Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme is a community organisation, backed by Community Action Suffolk (formerly Suffolk ACRE), for matching any resident of Kesgrave, who needs a little help, to a neighbour who can give it, free of charge. Call us on 07445 166 993.
In this, our first year, the calendar has been filled with a series of “firsts”! At our last volunteer’s meeting in April, Dr Dan Poulter, MP, came along to talk to us and this time we thought it would be good to invite to lunch, a few of the neighbours we have met. We also invited Gavin Hodge from Age UK Suffolk and Garry Simmonds from the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project. Gavin gave a round up of some of the help his organisation can provide for our community and signed up all our guests to receive the regular Talkabout magazine as well as signing up one guest as a volunteer for telephone befriending. In fact it was an article in the Talkabout magazine on Food ‘n Friends clubs that inspired us to hold the lunch so that we could help to spread the word.
Garry, pictured above, with some of our volunteers, gave a short introduction to just some of the things the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project does and told everyone to ask Jane, who has been volunteering with them for a few years, if they needed to know anything more! He then presented Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme with a marvellous Soup Tureen that we can use for events when the weather gets a bit cooler. These soup tureens were given to the Rural Coffee Caravan Project by the Warm Homes Healthy People Scheme and put to good use during their winter road shows. We invited representatives of the scheme to come to our January volunteers’ meeting, to tell us all about it, and Kesgrave Market kindly gave them a stand at the monthly market where they were able to help a number of Kesgrave residents.
Many thanks to both Garry and Gavin for sparing the time to come and have lunch with us and for all their help, information and support.
A big thanks too, to all our guests, for so willingly accepting our invitation and for being such delightful company. It was also a great opportunity to get some more feedback on how we were doing and what else we should be doing!
The biggest thanks of all, though, goes to all the volunteers involved for making it such a happy and smooth running event, for providing the components of such a delicious lunch, for putting it all together and clearing up afterwards, and for picking up and returning our guests. It really was a case of many hands making light work and, in the sultry heat of a baking hot day,and given all there was to do, staying calm, cool and collected. Best of all we had lots of fun too!
One of the areas we can help with is a “one off” garden tidy up – normally front gardens that might pose a security risk through giving too much cover to unwanted potential visitors, or occasionally back gardens that pose safety or other problems.
We're delighted to announce that, following on from our July meeting and an idea put forward by PCSO 3194 Mike Sarbutts of the Kesgrave and District Safer Neighbourhood Team, the Police Cadets have offered to assist us with these kind of projects.
We’ll need as much notice as you can give us and will generally aim to slot this into Thursday evenings or weekends. So if your garden has been overwhelming you for a while, give us a call and we’ll do our best to help.
It was a fantastic turnout to our April volunteers meeting and we were delighted to welcome Dr Dan Poulter, MP, as our special guest. We had a number of other important guests too, from other local organisations, and, after the more formal part of the meeting, and refreshed by tea, coffee, and nibbles, we were able to discuss many great ideas for working together.
Many thanks to all who came and also to Kesgrave Market for letting us have a stand in the morning.
The full press release is below:
The Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme (KGNS) was delighted to welcome Dr Dan Poulter, MP, to its quarterly volunteers’ meeting, on Saturday April 20th at Kesgrave Community Centre. Before the meeting Dr Dan met a number of Suffolk’s local producers and crafters at the monthly Kesgrave Market, and weekly Country Market, held at Kesgrave Scout Hall. Kesgrave Town Council kindly made a stand available to KGNS at Kesgrave Market, and volunteers made the most of this opportunity to talk to Kesgrave residents about the scheme and enlist a few more volunteers!
At the volunteers meeting afterwards, Dr Dan emphasised how important such community schemes were, particularly in current austere times and with an ageing population. He offered his assistance if the scheme needed any help with such issues as funding, and liaising with hospitals and other organisations. Dr Dan also presented the scheme’s newest volunteer, Eileen Gray, with her volunteer manual and photo ID card.
Chairman Jane Cody said how helpful and morale boosting it was to know that, despite such a busy schedule as constituency MP and a Minister for Health, Dr Dan was able to make time for a small group such as KGNS, and was available to help if needed.
Jane also referred to the invaluable help from Nat Bocking, of Community Action Suffolk: “Nat’s experience and expertise, together with a tried and tested professional framework and user friendly paperwork, were invaluable in setting up the scheme. Nat has given very freely of his time and held our hand all the way along, despite, with his colleague, Robert Horn, having 29 other Good Neighbour Schemes to look after! I’m not sure, despite our enthusiasm, we would have got off the ground, let alone got so far so fast, if we’d had to start from scratch on our own”.
