups. An initial meeting was set up with Mrs P to assess how her walking was going and to start working on getting on public transport. Mrs P enjoyed getting on public transport with the support of the service. Mrs P began to feel more confident and comfortable with using it and being able walking around then return home. Mrs P is currently enjoying her new found freedom and is still attending her groups and the park to work on her walking.”
“Mrs O and Mrs K were referred to the service by Occupational Therapy and South Ayrshire Council. The main goal for these two ladies were to prevent further social isolation and to introduce them to groups they may enjoy. Unfortunately, these ladies did not enjoy some of the groups they were introduced to. With the service’s support, they were able to connect and become friends. Both ladies are still in contact and have began a lovely and supporting friendship.”
South Ayrshire Lifeline
South Ayrshire Lifeline: Connecting people with their communities This is the fundamental aim of the South Ayrshire Lifeline signposting service South Ayrshire Lifeline has continued for a 7th year to connect people with local services and community supports as well as advertising events and activities that residents of South Ayrshire can attend.
The help provided by South Ayrshire Lifeline can be accessed in several ways:
Helpline Number
The 0800 432 0510 free helpline number is open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm. Team members work hard to connect callers to the support or services they need. Calls to the help line can range from very simple calls such as ‘how to dispose of a light bulb’ to more complex issues that require immediate support, including help with financial, food or energy crisis . Our team is highly knowledgeable about the availability of services within South Ayrshire and can signpost to the appropriate services to provide support for the individuals or families facing various issues.
Website
Our easy to use website has seen on average 10,000 views per month in 2024. This year the site has seen a influx of new information and is managed daily to ensure that all information is as up to date as possible. The site is packed with local information and crisis support. Advertising over 900 activities and 400 events at any one time at over 300 venues within South Ayrshire. 24 support guides offer contact information from around 150 support agencies for a range of services dedicated to a particular support, ranging from transport to mental health
An enquiries email service receives online questions on a weekly basis that staff respond to promptly Providing direct information or signposting onward to external services
This year has seen major redevelopment and also rebranding of South Ayrshire Lifeline. Working in closer partnership with our HSCP colleagues, South Ayrshire Lifeline has now become Connect South Ayrshire with a focus more around localities. More details on this change follow on page 19.
South Ayrshire Lifeline
The team continue to deliver presentations and also provide outreach through a calendar of drop-in venues such as libraries and health centres where awareness and direct support is available to the community.
This year has also seen team members continue to map areas to ensure the information on the website is relevant and all groups, even those who are not advertising digitally, get included on our website
Our dedicated Lifeline team go above and beyond with each enquiry ensuring everyone receives a high level of customer service.
Case Study:
“Mr H who is deaf and recently widowed was struggling day to day The team gave him an All About Me booklet to help him get organised. He was also advised of the services offered by SISG, a sensory charity. We also told him we can post out hearing aid batteries and he could also get digital support.”
Case Study:
“We had a call from a lady looking for help to get food. Her partner had just been discharged from hospital and wasn’t to be left alone so she couldn’t leave the house We phoned South Ayrshire Foodbank who made a food parcel up and we were able to pick it up and drop it off to the lady, making sure she had food in the house.”
Case Study:
“Met Mrs B in Troon Library and after having a chat with her, found out she used to speak Gaelic. Mrs B used to attend a group for this in Troon but it had stopped and she hadn’t been to another since, but it was something that she wanted to do again. When looking on the website, we manged to find her a Gaelic Group in Prestwick that she could attend. She was delighted with this. Mrs B came back to the library to tell us that she was loving being able to get back into speaking Gaelic and thanked us profusely for the help as she wouldn’t have known the group was happening without speaking to us.”
