Tag Archives: Volunteers

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm Survey 2022

Start Date:
1st February 2022

End Date:
14th March 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

Over the years, some SDN members have visited this historic working farm. It is costly to continue to operate this farm so Shropshire Council are consulting everyone to give you the opportunity to say whether it should be kept or not.

The History of Acton Scott Historic Working Farm.  The farm was the vision of Thomas Acton, who established the museum to demonstrate historic farming techniques. It has been operated by Shropshire Council as tenants of the Acton Scott Estate since the 1970s.

Over the past four decades Acton Scott Historic Working Farm has welcomed thousands of visitors from across Shropshire and further afield, and in more recent years gained international fame on television. Now is the time to explore a new future for the farm, a future that builds on its remarkable agricultural heritage and evolves to ensure that it is relevant and engaging to the next generation.

With the broadcast of the BBC’s ‘Victorian Farm’ television programme numbers peaked in 2009 at about 45,000. After an initial decline visitor numbers plateaued at about 20,000 per year.  Since then, the farm has operated with a deficit of £168k per annum, which has been subsidised by Shropshire Council.

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm is highly regarded by both Shropshire residents and visitors. Shropshire Council genuinely welcome the thoughts and suggestions of both the local community and supporters of the farm from across the county.

Why have this survey?

Regrettably, subsidising the site is no longer considered a financially sustainable option for Shropshire Council, particularly given the need for Shropshire Council to prioritise statutory services (a statutory service is one we’re required to deliver in national legislation such as social care) and publicly-owned venues. This may result in Shropshire Council no longer running Acton Scott Historic Farm.

Shropshire Council are working with the Acton Scott Estate to find an alternative operating model that provides a sustainable future for the farm and will act as facilitator in collating community feedback and proposals. These will be passed on to the Acton Scott Estate to consider as possible alternative uses for the site. To have your say, click on the ‘How to get involved’ tab on this page.

Below are documents that you may wish to read and consider before taking part in the survey.

How can you respond to this survey?

Click on this link to complete the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ASHWFsurvey

You can also respond to this consultation in writing:

  • Email: TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Post: Feedback and Insight Team, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shropshire SY2 6ND

If you’d like the survey questions in an alternative format, please email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk and tell us of any support you need to allow you to respond.

Carers Week 2021-Making Caring Visible and Valued

This year Carers Week takes place from Sunday 13th June 2021 to Sunday 13th June 2021. The theme this year is “Making Caring Visible and Valued.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

Carers UK say “This year, people across the country are continuing to face new challenges as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support.

They need to be recognised for the difficulties they are experiencing, respected for all they are doing, and provided with information, support and understanding.

So during Carers Week, we’re coming together to help Make Caring Visible and Valued”.

There are 6.5 million people in the UK who are carers. They are looking after a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness or who needs extra help as they grow older.

Caring’s impact on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and work should not be underestimated, and carers are facing even more difficult circumstances this year. Whilst many feel that caring is one of the most important things they do, its challenges should not be underestimated. Caring without the right information and support can be tough.

It is vitally important that we recognise the contribution carers make to their families and local communities, workplaces and society, and that they get the support they need.

To find out more about Carers UK: https://www.carersweek.org/about-carers-week/latest-news/posts-folder/2021/march/carers-week-2021-dates-announced/

To find out what is available to Carers in Shropshire during Carers Week, click here:  https://shropshire.gov.uk/media/18962/carers-calendar-of-events-vs4.pdf

Bishops Castle-Community Connectors Meeting

Start Date:
28th April 2021

End Date:
28th April 2021

Start Time:
1500

End Time:
1600

Event title: Bishops Castle-Community Connectors Meeting
Venue: On-line
Name: Helen Vaughan
Email: helen.vaughan@handstogetherludlow.org.uk
Telephone: 01691 656882 via The Qube
Event description: If you haven’t already been along to a Community Connectors’ meeting, they are well worth an hour of your time. It’s a chance for people working in your local community to meet (online for now) and share news, updates and ideas. Each local community has its own meeting and you can go along to as many as you like. 

