The area we support:
Wickham Market
What we offer:
- Driving jobs -hospitalGP, dentist, hairdresser, community groups etc. – lifts are 45p per mile, or £1.50 for a journey within the village
- Small DIY jobs
- One-off garden tidy up
- Shopping-either with/for client
- Form filling
- Computer help
- Fetching prescriptions
- Posting letters
- Dog walking on a short-term basis
- Home from hospital support for up to 6 weeks, usually 5 days a week
- Befriending scheme – phone, visits or outings
- Referral to other agencies/groups
We usually host an annual garden party in July with use of gazebo, with tea, cakes, entertainment, and little take home gifts.
Taking smaller groups out for afternoon tea.
Connecting with the community at the summer and winter markets in the village – we usually have a stall with publicity and gifts. This often leads to the recruitment of new volunteers.
We also host a January social event for all the volunteers with cheese and wine.
We’re not hosting any of these at present with current Coronavirus restrictions, but look forward to starting them again when we can!
Our Good Neighbour Scheme is the most high-profile community group in our village, going for 13 years. Many of our volunteers have been with us all this time and are very committed. Our services are greatly valued and we’ve had very positive feedback from clients and many donations given over the year. Many volunteers know our clients very well, especially the befrienders, and feel valued for the service they provide.
Although we ask for 2/3 days’ notice to arrange jobs, we still make a huge effort to sort people’s requests out at short notice where we can – especially for things like prescription collections or trips to medical appointment. Many people don’t have family nearby and their immediate neighbours might be elderly or out at work; they can’t afford a taxi and so we provide a personal, friendly service, helping to combat loneliness and isolation.