Charity begins at home
You don’t me me to tell you that times are tough out there. Many individuals and sections of our community have been hit hard by Covid and the resultant restrictions that seem to follow relentlessly one after another.
The charity sector plays an important part in our lives whether directly or indirectly and sometimes without you even realising. UK charities are expected to lose £6.6bn in revenue in the six months leading up to this Christmas alone. Many charities have already closed leading to gaps in care in our community. Age Concern Budleigh closed in April. Age Concern Exmouth closed its shop and home help operations last week. This was devastating enough for the staff let alone the vulnerable and isolated people they looked after. Overnight nearly one hundred people were left without home help assistance with daily chores and the companionship that it brought.
However, the staff were not going to take this laying down. Despite not having been paid Jude and Jaye motivated other staff to come onboard with their plans and agreed to continue helping clients for free until something else could be put in place. They used their own funds to set up a CIC (Community Interest Company run for the benefit of the community rather than shareholders). And so, Heron Home Support was born. They have faced a massive task in the last week setting up procedures, polices and safe systems of work. They still have much work to do, in their own time, without payment because they have put others before themselves.
The Budleigh Hub has been helping Jude and Jaye with advice and guidance around best practice, safeguarding and as well as funding. One of our partnership roles is to help local organisations who help other people. We will continue to provide support to them and others as times get more difficult.
If you have been affected by the closure of Age Concern please contact Heron Home Support: info@heronhomesupport.co.uk or 077357 91652.
If you required general advice and help please contact the Budleigh Hub budleigh@westbank.org.uk or 446896.
£240,000
Saved to NHS through falls prevention
577
Shopping deliveries
1300
Volunteering hours completed
“These are amazing facilities. I feel I can offer my clients a better service in Seachange than anywhere else.”