TOTNES CARING NEWSLETTER

Totnes Caring Tel: 01803 865684

Registered Charity No.1112436

Autumn

2018

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Welcome to the Totnes Caring Autumn 2018 newsletter. We are aiming to produce at least two newsletters a year to update our supporters and the wider public on the charity’s work and activities.

For those of you who are not familiar with Totnes Caring, we are a voluntary organisation and charity which supports older, vulnerable people living in Totnes and the surrounding areas, to enable them to live happily and independently at home, without isolation, for as long as possible. Our services include transport to health related appointments, lunch clubs, befriending, shopping, memory cafes, home helps, activity clubs and hospital discharge support.

If you would like further information about any of our services, events or volunteering opportunities please do not hesitate to get in touch on 01803 865684 or info@totnescaring.org.uk .

Best wishes,

The Totnes Caring Team

This great model of the Totnes Caring mini-bus was made by Steve of the Great Totnes

Stitch Up when we were their charity of the month in May. The passengers were all lovingly

knitted by Totnes Caring supporter Enid Burch.

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VOLUNTEERING WITH TOTNES CARING

Totnes Caring could not provide the community support it does without our fantastic volunteers who are always so willing to respond in a positive way to help others.

National Volunteer Week in June provided a great opportunity to highlight the profiles of just some of our volunteers on the Totnes Caring Facebook page. Those featured included Stella Chadwick, who has been volunteering for Totnes Caring for 27 years! Stella currently drives for Totnes Caring, but has been involved in many different activities including shopping, organising dress shows, second-hand clothes sales, coffee mornings, she has been a board member and bravely did a sky dive, for her 80th birthday!

She says “I love volunteering as I meet some incredible people. It gives me a buzz just to feel I’ve done something to help someone along the way. All the individuals I meet are just so grateful to Totnes Caring, and I feel so lucky to still be able to drive etc. “

Stella celebrating the parachute jump she did for Totnes Caring.

Compared to Stella, Sandra Nicolson, who has been volunteering as a helper on

our mini-bus since January, is a relatively new recruit. She says she has found

Totnes Caring staff and volunteers “the most welcoming, friendly and can do

group of people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.’’

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“Volunteering has been rewarding and fun. I love to hear the clients chat about the interesting lives they have led. There is much laughter on board the bus, despite clients not being in the best of health, and one day when it was pouring with rain and very miserable, we all cheered ourselves up by singing along.

The briefing and health and safety standards are excellent. Every driver so far has told me that the bus is friendly to drive with huge side mirrors, speed monitor and built in reversing safety warning.

All the drivers were so helpful and patient while I was learning the ropes that I never once felt like the new girl.

Last week a lady client said to me “I’ve had a lovely dinner, beautiful it was, and a pudding. I can’t get out on my own anymore, so this makes a real difference to me, Thank You for taking me Dear.

As I walked back down her garden path, after seeing her safely to her door, my own aches and pains didn’t seem so bad after all and I walked back to the bus with a spring in my step.”

Totnes Caring likes to celebrate the wonderful work of our volunteers and to organise occasional social events to say thank you. In August, for example, we had a special volunteers evening at Totnes Cinema with a screening of ‘West Side Story’.

Please give Totnes Caring a ring on 01803 865 684 if you’d like to find out more

about volunteering.

Sandra and the Totnes Caring Minibus.

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TRANSPORT NEWS

Totnes Caring’s has 60 wonderful volunteer drivers, who drive vulnerable

people to health related appointments, our lunch clubs and other activities such

as the memory cafes. They do a great job getting the less mobile out and about

and over the course of a year drive over 10,000 passengers.

Such is the need for our transport services that on occasions we struggle to find

available drivers and we have to occasionally turn down some requests.

Therefore, Totnes Caring would love to recruit more volunteer drivers who can

either drive their own car - the charity reimburses mileage at 45p a mile - or the

Totnes Caring minibus or wheelchair accessible vehicle. Get in touch if you’d like

to find out more.

DEMENTIA SERVICES AND THE MEMORY CAFE

The Totnes Memory Cafe takes place from 2pm to 4pm each Friday at the

Totnes Boating Association. The cafes are free and there is no need to book.

The cafe is a popular meeting place and a lifeline for anyone with concerns

about their memory or that of a family member or friend. It provides a

welcome service where carers and loved-ones can network, find support and

information. A wide variety of activities take place at the cafe including, for

example, ceilidhs, musical chair exercises, music with young professional

musicians from Live Music Now, golden oldie sing-alongs, country and western

singing, aromatherapy, yoga and story-telling.

