Action Autumn 2011 East England

AU ENEA TU GLST O M AN F N D 20 11

WRVS Gold Age heroes awarded

Running for WRVS and for mum

How it feels to live alone

Impact, p6

News, p4

Issue, p8

Norfolk winner

Congratulations to former volunteer Tilly Perry from Holt, Norfolk, who won the WRVS New Year Raffle 2011. Raffles and prize draws are a valuable source of income for WRVS, raising in the region of £250,000 every year. Tilly plans to use some of the £10,000 prize to go travelling with her husband.

Jason’s gotta lotta bottle C

ongratulations to Jason Embleton who, after three years of collecting, melting and moulding an estimated 10,000 plastic milk carton caps, has built his very own boat and paddled it four miles from Cambridge to Waterbeach along the River Cam. The 39-year-old collected milk carton caps from Addenbrooke’s Hospital WRVS shop and will be donating all the money he raises to this cause. So far he has raised nearly £500.

“I have wanted to make a boat since I was young,” he says.

“I wanted to recycle material as part of the project and tried different types of waste products. I settled upon milk carton caps because they can be melted into a spreadable goo that can be re-shaped.

“The volunteers at the WRVS café at Addenbrooke’s collected most of the tops for me so it was only right that I should do the charity event for them. It was a team effort.

“The main challenge I faced on the water was swans. It is only a small boat and when I was out testing I was attacked by one and nearly capsized. It also doesn’t help that the boat is a bit leaky!

“The best bit is when you climb in and leave the bank knowing that all the hard work has paid off. I have never done anything like this before and doubt I’ll ever do it again.

Having said that, I have started making recycled boat version two…”

Say hi to Penny Penny Preece, our new Local Service Manager at the James Paget Hospital, recently joined WRVS. The last few weeks have been really busy for her, with new systems to learn, volunteers to recruit, a new range of products introduced and all the usual challenges that come with a new job. We all wish her luck.

SPECIAL REPORT ✪ A SHAKE-UP FOR HOW SOCIAL CARE IS FUNDED ✪ SEE p11

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Autumn 2011

CONTENTS 1-4 5 6 8 10 12 13 14 15 16

Regional news National news Impact: Gold Age campaign Issue: Isolation Our work From the archives Take two volunteers Volunteer network A day in the life Get in touch

welcome

“We’re serious about making WRVS a great charity to volunteer and work for”

I

t’s an exciting time to be part of WRVS. We’ve got ambitious plans to increase and integrate our services so it’s easier for older people to choose the support they need from our full range of activities.

We’re not going to achieve this without you, so we’re serious about wanting to make WRVS a great charity to volunteer and work for. We’ve just carried out our first staff and volunteer survey to help us understand what you think we’re doing well and what’s not so good for you. We’re already working hard to achieve Investors in People and Investing in Volunteers accreditation and now we’ll develop plans to make the improvements you’ve identified.

We’ll report more fully on these plans next time, but for now I want to thank everyone who took the time to fill in the survey, and to everyone in our region who works so hard to help make it a great place to grow old.

Debbi Fair, Head of Services East of England

GET IN TOUCH

your letters Alternative to costly mobile numbers Whilst perusing the Scottish spring 2011 edition of action, I noticed that almost all of the contact telephone numbers appear to be mobile phone numbers. If I am correct in this assumption, it seems to me rather remiss not to make this clear to readers because such telephone calls are quite expensive and are unlikely to be included in a “bundle” contract with the telephone company.

Bobby and Edna Locke, Argyll Our Heads of Region/Nation and Service Delivery Managers are not office-based so they have mobile phones. If you prefer, you can use the national WRVS number 0845 600 5885 and be forwarded to the appropriate manager for the same cost.

If calling from a landline 0845 numbers cost 4p per minute in the daytime and 1p per minute in the evenings and at weekends.

Tea’s the cure I’m a voluntary worker for WRVS and today I’m heading for the café at Withybush Hospital where I meet so many people.

It really is a treat when patients approach the counter and tell us what lovely ladies we are and how the tea we serve has helped them on their way to recovery.

Pat Summons, Pembrokeshire

sight in one eye, so I worked as a helper at the lunch club once a week instead.

In June 2010, I had a stroke, and after six weeks in hospital I went home to my flat – and some much appreciated Meals on Wheels. It was not just the food that came, but the chats too. Sometimes this was the only person I spoke to all day. Now, ten months on, I manage without them, but I have learned how important that knock on the door is, and hearing those words, “Meals on Wheels!”

