christmas newsletter 2013 - homestartkennet.co.uk · my best wishes to you all for christmas and...
TRANSCRIPT
Home-Start Kennet Christmas Newsletter - December 2013
Message from Bel Crompton, Scheme Message from Bel Crompton, Scheme Message from Bel Crompton, Scheme Message from Bel Crompton, Scheme
ManagerManagerManagerManager
Where has the year gone? Hustle bustle and “busyness” all year.
New team settled in and we welcome Angela and Amy joining
Karen as our new Family Support Organisers (FSO) . Goodbye
and thanks to Amanda and welcome to Alison our new Scheme
Administrator. My best wishes to you all for Christmas and 2014.
New VolunteersNew VolunteersNew VolunteersNew Volunteers
11 new volunteers have successfully completed our latest
preparation course
- Well Done to you
all and welcome to
the ranks of our
established
volunteer team of
30 + .
Our Volunteers Our Volunteers Our Volunteers Our Volunteers
commitment commitment commitment commitment
Since April of this year volunteers have given the following to
supporting families providing a major contribution to Wiltshire’s
family support network
Number of visits — 342
Total length of Volunteer support — 718hrs.
During this period several of our volunteers have supported 2
families at a time — Thank you so much for your support to
these families and to the scheme.
Our familiesOur familiesOur familiesOur families
Since April we have supported over 40 families and continue to
receive referrals . Our target by Feb 2014 is 55 families so we are
well on our way. Our families are finding money management
and benefit changes increasingly challenging so we arranged for
The Citizens Advice Bureau to attend 2 volunteer training
sessions which will help us to support and signpost families more
effectively in this area.
Home-Start Christmas Office Hours
The office will be closed from Friday 20th
December un�l Monday 6th January 2014
Our Plans for 2013/14Our Plans for 2013/14Our Plans for 2013/14Our Plans for 2013/14–––– updateupdateupdateupdate
Big Lottery funding means our Stronger
Families/Stronger Communities theme
goes from strength to strength. We
delivered a successful Armed Forces
Community Covenant bid in partnership
with Home-Start South Wilts ...but
unfortunately have been unsuccessful with follow on
bids. Big Lottery funds a proportion of our work each
year until 2016 —-so fundraising for approximately £25k £25k £25k £25k
per annum is still needed each year. Thank you to
everyone for your support with our smaller fund raising
efforts.
Did You Know…Did You Know…Did You Know…Did You Know…
This year our family fund has helped buy a stair gate for a
family with health and safety concerns and to provide a £10
top up for electricity where need was urgent.
Christmas EventsChristmas EventsChristmas EventsChristmas Events
Christmas Festival of the Voice Christmas Festival of the Voice Christmas Festival of the Voice Christmas Festival of the Voice - Stourhead (entrance
fee applies) 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd December
Santa Fun Run Santa Fun Run Santa Fun Run Santa Fun Run - Grounds of Lydiard Park 1st December
The Big Snow’s Ball The Big Snow’s Ball The Big Snow’s Ball The Big Snow’s Ball - Salisbury City Hall 6th December
Carol Concert in aid of Help for Heroes Carol Concert in aid of Help for Heroes Carol Concert in aid of Help for Heroes Carol Concert in aid of Help for Heroes - Salisbury
Cathedral 6th Dec
Festive Family Fun Trail Festive Family Fun Trail Festive Family Fun Trail Festive Family Fun Trail - Old Sarum 7/8 Dec 14/15 Dec
Christmas Carol Concert Christmas Carol Concert Christmas Carol Concert Christmas Carol Concert - Marlborough College Chapel
14 Dec
Christmas Carol Concert featuring the Salisbury Plain Christmas Carol Concert featuring the Salisbury Plain Christmas Carol Concert featuring the Salisbury Plain Christmas Carol Concert featuring the Salisbury Plain
Military Wives Choir Military Wives Choir Military Wives Choir Military Wives Choir - Milford Hall Hotel Salisbury 15
Dec
Festive Fun for the under 5’s Festive Fun for the under 5’s Festive Fun for the under 5’s Festive Fun for the under 5’s
- Salisbury Cathedral 20 Dec
Wiltshire Community Foundation
Marlborough Town Council
Armed Forces Community
Covenant,
Big Lottery Fund,
Devizes Council,
Rural Survival Fund
WCFVS, St Mary’s Fund,
Wiltshire Public Health NHS
F&M Sainsbury Charitable Trust
St George’s Preschool
Devizes street Collection
Songs and Strings at St Peters.
