charity Archives - Page 2 of 3

Carpet Cleaners Support St Giles

Knight & Doyle at St Giles Hospice — (L-R) Knight & Doyle Partners Steve Winkles and Richard Doyle with St Giles Head of Fundraising Chloe Herbert

Aldridge based Knight & Doyle Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning has teamed up with St Giles Hospice to help fund its vital care services for local families.

Knight & Doyle are now corporate supporters of St Giles pledging to donate more than £2,500 to the hospice each year.

The business is also offering St Giles Hospice lottery players a 10% discount through the charity’s Promise Card scheme.

Knight & Doyle, which offers residential and commercial carpet cleaning services across Lichfield, Aldridge and Walsall has rebranded its vans to promote their support of St Giles and will feature its logo in marketing materials to further raise awareness of the hospice.

Rich Doyle, partner in Knight & Doyle, said: “We wanted to support a local charity and when we looked at St Giles Hospice and the work that it does, we knew we had found the right cause. When we heard about the support patients get in the community and bereavement services on offer to patients’ families, we realised that St Giles is not just a place where people go to die – it’s so much more than that. By helping a vital local charity like St Giles, we can give a little back to support local people.”

Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles, said “In a tough year which has been so hard for everyone, it’s absolutely wonderful to receive this support from Knight & Doyle, businesses and charities alike have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic so their generosity is particularly welcome and inspiring right now, and our message to all of our supporters is that we’ve never needed you more than we need you today.”

www.stgileshospice.com

www.kdclean.co.uk

Family Firm’s Boost For NHS Charities

Aldridge Magazine — L-R Natalija Komisarova – All Pack, Joe Fielder – Champlaincy Team Leader Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, George Clarke – MD Allpack, David Powell Matron Lead for Quality.

An Aldridge family firm came up with a novel way to help families working from home and the NHS at the same time – raising £2,000 in the process.

Allpack Packaging, which is celebrating 25 years in business, developed easy to assemble cardboard desks and chairs during lockdown which proved a real hit.

Managing Director George Clarke explained: “Like many businesses we’ve had to adapt during the pandemic and came up with the idea of creating cardboard desks and chairs for children which our Creative Design Executive Steven Cook brought to life.

“We appreciate that many families have been trying to juggle home schooling with working from home themselves and thought our products helped to bring a fun element to this. Children have been much more willing to sit down and do their work when they’ve been able to help put a desk and chair together themselves. They’ve been so popular that we’ve also developed adult versions and are really proud of these products.

“We pledged to donate £1 from every item sold to NHS Charities as we wanted to show our thanks and support to all of those in the NHS who have supported us at this terrible time. We were thrilled to be able to raise £2,000 and come into Walsall Manor Hospital to hand over the cheque.”

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Chaplaincy Team Leader Joe Fielder and Matron Lead for Quality David Powell were only too pleased to receive the cheque – as well as try out Allpack’s desks and chairs for themselves!

The trust has been successful in securing cash from NHS Charities to refurbish its chapel area and multi-faith room which Joe and David described as “a much-needed boost to an area that has been lacking in TLC for a while.”

The photo shows L-R Natalija Komisarova who is responsible for procurement for Allpack, Joe, George Clarke and David. The company also kindly donated cuddly toys and a couple of desks and chairs to the hospital’s Children’s Ward.

For more information visit the Allpack website

Carpet Cleaners With A Big Heart

Aldridge based Knight & Doyle Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning have helped two local community organisations with free carpet cleaning at the Stan Ball Centre in Bloxwich and donating a fogging machine and solutions to Pelsall Community Centre.

Both organisations were working very hard to re-open their services whilst making their premises Covid safe. Pelsall Councillor Garry Perry told us these activities have been given the name ‘reset opportunities’ because organisations have to reset their offer to service users. He explained that the key issue surrounding re-opening is one of confidence. Not confidence in organisations but giving people the confidence that they are coming into a Covid secure environment. This has put cleanliness and hygiene at the forefront of welcoming people back.

The Stan Ball Centre contacted Knight & Doyle for a quote to clean the carpets in the daycare room for the elderly. They had already received some quotes so were amazed when Knight & Doyle said they would do this for free! They cleaned a 60sqm room and also donated bottles of sanitiser. Chief Executive Eleanor said, “They arrived as planned, worked hard and we are really pleased with the results, our carpets look like new.” She continued “We are a charity and really appreciate when companies share our vision of supporting the local community and help us out along the way.”

The Stan Ball Centre is run by the local charity Bloxwich Community Partnership and provides adult care and support for adults of all ages.