Eileen Odom, Sussex

You won’t get fooled again I work at the WRVS coffee shop at my local health centre and I am very happy there. It gets me out and about since losing my husband five years ago.

I write this letter with regards to the “Don’t be fooled” article in action summer 2011. We do get many phone calls saying we have won sums of money and asking for some to be sent to them first. My answer to this is: “Take from my winnings what you need and send me the rest!”

May Lander, Cumbria

Road to recovery When I retired from my job some 24 years ago, I started delivering Meals on Wheels one day per week from Portslade day centre. After many years I lost

Want to tell us about your good work?

Write to us (enclosing pictures for news stories): action East of England, WRVS Cardiff Gate, Beck Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8RP email us: action@wrvs.org.uk

Reader May Lander (left) at work in her coffee shop

The WRVS vision is a world where every older person has the opportunity and choice to get more out of life

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Autumn 2011

PEOPLE

in a nutshell

a handy guide to WRVS services in your area

Bedfordshire Good Neighbours and Home from Hospital

Local Service Manager Amanda Bewick and the Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson publicise the service at an Older People’s Festival

3 Bill Sawdy

B

ill, who recently turned 90, started as a Meals on Wheels driver in Norwich 17 years ago. Shortly after he became a volunteer project organiser for Hellesdon, Taverham & Drayton Meals on Wheels, staying there for 12 years.

He was delivering meals at least twice a week until recently when he had to give up his driving licence due to poor eyesight. However at 90 he still goes out as a driver’s mate three times a month.

He is older than most of the service users he delivers to!

If you know someone special who should be your next Local Hero, then let us know. See page 16 for contact details and get in touch with us.

T

he Bedfordshire Good Neighbours & Home from Hospital service supports over 430 older people every month.

More than 70 committed volunteers provide essential help, such as driving people to the hospital or their GP, collecting prescriptions and pensions, and taking people shopping. The service is expanding all the time.

“We offer real support to those in the local community,” says Service Delivery Manager Nikki Soyza.

“We have recently moved to new premises that are shared with other local charities in order to reduce costs and create more opportunities to help older people.”

hero 4

local

SAY

you

say

Who encouraged you to volunteer for WRVS? “I decided I wanted to be a volunteer after a visit to Accident and Emergency one weekend.

I saw a lady accompanied by a carer and thought, I could do that.”

Hazel Pearson, North East “No one. I was having a check-up at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (Cambridge) and noticed the volunteers in the coffee shop, prompting me to make enquiries.”

Kathleen Keating, East of England “My mother and aunt were both keen volunteers.

Now that they have passed away, I wanted to carry on the tradition!”

Maureen Spiers, Scotland “A newspaper article about WRVS. Also, my mother worked with WRVS many years ago.”

Jennifer Shearer, Scotland Next issue’s question: Have you any tips for looking after people in cold weather?

Send or email your answer, name, photo and details to the address on page 16.

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Autumn 2011

REGIONAL NEWS

Refreshed and ready to fight fire

W

RVS Resilience and Recovery teams were once again on hand to provide refreshments and support to the emergency services as they battled a fire in Southend-on-Sea. The blaze, which started at a woodwork factory, took over 70 firefighters to control and went on through the night, with nine fire engines needed at the scene. Brenda Bowers and Patricia Brett-Pitt collected supplies and helped feed the emergency crews.

Essex Fire and Rescue pass on their grateful thanks to the team.

My marathon’s for Mum

NORFOLK & NORWICH

T

Paula keeps her cool

he Norfolk & Norwich Retail Shop, our largest in East Anglia, is a great success thanks to Paula Hudson and her team. But it’s not all been plain sailing. Over the last few months the shop has undergone a refurbishment, posing its own unique challenges.

Now back to normal, Paula’s seen the coffee machine break down and the electrics blow a fuse. “I thought at this point Paula would blow a fuse too,” says Service Delivery Manager Elissa Rampling, “but no, she just carried on regardless.”

A very quick cuppa HAROLDWOOD

T

CAMBRIDGE

S

tephen Tovey from Cambridge ran the London Marathon for WRVS earlier this year. He was running in memory of his mother.

Stephen tells us: “My mum volunteered with WRVS for over a decade in Telford, and even into her 70s she was delivering

he new Haroldwood Polyclinic WRVS tea bar serves patients 365 days a year.

