Warwickshire Reminiscence Action Project
Secretary Report April 2020-2021 AGM.
Foundation House.
Despite the difficulties at Foundation House we are glad to be able to access the office.
However, we have now been allowed to use our fob for access on a Tuesday
We are still working to Covid conditions which as you can imagine are demanding.
Janine Jackson has been replaced by Janice Crompton-Brough, and Jane Marsh has returned to take on the big task of cataloguing the contents in the steel container and bring up to date the triggers boxes. A big thank you should go to Mrs Ellen Manning who was updating social media and the web site. Janice has now picked up that role. The newsletter is created and put together by Colin Sheldon.
WRAP Programmes.
Looking After A Loved One “LAALO”
Sadly our face to face work came to a stop due to Covid and the impact it had on our ability to meet with our participants was appalling.
Café WRAP Bishopton.
The Café has gone through yet another change of personnel so it was back to our volunteers and trustees Liz Edwards, Rosemarie Shakesheff and myself.
Due to members leaving for care homes, and others sadly passing away, the numbers of those attending dropped.
We opened in July for a one off event on the Stratford Mini Golf, thanks to the generosity of the manager, Paul. It was enjoyed by those who took part.
Café WRAP Wellesbourne.
The Café re-opened for four weeks before Christmas under Heather Browns guidance. We supplied PPE items they required. The opening was well attended.
The Resource Centre
Jane Marsh began the big job of sorting all our artefacts into useable boxes in 2020. I am pleased to say Jane‘s work has been brilliant!
Our next task is to advertise the resource and with Janice’s help we will get the homes out there borrowing the boxes again. We thank the County Council and the Heart of England Trust for their funding of the project.
.
Day Care.
I am pleased to say the move to Briar Croft was a good move. We re-recruited Anne Wagstaff and volunteers who have been looking after four participants. The donation of £20.00 per person has been just enough to cover the wages, other out goings and the rent. Sadly since March 19th 2020 Day Care has been closed.
River Festival
This major event was cancelled.
Wrapper’s Events.
Wrap signed up to assist with Shakespeare lions Santa’s sleigh But the Lions decided that they would not collect money this year so we were not required.
Grant applications
Grant applications were limited to the Town Trust who awarded us £28.000 but only for one year. The trustees decided not to advertise the vacancy until we had access to our office so we could carry out interviews. But we did get permission from the grants office to spend some of the £9,000 we had received to employ a replacement for Janine and pay for phone calls that were made to support the participants and volunteers through the Covid lockdown.
Reminiscence Training.
Because of the virus and lockdown we have been unable to meet up with the successful candidates.
To conclude we closed the office on the Tuesday 17th March 2020 and Foundation House was closed the same week.
From that date I worked from home ringing round as many as possible until the end of the financial year.
Volunteer of the Year Award.
Sadly no Christmas dinner this year so on the 15th December a few attended the office to see Gill Peregrine receive the Volunteer Award for 2020. Gill had supported several of our participants with free meals and bunches of flowers, plus a chat on the door step. So Gill is a worthy winner.
Finally on April 16th we opened the Cafe at Bishopton and we had three participants join us. We followed all the regulations we had to impose, which included cleaning the centre from top to toe! My sincere thanks goes to all those who helped us through a difficult year.
MRLS April 2021
Secretary