When Knight & Doyle director, Rich Doyle, saw his local community centre were fundraising for a fogging machine, the business stepped up. They contacted Keir Pedley, Chair of the centre and not only donated the fogging machine, but also donated the solutions needed to run the machine and trained centre volunteers and cleaners on how to use it.

The fogging machine will be used to sanitise smaller meeting rooms between uses, and can be used by centre staff, volunteers and people hiring the rooms. This will allow for deep yet timely cleansing of the rooms so more people can use them. Pelsall Community Centre is used by a diverse range of people from youth and disabled groups to charities and the Townswomen’s Guild for all kinds of activities and sports.

Garry Perry said “Throughout the Covid pandemic I’ve seen countless local acts of kindness from both individuals and businesses. This is just one example of a business providing help to a local volunteer led organisation to add value to reset opportunities as we all learn to live with Covid. Without people like Knight & Doyle Pelsall Community Centre would be dipping into charitable funds. The rising stars of Covid are people doing things not for their own personal gain but to support local organisations.”

Knight & Doyle’s Rich Doyle said, “We are just pleased that we’ve been able to help out two centres in our local area that do so much for local people. Since the start of the Covid situation we’ve also sanitised the cars of NHS workers free of charge and this is something we continue to offer, as our time allows.”

Stan Ball Centre call 01922 403351
Pelsall Community Centre call 01922 682156 https://www.facebook.com/pelsallcommunitycentre/

Streetly Schoolgirl Donates Hair To Charity And Raises £1200

A seven-year-old Streetly girl has donated her hair to a charity that makes wigs for youngsters with cancer – and raised more than £1200 in the process.

Kimran Bhathal decided to get her hair cut after growing it long during lockdown earlier this year – and when a schoolfriend told her she had donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust, Kimran was keen to do the same.

Her mum Neeta, aged 35, said: “She’d already asked me why some little children have to wear wigs and when I told her why she wanted to do something to help.

We found out from the Little Princess Trust that it costs about £550 for each wig to be made and Kimran asked if we could raise some money as well.

We set up a JustGiving page and expected just family and a few close friends to donate some money, but once I mentioned it on a parents’ WhatsApp group, she raised £557 in just two hours.”

Buoyed by her success, Kimran redoubled her efforts and set her targets at £1200, which would buy two wigs at the Little Princess Trust.

After posting the charity page link on to a Streetly neighbourhood Facebook page, the Blackwood Primary School pupil reached her fundraising goal in just two weeks.

Kimran donated an impressive 14 inches of hair when she had her hair cut at BU Salon in Solihull, which is owned by a friend of her mother.

“I’m so proud of what she has done,” said Neeta, who lives with her husband Suki and four-year-old son Kyran. “We’ve had people we don’t even know donating to the fundraiser, which is really touching, too. It just shows how kind children are and how a community can pull together to make a better place.”

Anyone wishing to boost Kimran’s fundraising efforts can visit her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kimran

Tackling Loneliness Locally

Tackling lonliness locally is difficult in a normal year. The onset of winter, dark evenings and Christmas are when many people, especially the elderly, feel loneliness and isolation most acutely. Before the Covid pandemic research was already showing that loneliness and isolation was on the rise. Now as we enter another national lockdown the impact on the health and well-being of the elderly is incalculable.

Tackling Lonliness Locally

In September 2018 Age UK published their report on Loneliness in Later Life. Follow this link to access the report https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2018/october/all-the-lonely-people-report/

Two of the main findings were firstly, there will be a predicted 49% increase in the number of over 50s suffering from loneliness by 2025/2026. Mostly because people are living longer. Secondly, the research found the risk of being ‘often lonely’ is much higher among people who are widowed, do not have someone to open up to, or are in poor health.

A couple of years ago Walsall Council held a meeting for local residents. The over-reliance on the internet as a source of information was identified as an issue. At The Pioneer and Great Barr Gazette we agree. If you are not on the internet or IT savvy, this can lead to feeling isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Yes, we do have our website, but we are passionate about our printed community magazines. We know our magazines provide a life-line of information for many of the elderly residents of Aldridge, Walsall and across our area.

Covid-19 has made 2020 a horrible year. The cancellation of clubs and events. The day care services provided by organisations such as the Stan Ball Centre in Bloxwich, disrupted. Many of which have only just re-opened, has been a grave cause for concern. People, especially the elderly and those caring for others, rely on these activities for companionship and support.

