AYLSHAM
AND DISTRICT CARE TRUST
Annual Report 2006
Working Together for the Community
Community Projects
Our thanks go to the many agencies and Trusts that work with
us, such as the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Learning Skills Council,
Aylsham High School the Churches Together in Aylsham, the Aylsham Partnership,
the County Library Services, the Town Council and Broadland District Council
who have supported or funded a variety of projects aimed at the wider
community.
Our thanks go to all those who support the work of ACT
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All cooks and helpers at our Luncheon Clubs.
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Aylsham Show Committee
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Minibus drivers and volunteer car drivers.
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Pop-in coffee morning helpers.
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Christmas Lunch volunteers.
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Our Co-ordinator.
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The Lady Hind Trust
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Committee Members and Trustees.
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Treasurer and Mr Lloyd White for auditing our accounts.
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Library Service and
volunteers
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Visitors and volunteers who offer all kinds of support
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Scheme Managers and Residents of Maingay House, Bure Valley
House (Aylsham) and Jubilee Close (Cawston)
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Ray Horne for parking space for our minibuses
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For the many donations large and small
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Norwich
and Ipswich Co-op and Mr John Coxford for gifts in kind towards our Christmas
Party.
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To all those people who have supported ACT in any way
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To Circle Anglia Housing Group for their continued support
of our vision for the St. Michael’s Hospital site.
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We thank sincerely all of those local businesses who
supported the publication of the new ACT Handbook and Maureen Lewis for it’s
design and development.
We commend the work of ACT to all who give their time, money and prayers
for the benefit of those who need it.
21 years Service to the Community
It is twenty one years since ACT
was formed and we are delighted to report that the work of ACT continues to
grow thanks to our wonderful volunteers and the many individuals and
organisations that support us with grants and donations.
Trustees and Committee
membership
We are delighted to welcome Mr Julian Foster as a new
Trustee this year, his business and financial expertise will be of tremendous
support to ACT as we move into new areas of activity with the development of
the St Michael’s Hospital site.
The St Michaels
Development
This year past has been a challenging one for the Trustees
in terms of finalising the detailed plans for the development of the site. The
sale of the land is now complete and thanks to the consultative approach of the
Town Council, Broadland District Council and the developer Hopkins Homes, we
have been able to secure the best possible outcomes for the local
community.
Preparing for the
Future
We have much to do in preparing ACT for the future; the day
to day management of ACT has become more complex over the years and will
continue to do so as we grow. Meeting the requirements of the Charity
Commission in terms of good governance and other regulation means that we will
be reviewing our constitution and administration practices throughout the
coming year.
Meeting High Standards
Excellent work has been undertaken this past year by
Margaret and David Fearn regarding our minibus service and meeting Health and
Safety regulations. This work has enhanced the safety of our minibus drivers,
escorts and of course our service users.
Financial Report
Due to changes in the reporting requirements of the Charity Commission, ACT will be presenting its full accounts in a new format but a summarised version will be distributed at the AGM; we hope people find this change useful.
For the purposes of clarity, this financial report is separated into the day to day delivery costs of the ACT services and financial information related to the sale of the ACT land and the St Michaels development.
The work
of ACT is built upon the firm belief that caring for each other binds our
community together. Social activity and fellowship is at the heart of every
strong community and we can enrich and extend our lives by preventing isolation
and loneliness. ACT is committed to
providing both transport and the opportunity to enjoy social events,
particularly for those who would otherwise be isolated, lonely or too frail to
attend without a little help.
Our
volunteer transport service provided by private car owners is an essential
service to many people who would otherwise find it impossible to get to urgent
appointments. Our co-ordinator arranges essential hospital and doctor trips for
people and our drivers are great ambassadors of ACT. We must work hard to
promote and develop this service in the coming year.
Our luncheon clubs are a major part of our work and
they continue to do well and we serve around 200 meals per week, these are a
social highlight for many people throughout the District. These luncheon clubs and our Christmas Day
lunch are always well attended and are extremely happy social events for
all.