It was created after the NHS Trust invited WRVS to open a new tea bar – one that had to Meals on Wheels. I can think of be operational within a month. no better cause to raise money Supplies were gathered from for on behalf of my mum. She nearby services and letters were was an incredibly strong and sent to local volunteers asking brave lady and she will be greatly if any of them could spare some missed by us all. I’ll be running extra time. Eight volunteers in the 2012 London Marathon signed up and a further four new and once again I’ll be raising recruits were ready to be trained. money for a charity that was After just days of training and very close to her heart – WRVS.” pricing, the tea bar was ready.

Eileen Chapman ready to serve a nice cuppa

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Autumn 2011

NATIONAL NEWS nationwide

Buggies gifted by WRVS help patients around Leicester Royal Infirmary

Worth their weight in gold A new study shows WRVS services are amazing value for money RESEARCH

Recently we asked some analysts to take a look at how much it costs to deliver different WRVS services and to measure the benefit they bring.

Leicester The analysts looked at WRVS services delivered at Leicester Royal Infirmary. These included our on-site shops, community transport across the hospital for people with mobility difficulties, and our meet and greet volunteers (who help patients find their way around the hospital). The analysts were able to prove that an investment of £975,000 in WRVS services at the hospital resulted in benefits worth £1.9 million.

Staffordshire The study in Staffordshire concentrated on a range of activities including Darby

Our services help reduce: n Inpatient admissions and consultations with GPs n The need for day care and residential care n Burden on hospital staff n The number of missed hospital appointments and Joan social clubs, Hanley Community Centre, Good Neighbours and Meals on Wheels. All the activities were shown to have positive benefits in relation to costs, and in some cases the return on that initial investment was quite extraordinary.

For example, the classes at the Hanley Community Centre generate a return on investment 46 times greater than the cost

of delivery. Overall, the analyst calculated that an investment in WRVS services in Staffordshire of just over £285,000 produced benefits worth £601,000.

Who saves?

In Staffordshire, local authorities make the largest saving from WRVS services, due to the reduction in day care and residential care costs. The health service also benefits, because greater well-being amongst older people using our services reduces the need for mental health support.

In Leicestershire, the main organisation to benefit from WRVS is Leicester Royal Infirmary, which, due to our services, requires fewer staff.

The full findings of the study can be found on our website wrvs.org.uk

On 18 May, seven Resilience and Recovery volunteers were called out to help at a rest centre during a major incident in Hartlepool … At West Cumberland Hospital, volunteers presented North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust with a donation of £3,500 … WRVS Resilience and Recovery volunteers were on hand to help when a major power cut hit the Crieff area of Perth and Kinross. The volunteers helped prepare and serve snacks … Isabel Whitnall, Anne Wilkey and Kaye Osbourne from WRVS Medway Information Centre all recently gained NVQ level 2 certificates … Poole Hospital hosted an event to honour all the long serving volunteers in the hospital. Together the hospital’s 28 volunteers have provided 462 years of care and support … WRVS volunteers Grace and Bob Rickard have received a civic award for services to the community of the town of Milford Haven … WRVS has gifted £5,000 to West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre in Selly Oak. The donation was possible thanks to the great work of the coffee shop team at the hospital … On 24 September, 71-year-old Huddersfield Royal Infirmary volunteer Winifred Broadbent will abseil down Baitings Dam

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Autumn 2011

IMPACT:

Gold Age campaign

Marion Cornick, 70

The WRVS Gold Age Power List highlights the fantastic contribution that older people make to our society

The golden generation A

t the end of June we unveiled our Gold Age Power List, a celebration of those individuals over the age of 66 who are continuing to make significant contributions to society. These people prove that those who think the UK’s ageing population represents a “burden” and “a drain on society” should think again.

The list features people from all walks of life, with figures such as The Queen, Delia Smith, David Attenborough and Michael Palin finding their way into the final selection.

The Gold Age Power List isn’t just about recognising the contributions made by those in the public eye. We also wanted to celebrate the positive impact made by people every day in local communities through the UK. To seek those people out, we made a call for nominations.

Particular thanks goes to action readers who returned the nomination form in the spring edition. Your responses all helped to reinforced what we already know – that those over the age of 66 have a tremendous amount to give our society.

Marion is the founder of the London School Charity in Basingstoke – a school for children with autism and severe and profound learning disabilities.

She is also the Managing Director of Liaise Loddon Ltd, which provides personalised residential care to adults with autism and severe learning disabilities.

