Wirral Donate - Newsletter - Winter 2007 - Donations - Charity

Multiple Sclerosis Society: Wirral Branch

The Wirral Branch continues to make good progress in providing funding, support and services for people on Wirral affected by MS. Our weekly hydrotherapy classes, supported by Total Fitness Prenton, are tailored for members with MS. The popularity of these classes continues to grow and we now receive referrals from NHS physiotherapists. Our partnership with a local therapy centre also goes from strength to strength, with our members receiving specialist neurophysiotherapy, yoga and a range of complementary therapies in facilities with a pleasant social set-up. In 2006 the partnership (with the MS Support Centre, Saltney) was presented with a National Award Certificate for “providing excellent services to people affected by MS”. Transport can be problematic for some of our members. But, thanks to the financial donations we receive from our supporters, including Wirral Donate, we have recently been able to upgrade our wheelchair accessible vehicle. Many thanks to all our supporters .

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Crosroads in Wirral: Caring for Carers

Since moving in June, we are now settled in our fully accessible office accommodation and are working on developing a further CAMEO Club in Wirral, in partnership with a local church, hopefully starting in February 2007. We have attracted some money to start this service caring for people in the early stages of memory loss, giving respite to their carers, but we still need more support to make this an ongoing success.

In addition, we were heavily involved in organising a very exciting conference for carers and those who commission services from statutory services and within the community, from across the northwest. It was an eye opener for all carers concerned, who had, for once, their voices heard; a report will be published in early 2007 and widely distributed.

Little is said about how difficult it is to make time to care for someone and how physically as well as mentally draining it can be, frequently taking its toll on the private and professional life of the carer as well as their health and well being.

Apart from our core services, the innovative support to working carers is also expanding as we have set up a practical support service for carers working for a major local employer; both parties will reap the benefits of this partnership.

As usual, your ongoing support will continue to enable us to develop more services to carers, which now includes many more families coping with children with physical disabilities or learning difficulties.

Copyright © Wirral Donate 2008. Registered Charity - 1066247. All Rights Reserved.
42/44 Market Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5BT
Tel No. 0151 666 2220

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Wirral Donate
NEWS

Wirral Donate NEWS is a newsletter that is produced every six months and will keep you up-to-date on the goings-on of our six charities. Wirral Donate NEWS is also available in pamphlet form. Please contact us for more information. We have an archive of Newsletters and the links for each of these are listed below.

May 2011

Nov 2010 March 2010 Sept 2009 March 2009 Sept 2008 Sept 2007 Feb 2007

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February 2007 Newsletter

As an incentive for new donors the Government has pledged to ‘match pound for pound’, up to a maximum of £10 per month, an employee’s donations for the first six months! Maybe you can persuade a colleague or friend to become a donor? There is a form printed at the back of this Newsletter which they could complete and give to their Personnel Department. All funds raised by Wirral Donate are distributed equally among the member charities.
Our thanks to all donors for their continuing support. Your generous donations are helping to fund this work.

Wirral Talking Newspaper

	The Talking Newspaper has continued every week to supply News, Information and Items of general interest to over 500 blind and partially sighted listeners on the Wirral.
This weekly output involves teams of volunteers ranging across Editors, News Readers, Magazine Presenters, Technicians and Registrars. All in all, every tape we send out has an input from at least twenty-five volunteers who work on a rota, so that apart from a few key staff, the work force is different each week. We are very fortunate that we have such a dedicated work force to draw from.

	We are still trying to come to terms with new technology! Cassette tapes and cassette players are disappearing from the shops and, before long we shall have to invest in new equipment so that we can record and copy on disc, always supposing our listeners have the right sort of equipment to receive and play discs. It will be an expensive undertaking and it is good to know that we will have the support of Wirral Donate to help us.

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Wirral Autistic Society

Our long awaited scheme for a small farmstead based just beside Raby Hall is now in operation. We have a family of snow-white goats plus three brown pygmy long-haired ones. Also two pot-bellied pigs, which look rather like earth-bound barrage balloons (but they have a charm all of their own!). We have always kept hens and ducks, which have now been joined by a troop of geese, rather arrogant I thought; and two parakeets, which were just the opposite – in fact we didn’t get a glimpse of them. The residents and the day attenders are delighted with their new friends.
There is also a new building alongside the farm, which houses kitchen, showers, toilets and a dining room, which is large enough to use for games. Parties etc. A real boon on a wet day when the ground is churned op into a muddy mess! So a big thank you to all of you who helped to create this excellent new facility.

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Age Concern Wirral

	Age Concern Wirral continues to provide a wide range of services and activities for people over the age of 50 throughout the Borough, to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life. Whether the need is for direct personal care, information and advice, an opportunity to take up a new leisure interest or just a friendly and listening ear, we will endeavour to respond.
Our Home Support Service provides the carer of an older person with a flexible and comprehensive respite service. We aim to give the carer time for themselves and a break from their caring role by providing a relief carer to take over the role of caring for the older person within their own home for a few hours. We also provide a range of new services and opportunities for local older people. Recent additions to our services include the opening of a facility at Harvest Court, Berrylands Road, Moreton where a programme of activities for older people and their carers is now available for people living within Harvest Court and the surrounding area. A second new venue at Pensall House, Fairview Way, Pensby will also provide a range of new services and opportunities for local older people. All money raised goes back into the local community to make a real difference to the lives of older people living in Wirral. The ongoing support of the donors to Wirral Donate enables Age Concern Wirral to continue to provide these vital services.

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Wirral Resource Centre and Toy Library

	At our purpose built Centre in Woodchurch Lane, Prenton, we assist families with preschool children with special needs. This is principally through all forms of play activities organised by our qualified nursery staff, and assisted by over 40 volunteers, and visiting professional therapists. On average 97 children use our facilities every week. We also assist parents, by arranging for them to access advice from suitable professionals, at what can be a most difficult and stressful time for them. We also have visiting speakers each month, with a rolling programme of topics, so nobody misses out. Our activities are planned to support both whole group and individual developmental and learning needs. Many toys have been adapted to suit the needs of our special children who, in good weather, have fun playing in our adventure playground and sensory garden. We are confident that with the continuing support of Wirral Social Services, our numerous enthusiastic and committed volunteers, fund raisers and supporters, together with our dedicated staff that the future of the Toy Library is secure. In a recent OFSTED inspection we were granted the top grade.

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