New
Volunteers are Always in Demand
New volunteers are always needed; we need people with
a variety of skills, from cooking to driving and administration work to
gardening. The work is rewarding not only to the recipient but to the volunteer
too. If you think you may have skills and time to put to good use, please
contact us either by telephone or by visiting the Town Hall on a Thursday
morning where we have volunteers running a coffee pop in. They will be pleased
to meet you and take your contact details.
Minibuses
The minibuses continue to be an important part of the work
of ACT, providing transport for those who would otherwise find it impossible to
take advantage of the many events, lunches and shopping trips provided by
ACT. Providing safe transport to people
from the villages surrounding Aylsham requires a great deal of planning and
organising.
Each year we report on the many hundreds of people who
benefit from trips undertaken by our minibus drivers. The service has become so
intrinsic to Aylsham life, that people have come to rely on the service, which
makes it all the more important that this service continues to support the
local community. Margaret Fearn, who
manages this service along with other drivers and escorts that work to maintain
this service, cannot be thanked enough for their extraordinary reliability and
commitment year in and year out.
Minibus drivers are presently undertaking the assessments
required by the Health & Safety Policy. This process could have been quite
daunting if were not for the support given to ACT by Mr Iain Temperton from the
Norfolk County Council’s Road Safety Unit.
A new fund raising programme is to begin next year to help
ACT fund a new minibus. The minibuses are used a great deal and the need to
replace them is a continual challenge.
Website
The website provides information concerning the regular work
of ACT and provides a medium for those who search the web. An email address, contact@aylshamcare.org.uk is provided for communication if required.
News may also be posted on the web site.
The ACT and St
Michael’s Hospital Site Development Local people were invited to a consultation meeting set up
by the Town Council during the summer. This was a very well attended event and
many people came along to meet with representatives from Hopkins Homes, the new
owner and developer of the site.
Detailed planning permission should be submitted by December 2006 and
then it is hoped that work can begin on site in 2007.
ACTs Trustees, particularly Peter Lewis and Ted Hare have
worked hard on behalf of ACT to ensure that Aylsham gains as many benefits as
possible
Thus the master plan includes 1.57 hectares (nearly 4 acres)
for health and social care facilities.
This will include:
This covers both the ACT land and the hospital site,
including the listed hospital which will be refurbished to a high standard. The
park land to the front of the hospital is to be retained with its wonderful
trees and there has been funds provided to the local schools and library
service and to the improvements to local footpaths
The new Community Centre will enhance the delivery of
community care and resources and it will also enable ACT to build on the work
we have already established and give us a permanent home.
The Coffee Morning and Other Services
The Thursday Pop In coffee morning
at the Town Hall provides a regular meeting place for friends to meet. Other services include the library service, support for
carers, sitting with sick relatives, visits from volunteers and many other
forms of support are provided on a regular basis. The practicalities of running such
a multitude of services ensure that we are always busy, but they are made to
look easy by volunteers taking responsibility for their own contribution to the
work of ACT.
Arrangements for
Contacting ACT
We are hoping to find a new local ACT office in Aylsham town centre in the near future and to build upon the work of our Coordinator Natalie Tappin. Our volunteer car service is an essential service and although numbers of people using the service has dropped this year, we are working hard to develop this service, so we are always in need of new drivers.
Natalie’s work includes the management of the office, calls handling, database management, general administration and working closely with other agencies to deliver many of the services that ACT provides. We are always in need of volunteers to support Natalie in the office – so if you have a few hours a week to spare and have a good telephone manner and administration skills we would love to hear from you.
We do have some specialist equipment and wheelchairs available.
To contact ACT please ring Natalie on:
(01263) 734578 - All non urgent calls to ACT should be made between
9.30am and 11.30am from Monday to Friday. Urgent calls will be dealt with at
any time.