Raymond Joseph Davies, 72 A founding member of the Glossop Mountain Rescue team, Raymond has given more than 50 years voluntary service and continues to respond to callouts.

Pat Goodwin, 88 Ted Cowling, 91 Ted has raised more than £75,000 for charity in the last 32 years. He has always played a very active role in his community, forming trust funds for causes close to his heart.

Pat supports charities with fundraising and voluntary work.

As a member of Fishguard RNLI Fund Raising Committee helping to run the Pembrokshire lifeboat station, she undertakes bucket collections and is their chief raffle organiser.

Those over the age of 66 have a tremendous amount to give

Alice Cleland CBE, 70 One of our very own WRVS heroes, Alice gives over 50 hours a month of her time to support different charities.

After retiring from her position as Vice Chairman of WRVS in 2004, she has focused her energy into the development of our national archive.

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Autumn 2011

Jean Munro, 77 Doris Long, 96 ‘Daring Doris’ has become known for her incredible fundraising feats and has broken four Guinness World Records to become the world’s oldest abseiler. Her stunts have raised over £15,000 for local Portsmouth charities.

George Mabon, 70 George is a Charter Member of the Seaton & District Lions Club.

Over the last 30 years he has encouraged many other others to assist him in fundraising.

He also works at Home Safeguard and with his local Neighbourhood Watch group.

Eunice McGhieBelgrave MBE, 76 Eunice’s community group, Shades of Black, was set up to rebuild and reconcile the community after the Handsworth Riots that blighted the Birmingham suburb in the 1980s.

The project has since expanded to help the elderly and the housebound and take them on day trips.

Another WRVS volunteer, Jean supports Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

She is known for her outstanding dedication and loyalty to WRVS and is selfless in giving her time and enthusiasm. She is always on hand to take on extra duties at short notice. Jean is pictured above receiving her award from WRVS Head of Services Scotland, Margaret Paterson.

Bill Morris, 79

Anne Seymour, 76

Bill is a foster parent in Oxfordshire and since retiring 15 years ago, has taken a very active role in caring for young people. He offers understanding and loving care.

Anne helps run a refugee asylum centre, supported by the churches in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

The centre is used as a point of contact for refugees looking for advice and also acts as a focus for professional organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, health visitors and even the police.

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Autumn 2011

ISSUE: Isolation

Amanda donned sense-depriving gloves and goggles for the experiment, to add to her isolation

When a UK charity announced it was to stage an experiment called ‘Isolation Week’, our Amanda Watkins bravely took up the challenge to live for seven days as an isolated, older person

O

ver one million older people in the UK live isolated and lonely lives.

A million more feel trapped in their own homes and one-in-five see other people less than once a week.

At the end of June, UK charity Friends of the Elderly conducted an innovative social experiment that saw members of the public experience social isolation as if they were themselves an isolated older person.

This meant they were confined to their homes for a whole week without any human contact and with nothing but the TV for company.

The participants used special equipment, such as gloves and vision-impairing glasses, to help them experience the effects of physical ageing, and each day recorded their feelings as the loneliness took hold.

Amanda Watkins, who works at our Cardiff office, took up the challenge and kept an account of how she got on…

Understanding how it feels to live alone AMANDA’S DIARY Well here we are. It’s Day One of the social experiment in isolation and sensory deprivation.

Have to say, I had a terrible night’s sleep last night, feeling anxious about the week ahead.

I’m a claustrophobic person, living in a one-bedroom detached bungalow in a field in a rural part of Cardiff.

There’s no human traffic outside my house so I am pretty much isolated.

1

I woke after another disturbed night’s sleep.

I was up at 3am wandering around the house feeling restless and on edge.

I’m finding that my chest is a little tight today too. Feeling anxious, like I need to get out of the house. The thought of another five days at home is something I’m dreading.

Today I had to wear glasses with small holes in to mimic glaucoma and tunnel vision and a set of headphones, which played white noise (to simulate tinnitus).

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Autumn 2011

The Campaign to End loneliness WRVS, along with other organisations, is fighting to bring the end of isolation and loneliness for older people, and to: n Raise awareness of loneliness and why working to reduce it matters. n Help us to ensure that our lives aren’t blighted by loneliness in older age. n Inspire vision and action in society to make sure loneliness in older age is ended. campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk

Trying to do tasks with these on was horrible and I quickly began to feel sick with a headache.