Mary and Rose Hartley at the memory cafe

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There is extensive evidence of the many benefits of music for people with

dementia and Mary Garvey, Totnes Caring’s dementia services co-ordinator, has

also been busy co-ordinating a new pilot project called Music to My Ears, made

possible by a generous donation from local resident Kate Caddy. Music to my

Ears will help develop personalised music playlists for people with dementia.

These may be childhood lullabies, teenage favourites, music they danced to, or

the theme music from their favourite TV programmes. The music will be loaded

so that individuals can listen to it using headphones, or listen and reminisce

together with family or friends. If you or a family member has memory

problems and would like to take part please contact Mary Garvey on 01803 865

684

ART CLUBS, NEW DIRECTIONS, BIRDWOOD PLACE AND FAMILY CIRCLE

ACTIVITIES

Totnes Caring's art clubs take place on a Monday morning and afternoon at

Rushbrook. The clients who attend appreciate the calm, inclusive atmosphere

and the really creative activities led by the co-ordinator, Frances Issitt and the

volunteer helpers.

Earlier this year Frances put together an art-work from the ‘tiles’ created by the

art club members and this is now on display at Rushbrook.

Some of the members of the Art Club in front of the new artwork at Rushbrook.

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The clubs are busy working on the design on new Christmas cards for Totnes

Caring. These will be on sale from October in Totnes Hospital, Leatside and

Catherine House surgeries and at the Totnes Caring bazaar (see below).

The long-running and popular New Directions club, run by volunteer Jess

Preece, continues to provide companionship and support for approximately 15

vulnerable clients. Members enjoy a varied programme of arts, crafts, music and

gentle exercise and the occasional outing further afield.

Totnes Caring continues to use Birdwood Place in Birdwood House on

Wednesday mornings for volunteer training and meetings as well a support

group for clients with long-term chronic conditions. From July, thanks to a small

grant from Bluebird Care, we have also been holding monthly cookery classes

for older men living on their own. The classes, run by Chantelle Norton and

David Markson of Food in Community, are followed by a lunch of the food made

by the group and have been a big hit with the participants.

The first men’s cookery class in August

In June and July Totnes Caring and the Children’s Centre collaborated on a

Caring Town project, Family Circles, that brings together Totnes Caring clients

and parents with young children to enjoyable, shared activities and lunch in an

informal environment where conversation and connection naturally emerge.

With the help from a grant from the Paige Adams Trust there will be more

Family Circles this Autumn.

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LUNCH CLUBS

Totnes Caring's lunch club takes place every day from Monday to Friday in the

Totnes Con Club. It is open to all older people who'd like a hot lunch (2 courses

plus tea or coffee for £5) and company. The Totnes Caring mini-bus can bring

people in and take them home again. Give Totnes Caring a ring on 01803 865

684 if you or anyone you know is interested.

HOME HELP SERVICE

Alongside the other, mainly voluntary, services provided by Totnes Caring, the

Charity also provides a home help service. As well as providing invaluable

support with cleaning, laundry, shopping and paperwork the 13 home helps are

all very personable and see the benefit in working closely with clients and

building real social connections with them.

The demand for this service continues to grow- in August, for the first time ever,

the number of clients using the service exceeded 100.

All the home-helps are fully trained, insured and DBS checked. The service costs

£13.60 an hour. If you’d like to find out more call Liz Loader, the home help co-

ordinator on 01803 865684 to discuss your requirements.

LINK WORKERS

Totnes Caring’s two link workers, Sue Alford and Jenny Ubsdell, provide support

to our most vulnerable clients to help them build confidence, regain

independence and become more socially involved. They get referrals from a

wide range of sources including the local GPs, district nurses, Social Services as

well as from within Totnes Caring.

Their work includes supporting patients being discharged from Totnes Hospital,

but also others who may have been through a life change, such as bereavement

or a serious illness. ‘’ The people we support are often very anxious and don’t

have close family near-by,’’ says Jenny. “They are often feeling overwhelmed

and we listen and help them see the issues they are facing through fresh eyes,

offering both emotional support and real practical help. Our aim is to ensure

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that in the longer term clients can be well supported in the community through

the activities of Totnes Caring and others.’’