Saddlers Company,
Waitrose Community Matters
Devizes School
Pewsey Area Board
Graham Kitchen & his carol
singers
M Yates, C & P Sloane
S Clapp
K Saunders
Pewsey Tea rooms
P Noble
Devizes street Collection
J White
The Home-Start Kennet Team would like to
say a BIG THANK YOU BIG THANK YOU BIG THANK YOU BIG THANK YOU to all of our
supporters, partners, referrers and
volunteers for their continued support.
Merry Christmas EveryoneMerry Christmas EveryoneMerry Christmas EveryoneMerry Christmas Everyone
Joint Chairs Christmas MessageJoint Chairs Christmas MessageJoint Chairs Christmas MessageJoint Chairs Christmas Message
Congratulations to all our newly trained volunteers. We
were sorry neither of us was able to attend the final
session on November 5th and help give out certificates –
going by the photos it looked a lovely occasion, and what
an amazing spread of food! It will be really good to have so
many freshly trained volunteers ready for matching to
families, a boost to our team.
And, a very Happy Christmas to everyone when it comes.
We’ll hope to see you at the lunch on December 17th. Last
year the party followed Safeguarding training, and this
time, also important but no more festive, Domestic Abuse
training. Some of the trustees plan to be there for this
volunteer group event as well as the Christmas
celebration. Trustees really appreciate the chance to join
these sessions (thanks Bel) which help keep us up to date
and also give us opportunities to meet you and get direct
feedback on your experiences as HSK volunteers.
It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by- this time last
year we were waiting with fingers crossed for the
outcome of our third attempt to win support from the
Big Lottery Reaching Communities fund. A great deal has
happened since then, most importantly the expansion of
our staff team to include Amy and Angela. More recently
we have welcomed the addition of Alison Sage as our
administrator, and have been helped out by Aly Stott
during the interim when Amanda
left us. We are considering banning
any future applications from anyone
whose name begins with “A”!
We’ll look forward to more
achievements, with your help, in
2014.
Alison Millett and Kate Maurice Alison Millett and Kate Maurice Alison Millett and Kate Maurice Alison Millett and Kate Maurice ---- Joint ChairsJoint ChairsJoint ChairsJoint Chairs
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all the following organisations to all the following organisations to all the following organisations to all the following organisations
who have supported us this yearwho have supported us this yearwho have supported us this yearwho have supported us this year
Still have Christmas shopping to do? Still have Christmas shopping to do? Still have Christmas shopping to do? Still have Christmas shopping to do?
If you are shopping for presents online this Christmas, why
not use easyfundraising.org.uk? You can shop with over 2000
retailers and if you chose Home-Start Kennet as your cho-
sen cause, then each time you shop we receive a
donation from that retailer. Visit their website for more
information.
h�p://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/
Don’t forgetDon’t forgetDon’t forgetDon’t forget
The volunteers Christmas
lunch is taking place on the
17th December at the Home
-Start Office in Pewsey .
The meeting starts at 10:00
and there will be a chance
to catch up with fellow
volunteers which will be followed by a talk on Domestic
Abuse. We hope you can join us ...
Your local Freecycle group can be a useful
place to look for household items, particularly
if you have extra guests for Christmas!
www.freecycle.org/group/UK