Really starting to miss conversations with people now. With no stimulating conversations and laughter your mood is pretty constant. I’ve found I’ve been on a plateau of just feeling ‘OK’. No happy periods as such, but no real lows yet either.

3

I was awake at 4am this morning with a bad stomach, wandering around the house. I think it’s because I was starting to dread the day ahead.

Only now am I totally grasping the difference it must make to someone who is isolated to have access to WRVS services such as community transport to get them out of the house, or someone popping in

4

“Only now am I totally grasping the difference it must make to someone isolated to have access to WRVS services” as a befriender for a chat and to provide a little bit of help.

Today I feel flat – really flat. I had yet another odd pattern of sleep last night, awake at 4.30am wandering around the house.

I’m aching today with a bad back. I wonder whether people with lack of muscle strength live with constant aches and pains? If you want to remain active and do some exercise, but you have limited mobility, then sitting down exercises would seem like a good idea.

5

6

I feel frustrated and edgy.

The thought of having to spend another day like this is making me want to run for the front door.

Never before have I been so glad to see a Sunday.

If this experiment had run for more than seven days, I really don’t think I could have done it.

This is only a brief idea of what some elderly people actually face on a long-term basis and it’s unbearable.

Hopefully though the issue of isolation will have been highlighted as a result of this project and that some good will come of it.

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To find out more about Amanda’s seven days spent in isolation visit isolationweek.com

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our work

Autumn 2011

)

comment

)

Taking the WRVS vision to the public M

y initial glimpse of the work carried out by some of our volunteers and staff gives me a sense of an organisation that embodies extraordinary kindness and quiet strength. It is an exceptional act of continuous generosity to give time, energy and good humour so that those who would otherwise be lonely, worried and without a sense that anyone really cares, are instead recipients of thoughtful and appropriate services.

“WRVS is an organisation that embodies extraordinary kindness and quiet strength”

Harnessing good endeavour I grew up in a volunteering environment within the international Scout movement, so witnessed at first hand the difference people make when focus, endeavour and goodwill are all harnessed.

The many charities that operate throughout the country (approximately 200,000) all do great work, but WRVS should be rightly proud of its charitable status and history, and of having one of the largest group of volunteers. But there is no time to sit back. WRVS is still, given its size and scale of operation, a fairly

behind the scenes INITIATIVE

Going for Volunteers award WRVS is hoping to gain an Investing in Volunteers award.

We are working hard to get to the standard required, and have identified some areas where we think we can improve. Providing clear guidance is one such area, so in a few months time,

well-kept secret, so it has been heartening to see the national publicity that the recent Gold Age report has generated.

Our strong voice Given the concern we all share about the quality of life for people in their later years, it would be terrific to know that increasing numbers of the general public are becoming aware of our work and getting involved in some way. We have a strong voice that is increasingly being heard at the decision-making tables of politicians, both locally and nationally.

The regional Hub structure gives greater clarity to our work and will help us involve more companies, individual philanthropists and the wider public in what we do. Our community as a whole needs to match the vision already embodied in every act of WRVS kindness.

Verity Haines, Executive Director of Fundraising & Engagement

ADVICE

89%

of people who use us say their lives are better as a result

posters will appear in your service, telling you what guidance is available and where to find it.

The Investing in Volunteers assessors are going to inspect us in March 2012. Some of you will be asked to talk to them about your experiences of volunteering with WRVS. We hope this will be an enjoyable process, where we can all celebrate the great work you do.

Family carer advice Grandparents Plus, the charity in England and Wales which champions the role of grandparents and the wider family in children’s lives, has launched a new advice service for those who have stepped in to bring up a child who is not their own.

To find out more visit grandparentsplus.org.uk

FUNDRAISING

Leaving a legacy

In recent years we have been able to keep a number of services EXPENSES running thanks to the generosity of people leaving a donation to us Bank the savings in their wills.

Do you want to save WRVS With larger legacies we’ve been money? Then get your expenses able to fund Home from Hospital paid directly into your bank schemes in the Midlands, allow account - they will be paid more people to stay more independent quickly too! The total cost of in the North East and even treat processing cheques each year is our tireless volunteers in a couple around £5,000. However, if all of hospitals in the South West. expenses went straight to the Can you help?

We need legacies bank account, it would cost us to survive.

We know that talking no more than £100 per annum.

Volunteers who claim below £20 about wills is difficult and respect that giving in this way is a month can still be paid locally not for everyone. We just ask that from petty cash if the service if this is for you, and the time is has the facility. right, that you consider WRVS. If you want to have your To request more information expenses paid into your account, on legacies call Supporter Care contact Sarah Gittins on 029 2073 on 0845 607 6524.