Please email Helen Vaughan helen.vaughan@handstogetherludlow.org.uk for further details.

Substance Misuse – an introduction webinar

Start Date:
1st July 2021

End Date:
1st July 2021

Start Time:
1000

End Time:
1200

Event title: Substance Misuse – an introduction webinar
Venue: On-line
Weblink: https://shropshire.gov.uk/joint-training/
Name: Shropshire Joint Training
Email: joint.training@shropshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01743 254731
Event description: The aims of this course are to:

  • Explore the effects of substance misuse on individuals and to provide a firm knowledge base to support good practice.

Learning outcomes: By the end of the session learners will have:

  • Identified what different substances look like and how they are used
  • Explored the effects and risks of substance misuse
  • Gained knowledge of what help is available and where to go
  • Considered our attitudes, both in society and as an individual.

Target Audience: Workers in adult services and the voluntary and independent sectors, who would like to build a good knowledge to support their work with individuals, but whose main role is not substance misuse.

Costs: Band 1 £15 Band 2 £22.50 Band 3 £0

Cost range information: https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/joint-training/courses-and-accredited-qualifications/course-costs/

Please apply by completing one of the online application form options
https://shropshire.gov.uk/joint-training/courses-and-accredited-qualifications/apply-for-a-course/

This course will take place on-line using teams.

Blue Badge Holders – FREE parking at RSH and PRH

From the 1st November 2020, parking has been and continues to be free at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) for Blue Badge holders. You just need to register your Badge with the parking attendants.

More details about parking at our local hospitals:

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust says: “Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust have designated car parking facilities for patients and visitors. Our hospitals are very busy, so please allow plenty of time before your appointment to park.

If you come to site when there are no Car Park Attendants on site and experience difficulties paying to park please leave site and contact either the Car Park Attendants via the Switchboard on 01743 261000 or the Trust Car Park Department on 01743 261416 on the next working day and we will endeavour resolve your issue”.

Daily Charges at RSH and PRH:

  • Up to 20 minutes-FREE
  • Up to 2 hours £3.50 daily
  • Up to 3 hours £4.50 daily
  • Up to 4 hours £5.50 daily
  • Up to 5 hours £6.50 daily
  • Up to 24 hours £8.50 daily

Payment is on exit at one of the machines located in the exits of the hospital and on the car parks. Patients and Visitors can pay by debit and credit card or cash.

Payment can also be made on-line up to midnight on the day of the visit to the hospital site by logging on to SaTH Parking.

You should pay at the end of your visit to hospital. The system is simple to use:

  • Input three consecutive digits from your registration number. The machine will display an image of your vehicle and ask you to confirm it is yours.
  • It will then calculate the payment required based upon the time you have been on site.
  • The pay machines will accept debit/credit cards or cash.

You can also pay by debit or credit card or on-line before midnight on the day you attend the hospital site.

Blue Badge Holder Information:

If you are a holder of a blue registered disabled badge there are designated spaces at various locations around the hospital sites.

From 1 November 2020 parking for holders of registered disabled badges is free.  To take advantage of the free parking you should report to the Car Park Attendants who will register your vehicle details on their system – please show them your blue badge as evidence of your eligibility.

Remember to display your blue badge wherever you park.

Download a leaflet here about parking at the hospitals: Car-Parking-Leaflet

Multiple Visits

If you are making multiple visits to the same hospital during a 24-hour period you have the option of selecting “daily rate” and you will pay no more than £8.50 for that day, rather than paying the “hourly rate” each time you attend. Please note that this period begins and ends at 12am, not 24 hours from when you arrive.

Staying over a long period?

If you have stayed for over 24 hours or have left a vehicle at one of our sites for a longer period of time (this may be the case if a patient is transferred from one site to another), then please speak to a member of staff. Our car parking team have a “whitelist” to ensure that vehicles where this is the case don’t get fined. Please note that the car has to be added to the list within 48 hours of arrival, so please speak to a member of staff about this as soon as possible.