Connect South Ayrshire
Rebrand to Connect South Ayrshire:
2024 has seen a rebrand from South Ayrshire Lifeline to Connect South Ayrshire. This rebrand happened in November along with the launch of our locality based website and the opening of a new walk in Hub on the Sandgate, Ayr. The rebrand has seen an expansion of the existing service with improved links to and information on community and statutory services and support. Although the Connect South Ayrshire brand is a joint venture involving HSCP, VASA and SAC, the service will be seen to be independent, removing any barriers relating to public services.
Visit the new Connect South Ayrshire Shop in Ayr:
Visit us 24/7 at: www.connectsouthayrshire.org Open Monday to Friday 9am-12.30pm & 1pm-4pm
Digital Support
Now in its 4th year, 2024 has seen our Digital Support Officer continue to offer a digital support service, answering all calls and queries around technology. The service is thriving with lots of happy clients interacting and engaging with their learning.
The digital helpline is a free service for anyone in South Ayrshire. It offers an opportunity to ask questions about devices, general digital queries or creating bespoke learning plans for clients. No question is too difficult, silly or complicated and clients are instantly put at ease in a comfortable and patient environment.
The digital needs of the public are varied, and have included:
Creating and using email
Support with setting up new devices
Use of technology to talk to friends and family across the world
Use of Alexa’s and audiobooks to help those with hearing and sight impairments
Setting up online shopping, to live more independently
Sending text messages
Clients call the freephone number and are offered either a one hour 1-2-1 appointment at a library or other public space, support over the phone, or meeting at one of the eleven regular drop ins that happen around South Ayrshire each month. These drop-ins happen in Sheltered Housing Units, local libraries, community hubs and organised community groups. One drop in was visited by 19 people, with the average attendance of drop-ins at around 3 people
Digital presentations have been delivered to larger organisations who have many members which has resulted in a high volume of referrals. In these instances, workshops were organised covering a range of topics such as ‘The Basics of Smart Phones’, ‘Setting Up Emails’. and using ‘Facebook Safely.’ These sessions are always widely attended, and everyone always leaves learning something new.
693 interactions in 12 months
Digital Support
Workshop Example:
An interactive workshop was prepared based on emails where 10 people from Opportunities in Retirement attended. Learning included the setting up of an email account and using the basic functions like creating, sending and deleting emails, attaching files, as well as all the other basic functions of email use.
The audience all engaged really well, with everyone leaving with a better understanding of emails.
Case Studies
When I first met Mrs D, she was feeling very socially isolated due to her family living abroad, and health conditions which limited her mobility to get out and about
Fast forward 3 months later, Mrs D is now able to listen to Classic FM easily. She is also fully set up on WhatsApp where she is sending messages, photos and even video calling her family abroad. The difference in Mrs D since starting our sessions is phenomenal as she is no longer feeling so socially isolated with and is able to talk to her family freely. Her daughter sent in a lovely email following the first video call we got them on together:
Dear All,
I am writing to thank you for the digital support. The digital person has been helping my 90 year old mother, with her phone and more specifically, using WhatsApp This means so much to Mum and us, as we can actually "see" each other as we speak. My mum's not exactly in tune with modern technology, so this means that this support was a godsend for her... the digital support person must have the patience of a saint!!
This afternoon we had our first "face to face" phone call, which cheered up my mother no end.
THANK YOU, you special people ”
Our Food Pantries
VASA now operate two food pantries, one in Ayr and one in Girvan. Both pantries offer members independence and dignity in choosing from good quality, nutritious food items at an affordable cost to themselves.
Ayr Food Pantry
Our Ayr Food Pantry celebrated three years open on 6th December 2024. During 2024 there has been a big push towards ensuring our member database reflects only those ‘active’ members who are utilising the pantry on a regular basis. This, coupled with the fact that we have restricted membership in the last year to only those living in the KA8 area as well as either living in Annbank, Mossblown or Tarbolton, has led us to be certain that at least 95% of our members are from areas where food insecurity affects high numbers of households. It is open 4 days a week for a total of 20 hours
As of November 2024, the Ayr Pantry had:
520 Member households totalling 791 adults and 161 children
Made up of:
237 households with 1 adult and no children, where:
25 stated they were in employment
91 stated they were retired 97 stated they were unemployed 13 stated they were unable to work 42
100 households with children, where:
Girvan Food Pantry
VASA took over the Girvan Food Pantry in July 2024 after the charity that was running it had to pull out of delivering this service After some redevelopment of this pantry, it now operates on the same model that is used in the Ayr Pantry. It is open 2 days a week for 3 hours total.
