C hairmans Report 2009/2010
Community Action Norwich is a Charity who seeks to address some of the needs within the local community and surrounding area arising out of poverty, deprivation, family breakdown, isolation, youth related crime and drug and alcohol abuse. Our vision is to help and support people through our various social action programmes.
In August we said ‘Goodbye’ to Bill Fisher who has served as a Trustee for several years. Bill was retiring as a senior partner in a firm of accountants and plans to travel extensively in
Europe with his wife Erica. In September we welcomed Joanne Grey onto the Trustees, Jo has a degree in Community Development studies gained at the U.E.A.
Our work with Older People is growing and the Day Centre and Luncheon Club now run for a second day each week. We have a varied programme of activities to follow the meal and above all, people are responding to the care and friendship they experience at the centre. Our big need is for volunteers to support the much needed programme for older people. Our relationship with Social Services and
City
College is growing strong as we work in partnership with both organisations.
Our work with children and young people is at capacity. We have had two UEA students on a placement, working in the youth club. Katie Greensmith, a trainee social worker and Andrew Baron from
Dickenson University Pennsylvania on an exchange programme. The work in schools has gone well and two more schools are asking for our programmes as funding allows. We deliver a music project, ‘Kickstart’ a self development programme, the Intergenerational programme run in partnership with the Day Centre, a mentoring scheme and basic literacy and numeracy help for children who are under-achieving.
The children’s club averages about 60 children each week and four parents work with us as volunteers. We delivered a programme of Summer activities which ended with a BBQ for all the family combined with our AGM.
The Trust programme works with adults and children who have literacy needs. One participant has gained her food hygiene certificate, and another has started to work in our Day Centre as a volunteer. We have also been working with a group of 7 ladies who do not speak English. This group has been great fun, sharing their different cultures and foods and have bonded into a ‘family group’ sharing each others joys and sorrows in equal measure.
The STEP programme works with vulnerable women who have suffered abuse. We have seen one woman enter fulltime paid employment and five have begun working as volunteers in the City. Eight children who belong to the women in the group have benefited from joining in the Summer outings and family meals arranged to celebrate Christmas and other festivals.
The Community Allotment is working with children many of whom have special needs, through the children’s events run during the school holidays. We also work with some adults who are seeking to come away from drug and alcohol addiction. A lady from has a plot to grow maize and other foods which she grew at home.
Our big needs are finance and more volunteers. In June 2009 we had a stand at the Church Social Action Fare held at the Forum in the centre of
Norwich . We had a display board with lots of photographs of our work which was manned throughout the day by workers from our programmes. We had a lot of people who were asking questions about opportunities for volunteering. Jackie, who made contact with us at that event, has joined us and is making a great contribution to our literacy programme and our work in the Day Centre.
We have outstanding commitment from our staff and volunteers. The quality of their work has gained us a reputation for ‘excellence’ in the community, amongst the client group, many residents and other agencies with whom we work.
Picture: Doreen Betts
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