In each issue of
Grapevine newsletter ICVS highlights the work of one of it's
member groups. The newsletter is distributed across Ilkley &
District area and the articles help raise awareness of the groups
activities.
New and recent articles can be seen below.
Group
Awareness Raising …….. ILKLEY FRIENDS OF MARTIN HOUSE
Martin
House is Yorkshire’s only hospice for children and young people.
Its
objective is to share with the families the care of the child,
which can be emergency care, respite or terminal care either
at Martin House or in the family home. Although a proportion
of the children suffer from cancer, the majority suffer from
long-term progressive disorders such as muscular dystrophy,
Batten’s disease and cystic fibrosis. Martin House welcomes
all the family in a home from home atmosphere.
For
many years teenagers have been asking to be cared for with young
people of their own age in a more appropriate atmosphere. Following
a £2m appeal a purpose built teenage unit, consisting
of six bedrooms, was opened in 2002. This unit offers an increased
level of independence and makes a real difference to the lives
of these young people.
To meet
its considerable running costs, Martin House relies almost entirely
on charitable donations from individuals, charities, trusts,
companies, organisations and its many friends. The enclosed
Lottery leaflet is one way of generating income
Ilkley
Friends of Martin House, although still in its infancy, has
been busy recruiting new helpers and fund raising.
Any
one wishing to support the Ilkley group or with any fundraising
ideas please ring Pam Ravenscroft on 01943 817773. Also for
more information visit the website www.martinhouse.org.uk
The
Lighthouse Group (established 1987) strengthens its team
Award
winning Bradford social enterprise, The Lighthouse Group, have
adopted Computing Bradford, an IT solutions company that serves
charitable and voluntary organisations across West Yorkshire.
The
Lighthouse Group, named Social Enterprise of the Year for West
Yorkshire 2004, provides educational services to young people
from the Bradford district. The adoption of Computing Bradford,
now to be renamed ComBination IT Solutions, expands the team
and brings IT support in-house. They aim to develop the work
of Computing Bradford and maintain the IT support provided to
the voluntary sector. This relationship with Computing Bradford,
also a social enterprise, opens up new possibilities for the
Group to expand their post-sixteen educational programmes to
disaffected young people from across the Bradford district.
The new venture will offer unique training opportunities for
young people to gain new skills that will help them re-engage
with education and employment.
Tim
Morfin, The Lighthouse Group’s Chief Executive said:…”Not only
does the adoption of Computing Bradford help support the ever
growing needs of the voluntary sector across West Yorkshire,
but it helps give the young people we work with a distinct opportunity
to learn the necessary skills that will help increase their
chances of further education or employment.”
For more information about the Lighthouse Group or ComBination
IT Solutions contact: The Lighthouse Group, 353 Great Horton
Road, Bradford, BD7 3BZ. Tel: 01274 570232
Picture:
Steve Matthews, the new Manager of ComBination IT Solutions
with some of the young people from The Lighthouse Group
Bradford
Bereavement Support
Bradford
Bereavement Support (BBS) aims to provide high quality counselling
for anyone over 16 in the district wide area of Bradford who
has been bereaved. Our trained voluntary counsellors are carefully
chosen and rigorously trained and supervised by professional
counsellors. We have group membership of the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy and work to their code of
ethics. Access to our services is by self referral; over 75%
of our clients are recommended to use our services by GPs.
Although
we have quiet rooms available around Bradford, including Ilkley,
where clients and counsellors can meet we are always short of
such rooms. If anyone can offer us a room on a sessional basis
we’d love to hear from them.
Becoming
a counsellor with BBS: Volunteers need to have previously undertaken
a 30-hour basic training course in counselling or be able to
demonstrate training or experience at a similar level. BBS then
provides a 60-hour intensive training course on bereavement
counselling, but again we welcome volunteers who have training
in bereavement at a similar level. We have begun the process
of seeking accreditation with the Open College Network.
We hope to run a training course this autumn and would like
to hear from anyone interested.
If you
are bereaved and would like to meet a counsellor, or to offer
us a room, or to put your name down for a course or for any
further information please phone 01274 771546, Monday to Friday
9.30am – 1.30pm or e-mail us at info@contactbbs.plus.com. There
is an answer phone service.
La
Leche League
Our
aim as an international charity is to help mothers to breastfeed
through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information
and education. We also aim to promote a better understanding
of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development
of the baby and mother.
LLL Leaders are accredited
breastfeeding counsellors who take help line calls and lead
monthly support meetings. The atmosphere at meetings is informal,
welcoming, friendly and supportive. The meetings provide time
for mother-to-mother sharing in a friendly and accepting atmosphere
fuelled by tea and biscuits. The group rotates through a series
of breastfeeding topics, however every meeting is different
and the questions and concerns of the attendees are always given
top priority.