As of November 2024, the Girvan Pantry had:
100 Member households totalling 158 adults and 53 children
Made up of:
19 households with 1 adult and no children, where:
2 stated they were in employment
12 stated they were retired 4 stated they were unemployed
29 households with children, where:
1 stated they were unable to work 12
Our Food Pantries
Both pantries follow the same system that members utilise when they come to shop For £3 they can choose 10 items which must come from a colour coded system where they choose: 2 meat products (red), 1 dairy (yellow), 2 carbohydrates (orange), 2 store cupboard and ready meals (pink), 2 fruit & veg (green) and 1 treat (blue)
Fresh/Frozen Fish, Meat, Soa and plant based protein, tinned fish and meat etc.
Dairy Proteins Carbs Fruit/Veg Staples Bonus Milk, Soya, Oat, Almond, Dry Milk, Yoghurt, Cheese, Eggs, Butter, Cream, Milk Drinks etc
Pasta, Rice, Couscous, Quinoa, Bulgur Wheat, Noodles, Packet Soup etc
Members can also access complimentary items every time they shop which usually includes breads and pastries, surplus fruit & veg, items that we have in abundance or items nearing their shelf life. Our food that services the pantries is mostly surplus items that we receive from Fareshare or from pickups from local supermarkets
Fresh Fruit and Veg, Tinned and Shelf Staple, Fruit and Veg etc.
Ready Meals, Oils, Herbs, Spices, Stock, Condiments, Sauces, Sugar, Flour etc.
Snacks, Biscuits, Puddings, Sweets, Drinks, Crisps, Chocolate etc.
With every shop, we reckon each household saves approx £17 in their food shop and with around 250 shops done in our Ayr Pantry and 55 in our Girvan Pantry weekly, we can estimate a yearly saving of about
All this amazing work and savings could not be possible without the dedicated team of volunteers that support VASA to deliver this service. We have 18 volunteers in our Ayr Pantry and 6 volunteers in our Girvan Pantry as well as a staff team made up of 1 full time manager and 4 part-time staff as well as 3 sessional workers to local households from the most deprived areas in South Ayrshire £269,620
Telephone Befriending
The Telephone Befriending Service continues to support those who are socially isolated and normally extremely inactive, to receive a telephone call from a matched volunteer at least once a week. This call is a friendly chat about things such as hobbies, days gone by, books, family, TV etc. It is an uplifting and positive chat where the Befriender tries to steer clear of contentious areas such as politics, religion or medical conditions The aim is to lift the spirits of the Befriendee.
This service is delivered by a full-time Co-ordinator overseeing 69 volunteers who call referred clients on a weekly basis All volunteer recruitment and induction are also conducted by the Co-ordinator as well as continued support to both volunteers and Befriendees.
After conducting rigorous induction and checks with potential volunteers, the Co-ordinator will have built up a good relationship with them and will have got to know them relatively well This also happens with potential clients who are referred to be befriended. Many conversations are had with clients before the Co-ordinator makes the ‘match’ between the Befriendee and the Befriender, ensuring they are compatible The Co-ordinator oversees communication throughout the length of the match, picking up any concerns the Befriender may have about the client. This may then lead the Co-ordinator to signpost to other services or report back to the original referrer
Occasionally the service receives a referral for someone who may be difficult to match or has slightly more complex needs and it may take a while for the ‘right’ volunteer to come along. In these instances, the Co-ordinator becomes the Befriendee, ensuring these clients are receiving a regular call while they wait for a suitable match.