9084 or sarah.gittins@wrvs.org.uk

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Autumn 2011

SPECIAL REPORT: Social care

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second guide to... the Home From Hospital service

Shaking up social care funding New report recommends the state picks up more of the financial burden of providing long-term care

A

t the beginning of July, the independent commission, set up by the Government, to recommend a fair and sustainable funding system for adult social care in England published its findings. WRVS Head of Public Policy, Matthew Sowemimo, believes that social care has previously been underprioritised and that the Dilnot Report is a welcome first step in redressing this imbalance.

Matthew recognises the important work that the Health Service does in providing treatment for older people, but says that it is social care that enables those people to live a ‘full life.’ Social care can make the difference between existing and really living. Matthew goes on to call the current care

Farewell to friends

The Dilnot view

“The current system is confusing, unfair and unsustainable. People can’t protect themselves against the risk of very high care costs and risk losing all their assets, including their house. This problem will only get worse if left as it is, with the most vulnerable in our society being the ones to suffer.”

Andrew Dilnot, Report Chairman

Remembering those the WRVS family has sadly recently lost: Margaret (Peggy) Davies BEM, Swansea;

system “confusing, outdated and underfunded”, explaining, “Families and carers often sacrifice careers, homes and their own well-being to care for older relatives. With the cost of care averaging £28,000 a year, and rising annually, many families take on the role of carer or face serious financial strain.”

The Dilnot Report suggests capping lifetime care contributions. “Moving towards a system where people know how much they have to pay towards long-term care could relieve pressure on many families,” says Matthew.

“It would allow all of us to set money aside and plan for future care without resulting in financial and physical hardship for our loved ones.”

Audrey Glover, St Helens; Peter Hobbs, West Sussex, Violet Marshall, Sunderland; Joyce White, Gosport; Denis Symons, Christchurch

What is the Home from Hospital service?

Our Home from Hospital service is designed to provide practical support to older people who have been discharged from hospital.

We provide fairly intensive support for the first 30 days, tapering off to less intensive – but ongoing – support.

How does it help?

It helps people get discharged promptly and safely from hospital, by ensuring practical support at home is in place. The service also provides a link to other community and home-based services focussed on maintaining independence and enhancing well-being.

What are the benefits?

Home from Hospital gets people out of the ward, back home, back into the community and back in control of their lives. It also helps the hospital by freeing up beds that are needed for other patients, and gives reassurance to family, friends and carers.

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Autumn 2011

From the archive This time round our archive photo dates from 2 May 1953. The picture shows Women’s Voluntary Service members Mrs Kalmar and Mrs Nelson taking part in an emergency feeding exercise on behalf of the Food Flying Squad.

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Autumn 2011

“I have learned that listening to people is very important” Mary Clarke volunteers at the WRVS coffee shop in the Linda McCartney Centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

And so do her two children – Thomas, 17, and Rebecca, 15

TAKE TWO VOLUNTEERS

Mary Clarke

Thomas & Rebecca Clarke

Why did you start volunteering?

I worked for 18 years as a police officer, and so came into contact with WRVS through my work. After I left the force I wanted to do something useful. I believe that we’re all part of a community and we all have a part to play.

Why did you start volunteering?

Thomas: Lots of members of my family have been in hospital for different reasons over the years, and WRVS volunteers have treated them all with great dignity.

Rebecca: I enjoy helping other people.

Volunteering for WRVS has given me a great sense of achievement.

What are your main duties?

I actually do a lot of the cooking and food preparation. It’s a very busy shop and we’re often flat out. But it’s also a great place to work. We have a lot of regular customers – patients, visitors and staff alike – and working with the other lovely volunteers is so much fun.

How did you get your children into volunteering?

During the school holidays they became particularly aware that mum was out doing voluntary work, and they decided they wanted to come along. When they turned 14, which is the minimum age for a volunteer, that’s what they did.

Volunteering for WRVS has given them a good grounding and a great experience of both work and life.

What are your main duties?

Thomas: They change all the time.

Sometimes I am on the till and sometimes I am preparing food. I have learned that listening to people is very important.

We serve elderly people who have contributed their whole lives, and they should be listened to.

Rebecca: I serve food and drinks, keep the shop clean and stack the shelves. It’s good fun because there are so many nice people here.

What do people think when someone as young as you serves them?

