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