Case Study:
“Mrs G was referred to the Telephone Befriending Service by the Intermediate Care Team She had become housebound and had no close family nearby Mrs G was matched with a Telephone Befriender who provided kindness and support. The phone call has become the highlight of her week. Over the last year Mrs G has had a lengthy stay in hospital and suffered a significant bereavement so the friendship of her Telephone Befriender became more important than ever. Mrs G described her Telephone Befriender as an ‘Angel’.”
*mainly due to the client passing away. Some matches ended as the client became more active and was able to get back out and about.
FootcAyr
FootcAyr is one of VASA’s social enterprises and prides itself on being a fully financially sustained social enterprise that does not require any funding to exist and employs 3 part-time staff through its trading and income generation from the clients it serves. The service is an affordable toenail cutting service for anyone who is having difficulty cutting their own toenails The service offers clients a choice of 2 clinics: a full-time clinic in Ayr and a clinic in Girvan that operates once a week.
Now almost at capacity, the service supports over 800 clients who mostly come to get their toenails cut every 8 weeks The cost to have their toenails cut is £13 per visit for a 20-30min visit where they also get their feet moisturised.
The 2 part-time technicians have been employed to deliver this service for some years now and see the clients returning around 7 times in a year They are very experienced in identifying when a client is having issues around such things as memory, weight, personal hygiene, sight etc. and both are very proactive in signposting these clients to relevant services or even just addressing any issues subtly through conversation.
You are a lifesaver as I can’t cut my husbands toenails myself any longer
Feels like I am dancing on air now
I feel in better control of my walking now that it’s not as painful
Community Support
2024 has been the second year of providing low level support to those within the community to try and link them back with their wider community. Most of the clients have been older people who have been in hospital and require services from the Enablement Team, who refer them on for any additional support VASA can offer to help them back into the community.
Over 450 level three prescriptions have been collected and delivered to housebound older people.
The types of interventions have included: arranging counselling for a client, confidence building, engaging with the community, connections to foodbanks and arranging shopping delivery services, encouraging and supporting clients to travel either by bus, train or returning to driving, end of life support and signposting to other services.
Encouraging clients that they shouldn’t be afraid to spend their additional benefits for the purpose they are intended has been a challenge, however this has been successful in some instances with clients now paying for taxis and other services to help them live a more comfortable and fulfilling life.
Case Studies:
“The service worked with the local foodbank to supply Halal compliant food to a Muslim client and build confidence in him that his beliefs and lifestyle are respected.”
“The support of the families of clients going into care etc has always been a priority but this year I received a client who has cancer. I have been supporting him and his family as his health challenges increase.”
Attendance Allowance
The Attendance Allowance/ Blue Badge service has continued to be an important part of South Ayrshire Lifeline, with referrals coming mostly from Healthcare Professionals Self-referrals are also accepted and mainly come from people who have heard of the service through a friend, relative or from the outreach service at libraries.
For Attendance Allowance in the last 12 months:
334 referrals made 98% success rate
48 applications made 100% success rate
The additional yearly income generated from successful Attendance Allowance claims in the last 12 months is £893,040.60!!
£893,040.60
We encourage those in receipt of the benefit to use the additional money to buy-in services that they need to help them with housework, shopping, etc and it can make a great difference to people’s quality of life.
For Blue Badge referrals in the last 12 months: Case Studies:
“Mr A has lived alone since the death of his wife and his health has deteriorated. He could no longer drive and had lost his confidence on public transport. A claim was made for Attendance Allowance and a blue badge Both were successful and Mr A could now afford a taxi to take him out to the prom where he and his wife loved to walk He was also able to use his blue badge to allow the taxi to take him to the high street to enjoy shopping or meeting people without the worry of public transport. He said he had got his life back.”