Help Is At Hand

We believe it is our mission to inform and involve everyone of all ages, but especially the elderly, in what is going on in our local community. Throughout the Covid pandemic we have published articles on many local support groups. Such as Linking Lives Aldridge and Making Connections Walsall and how they have adapted to deliver their services either on the phone or in Covid-safe ways. We’ve also promoted community groups such as the Anvil Chorus in Great Barr and The Aldridge Shed to name but two.

The Community Support organisations in our local area have been outstanding in reaching out the vulnerable and elderly. Here are a few organisations you can contact for help. You can always phone us on 01922 660022 and we will signpost you to someone who can help you.

Linking Lives Aldridge – a befriending service offering friendship and support across Aldridge. Email Aldridge@linkinglives.uk or call 07307 865973

Making Connections Walsall – aiming to address loneliness and social isolation and other issues you may be facing. To discuss or make a referral ring 0121 380 6690

The Stan Ball Centre – a community centre for older and vulnerable adults operated by the local charity Bloxwich Community Partnership. Call 01922 403351

The Aldridge Shed – a UK initiative for people from all walks of life to come together to pursue their interests and hobbies. www.aldridgeshed.co.uk or contact Barrie on 07985 188256

If you are feeling lonely please do not suffer in silence, reach out to any of the organisations above and the many others in our area, some are listed on our Communities Directory. And to all local residents look out for each other and especially the elderly at this challenging time.

Yours locally

Aldridge Shed Is Back In Business

Aldridge Shed has opened its doors once more, albeit with Covid restrictions in place.

The Shed is part of a UK initiative which sees people from all walks of life coming together to pursue practical interests and hobbies.

Community and individual projects are undertaken with members sharing tools, skills and resources whilst enjoying the friendly social environment.

The thriving group from Aldridge meets on a regular basis to design, construct and repair various items, mainly from wood but also from other materials.

The Shed is currently open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with two sessions per day.

Attendance is currently by booking only so for more information visit www.aldridgeshed.co.uk or contact Barrie on 07985 188256.

Brother And Sister Stream Concerts To Entertain Care Homes Residents

Streetly Advertising Magazine — Priya and Arun

Walsall siblings Arun and Priya Saini have spent the spring and summer entertaining elderly and vulnerable people living in care homes by staging online concerts.

The duo, from Streetly, have picked up their violins and streamed dozens of recitals to keep care home residents entertained while they were in lockdown, unable to receive visits from their own family and friends.

The idea came after their mother Jyoti, a clinical pharmacist, had to visit homes as part of swabbing teams at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everyone was in full PPE, which is disconcerting for residents when they can’t see anyone’s faces,” she said. “When I suggested playing for them online, the children were keen to do it and I contacted care homes to see if they were interested.”

The duo – Arun, aged 13, a student at Hydesville Tower School, and 10-year-old Priya, who attends Mayfield School – have played short concerts on Zoom, Skype and Whatsapp to residents as far away as Sunderland.

“Residents have been isolated for so long that we felt it was really important to do something to lift their spirits,” said Jyoti. “It’s not only ensured the children do their violin practise, but also helped elderly people enjoy something a little different, as well as support the hard working carers who look after them whilst sometimes being away from their families.”

They are also raising money for The Care Workers’ Charity and have already raised £645. To help them raise more, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jyoti-saini

Team Cat Rescue – Busy In Lockdown, Busy With Litters …

Volunteers with Team Cat Rescue have been busier than ever during lockdown as the bigger national charities have furloughed staff, closed the charity shops and branches but – of course – continued to care for the cats already in their care. And cat charities are now reporting they fear 84,000 extra kittens could be born this summer due to coronavirus – because fewer vets are carrying out neutering procedures. Advice is to ‘keep un-neutered cats indoors – and males and females apart’. So lockdown has applied to cats too!

So, what has it been like in lockdown for TCR? Coordinator Lynne Buffery says that, as much as humanly possible, it has been ‘cat business as normal’.

Lynne, who has been coordinator for thirty years, says: “The cat-caring public have been phoning in as usual when they find a Mum who has given birth to kittens in their gardens. And if the finders or I can scoop them up and get them to a fosterer, that is what we are doing. Of course, if we’ve got Mum too, the kittens can thrive, but if not we have some specialist devoted fosterers who can syringe or bottle feed the motherless mites every two hours. We were lucky in that Sarah Doyle, a nurse at Pype Hayes vets, with the support of the vet team, took in some 2-day old kittens to hand-rear for us. And, because some of the big charities were not homing, we have a promising list of would be adopters. So the last few months have proved hard work and we’ve had to be innovative but – paws crossed – win-win for all our ready-to-home kittens and for some of our older, longer-stay cats too.”

