Volunteer Meeting Saturday 19th January 2013

We hope to get newsletters round to all volunteers before Christmas and there’s plenty of news to report. However here’s advance warning of an important get together in January. Amongst other things…..

1) we have four new volunteers who are looking forward to meeting our founder volunteers and learning more about helping their neighbours

2) we need the input of all volunteers to plan our first fund raising event

3) we’d like to get some provisional meeting dates in our diaries for the whole of 2013 so we have a plan for the year

4) we have some good news on funding – we’re 25% of the way to funding our operational costs for 2013 thanks to Kesgrave Town Council and The Suffolk Foundation has very kindly awarded us a grant for a specific project which will help us get better known in Kesgrave and reach more neighbours needing help

5) we’ve come across some exciting new organisations that will also help our community and assist us in signposting Kesgrave residents to other sources of help

The meeting starts at 12 noon and, this time, is in The Bowl’s Pavilion, next to the main Community Centre buildings. The entrance is opposite the tennis courts and you can park right next to it on the Grange Farm side of the Community Centre, or just a short walk away on the Bell Lane side of KWMCC. We expect to be finished by 1 30, latest.

Any Kesgrave resident who’d like to consider joining up as a volunteer is welcome to come along for the first fifteen minutes of the meeting. We’ll give you a volunteer card to take away which allows you to choose what sort of help you want to give and roughly when you might be available, we’ll tell you a little more about the scheme and, if you like what you hear, we can explain the very simple next steps.

Remember that it’s also the third Saturday of the month so you can drop into Kesgrave monthly market on your way to the meeting!

November Catch Up

It doesn’t seem like three weeks ago that we had our first social get together for volunteers. It was, and the second one is next Wednesday, 28th November, 7 30pm  at Kesgrave Social Club. We all buy our own drinks but here’s a great local venue where buying a round takes you back to the pub prices of yesteryear! It’s a great opportunity for all the volunteers to catch up with what’s going on and address any teething troubles, as well as getting to know their neighbours better!

The committee will be getting together again on 8th December to go through all the normal aspects of the scheme admin and we are also going to try and set out an outline calendar for 2013 – public meetings, volunteer get togethers, fund raising events, etc. As soon as possible after that we’ll be sending out a newsletter to volunteers and inviting their comments and ideas though, of course, those are welcome any time!

Scheme activity is picking up fast and, from a slow start, the calls are beginning to come in much more frequently which is very satisfying.

Today we had a very productive meeting with a number of volunteers from Kesgrave and District Help Centre (KDHC) to see how we can help each other as well as the Kesgrave community at large. KDHC has coffee mornings every Thursday at the Community Centre and, with a minibus equipped to carry wheelchairs, has been specialising in community transport for a number of years.

And…finally, please note that, with the encouragement of one of our very IT literate volunteers, we have added a widget to this blog which allows you to subscribe to it by email so, when a new posting goes up, you will automatically be sent it if you’ve signed up!

Keeping Up With Our Volunteers!!

Last Wednesday we had our first semi social event for volunteers. Kesgrave Social Club very kindly offered us a partitioned area by the bar - the area at the far end of the photo, partitioned by closing the large gap, to the left of the radiator, with the built in roller partition. That’s not us in the photo though – we were all seated giving intense thought to our future programme of publicising the scheme, with just the occasional refreshment to lubricate the process and encourage a creative flow!

It was a really useful session as we were able to swap notes on various things, remind ourselves of the big list of jobs we agreed to complete to move things forward, and refresh ourselves on some of the protocols, and the minimal but essential bureaucracy, that comes along with a scheme of this sort. Most importantly we were able to get to know each other a lot better which not only fulfils part of the social side but is a great help to phone holders to make a better match between those neighbours needing a bit of help and those volunteers offering to give it. It also reminded us what a diverse, practical, proactive, creative and helpful bunch we were – the enthusiasm to be effective Good Neighbours, and the practical skills backing it up was clearly demonstrated!

Since we launched the scheme with our founding group of nearly 20 volunteers, we have several more coming forward and feel that we should devote a meeting every quarter to new volunteers. This would involve a brief induction process for new volunteers including CRB checks, ID card photos and some training on phone and “visiting” protocols. And of course tea, coffee and home made cakes too!

Many thanks to Kesgrave Social Club for letting us use their facilities – one of the pleasures of getting involved in a community scheme like this is finding out so much more about all the great facilities and organisations already available in Kesgrave. 

Volunteers, please put the next date in your diary - Wednesday 28th November at 7 30pm, Kesgrave Social Club, Edmonton Road – we’re aiming to make this a regular fixture for the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Good Neighbour Schemes Forum

On Friday we were lucky enough to be invited to a Good Neighbour Schemes Forum, by Suffolk ACRE, who helped us set up our scheme and the 29 schemes before us. It started with a “do it yourself lunch” (where we all brought a plate of food), a description that belies the excellent spread and the work that went into it. Some were better DIYers than others and the home made bread sandwiches and locally made pork pies were particular highlights!