Also invited to the meeting was Ann Osborn, of the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project (RCCIP), another organisation that has played a big part in the set up and success of KGNS. Jane reports: “RCCIP gave me my first taste of volunteering and I loved it. I came across the Good Neighbour Scheme when I was volunteering for them at a Golden Age Fayre. I talked to KGNS co-founder Sally Beales about it, and we both agreed it was the best way to progress an idea arising from an Ageing Well conference, held by Suffolk County Council, that had ignited a spark in us the previous year. Up until them we were toying with an idea with the working title of VillageMatch.com !
Other special guests included PCSOs Michael Sarbutts and Sally Thomas, from the Kesgrave Safer Neighbourhood Team, (who came up with a great idea for a collaboration, between the police cadets and KGNS), representatives from the local branches of the WI, the Co-operative Women’s Guild the British Legion, and Kesgrave News.
After a vote of thanks to Dr Dan, volunteers and special guests alike tucked into a buffet lunch prepared by volunteers and including plenty of Suffolk goodies purchased from the producers at Kesgrave Market
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Kesgrave Good Neighbour Scheme (KGNS) launched in August 2012, with nearly 20 volunteers, following a series of public meetings, and surveys to assess community needs and resources. It’s backed by Community Action Suffolk (formerly Suffolk Acre) and is the first Good Neighbour Scheme in a semi urban environment. KGNS aims to provide a variety of help to neighbours, for example shopping, a listening ear, lifts for medical appointments, walking a dog, changing a light bulb, etc. Neighbours simply call the Scheme phone number and the phone holder will match the request to a volunteer. Volunteers initially fill in a form to say what type of help they might be able to give and when they might be available, and all volunteers are DBS/CRB checked and carry Photo ID cards.
Kesgrave residents who’d like some help can call the scheme on 07445 166 993, or find out more on www.kesgravegoodneighbourscheme.blogspot.co.uk
Community Action Suffolk (Suffolk Acre)
For more information on Good Neighbour Schemes in general, and contact details for Nat Bocking, visit www.suffolkacre.org.uk
For further information, and contact details for Dr Dan Poulter, MP, go to www.drdanielpoulter.com
For more information on the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project, visit www.ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk
For more details on Kesgrave Market, go to www.kesgravemarket.org.uk and for anything to do with Kesgrave, including Kesgrave News, community groups and what’s on, visit www.kesgrave.org.uk
Below are extracts from our latest volunteer newsletter, edited to remove any personal details and confidential information.
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We had a great turnout for the January meeting at The Bowls Pavilion and met 4 new “fully fledged” volunteers. A warm welcome and thanks to them. Their details are now included in the phone holders manual but please break them in gently! We have 3 more volunteers in the pipeline Many thanks to them too for sticking their head above the parapet!
April Meeting – Saturday 20th April 2013, 12 noon
This meeting is now confirmed and we have a special VIP guest to come and talk to us. Attendance will be by invitation only - volunteers have first refusal so I would be very grateful if you could let me know whether you can attend. After that, depending on places available, we may invite some representatives of other local groups etc.
Warm Homes Healthy People Scheme
We arranged a table for the Rural Coffee Caravan and Warm Homes Scheme at the January Kesgrave Market and they came to talk to us at our meeting afterwards. They also gave us a few mugs, bags and other goodies which was very generous of them. If you know of anyone who is struggling with their heating, the Warm Home Schemes can help and have a sizeable fund for this year’s scheme which, in theory, finishes in March. It’s council backed and the number to call is 08456 037 686. The website is www.suffolk.gov.uk/warmhomes
Lofty Heights
I have added their details, along with a few other organisations, to the blog. They will clear lofts for people at hopefully a reasonable cost and this “unblocks” the problem some people have in taking advantage of free insulation schemes, etc. I have plenty of leaflets if anyone wants them.
Kesgrave WI
As some of you will have spotted in your Kesgrave News, the WI are having an “at home” event – afternoon tea and entertainment - for housebound residents on April 8th. They will pick up and drop off attendees if needed.
KGNS Funding
Most of you will now know that we are fully funded for 2013 thanks in large part to a very generous grant from local charity SPARKS. Funding may be less straightforward in future years and we’d like to organise a small event in 2013 to raise some funds ourselves. Current ideas include a sponsored walk around the streets of Kesgrave, a roadshow, a craft fair and a scarecrow festival. More suggestions to come and all ideas welcome! If possible we’d like to avoid needing to hire a venue.
Spreading The Word
Thanks to a specific project based grant from The Suffolk Foundation we are in the process of having enough cards printed to drop through every letterbox in Kesgrave. Distribution of the cards will start in March so we’ll be expecting/hoping the phone to be a bit busier! Having said that we are averaging more than one call a week now and have had some very successful visits.
Phone Rota
Attached is the new phone rota.
Next Social Meeting For Existing Volunteers Or Those Who Might Be Interested In Volunteering
Wednesday 27th February 2013, 7 30pm, Kesgrave Social Club
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