Other Charges:
Concession tickets – 10 visit concession – £8.50

For patients on long term treatment plans or visitors of patients expected to be in hospital for more than 3 days, you can download a form to apply for concession tickets. These are also available from the Ward/Department and parking booth. The forms must be signed by a member of the Ward/Department and then taken to the Parking Booths for processing. These tickets are valid for a maximum of 12 weeks. The 10-visit ticket costs £8.50 and gives a significant saving on the cost of each visit.

Patients receiving Renal dialysis twice a week or more at RSH – FREE

If you are driving yourself in for Haemodialysis two or three times per week then free parking is available. The departments delivering this treatment will guide you through the process for getting free parking.

Patients receiving Outpatient treatment for cancer – FREE

Patients receiving day case outpatient treatment in the O’Connor Oncology unit can claim free parking. To do this, give your registration details to the desk as you book in for your appointment.

Bereavement – FREE

People visiting the hospital for issues connected with bereavement [e.g. collection of certificates, visits to the mortuary] also qualify for free parking. Normally these visits take less then the 20 minute grace period but should the visit extend the free period the vehicle details will be taken by PALS and passed to the Car Park Department for entering onto the system.

Parents of Sick Children staying in Hospital Overnight – FREE

Parents who are staying in hospital overnight to be with their sick child can get free parking.  You should speak to a member of ward staff who will take your registration details for adding to our exemption list.

News from Friendly Bus (Broseley, Much Wenlock and Shifnal Areas)

The Friendly bus service serving Broseley, Much Wenlock and Shifnal areas have had to make changes to their services and suspend most of their journeys.  As a charity, they aim is to combat loneliness and are still working hard to support the communities in Broseley, Much Wenlock and Shifnal.  Here’s a summary of what they are doing to help you:

  • Taking passengers to medical appointments. By following cleaning guidelines provided by the Community Transport Association (CTA) to keep passengers and volunteer drivers safe and asking passengers to sit in the back of vehicles to increase the social distance.
  • Many shops and pharmacists are offering deliveries but they are extremely busy.  Volunteer drivers are all DBS checked and able to collect and deliver prescriptions and shoppings for their passengers.
  • They have set up a team of Friendly Voice Volunteers to regularly call passengers who are feeling lonely. This is proving very valuable as many passengers won’t have any interaction with anyone else.  It also enables the volunteers to check on their physical and mental well being and raise any concerns with us.
  • They continue to send the monthly newsletter to passengers to keep some normality.  

For help in any of the above, passengers can call the Friendly Bus in the usual way on 01952 881145 between 9 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday.

They are also actively part of the newly formed Broseley Covid group – answering phone calls from local residents in need of support. Their number is 0333 301 0319 and is available to anyone in Broseley who need some support.

Shropshire Disability Network June 2020 Meeting-Cancelled

Please note, our meeting due to take place on Thursday 11th June 2020 at The Movement Centre, Building 106, Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Gobowen, Oswestry, SY10 7AG  has been cancelled due to the Covid19 pandemic.

Plans are still in place to hold our AGM and Members meeting on Thursday 3rd September at  University Centre Shrewsbury, Guildhall, Shrewsbury, SY3 8HQ, in room SGH201. At that meeting a new Chair and Secretary will be appointed together with other appointments to the Management Committee. If you wish to find out more about joining the Management team, please use the link on this page https://shropshire-disability.net/contact/ to tell us what you have to offer or to find out more information and/or to express your interest.

Despite these unprecedented times, SDN while not holding face to face meetings, we are still  continuing our signposting work. Fundraising events were cancelled by the Management Committee prior to the pandemic, however funds are needed to continue the work of SDN. We thank Sam, who recently held a fundraiser on-line. Thank you to all who supported the event.

Anyone wishing to support our work can make a donation via our  Virgin Money Giving page https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?uniqueVmgCharityUrl=shropshire-disability

This Volunteers week, we thank all our volunteers, especially those who work behind the scenes, maintaining our website, social media, signposting etc. Without our volunteers, SDN would not function and now more than ever we need you to help us. One hour a week, 10 hours a month or whatever time you can give would be appreciated.