“Mr D had completed the Attendance Allowance claim form himself but had been turned down. He had significant health problems which included his mobility, and his house was full of boxes of items he had collected over the years. At the home visit the discrepancies between the DWP’s decision and Mr D‘s health were discussed and a request was submitted. A few weeks later Mr D received a letter awarding the benefit. He now has employed someone to clear out his rooms of clutter. He was very grateful for VASA assistance and said he could not have managed it on his own.”
Meet The Dream Team
Below is our strong, committed and skilled workforce who all come together to ensure that we deliver an absolutely excellent quality service. The 2024 team includes:
Chief Officer, Marie Oliver: marie@vasa.scot. Responsible for strategic and operational delivery This includes financial transactions, budgeting, strategic representation with public sector partners, health and safety of staff and volunteers and ensuring the business maintains a respected profile and continues to deliver on our Core remit for all our stakeholders Marie is also leading on the Age Friendly Communities from the local community aspect. Additional duties includes facilitating the Third Sector Welfare and Health & Wellbeing Forums.
Depute Chief Officer/Capacity Building Manager, Angela McWhinnie: angela@vasa.scot. Manages staff and resources to ensure the delivery of capacity building activities as well as overseeing VASA services. The role also includes leading the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund administration as well as offering training and support on good governance, funding, organisation set-up, training and deputising for the Chief Officer Angela also facilitates the Sustainability Forum, the Employability & Social EnterpriseForum and the Food Forum.
Office lead Support, Rae Gray: rae@vasa.scot. Promotion of VASA through various social media platforms Also ensuring VASA complies with latest Health and Safety regulations, ensuring all staff team members’ personal records are kept up to date and in line with latest legislation, support to the CEO, Sage accounting and ensuring the general wellbeing of staff.
Admin Support, Carol Pritchard: carol pritchard@vasa scot Support to both the Representation and Networking Strategic Lead and the Depute Chief Officer, covering clerical tasks including taking minutes, formatting agendas, recording daily takings, holiday allocation and other tasks as directed.
Volunteering Involvement Organisation Officer, Audrey McNeish: audreym@vasa.scot.
Development and growth of volunteering within Volunteering Involving Organisations. This includes all aspects of volunteering management regardless of the size or structure of the organisation and offering best practice volunteering systems.
Youth Officer – Saltire Awards, Sarah Quinn: sarahq@vasa.scot. Responsible for promoting the benefits of volunteering and the Saltire Awards to young people aged between the age of 12 and 25 and matching volunteers to opportunities Also responsible for leading a team of Saltire Ambassadors and managing Saltire Colleagues.
Adult Volunteer Placement Officer, Gillian Kay: gillian@vasa scot Responsible for matching older volunteers (25+) to suitable quality volunteering opportunities. Also works with the rest of the Volunteering Team on the yearly South Ayrshire Volunteer Awards.
Meet The Dream Team
Connect South Ayrshire Manager, Jayne Richardson: jayne@vasa.scot responsible for the development and promotion of the new Connect self-management tool as well as overseeing the growth, promotion and development of the Ayr North and Ayr South Connect physical hub In addition, Jayne facilitates the Third Sector Children’s Forum and is the representative for VASA at strategic children services meeting and child protection
Connect South Ayrshire Hub Lead, Moira Henry: moira@vasa.scot Moira is the Team Lead in the new Connect South Ayrshire Hub in Sandgate, Ayr. This includes supervision of the team in the shop and ensuring that the drop in space is utilised to its full capacity Moira works closely with the Connect Manager to make sure that the hub runs smoothly and all necessary data is collected Moira also helps with making sure the website is up to date and helps with all in person and telephone enquiries.
Connect South Ayrshire Services Support Worker, Josie McMurdo: josie@vasa.scot.
Responsible for ensuring that residents of South Ayrshire who use VASA services receive a quality experience and that they feel supported, that enquiries are responded to in a timely manner and partner services are engaged with regularly.