The group maintains
an extensive library of books and leaflets on childbirth, breastfeeding,
nutrition and parenting for loan free of charge.
In 2006
La Leche League meets monthly in The Lower Hall at Christchurch
on The Grove, Ilkley on the first Friday of each month 10am
to 12 noon. So whether you are expecting a baby, a new mother
or an experienced mother, struggling to breastfeed, enjoying
breastfeeding, wanting to wean or a mother interested in supporting
other mothers to breastfeed why not join other breastfeeding
mothers, their babies and children and be supported in your
decision to breastfeed? Meetings and refreshments are free although
donations are welcome.
For telephone and
email help contact:
Local Leaders:
Barbara (Ilkley) 01943 430622 barbara@olicana.org
Ruth (Otley) 01943 461051 ruth@auchterlounie.com
BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS
Behind Closed Doors
is a local project based in Otley that works to support women
throughout the Otley and Aireborough district who are currently
experiencing, or who have experienced violence from men they
know. The main aim of the project is to provide free and confidential
information and support on a range of issues from safety planning,
housing and benefits, legal options and community links. Support
is offered on an outreach 1:1 basis and workers will meet women
wherever they feel safe. There is also a free and confidential
help line that is run during office hours that allows women
to call in anonymously if they feel anxious or are in need of
more immediate help.
The project which
is a registered charity, was originally set up in 1998 and run
entirely by volunteers until they received a grant from the
National Lottery in 2001 that allowed them to take on a paid
Community Development Worker. Currently there are only two paid
staff working at the project, a co-ordinator and an administrative
worker and in terms of support work the project is completely
reliant on a small number of extremely committed volunteers.
While the main work
of the project is in supporting women in rural areas where access
to appropriate services is often difficult it is keenly felt
that there is a need to expand and develop work within other
areas. Preventative work with children and young people is one
area where the project hopes to diversify, working in partnership
with schools and local youth services. Raising community awareness
of domestic violence issues and offering confidence building
courses to women will also be ongoing.
For more information about the service please telephone 01943
850555 or email
behindcloseddoors@lineone.net
ILKLEY
AND DISTRICT GOOD NEIGHBOURS COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
Running a minibus
and volunteer car scheme for the benefit of local residents
has been an ongoing project of ICVS / Good Neighbours for many
years. With the arrival of a Transport Co-ordinator and the
subsequent increase in activity, the decision was taken to establish
the project as an independent organisation. This happened in
November 2004. The project now has charitable status and its
own management committee. They are free to concentrate on transport
issues and the daily running of the organisation.
The organisation
now has over 100 group members and passengers ages range from
3 months to 90+ years. The number of passengers transported
by bus or car in 2002 was approximately 2,800, this had risen
to around 5,400 in 2004, and to 5,822 in 2007. The types of
journey vary enormously: from short runs around Ilkley to day
trips as far afield as Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and the
Lake District. There is even one journey booked this year to
Prestatyn in Wales.
Bus hire is available
for any group from Addingham, Burley, Ilkley, Menston and the
surrounding area. The cost of hiring a bus is £18 per
session. Each session includes 20 free miles, with any excess
charged at 45p per mile. The day is split into morning, afternoon
and evening sessions. There is some flexibility about timings
for each session, so please ring and ask for an indicative cost
if you are considering a trip.
THE
VOLUNTEER CAR SCHEME
The scheme covers
Addingham and Ilkley. It primarily provides access to medical
appointments for older people and those with mobility problems.
On average the volunteers between them do around 250 journeys
a year. They can claim expenses to cover fuel and vehicle running
costs. Most car insurers are happy for their clients to participate
in such schemes and the organisation can provide an endorsement
form for the insurers to confirm their approval.
The organisation
has only one paid staff member and relies very heavily on its
volunteer force. They undertake a variety of roles: car driving,
minibus driving, passenger escorting and office support. Their
services are greatly appreciated by the passengers and new volunteers
are very welcome. Training will be provided.
Looking to the future,
a number of elderly Ilkley residents have expressed a desire
for a weekly shopper's run, similar to that which already runs
for Addingham's elderly and disabled. With a few more volunteers
this could be up and running fairly quickly.
ILKLEY & DISTRICT
GOOD NEIGHBOURS COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
Co-ordinator: Ian Padley
email info@ct.ilkley.org
www.ct.ilkley.org
Please note the email
and website details are different to the ICVS office.The phone
number and address remain the same. Contact
the ICVS office.
OTLEY
& DISTRICT RIDING FOR THE DISABLED
