Wirral Donate/News March 09

Wirral Talking Newspaper

Wirral Talking Newspaper, serving the blind and partially sighted on the Wirral, recently celebrated its 25th Birthday.
This totally free service started on the 2nd February 1984 and we are proud to say we still send out approximately 500 tapes each week. We have the capacity to do more and are actively pursuing a “recruit new listeners” campaign.
If you know anyone who might be interested please give them our number – 0151 653 4787 – and we will do the rest when they call.

Our progress to digital recording is gaining momentum. We have received our new computer, copier and supply of memory sticks and loud speakers. We are about to train our volunteers in the new technology they will need to operate the equipment. All this is only possible because we have good friends who continue to lend us their support.

Back to Top

Wirral Autistic Society

As we begin the New Year the Society is determined that it's dream of building a specifically designed respite centre for people with autism will come to fruition this year. After a very hard year of fundraising last year and with plenty of events planned for 2009 we hope to continue despite the current economic downturn.
We begin with a wonderful evening at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on 12th March when the renowned conductor Libor Pešek (pictured right) and soloist Martin Roscoe lead the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with a fantastic programme of popular classics.
Respite for the families who care for someone with autism is a very high priority as the stresses and strains impinge on virtually every aspect of family life and make the simplest of pleasures an impossibility. We currently have one respite bed at the Society which is in constant demand every day of the year and there is a national shortage of respite tailored to the very special needs of people with autism.

This is what makes our “Home from Home “ Appeal so important and will remain the primary focus of our fundraising in 2009.
Back to Top Copyright © Wirral Donate 2008. Registered Charity - 1066247. All Rights Reserved. 42/44 Market Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5BT Tel No. 0151 666 2220 Webmaster: Imaginata

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

__________

March 2009 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.

Your generous donations are helping to fund this work.

Our thanks to all donors for their continuing support.
Your generous donations are helping to fund this work.

__________

I hope that by the time this newsletter reaches you, the frosts and snow of January and early February will be a distant memory. While snow can be fun for those who are fit and able, it can, with the accompanying cold, make life tough for those who are suffering from some disability. The demand for the services provided by the charities who are members of WIRRAL DONATE becomes even greater, and the generous donations which we receive from our donors help us to meet this demand.

On a different note, I am pleased to tell you that we have two new volunteers helping in the running of WIRRAL DONATE. They are Brenda and Mike Dooney who have taken on the responsibility of keeping our donor records up-to-date. This includes checking the disbursements of the Government Agencies through whom your donations pass, to ensure that no donation has been missed and that the agency has all the information they need to make the correct disbursement. Brenda and Mike will also be responsible for the distribution of our Newsletters.

Although she may not like it, I insist on thanking publicly our volunteer Editor, Adrienne Staniford, pictured on the front cover with her grand-daughter Willow. She takes on her task as Editor with great skill and enthusiasm and we are very grateful to her.

Finally, on behalf of our member charities, my sincere thanks for your continuing support.

George Eakin, Wirral Donate Chairman

Crosroads in Wirral: Caring for Carers

December was certainly a very busy time for our charity with lots of Christmas parties for our younger and older clients. Now we are getting on with the day to day work that follows our recent organisational changes.

In December, our Crossroads colleagues from Chester joined up with us and then in January, colleagues from Vale Royal also combined with us. At the moment, we are focusing on teambuilding at Bromborough, where we are fortunate in being able to expand our office base to accommodate our new colleagues. Behind all this work, our everyday services to carers continue as normal and there continues to be an increasing demand for our services.

Although we have changed our name to Cheshire West & Wirral Crossroads, all money kindly donated by Wirral Donate contributors will be allocated to a restricted fund to support services in Wirral only.

Back to Top

Age Concern Wirral

Age Concern Wirral is as ever continuing to meet the needs of older people over the age of 50 throughout the Borough. The provision of care and services is carried out in venues right across Wirral and the demands are ever increasing.

At our Devonshire Resource Centre we have been successful in gaining funding to build an extension on our current building. In conjunction with Wirral Primary Care Trust we will provide a much needed resource centre for people suffering with the early onset of dementia. Sadly, the provision of care for people in their 50's with this condition is extremely limited and this new resource will be a haven to those who seek our help and will also be a real source of comfort and support to their families. This new wing is scheduled to open in December but in the meantime we are providing help and support for this client group at our centre at Pensall House, Pensby. If you want to know more about this service please telephone 0151 653 4404.



Our second new initiative commences in April and this is the establishment of a Bereavement Support Service. This is designed to help people particularly over the age of 50 to deal with issues that arise following bereavement. This support will be an holistic one, ranging from very practical support to befriending and counselling. If you want to know more about the support being offered from this service please phone 0151 666 2220.

These new initiatives are helping us reach out to the communities of Wirral and with your support they can flourish because Age Concern Wirral is all about 'adding years to life' and 'life to years'.

Back to Top

Wirral Resource Centre and Toy Library

	We are a Specialised Centre offering OFSTED regulated play therapy sessions to premature babies and pre-school children with special needs. The Age range we cover is 0-5 years.
Apart from the qualified team of staff and the volunteers at the Centre we have a full range of professionals who visit including Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Neo-Natal Nurses. Currently, we have 120 children who attend our sessions. Each session is designed to enrich and develop each child's own individual need. We apply specialist techniques mainly through play activities both indoors in the nursery and light room, and outdoors in the adventure playground and sensory garden.

	In our Centre we have a Coffee Lounge and Quiet Library which offers an opportunity to chat over refreshments, or a quiet time out for parents and carers, whichever the preference. This year more than ever we are in desperate need of funds, we have had to purchase a new minibus to replace our existing one which was well past its 'sell-by date'! Therefore all donations are most gratefully received.

At the Centre, we have the ability to offer a private room (previously the Toy Library) for hire, which includes tea and coffee for a donation of £25.

Back to Top

Multiple Sclerosis Society: Wirral Branch

In November 2008 the Wirral Branch of the MS Society celebrated its 40th Anniversary at Bromborough Civic Hall.
Our guest of honour was Tony Keenan OBE, MS Society National Chairman. Tony presented two of our founder volunteer members with prestigious “MS Shining Star” awards in recognition of their outstanding individual contributions to the work of the MS Society over the decades.

Presently the branch is fully committed to the ongoing support of people affected by MS. The monthly lunch meetings and evening socials continue to provide the ever present need for social interaction. Specialist physiotherapy, complementary therapies and yoga classes are available, widely used, while increasing levels of home physiotherapy is offered to those who are isolated by their disability.

The success of our recently expanded aquatherapy and gym initiative with Total Fitness, Prenton, continues to amaze and delight us.

Uptake has exceeded all expectations, with almost 50 people with MS now on the scheme. The high proportion of members in fulltime work suggests we are relating well with next generation support needs.

Our tailored “Personal Development” initiative is already producing quite remarkable benefits, which we hope to roll-out even further in the near future.

Back to Top