Connect South Ayrshire Service Support Worker, Pauline Johnston: pauline@vasa scot
Responsible for ensuring that residents of South Ayrshire who use VASA services receive a quality experience and feel supported, maintaining the Connect South Ayrshire Website ‘Events’ and ‘Activities’ pages
Connect South Ayrshire Digital Support Officer, Holly Houston: holly@vasa.scot. Responsible for responding to all digital enquiries that comes in to Connect South Ayrshire through face-toface appointments and regular drop ins Holly deals with a diverse range of clients with different needs and confidence levels. She works to support them in a kind and patient environment to help grow their confidence at a pace that suits their individual needs. She also works in close partnership with other organisations giving structured workshops to larger groups.
Connect South Ayrshire Out and About Service Christina Webster: christina@vasa scot
Responsible for reconnecting local older people back with their community and ensure positive outcomes.
Connect South Ayrshire Income Maximiser Lead, Joyce Anderson: joyce@vasa.scot. Supports eligible clients to complete the Attendance Allowance application form, Blue Badge Applications, signposting to Occupational Therapists and other services
Meet The Dream Team
Connect South Ayrshire Ageing Well Officer, Fiona Craig: fiona@vasa scot Focus on improving the quality of life, predominantly for older people, who are anxious about getting out into the community focusing on confidence, health and socialising by way of a short intervention service Fiona is also responsible for supporting the Ageing Well agenda
Connect South Ayrshire Telephone Befriending Coordinator, Jill Haigh: jill@vasa scot Coordination of the Telephone Befriending Service, recruiting volunteers and matching them with clients who need a little extra social support, alleviating loneliness and isolation. Continued support and guidance to both volunteers and clients ensures a rewarding experience for both
Connect South Ayrshire at Home Support Worker, Nicola McCormack: nicola@vasa.scot This is a new post with the aim to reduce hospital readmissions by offering support whilst the patient is in the hospital. The support varies from patient to patient but can include sign posting to benefit agencies, sourcing at home support (paid for by the patient), links to activities and other services to help them once they have been discharged to live as well as possible back in the community.
Low-level Support and Level 3 Prescription Delivery Service, Bill Giddings: bill@vasa.scot. Enhance the lives of older people within the community who have been referred by the Reablement Team for a finite period, delivering level 3 medication and supporting those with complex needs within the community.
Food Pantry Manager, Danielle Lowndes: danielle@vasa scot Responsible for ensuring Food Pantry customers receive quality service and volunteers have a positive volunteering experience Also responsible for the day-to-day operational delivery of the Food Pantry using a “hands-on” approach, paying particular attention to customer care and rotation and display of food as well as supporting the volunteers, pantry staff, and work placements.
Food Pantry Assistants/ Sessional Workers, Eileen Kieller, Kara Reilly, Derys McFarlane, Jane Dare, Linda Mclleveen, Catriona Findlay, Taylor Davidson and Stephanie Kyle are responsible for supporting the daily Pantry operations
FootcAyr Technicians, Lorraine Wells and Kate McTaggart, our friendly toenail-cutting technicians offer a relaxed, friendly and affordable service to footcAyr clients while attending their appointments. They also monitor their fragility and signpost where necessary.
FootcAyr Appointment Coordinator, Moira Wilson: moiraw@vasa.scot Moira is in charge of managing all appointments for the FootCayr Clinics. This includes setting appointments up, sending reminder text messages and responding to telephone enquiries
Ageing Well Champions Board and Age Friendly Communities
2024 has been an incredibly good year for the Ageing Well Agenda and the Ageing Well Champions Board.
In June 2024, we had the second year of Celebrating Ageing Well at Ayr Town Hall. South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership and Community Planning Partnership highlighted what they had achieved and their plans for the following year. This year again more than 100 local older people attended the event which was a combination of activities, round table discussions, market place and a time to reflect on what had been achieved in the previous 12 months. The highlight of the event was the launch of the draft Ageing Well Strategy and Action Plan.