Thomas: I think they are pleasantly surprised.

Our age group often gets a bad press.

Rebecca: Working in the coffee shop is a way to show that people of our generation care.

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Autumn 2011

VOLUNTEER NETWORK

Welcome to the Network The WRVS Network is a new way to keep in touch with each other – and with the organisation you have helped shape. WRVS People Director Alastair McDougall explains

WRVS People Director Alastair McDougall

this and wonder what all the fuss is about – “We already do all this…” they will say – and if so, great! We are trying to raise our standard to the level of the best.

How will the WRVS Network work?

Firstly, everyone who is involved as an active volunteer or a current member of staff is automatically part of the Network. When you retire from volunteering, leave our employment or move away, that membership will automatically continue unless you opt out. Then, whenever the local services arrange suitable events, these will be open to all members of the Network in that locality.There are no membership cards and no committees. You will be invited along to social events and there will be active encouragement to organise them.

So make sure you have fun – and whatever event you’re planning to attend – don’t forget to send me an invite!

Get invited to WRVS social events

No m or em co be m rs m hi itt p ee ca s rds

W

e know one of the benefits of being involved with WRVS is that you meet and work with great people. But we also know that, for lots of individual reasons, from time to time people do have to drop out or reduce their involvement.

In recent years, WRVS has focussed on improving services, restructuring the organisation and getting the finances sorted out. This has perhaps resulted in some of the people who deliver those services feeling a bit taken for granted. The Network is a part of our reawakening that WRVS is a people organisation, and people like to have fun.

A strong message came out of our 2011 Workforce Survey that you want more contact.

More contact with each other, with managers and with other services in your area. Events organised through the Network will help with that.

Like so much of what we do, there is nothing particularly new in this idea – there are some places in the country where staff and volunteers will read

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Autumn 2011

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Malcolm visits one of the people on his driving rounds, Diana Cooper

“I would go round the supermarket with her, and get the items on the shelves that she couldn’t quite reach” Hertfordshire-based Malcolm Gay has been volunteering for WRVS for around five years. He is a volunteer driver

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olunteering for WRVS started for me after I lost my wife. I wanted something to do to occupy my time, particularly at weekends. I am self-employed, but found that Saturday and Sunday could really drag. I first got involved helping out with Meals on Wheels. I did that for a while, and then eventually took over responsibility for organising which volunteer was going to be driving at which time.

I was then asked whether I was interested in doing some more driving. So I changed my role to what I do now – volunteer driving. Generally speaking I will collect someone from their home and take them to wherever it is they need to go. Often that will

be the hospital, or the doctors. However, one lady I’ve driven a few times wanted to go to the shops. She was a lovely person, and I would go round the supermarket with her and reach the items on the shelves that she couldn’t quite reach.

When I take people to the hospital, I will usually drop them off, find somewhere to park (which isn’t always easy), and then wait for them to finish their appointment and take them back home again. I am based in Hertfordshire and usually when I am out driving it’s not more than a 30-mile round trip. However, I was asked to take a couple from Hertford to Lowestoft and back again – that was a round trip of about 200 miles!

What WRVS means to me

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bviously I’m a real supporter of WRVS, because I think it does a lot of good. Certainly the people I see really appreciate our help. They say to me that they would never be able to get out of the house and get to the hospital, or wherever it is they need to go, without our help. It’s very satisfying to be able to make life that bit easier for them.

CONTACTS HEAD OF SERVICES Sam Ward sam.ward@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898602 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Jenifer Ainsworth Derbyshire, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire jenifer.ainsworth@wrvs.org.uk 07919 991544 Joanne Edwards Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire joanne.edwards@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898546 Lynn Hensman Birmingham, Staffordshire lynn.hensman@wrvs.org.uk 01782 213489 or 0778 6635164 Anne Ledbetter Buckinghamshire,Lincolnshire anne.ledbetter@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898534 Ruth Nice Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire ruth.nice@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898572 Sharon Sinclair Shropshire and Black Country sharon.sinclair@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898611

NORTH EAST & CUMBRIA HEAD OF SERVICES Chris Graham chris.graham@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898667 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Derek Hails Darlington, Gateshead, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough, Durham derek.hails@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898525

Carol Nevison Newcastle, North & South Tyneside, Sunderland, Northumberland carol.nevison@wrvs.org.uk 07736 184341

