Northampton

Holiday at Home Reunion held

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

The Holiday at Home Reunion, which we’ve mentioned in previous blog entries, was held on 2 December. 73 past guests from the past eight years of the project enjoyed a home cooked Christmas lunch, festive entertainment, games, a sing-song, an elaborate tea, Father Christmas and photos. Another great day run by volunteers - looking forward to 2009!

Holiday at Home - Outreach meeting

Sunday, November 9th, 2008

As mentioned in a previous post, we have now held our ‘outreach meeting’, which was designed to promote the work of the Holiday at Home scheme to other organisations with the desire for those organisations to start their own Holiday at Home events.

The meeting went well, there was a great atmosphere and everything we presented was well received. Those who expressed interest in attending and hearing about Holiday at Home but were unable to attend have received a folder (as distributed at the meeting) to help them start up. We have also offered to meet new organising committees if they need further assistance, advice or help.

It was very encouraging that several of those who came to our meeting were from opposite areas of the town, from areas that are too far away for us to cover with our own Holiday at Home project. One even in a village. This means that more lonely, elderly folk from other districts in the town will be able to benefit from the Holiday at Home scheme.

Thank you TimeBank!

Holiday at Home - Prize giving!

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

We’ve got it - our prize!

Sheila Baker of Friends of Northampton General Hospital made the presentation at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church with three members of the team and two past guests. £2000 and a chcolate cake: wow!

A local newspaper took photographs of the event, and we’ll let you know if a story gets printed. Attached is a picture from the event.

Holiday at Home, Northampton winners

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

Sadly I was not able to attend on Pitch your Project day but those who did were delighted with the time spent both with the dragons and those supplying information elsewhere. Particularly pleased that someone will enlighten the wheelchair pushes on the correct way of handling passengers, and also the lady who may be able to provide names of potential guests will be invaluable.

Committee will next meet on 22nd September to discuss details of the outreach meeting which has been booked for Wednesday 15th October. The room and kitchens have been booked, but in the meantime we are all preparing information for the committee on entertainment, funding etc.

All the information that the community centres and care homes need were sent out at the end of August. This includes details of what we do and meeting dates as well as my contact details in case anybody wishes to refer an elderly guest. These details are also going on the church website.

We have been contacted by Friends of Northampton General Hospital and a cheque is being presented tomorrow at Cripps centre prior to the Friends of NGH AGM. The two pitchers plus our past guest and myself will all be there.

Holiday at Home Reunion

Monday, September 29th, 2008

The team met on 22nd September to plan a Reunion Day in December. We’re expecting 70 or more past guests to this event, and so will need to recruit existing and new volunteers to help with the various aspects of the day, including food arrangements, entertainment and transport to and from the event.

Attached are a couple of photos from this year’s Holiday at Home event, which capture just some of the people we hope will come back for the Reunion Day in December.

At the meeting we also discussed another meeting to take place on 15th October, where we will be presenting the Holiday at Home concept to other groups and organisations in the hope of the idea being taken up by more people. Nearly 200 groups, organisations and individuals have been contacted by post or email, as well as an advert being placed in a magazine for local churches. The event is also going to be publicised in the local paper, the Chronicle and Echo, thanks to a contact made with a journalist at the Pitch your Project event. It will also be publicised on local radio on their Sunday morning programme.