Great Barr co-op management and customers alike help and support …

Kittens are soft and fluffy, but times are hard! The rescue is desperate for funds. The monthly table-top sale at the Swan at Yardley – which often raised between £600 and £800 – was cancelled because of lockdown. So fosterer Sue Carty, who doubles as the Floral Team Leader at Great Barr co-op florists on the Walsall Road, has asked manager Gill Evans of the co-op food store nearby if she’s willing to have a TCR cat food donation basket – and she is!

Says Sue: “Customers are so kind too. I’m known as the ‘cat rescuer’ and people come in and donate cat food, blankets, bric-a-brac and knitting wool – all sorts – for us to use or sell. They ask for cat care advice as well as flowers! And TCR is well-known for feral trapping jobs around these parts.”

Appeal for volunteers …

TCR would welcome more volunteers – in almost any capacity. Says Lynne: “Chiefly, we’d like help with transport. Because the work vets can take on has been restricted to emergency or welfare cases only during lockdown, we’ve often had to get cats and kittens to the vets for 8am. And big thanks to Vets4-Pets at the Beggars Bush for accommodating us as best they can, as well as our regular vets, Pype Hayes.”

Adds Lynne: “If you are a cat-lover, call us if we can help you or if you can help us – support, donate or volunteer. If you want to adopt, this can now happen within social distancing guidelines and with outside pens. But the most important message of all is please neuter your cat.”

Looking after a lucky lockdown litter – with Lucy …

Fosterer Lucy Burr works as a mobile chiropodist and has three young daughters to care for – as well as six kittens! She gives her personal purrspective on how the kittens currently in her care were found and how nurturing during lockdown has gone.

“My little charges were found in an overgrown garden. Several had bite wounds – possibly from a fox. They were all very poorly. We are still not sure whether a mix of ‘multiple feral litters together’ or whether one large litter. Sadly, we lost several early on as they were too poorly to survive. They all had cat flu, herpes and infected eyes.

“But these in the photo now have names! They are George, Harry, Misty, Floyd, Artie and Peppa. All the kitties love their bottle, a snuggle and a chin tickle. No wonder they purr like tractors! They’re still poorly and on antibiotics and eye drops. But of course our paws are crossed that they are past the worst and, as a fosterer, I will have the pleasure of seeing them grow, play – and find their forever homes.”

Lucy has been hand-rearing tiny kittens for three years, and says: “I just love it, it makes me happy. I had a room built at the side of my house specially for foster kittens. And guess what? It’s my favourite place!”

Find Team Cat Rescue on Facebook @TeamCatRescue

Perry Barr Trefoil Guild Rallies The Troops

Perry Barr Local Magazine — Member Beryl Bailey with some of the baby hats for City Hospital

Like other organisations and clubs, Perry Barr Trefoil Guild has been in lockdown since the middle of March. Although they have not been able to meet, they have certainly been very busy. Not many days in, they were asked to ‘rally the troops’ as an urgent call came for laundry bags for nurses. Over 300 have been sewn, washed and delivered to Queen Elizabeth, Sandwell, City Coronary Care, Russells Hall, Good Hope, George Elliott, New Cross and the Women’s Hospitals – some even went as far as Scotland. Mask extenders were also made and sent to hospitals with some of these reaching as far as Canada.

The ladies have also been busy knitting and displaying NHS Rainbows, snowmen for a charity, twiddle muffs for Alzheimer patients, hundreds of baby hats for City Hospital Premature Baby Unit and finally, jumpers and jackets for a children’s charity.

Shopping Bags, lunch bags, bead bags have also been sewn, along with reflection for many, sewing ‘Fleeting Moments’ birds to celebrate John Taylor Hospice 110 years.

And the ladies’ skills don’t stop there. Seeds, plants and vegetables are being grown in many gardens whilst others are just enjoying the lovely sunshine and being out-of-doors.

“This is just a small contribution Perry Barr Trefoil Guild has made during these past few weeks and has been linked into our STARS Trefoil Challenge, with many near completion of their 25 clauses,” said Chairperson Wendy Brown. “But, most of all, the Guiding spirit has shone through all of our 31 members, albeit helping others, or themselves, and always supporting each other.”

Linking Lives Aldridge: Long-lasting Friendships

Linking Lives Aldridge is a new project set up in October 2019 by Aldridge Methodist Church. When the Minister, Bev, arrived in Aldridge at the end of 2011, she very quickly realised that there is a real issue around loneliness and social isolation in the Aldridge community.