Over lunch we got to know the members of some of the other schemes and after lunch we all gave a brief report on the highs and lows of the year, or since the newer schemes started. It was very reassuring to learn that our path, so far, is very like most of the other schemes when they were in their infancy, particularly in the time it takes to establish trust in the scheme and spread the word. We agreed that many people who needed help were, like us, reluctant to ask for it and many of the more established schemes felt it was important to be active in the community and seek out (obviously in a discrete and sensitive way) those that might need a helping hand. We hope that, as our volunteers forge individual links with other local organisations, word will spread and we will connect with more of those that need us. It’s started already and we’ve had a steady flow of calls in the last couple of weeks.

We were also updated, very clearly and concisely,by SAVO. on various important changes impacting on the administration of the scheme, notably changes that the government is making to CRB checks. This need not bother our service users at all, or our volunteers very much (and not just yet) but we will be producing a couple of new pages for the volunteer manual in due course to reflect best practice. We were all very grateful not to have to reinvent the wheel ourselves – fortunately for us, SAVO had condensed a huge unwieldy bit of draft legislation, on which they were consulted, into the essential facts (and the normal legislative grey areas) that were relevant to us.

October News

We had a busy but very enjoyable meeting last night at Kesgrave Community Centre. After a quick recap on news over the last month and a report on our stand at the Kesgrave Community Showcase on Saturday, one of the founders of the Wickham Market Good Neighbour Scheme came to talk to us about their history and experiences. Their scheme started in 2007 and has gone from strength to strength to be one of the most successful of the Suffolk Schemes. It’s easy to see why as they obviously put a lot of hard work in at the beginning and continue to do so. Heading towards 1,000 calls per year, it was great to hear how they had got started, maintained momentum and how the scheme had developed according to the community’s needs. Our Chairman was busy scribbling down all the tips and we hope to put most of them into practice!

After some organisational/administrative business, including drawing up a new phone rota to take us up to after the New Year, everyone agreed that it would be a good idea to have a monthly semi social get together to swap ideas and just to meet up with fellow volunteers. Kesgrave Social Club have kindly offered us a partitioned area (near the bar!) for the fourth Wednesday of every month so we will be there from 7 30 to 9 pm on Wednesday 24th October and look forward to seeing as many of our volunteers and friends as possible. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or just wanting to know more about the scheme might find this to be the ideal environment to do so.

Find Out The Latest News On Wednesday 3rd October

It’s just a few weeks since our launch date and there’s been lots of progress. Existing volunteers can find out what’s new and potential new volunteers can find out a little more about us. We’re hoping to have a volunteer from the Wickham Market Good Neighbour Scheme to come and tell us how they’re scheme has progressed since they started it up, quite a long time before ours, and we’ll be discussing how best to forge stronger links with other community and help groups. Tea, coffee and perhaps some cake too if we all put our baking aprons on! Our scheme covers all age groups and our volunteers come from all walks of life so it’s also a great opportunity to meet some more neighbours.

Our meetings generally last about an hour but there’s plenty of time to chat afterwards if anyone wants to collar a committee member, or just wants to chat with their neighbours!

Kesgrave Community Showcase

It was great to be able to take part in the first ever Kesgrave Community Showcase last Saturday. Not only did we have a chance to chat to fellow residents about what we might be able to offer them and vice versa, but we also got to talk to all the other great organisations that exist to make Kesgrave community life better and more interesting. From lace makers to sporting clubs and everything else in between.

Pictured are two of our committee members examining the goodies inside the Rural Coffee Caravan bags!

Time To Go Live!!

As from Tuesday 14th August, the Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme will be live. All the volunteer manuals are done, as well as the phone holder’s manual, and our volunteers are raring to go. So if you need a good Kesgrave neighbour to help with a small task, then give us a ring and we’ll do our best to help. And if you’d like to lend a helping hand, give us a ring too and we’ll tell you all about it.

Nearly There!!!

Well…..what a great turnout for our meeting last Wednesday and what fun we had! Signed up and CRB checked volunteers received their ID cards, new volunteers filled in their CRB forms and had their photos taken for ID cards, and everyone asked plenty of questions and got plenty of answers. What’s more we had some budding Thespians who couldn’t resist adding a few extra complications as we role played a few scenarios of requests for help.

We all agreed that we had enough core volunteers to launch into action so the committee are steaming away in the back ground sorting out funding, insurance, volunteer manuals, phone rotas and the like. We hope to be ready to go around mid August so watch this space!

The photo above is of the event celebrating the anniversary of Kesgrave Bandstand – we hope we can do our little bit, along with all the other great community organisations in Kesgrave, to build our community.

Come And Help Us Launch Into Action!

Two Meetings Down, One More To Go In Start Up Phase!

