News | Voluntary Action Maidstone AGM
downsmail.co.uk We’re all about helping others
THE board chairman of Voluntary Action Maidstone (VAM) has emphasised that the organisation will maintain its charitable focus after annual income broke through the £1m barrier for the first time.
With income for 2013-14 totalling £1.17m, VAM is now a VAT-regis- tered charity that has broadened its scope from Maidstone and Malling to cover other parts of Kent. It has nine projects, including a fall pre- vention service for the elderly in east Kent. Trevor Jones, chairman of the trustees, told the AGM: “We want to become more business-like. Charities have to become more effi- cient, more prominent, more fo- cused on human resources – all the things familiar to those of us who worked in industry for many years. “Although we are learning to be
like this, we are not changing from a charity to a business.We are about helping peoplewhoare lesswell-off thanwe are.” The event included speeches and videos of volunteers and service users, as well as an update on the projects: Maidstone and Malling Carers provides services to those who sup- port a family member, partner or friend due to disability, illness, mental health issues, addiction or frailty. Carers are supported face- to-face and by telephone. In 2013-14 the total attendance at support ac- tivity groups reached 1,595.
Trevor Jones, chairman of the trustees
Brighter Futures supports over 65swhomay be living alone or with physical disabilities. Throughout the year, 83 older people were helped by face-to-face befrienders, with 221 over the telephone. The fall prevention exercise classeswere attended by about 133 people every week. Transport links the elderly with volunteer drivers so they can attend health appointments or social visits, at much lower rates than a taxi firm. Volunteer drivers performed 7,782 trips during the year. Volunteer Centre provides a bro-
kerage service that connects people to organisations with volunteering opportunities. During the year the centre brokered to 180 organisa- tions, including Princes Trust, Golding Homes, Catch-22 and Kent Probation, with 161 new opportuni- ties registered. About 500 people registered to volunteer in the year. Gateway Volunteers is funded by Big Lottery and places volun- teers with support needs, who wish to regain confidence and self-es- teem, at the Gateway in King Street, where they act as meeters and greeters. Some 91% of volunteers said the project boosted their confi- dence. V-Team provides work in the community for volunteers with extra support needs and provides help in the homes and gardens of the elderly and disabled. Almost 1,100 sessionswere run throughout the year. Platform plays a major role in feeding the views of mental health service users to their providers. It has continued its fortnightly open forums, in Maidstone and Park Wood. During the year 247 mental health carers attended carer sup- port and activity groups. VAMsuc- cessfully bid to run a Time To
Change project, called Talking Heads, which will involve attend- ing 48 events in Maidstone and Medway. Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) increases collaboration be- tween local groups, which includes providing support and expert ad- vice for new organisations as well as offering training. The CVS also helps to organise community proj- ects such as the BME Forum and Disability Focus Group. In the past year the CVS hosted and supported Help a Maidstone Child, which raises money to support disadvan- taged children and families. The Big Exchange web platform was launched with Maidstone Council. CVS is in touch with more than 500 contacts every week. In the previ- ous year there were 73 one-to-one advice and support services pro- vided to local organisations. Macmillan Volunteer Service helped provide practical and be- friending support to people living with cancer acrosswest Kent. Of the 65 people living with cancer helped during the year, almost 50 were under palliative care. Thirty volun- teers supported people living with cancer, with 70% of clients con- tacted within 24 hours of referral.
‘Nowwe’re laughing again’ ‘I got to know the town beer’ Continued from page one
just couldn’t do anything. I lostmy confidence, I couldn’t hold a conversation and Iwas angry. People fromsocial serviceswere telling me how to care formy husband when I had already been doing it formonths. I felt resentful and I felt a nobody.” Then Rosemary saw
an advertisement for the Voluntary Action Maidstone (VAM) project, Maidstone and Malling Carers, which supports carers. She told the AGM: “When I first went to the carers’ project John didn’t want me to leave and the guiltwas horrendous, but I knew that if I didn’t go out,we would both go under. “My first outingwas to Teapot Island in Yalding. I thought Iwas going to
be on a boat and Iwas worried Imight trip over into thewater! When I was told itwas a building, I actually laughed, whichwas the first time I had done so in three-and-a-half years. “Thenwe had a trip to Leeds Castle and John came along. I started thinking thatwe had got to get out more so I bought a car with a swivel seat so that John could sit in the frontwith me. “I drove us to Herne Bay butwas nervous on theway so I drove only in
the slow lane. On theway back Iwas confident enough to go faster.We have also been to Allington andwalked along the river.” Rosemary said: “John and I are now laughing again. He is happier
because I amhappier. I ammore confident. The carers’ project has turned my life around. I used to say itwas a nightmare but it isn’t anymore.” The end of Rosemary’s emotional speechwas greeted with a long round of applause – aswell as the odd tear – froma touched audience.
26 Maidstone Town Xmas 2014
A NEWCOMER to the town says volunteering at Maidstone Gate- way has given her the confidence to get a job after 24 years out of work. Julie Dennis (53)
Julie Dennis
moved from Grove Park, in south-east London, to Thorn- hill Place in April 2014 after her mar- riage broke up. She worked as a secre-
tary at the Canadian High Com- mission in Trafalgar Square, but became ill and hasn’t had a job since 1990. “That’s why I had a lack of confi-
dence, and why it was so good to become a Gateway volunteer,” she said. The volunteers meet and greet
users of the Gateway, in King Street, in a similar fashion to the Olympic Games Makers in the Lon- don 2012 Games. Julie said: “This has given me the confidence to get back to work again. Not many people think of volunteering but it’s a good thing to do, especially when you have moved to a new town because it helps you get to know a place. “I still get a bit nervous, which is natural, but being here is building up my confidence.”
Volunteering led to full-time job
ALOCAL man has told how help- ing the elderly helped him battle depression and addiction. Justin Morris is a volunteer
with the V-Team, which provides assistance to older people in their homes and gardens. Speaking on a video produced
for theVAMAGM, he said: “It re- ally built up my confidence. I had very low self-esteem and didn’t feel I was capable of doing any- thing, but over theweeks my self- esteem improved.
“I also saw how difficult other people have it and it taught me that others have challenges as well, so it gaveme a feel-good fac- tor.
“The camaraderie and support I
got from V-Team also stood out. I started off nervous, but I was ac- cepted and enjoyed it. I don’t even like gardening but I still en- joyed it! “Now I amin full-time employ-
ment, which I never expected to happen.”
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