In September the Ageing Well Champions Board helped to launch what we believe is Scotland’s first Ageing Well Strategy. The Gaiety was the venue for the evening event which showcased the Strategy and Action plan as well the ‘Don’t mention the “F” word’ drama.
Ageing Well Champions Board and Age Friendly Communities
The Ageing well Champions Board (facilitated by VASA) which has in excess of 110 members across South Ayrshire have been pivotal in the launch of the Access Panel in January 2024
Age Without Limits was also on their agenda. This year there was an Intergenerational Event with Belmont Academy
The over 50s disco also returned with older people enjoying a time to dance and often reminisce.
Ageing Well Champions Board and Age Friendly Communities
The other main event for the year was the 2nd year of South Ayrshire Celebrating the International Day/Week of Older People (between the 1st and 4th October). Over 300 people took part in a variety of activities and events over the 4 days including a volunteering and employment drive aimed at those over 50 and a functional MOT, (something we would recommend to any one over 50).
During 2025 VASA and the Ageing Well Champions Board will be working on some of the actions from the strategy. These include the establishment of the Take A Seat Campaign, Chatty Benches and/or tables, The Big Cheerio (end of life event) and other activities aimed at promoting Ageing Well.
For anyone over 50 and interested in becoming involved in having a voice and joining the Ageing Well Champions board then please email ageingwell@vasa.scot.
Christmas Companions 23rd Year
be the 23rd year of the Elves visiting socially der individuals on Christmas Day spreading a little Christmas cheer.
We aim to deliver up to 130 meal and gift parcels across the local authority area.
I am delighted that Wiltshire Farm Foods are helping to support the event again by supplying, free of charge, the Christmas dinner (turkey and all the trimmings) and a dessert so a very big thank you.
Some of the local planning partnerships are also supporting the event with small pots of funding towards the gifts and also we have had a few donations from local businesses so thank you again.
This Elf Delivery Servic ble without our team of volunteers who take tim stivities to deliver goodie bags or those behind t with the huge amount of preparation that goe o deliver Christmas to
What Will 2025 Bring?
Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball to be able to see what 2025 would bring to VASA and the team What I can say is, no matter what we do and what new initiatives we introduce, we put the needs of local people and our communities at the heart of any decisions that are made. 2025 will not be any different as we may be forced to look again at working SMARTER as the decline on Public Sector funds may affect us all including the Third Sector As with the rest of the other 31 Third Sector Interfaces across Scotland who have struggled for more than 14 years with no uplift, except for one (and then very modest), to deliver our core services we will all have to be more creative to allow us to continue to deliver our services to the local community. The additional National Insurance contributions that we will all need to pay could also have a detrimental impact on the sector
On a positive note what I can confirm is that we will work in true partnership with the Health and Social Care Partnership to develop and deliver on the new Connect South Ayrshire selfmanagement initiative as well as supporting actions linked to the Ageing Well Strategy action plan in conjunction with the Ageing Well Champions board.
We will also be a partner in the CAyrFest (the first South Ayrshire wide celebrating carers event) on the 22nd February, the International Women’s Day event on the 8th March and the South Ayrshire Volunteer Awards on the 5th June.
VASA will also be celebrating the Saltire Awards in April, International Day of Older People in October and Intergenerational events in April
The Big Cheerio happening in March will focus on planning for our end of life The event at the Town Hall will launch an “Over to You” pack that will help people to document their final wishes as well as help and support for those left behind Back by popular demand will be the Meet The Third Sector networking event (date still to be confirmed) which was very successful this year bringing the public and the Third Sector together.
Also for 2025, a refreshed volunteering strategy 2025 – 2028 will be produced tightly linked to the Volunteering Charter which I hope many will sign up to.
Our partnership with South Ayrshire Council and other stakeholders will also continue to develop ensuring a true partnership approach.
I would like to thank the dedication and support from the VASA board members and of course the team of proactive and dedicated staff.
All the best for 2025 no matter what it brings.
VASA Contact Information