SOUTH EAST head OF SERVICES Debbi Fair debbi.fair@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898676 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Esther Gillespie Essex, Hertfordshire esther.gillespie@wrvs.org.uk 07786 635179 Heather James Kent, Medway, East Sussex, Brighton heather.james@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898688 André Knirsch London andre.knirsch@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898562 Elissa Rampling Norfolk, Suffolk elissa.rampling@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898530 Nikki Soyza Cambridgeshire , Bedfordshire nikki.soyza@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898615

SOUTH WEST HEAD OF SERVICES Steven Hargreaves steven.hargreaves@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898563 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS John Clifford Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire john.clifford@wrvs.org.uk 07545 925757

Margaret Lawson Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey margaret.lawson@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898551 Irena Wasylowsky West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight irena.wasylowski@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898549 Amanda Whitlock Cornwall, Devon and Dorset amanda.whitlock@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898658

YORKSHIRE, HUMBER & NORTH WEST HEAD OF SERVICES Sue Collins sue.collins@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898599 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Mark Davidson Cumbria, Lancashire and Liverpool mark.davidson@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898613 Helen Hailstone Manchester, Wirral and Cheshire helen.hailstone@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898522 Ray Koralewski Bradford, York, East Riding, Lincolnshire, City of Hull, Barnsley, Doncaster ray.koralewski@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898710 Paul Taylor Sheffield, Rotherham, Wakefield, Leeds, Kirklees, North Yorkshire and Calderdale paul.taylor@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898589

MyWrvs

SCOTLAND HEAD OF SERVICES Margaret Paterson margaret.paterson@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898679 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Elaine Goldie Argyll & Bute, Highlands, Western Isles elaine.goldie@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898527 Alison Love Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire alison.love@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898596 Grahame Rose Lothian, Fife, Forth Valley, Orkney grahame.rose@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898597 Jean Trench Borders region, Arran, Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire jean.trench@wrvs.org.uk 07718 982790 Josephine Mill Grampian, Tayside, Shetland josephine.mill@wrvs.org.uk 07834 482361

WALES HEAD OF SERVICES Sally Rivers sally.rivers@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898571 SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGERS Trish Hughes South West Wales trish.hughes@wrvs.org.uk 07590 776027 Wendy Marshall South East Wales wendy.marshall@wrvs.org.uk 07714 898670 For North Wales queries, please contact Sally Rivers as above

Have you registered to use the volunteer area on the new website yet?

Remember, you are not re-registering as a volunteer with us, you are simply registering to gain access to the volunteer area. Once you’re registered you’ll be able to print off forms, be able to update your details such as address changes, be able to contact other volunteers, and join a discussion board where you can share your thoughts and ideas with other volunteers – why not discuss what you think of this edition of action?

To find the volunteer area type wrvs.org.uk/my-wrvs into the address (URL) bar on your computer and it will take you straight to the sign in page. You can also go to wrvs.org.uk and click on the orange Sign In button at the top right hand corner. You will need your LM number and your postcode.

If you have any problems registering or logging in contact webmaster@wrvs.org.uk

action is produced by WRVS internal communications Editor Alyson Ayland action@wrvs.org.uk Tel: 029 2073 9066 NEWS Editor Craig Burke Tel: 029 2073 9014 WRVS vision A world where every older person has the opportunity and choice to get more out of life.

WRVS purpose To deliver practical support through the power of volunteering so older people can get more out of life. wrvs Beck Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8RP Tel: 029 2073 9000 wrvs.org.uk Registered charity number 1015988 and SC038924 Join us, support us To find out about volunteering opportunities with WRVS 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. 14 Wykeham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2SE publisher Published on behalf of WRVS by Think, The Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road, London W10 6BL www.thinkpublishing.co.uk Publishing editor: Jack Kibble-White Regional editor: Andrew Cattanach Sub-editor: Andrew Littlefield Art director: Alistair McGown Publisher: John Innes Managing Director: Polly Arnold PAGE ADVERTISING Craig Burke 029 2073 9014 INSERT ADVERTISING Tom Fountain 020 8962 1258 or email tom.fountain@thinkpublishing.co.uk © 2011 WRVS. All rights reserved. Every reasonable endeavour has been made to find and contact the copyright owners of the images and works included in this newspaper. However, if you believe a copyright work has been included without your permission, please contact us at action@wrvs.org.uk WRVS 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 WRVS nor those of the publishers.

Please pass on this magazine or recycle when finished.

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MIDLANDS

We have had a re-organisation of the regions with the revised structure coming into effect on 1 September