 

Are you a Volunteer?

Do you volunteer for to help us with events, service on the Management Committee of Shropshire Disability Network or a team member of Safe Place Shropshire? May be you volunteer for another charitable organisation or lother organisation ie Local Hospital, Police etc.

Shropshire and Telford STP (Sustainability and Transformation Plan) has received some money to work up a bid to NHS England to develop an integrated volunteering programme (this was discussed at a VSHSCF meeting but things have moved on quite a bit since then). This will be an agenda item for the next VSHSCF meeting if you are interested in finding out more.
 
The STP has put the VCS at the heart of this and Shropshire Infrastructure Partnership has been working with the steering group to progress things on behalf of the sector. Karen Higgins (known to many of you I’m sure) has been appointed to do the bulk of the development work and as part of this, she has constructed a survey to gather evidence of the current activity of volunteers in Shropshire and Telford.
 
If you volunteer, please would you take a few minutes to complete this important survey. The average length of time taken so far by respondents is 6 minutes so it’s not onerous and its completely confidential but will provide an interesting picture of what volunteering in Shropshire looks like, regardless of the outcome of the bid. Only by taking part will we get responses we hope for (hundreds) and you can help do that..
 
Click this link to take part in this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/62TQZMH

Friendly Hour at Sainbury’s (Telford Forge Store)

Start Date:
2nd March 2020

End Date:
30th March 2020

Start Time:
0930

End Time:
1030

Event title: Friendly Hour at Sainbury’s (Telford Forge Store)
Venue: Sainsbury’s at Telford Forge Retail Park, Colliers Way, Telford TF3 4AG
Name: Sandra and Marg, PR Ambassadors at Sainsbury’s Telford Forge.
Email: N/A
Telephone: N/A
Event description: Anyone who would appreciate a quieter time to shop may like to take up this opportunity. While lights can not be dimmed, there will be no tannoy announcements and no music. It will be quieter with No roll cages on shop floor to cause noise.

This month the dates are:

  • Monday 2nd March 2020 09.30-10.30
  • Monday 9th March 2020 09.30-10.30
  • Monday 16th March 2020 09.30-10.30
  • Monday 23rd March 2020 09.30-10.30 and
  • Monday 30th March 2020

Note: This is an initiative by the PR Ambassadors at this particular store and is not available at other stores. Watch this space for more information.

Sainsbury’s stores also recognise the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme. Remember to pick up your lanyard in store.

Sunflower Lanyard

Shropshire Disability Network Meeting postponed

Start Date:
10th December 2020

End Date:
10th December 2020

Start Time:
1030

End Time:
1300

Event title: Shropshire Disability Network Meeting (postponed)
Venue: TBA (original venue, Telford Whitehouse Hotel, is closing)
Weblink: https://shropshire-disability.net
Name: SDN Management Committee
Email: secretary@shropshire-disability.net
Telephone: 07780 852 229
Event description: We look forward to welcoming many of you to our meeting today.

Guest Speakers will be announced shortly.

Raffle: We will hold our regular quarterly raffle.

Some of us like to get into the festive season by wearing Christmas jumpers, so if that is you, we would love to see them.

Other items to buy: We will have SDN wrist bands for sale; this is a good way to raise awareness of SDN. You will also have opportunity to purchase our 10th Anniversary Badges at £1 each as well as a Safe Place Shropshire Badge at £1 each. By buying these you help us to fund our work. We will also have a table where you can buy items made by our members as well as other items. They are all very reasonably priced and will help towards paying for our meeting.

Email: secretary@shropshire-disability.net (Secretary) or call or text 07780 852 229 for more information.

We have Sign Language Interpreters (BSL) at all our meetings. We now have a t-loop system to use at our meetings

Click here to download a list of SDN events for 2020: SDN-Meetings-Events-from Jan 2020-Master , SDN-Meetings-Events-from Jan 2020-Plain text .