Care groups and the Advisory Service
The first of the great commandments Jesus said is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and closely following this he identified the need to look after each other, treating people as we would want to be treated. The Good Samaritan is an obvious call to love our neighbour.
Sadly, many people in our society are quite alone, or have great difficulty in going to places or meeting appointments at the doctors. Many have little opportunity in having a chat with someone about nothing particular, or having a decent hot meal. They rely heavily on the kind hearted volunteers, who give of their time to help others.
Care groups
Volunteering to help others is a rich gift to give, because it is given from the heart, and it can bring rewards in personal satisfaction and fulfilment. It is a gift of time and commitment, and makes a big contribution to the feeling of community.
Quick facts
Care Groups, sometimes called 'Neighbourcare' or 'Goodneigbours', are spread across Hampshire. The groups offer neighbourly help to people of any age, if they have no friend or relative nearby to help them.
Currently there are approximately 100 such groups across the county with an estimated 3,500 Volunteers providing this invaluable support.
In the last year over 93,300 tasks were carried out collectively by the groups.
Each group is independent, recruits volunteers from within the local community and establishes its own priorities and activities.
Although the groups vary in size and resources, all are keenly involved in meeting the needs of people in their local community.
Types of help offered can range from Shopping, Visiting, Befriending, Lunch Clubs, Sitting, Collecting Prescriptions, Driving, Walking the Dog, Minor Repairs, to name but a few. (The service provided by each group various - see contact details)
They are run by a committee and calls for assistance are handled by a coordinator who will take the call from the person, or client or a person acting on behalf of the client. The co-ordinator assess the appropriateness of the request and finds a volunteer to carry out the task. Volunteers can always say ‘No’ if the time is not convenient or the task does not appeal to them. A contribution is asked of the client to cover the expenses of the volunteer. If extra money is given over it is noted as a donation by the care group.
The Hampshire Voluntary Care Groups Advisory Service
The Advisory Service supports the Voluntary Care Groups in order that they can provide a safety net of care in Hampshire by offering neighbourly help to anyone who needs it.
Quick facts
Provide Advice and Information on a day by day basis.
Insure the groups for Public Liability / Personal Accident / Monetary loss.
Arrange Area Meetings / Training days and events.
Regularly visit/attend group meetings.
Raise awareness by giving talks, presentations, campaigning, networking with other agencies and producing publications.
Produces and annually updates a Care Group Directory.
Develops new groups where the need is identified.
Encourage best practice by providing a ‘Resource Pack’.
Providing annual / start up / special grants to support group work.
Taking up fieldwork issues and providing advocacy to individual groups.
Maintaining a Care Group website www.neighbourcare.org.uk
Internal Resources
To contact Advisors who work to the support the care groups, please use the following details
Jackie Paterson:
email jackie.paterson@neighbourcare.org.uk
The Diocesan Office
Old Alresford Place
Alresford
SO24 9DH
External Resources
The Neighbour Care site is here: http://www.neighbourcare.org.uk/