BAZAAR AND COFFEE MORNINGS

The Totnes Caring bazaar and coffee mornings take place from 9am to 12 noon

on the third Friday of each month in the Totnes Methodist Hall. The coffee

mornings are lovely social occasions as well as being a useful fundraiser for the

Charity.

Please do drop by for a chance to pick up a bargain and some delicious home-

made cakes and savouries, as well as to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a slice

of Sue’s famous Victoria sponge or coffee and walnut cake for just £1!

Don’t forget to buy your Christmas cards from Totnes Caring- they’ll be on sell

at our bazaars from September.

Just £1 for a cup of tea and a slice of cake- coffee and walnut or Victoria sponge.

Please do let us know if you have any good quality bric-a-brac, books or clothes

that you can donate. Here are the remaining coffee morning dates in 2018:-

Friday 21 September

Friday 19 October

Friday 16 November

Friday 21 December

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OTHER FUNDRAISING NEWS AND DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Totnes Caring does not receive direct funding for providing and co-ordinating

our services and is very reliant on donations, legacies and fundraising. We are

very grateful for the money raised from our street collections, and also for the

fundraising support from the local community.

Recent examples of the local community fundraising for Totnes Caring include

over £300 raised by the May Great Totnes Stich Up event, over £300 raised by

Sandra Nicolson and her helpers at a coffee morning at St. Mary’s Church,

£1,999 raised by the Teignbridge Trotters at the Totnes 10K run in August and

£30 raised by the Totnes branch of Stags at their coffee morning.

In July Bruce Bishop cycled the 880 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats,

raising nearly £4,000 for Totnes Caring and Rowcroft Hospice. Well done Bruce!

Bruce at the start of his bike ride.

Please do get in touch if you are holding a fundraising event.

Below are some of forthcoming events raising funds for Totnes Caring:-

Totnes Caring Bingo Night 7pm Saturday 20th October Totnes Civic Hall

The Chubb family always do a wonderful job organising the annual Totnes Caring bingo night and raise about a £1,000 each year. This year it’s on Saturday 20th October. Eyes down at 7.30pm. Refreshments and a great raffle too!

Totnes Caring Quiz, Tuesday 6th November, 7.30pm, Meadowbrook Social Club In Dartington. In Memory of Gay Edgecombe.

Entry £3 per person. Maximum of 6 people per team.

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REMEMBERING TOTNES CARING IN YOUR WILL

Did you know that nearly 4 in 10 adults over 55 do not have a Will in place, even

though it is the only way you can guarantee that your family, friends and

favourite causes get what you want from your Estate? It straightforward and

inexpensive to have a Will drafted or updated by a local solicitor.

Donations in Wills are an important source of funding for Totnes Caring’s work.

Once loved ones have been provided for, we ask people to consider if they are

able to leave a donation to Totnes Caring.

During October 2018 local solicitors, Windeatts, are waiving their entire

fee for will-writing in return for a donation to Totnes Caring. The suggested

donations are £175 for a single Will and £225 for mirror Wills. For Wills

requiring specialist advice, a fee can be agreed in advance. Appointments

are limited and are on a first come first served basis. Ring Windeatts on

01803 862233 to make an appointment. Please mention Totnes Caring Will

Month when booking.

If you need any guidance about donating to Totnes Caring in any way please do

not hesitate to get in touch by ringing us on 01803 865 684.

FRIENDS OF TOTNES CARING AND 50/50 CLUB

Becoming a Friend of Totnes Caring or joining our 50/50 club are both great ways to help Totnes Caring to continue to support the local community.

‘’Friends of ‘’ is a simple way to donate a regular amount either monthly, quarterly or annually and by using Gift Aid Totnes Caring receives an extra25p for every £1 you donate.

To join the 50/50 club you pay just £26 a year, either annually of £6.50 per quarter. Half the income goes to Totnes Caring and half is awarded in prizes. There are quarterly draws plus an annual jackpot of £1,000.

Ring Totnes Caring on 01803 865 684 to join either of these schemes.

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CARING TOWN INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND CITIZENS ADVICE

Totnes Caring works closely with the Caring Town Information Exchange (CTIE)

at the Mansion to help ensure that everyone who needs assistance is sign-

posted to the right source of help. The CTIE is open from 10.30am to 2.30pm on

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Every Friday the South Hams Citizens Advice’s trained advisers will also be on

hand at the CTIE to help Totnes residents with problems including housing,

debt, consumer issues as well as benefit and disability entitlement. There is no

need to book, just drop in anytime between 10.30am and 2.30pm.