“The life expectancy in Aldridge is ten years higher than in other parts of the borough,” says Bev. “A quarter of the population is aged over 65, and almost two thirds of those are living alone. Many older people don’t have family living close by, many have acted as carers for their partners and have become isolated through their caring role, which has resulted in them losing confidence and the ability and opportunity to interact with others.”

Experts agree that social isolation is the biggest challenge facing our ageing society and many older people fear loneliness more than lack of money or deteriorating health.

Research has shown that loneliness and isolation are harmful to our health. The ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ states that almost a fifth of older people only have contact from their families, friends and neighbours once a week, and for a tenth of older people it is less than once a month. Age UK research showed that for two fifths of older people, the television is their main company. Loneliness has been shown to be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and how lonely you are this year will determine how depressed you are next year.

Social isolation and loneliness began to be recognised as an issue across the whole of the borough and towards the end of 2015 Walsall Public Health appointed Angela Aitken as Senior Programme Development and Commissioning Manager with a remit that included older people. Bev met with Angela in October 2015 to share her knowledge about Aldridge. The Health & Wellbeing Strategy of Walsall Council for 2017-20 resulted in the setting up of Making Connection Walsall (MCW). MCW provides older people in Walsall with support to build their social networks and engage in community activities. MCW also provides the health community and social care professionals with a single route of referral into appropriate local community based social support networks.

Bev has been in regular contact with Carol and Mags at the MCW East hub, based at Manor Farm, since it was set up and soon became aware that the referrals coming in showed that there was a great need for a befriending service in Aldridge. Aldridge Methodist Church applied for funding and once that was secured the role of the Project Coordinator was advertised, interviews undertaken, and Elaine was appointed to the role.

Linking Lives Aldridge is a member of the Linking Lives UK network of befriending schemes who work primarily with churches and Christian agencies to provide the support, advice and resources required to set up a project in local communities. Jeremy Sharpe, the National Director, who delivered training to Elaine & the Management Committee, and then to the first volunteers, says: “We are so delighted that Linking Lives Aldridge is now up and running and reaching out to those isolated older people in Aldridge.”

What Linking Lives Aldridge does is exactly what it says on the tin – it links someone who would like to be befriended to a volunteer who would like to befriend. Elaine explains how it works.

“When we receive a referral, I make contact to help to understand the Link Friend’s needs. Our volunteers, who are vetted and trained, are then matched with a Link Friend, considering personality, experience, interests, availability and geography. At an introductory visit, I introduce the volunteer to an assigned Link Friend in the Link Friend’s home. Assuming this meeting goes well, the Link Friend and volunteer will then agree regular ongoing visits. Visits usually happen once a week/fortnight for around an hour or so and it takes the form of informal conversations over a cup of tea/coffee and the aim is for the volunteer to provide crucial support to their Link Friend.”

This has been quite a change in role for Elaine, who was previously a teaching assistant.

“I love stepping into other people’s worlds and finding ways the project can help,” explains Elaine. “I love the job because it’s helping people, but on a personal level it feels really good to know I am doing something that makes a difference to people. Linking Lives is not a team, it’s a family and the partnerships are not clinical; they’re a network of friendships that you know will last a lifetime. That hour a week that the volunteers give makes such a difference to someone who is lonely. I sometimes feel like a teacher standing on a playground watching friendships blossom.”

She goes on to say that parts of the job are ‘gut-wrenching and hard, because when you do step into someone’s world and see the pain and agony they face, it breaks your heart.’

Linking Lives Aldridge has responded to the Covid-19 crisis by changing from face to face befriending to telephone befriending.

“We put an appeal on facebook for volunteers,” says Bev. “Aldridge responded brilliantly, with over 60 people volunteering for telephone befriending and to pick up prescriptions and shopping for people. We are working closely with MCW and receiving referrals from them.”

When asked for feedback about his Link Friend calls, one of the new volunteers described it as ‘a gift from Covid-19’ and one of the new Link Friends said ‘the phone-calls are the highlight of my week and I feel much brighter afterwards.’

“We couldn’t run the project without our wonderful volunteers,” says Bev.

Her hope is that people the relationships developed between Link Friends and befrienders during this awful covid-19 crisis will be relationships that will be long lasting.

If you would like to know more please get in touch with Elaine or Bev on 07307 865973, or by email on Aldridge@linkinglives.uk. Follow us on facebook @linkinglivesaldridge