Our second meeting was a busy one! SAVO came along to help us through the CRB checks for volunteers, Nat and Robert from Suffolk Acre talked us through the phone holding routine, and how to match requests for help to volunteers, Jane updated us on the latest news, Nat took photos for our ID cards and we just about managed to answer everyone’s questions and fit in some lovely wine, cheese and home baked mini savoury quiches.

Once SAVO return the completed CRB checks we will have a core base of volunteers ready to go and everyone was asked to bring a friend along to the next meeting on 18th July (same time and place) so that we can add some more volunteers to give us a solid enough base to start publicising the scheme and offering help.

Here are a few of the things we learnt:

* we don’t share names and details between volunteers and those requesting help until the phone holder has found a volunteer that can do the task requested in the time slot outlined by the service requester

* it’s ok to say “no” – volunteers should not feel obliged to say yes when rung by the phone holder but they can help with a clear “yes” or “no” so the phone holder can either match the volunteer with the service request, or phone another volunteer

* we’re not an emergency service – if someone rings with a genuine emergency we should advise them to call the appropriate emergency service

* a volunteer with an hour a month to spare can make a big difference, as long as there are enough of us!

We’re in the process of building up a “frequently asked questions sheet” and, pending the next meeting we’ll be sorting out a bank account, insurance, the phone holders manual and a few other things!

Please come and join us on 18th July to find out more and help us put being a good neighbour into action!

Come and Join Us At Our Next Meeting

The Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme Is Launched!

At a very well attended meeting last night, the Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme was officially launched. Led by Nat Bocking and Robert Horn of Suffolk Acre, the assembled residents learnt more about the scheme, agreed a constitution and confirmed the election of 6 volunteers to serve on the committee. Many also completed volunteer forms indicating availability and the jobs they could help with. The cakes, biscuits and sausage rolls were pretty good too!

The next meeting will be on 20th June 2012 – time and venue to be confirmed – when volunteers and phone holders will get “trained up” on the very simple and straightforward scheme protocols.

All Kesgrave residents are welcome so don’t worry if you missed the first meeting.

Be A Part Of The Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme

What Happens Next?

 

We will spend the rest of April distributing and collecting surveys. Then we’ll collate them to see if demand is sufficient for a scheme and if there are enough potential volunteers. There will be a gathering, open to all residents of Kesgrave, on Wednesday 23rd May at 7 30 pm at Kesgrave Community Centre, to find out more and hopefully help launch Kesgrave into a fully fledged scheme.

Above is a picture of volunteers from an existing Good Neighbour Scheme in Suffolk that has been up and running for a while. There are over 20 of these schemes across the county – we’ve spoken to quite a few people from other schemes and they are delighted with the results and the effect the schemes have had on the community.

What’s It All About?!

Here’s how we described it on the front of the survey form:

With the assistance of Suffolk ACRE, people in Kesgrave are considering launching a Good Neighbour Scheme aimed at helping to make life easier for people in this community and especially the elderly, although the scheme could help all age groups.

A Good Neighbour Scheme revolves around a group of volunteers who can help in a number of ways: by giving a lift, by checking a smoke alarm or changing a light bulb, by fixing a tap, by tidying a garden, by befriending someone who is lonely or new to Kesgrave. There are many other ways in which the scheme can help people.

You may need help from the scheme, or perhaps you may like to volunteer to help others. Volunteers can use the scheme too.

HOW THE SCHEME WORKS

A core group of volunteers take turns to hold the scheme’s dedicated mobile phone.

They are backed up by a team of volunteers who agree to help in one or more of the ways listed in the questionnaire overleaf.

The telephone number of the scheme is made known throughout the community and any resident in genuine need can call for help of the kind mentioned in the questionnaire.

Each call is matched to an appropriate volunteer.

***

Please fill in the questionnaire overleaf and return to one of the following collection points: Penzance Road Post Office, Post Office — Main Road, The Birches Medical Centre, Kesgrave Library, Town Council Offices, The Bell, Kesgrave Community Centre, Alice Grange.

Alternatively one of your neighbours may call to collect the form.

If you have any questions go to www.onesuffolk.co.uk/GoodNeighbourScheme or call the scheme working party mobile 074451 66993.

Suffolk ACRE Ltd Registered Charity No 1062038. A company limited by guarantee.

Welcome To The Blog Of The Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme

First of all, please note that we are not a fully fledged Good Neighbour Scheme yet but we’re getting there fast. We call ourselves the Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme Working Party (when we can get that out of our mouths properly!) and we have been working with Suffolk Acre for the last few months to get set up properly. At the moment we are in the survey stage – trying to establish needs and resources in Kesgrave. There are survey forms and collection points all over town and we’re also delivering forms to our neighbours for them to complete at their leisure at home and drop off to their nearest collection point or ask for them to be collected.

The above picture shows our stand at last month’s Kesgrave Market where we chatted to plenty of neighbours who were almost all very excited about the scheme and filled in plenty of survey forms.