A message from Brightwells in Farnham:
We have been supporting the older community of Farnham, as well as surrounding towns and villages for 40 years. Our extremely special team, volunteers and trustees have been working tirelessly, doing everything that we can to raise enough funds but, despite our very best efforts, this no longer remains enough.
And so, we find ourselves asking for your support to help us save our very special centre and meal service. Every single penny raised from this page will go towards our running costs; from fuelling and maintaining our vital transport service, buying ingredients for our freshly cooked meals and continuing to support those whose lives are changing because of loneliness, isolation, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The thought of having to close and not be able to help those that desperately need us is unbearable. Please help us to continue to make a difference.
We do this in two ways:
Our Social Centre
Open five days a week, we provide our guests with a warm and welcoming space to meet new people, make friends, have a fresh hot daily meal, start a new hobby and take part in activities such as seated exercises, technology classes, craft projects, singing (we have our own choir, aptly named the Bright Sparks), gentlemen’s groups etc to help maintain independence. We also provide dementia and Alzheimer’s disease support. Currently 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 have dementia in the UK and 1 in 79 worldwide. There is a proven link between loneliness and how this impacts the condition. We not only help our clients, but also their families and carers, providing support from the traumatic time of diagnosis or a change in their loved one’s condition through to identifying when a next step or change of care is required. This is done through our network of specially trained staff and volunteers, providing engaging individual and group activities including physical and mental exercises as well as the use of traditional tools such as arts and crafts as well as technology.
Our Community Meal Service (Meals on Wheels)
Affectionately known as meals on wheels we provide some of the most vulnerable and/or house bound with a fresh, hot, nutritionally balanced, daily meal. Many have dementia and/or mobility problems and mental health issues, they are living alone and socially isolated. Our kitchen team currently prepares, cooks, packages and send out around 700 meals a month. These are delivered by our dedicated team of volunteer drivers, who are just as vital as the food they are bringing. For some, our drivers are the only faces that our clients will see in a day, helping to relieve loneliness as well as carrying out important welfare checks.
Sadly, since the pandemic, our funding by national and local authorities has been dramatically reduced by 90%. This coupled with the recent rise in the cost of living, as well as inflation means that we are no longer able to continue to cover our costs.
With our heartfelt thanks – Jess, Jo, David, Gareth, Chris, Sally, Bob, Stewart, Maggie, Anna, Bev, Mandy, Steve, Nick, Lyn, Luke, Jacqui, Matilde, Hilary, Sue, Sheila, Aaron and Michele
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-our-centre-meals-on-wheels-service#start
