Activity levels within the Care Fund are increasing. There have been high numbers at both of our Seniors Coffee Mornings, helped to a great extent by our Transport team. The King’s Coronation has featured heavily in the assistance we have given in the past couple of months. There was our own Coronation Tea Party and were also able to help the Lea Springs community celebrate in style with a donation towards their own Coronation Tea Party.
The Open Day at our new halls (130 Southdown Road) took place on Monday, 8 May and was a great success.
We were also able to help with the repair of a bingo machine for the residents of Homedell House!
Earlier in April our annual Seniors Fair at the Eric Morecambe Centre, Harpenden was well attended, and we received many compliments on the event.
We have lots of plans going forward this year with the Summer Carnival on the common on Saturday, 17 June, the opening of our Community Cafe in early June, the expected arrival of our own minibus in the Summer and the start of the season for Senior and Family Outings. All we need is for the weather to behave.
Update
The Seniors Fair: this was held at the Eric Morecambe Centre on Tuesday, 4 April. We had bookings from 4 commercial exhibitors and 27 community-based exhibitors, and we had just over 300 attendees, very similar to last year, who arrived in a steady stream throughout the event. The Harpenden Village Women’s Institute provided refreshments, including homemade cakes, and raised a little over £570 for the Rennie Grove Hospice. In addition to the exhibitors, the PCN set up a station to do free blood pressure checks, and this was very popular and well-received.
Feedback from attendees was very positive, they enjoyed visiting the exhibitors and getting information on a variety of activities and services available to seniors, as well as the assortment of refreshments. They also found the volunteers very welcoming and whose support made it easy for visitors to find their way to the exhibition floor. Attendees also commented how lovely it was to see people they knew at the event. We also solicited feedback from the exhibitors, and whether they would like to be sent an application for next year; there was a unanimous response that they would like to be invited to our next Seniors Fair.
Seniors Outings: There was a mini-trip to Frosts Garden Centre with 14 clients who were treated to a morning out with coffee and cake. We have two Summer boat trips planned for 40 clients on the Ouse and there are two Summer tea parties arranged at Aldwickbury Golf Club.
Hall Bookings: the Randall Room at No. 90 Southdown Road was used as a Polling Station on Thursday, 4 May, for which we have had good feedback. For No. 130 Southdown Road we received lots of positive comments about the halls at the Open Day. We had a few enquiries for one-off bookings but, unfortunately, at times when we already have hirers! The morning certainly showcased what we have to offer and we expect many enquiries off the back of it. We have one new hirer starting in the large hall and eleven hirers on our waiting list for the halls post refurbishment. The Thursday evening Brownies at No. 130 brightened up the lives of a few of our befriendees with their ‘Random Act of Kindness’ plants.
Home Visits: we received 648 calls during the last 12 months - up by about 100 on the previous year. Grants for assistance have increased in value due to the continued inflationary pressures on families. We have also been helping some of our Ukrainian clients move into their own accommodation as they settle in Harpenden.
Care Fund Grants: a total of 70 clients were awarded Utilities Grants grant of £350 each. Youth and Schools grants awarded in 2022-23 was some £5,700, benefitting a total of 44 pupils This financial year has begun with a flurry of requests.
Wellbeing Friends: we continue to accept clients only following a referral made by the GP/Social Prescriber to help referrals connect with a variety of activities. Wellbeing Friends are really making a difference.
Memory Lane Café: still a great success with a wide range of activities and will be further enhanced with the arrival of the Sensory Project. The Trust’s Team Leader is being given an ‘Award of Merit’ by the Town Council in recognition of her work in developing the Memory Lane Café.
Confidential Coaching: Wellbeing continues to offer ‘confidential coaching for the challenges of life’ courtesy of The Salvation Army with referrals direct from Social Prescribers.
Youth Talk: the second Youth Talk trial group counselling pilot has just started and we are pleased with progress so far.
Library Support: this is running well and there is the potential to further develop the partnership. Wednesday afternoon shifts by Trust volunteers enable an Express Library Service to operate 1.00-6.00pm. The number of Library users on Wednesday afternoons continue to be very healthy. The Harpenden Library Manager recently said, “With the kind and generous help of the Harpenden Trust’s volunteers, Harpenden Library is now open all day every weekday, with hundreds of people using Library Express each week. The community are really enjoying and taking advantage of the extra opening hours to browse, read to their children, access the internet, and drop off books while dashing off on their errands. My sincere thanks to the Trust for making this possible.”
The Ribbon Cancer Support Group starts on Wednesday, 7 June, 1.00-3.00pm at No. 130 Southdown Road, supported by Macmillan Cancer Research and the Trust. Led by a specialist cancer support nurse it will have support from the PCN’s Health and Wellbeing Coach and Mental Health Practitioner.
Well Bean Café: the Cafe will be open from Monday, 5 June, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, between 10.30am – 12.30pm. We managed to do the refreshments for the very successful Open Day on 8 May, even without the use of our Cafe kitchen! The kitchen – and its amazing coffee machine - will be able to offer a range of hot and cold drinks and plenty of home-made sweet treats. All the volunteers are looking forward to welcoming our customers whilst wearing their Well Bean Cafe aprons. The cafe will be run on a donation only basis – meaning there will be no set charges. Customers will donate whatever they want, either in cash in a donation pot or by card with a machine which will be available in the Cafe.
Client Community Link: we continue to receive several referrals weekly from the Social Prescribers. The referrals have become increasingly diverse with direct referrals now to home visiting and coffee mornings as well as for blue badges, Wellbeing and Befriending. There has also been recently an increase in the number of people contacting us directly for Befriending.
Befriending: the number of befriendees and befrienders remain consistent although there is a regular turnover.
Coffee Mornings: Tuesdays continue to be very popular with an average of 35 attendees. Thursdays at the Salvation Army continues to grow and is now seeing very strong numbers, with quite a few new people which is nice. On Tuesday, 9 May we held a Coronation Coffee Morning, serving a variety of cakes in addition to the regular biscuits, which was enjoyed by all.
Nick Luckett, Chair, Care Fund
03 June 2023
