News From the Project

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1 Support and Information for Carers in Guildford May 2016 News From the Project New Chair for Carers Support (Guildford) We are delighted to announce the arrival of our new Chair, David Perry. David comes to us with a wealth of experience in supporting local charities, including Woking Hospice and Crossroads Care. He takes up the post at a time of great change and his background and experience will be a big asset to the organisation through this period of challenge and opportunity. Due to severe cuts in spending, Surrey County Council have announced that they are having to cut funding to many local services including those offered to Carers. As a result of this Carers Support (Guildford) are facing a period of unprecedented change and are looking proactively at options for the future which will aim to maintain the breadth of support which CS(G) offer to Carers. As there is likely to be a substantial reduction in the grant from Surrey County Council, Carers Support (Guildford) are looking for other resources, grants and fundraising ideas which can enable the project to continue supporting Carers in Guildford. If you could spare some time and would enjoy working with our friendly committed team in Burpham we would welcome a volunteer or Trustee who could focus on exploring fundraising avenues and applying for grants. If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please call the office and speak with Karen on Equally if you are aware of an organisation which might have the facility to offer some financial support to our local charity we would love to hear from you. THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING. Two members of our team, Rachel Brennan and Chris Todd are getting themselves in training to do the 10 mile Rotary Annual Charity walk 2016 on Sunday 15 th May. All they need now is encouragement and support to raise the most funds possible for Carers Support (Guildford). Please help to keep their feet and legs moving by making a donation using the link Please don t forget to fill in the Gift Aid Section. If you do not have access to the internet you can send a cheque made payable to Carers Support (Guildford) to the address on the back of the newsletter. The walk starts from Shalford Park at 9.45 am so if you would like to go along and cheer them on, your support would be much appreciated.

2 The Trustees at Carers Support (Guildford) are putting together a letter to voice their concerns about the imminent cuts to Carers services. If you would like to add your voice to the cause you could write to your local MP Anne Milton (by post House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or anne.milton.mp@parliament.uk) us your comments, or contact us to add your name to a letter with a list of Carers who value the service offered and why offering support to Carers is so crucial. Thank you and farewell to Pam Calling All Carers Pam Howard joined the CS(G) team in September 2015 and has been a wonderful member of the team. Leading the support for Parent Carers, she has given invaluable advice and help to the Carers she has worked with and has facilitated both the Parent Carers Group and Ash Carers Group. Pam has also made time to work on re designing the CS(G) website (not finalised quite yet), and over and above all her hard work, has been a warm and delightful member of the team. Sadly, Pam is leaving the project due to financial reasons and we wish her the very best in all her future endeavours. Muriel Why I volunteer I have been a volunteer with CS(G) for 4 years. As a retired PA, I assist the Admin team. I thoroughly enjoy being part of a hard working team. I feel rewarded by the fact that I can help with many routine tasks, so that the staff can concentrate on advising and supporting Carers. I hope that in a small way, I am contributing to improving the daily lives of Carers in the Guildford area. The Free Fundraising Service set up by BT where every penny goes direct to Charity! We have an ongoing charity page where people can make donations online. Don t forget to Gift Aid when you make a donation. Gift Aid If you re a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid increases the value of your donations by 25% because the charity can reclaim the basic rate of tax on your gift at no extra cost to you. A big thank you to Garth Allan for the donation of 380 which will be used to subsidise the Barge Trip for Carers on Tuesday 7 th June. Thank you also to all those who have generously made donations to CS(G). These contributions help us to continue to make a positive difference to Carers in Guildford.

3 Wellbeing and Information Days Below are the Wellbeing and Information Days organised by Carers Support (Guildford) and Carers Support Waverley up to October Please contact us to let us know if you are interested in attending any of these events or for more information, so we can reserve a place for you. A DAY IN THE COUNTRY - Tuesday 24 th May, 10.30am to 2.30pm. Bring a picnic and come and enjoy some relaxing activities and walks at Pucks Oak Barn in Compton. FLY FISHING FOR MEN - Tuesday 12 th July, 10am to 1pm. Try your hand at Fly Fishing with a qualified instructor at Albury Park, Albury, Guildford and join in an outdoor health and well being class. DEMENTIA INFORMATION DAYS Tuesdays 7 th and 14 th September. To be held in Godalming END OF LIFE CARE Tuesday 11 th October. Morning: facilitated by Phyllis Tuckwell. To be held in Godalming. Power of Attorney, Wills and Trusts Tuesday 11 th October. Afternoon only. To be held in Godalming CARERS WEEK FLOAT AWAY IN CARERS WEEK - Tuesday 7 th June, 1.30 to 4pm we are inviting all Carers to join us on a horse drawn canal boat to enjoy floating down the River Wey with an afternoon cream tea. Join the Godalming Packet Boat Company at Godalming Wharf, GU7 1JL. Please book your place on Unfortunately if you have booked a place and are unable to attend we ll need to ask for a 5 donation to cover costs. Mental Health Support Group Thursday 9 th June, St Pius Church Hall, Merrow, 7-9pm Join us for a celebration buffet including mindfulness, reiki, trusts and pensions information. All welcome.

4 SUPPORT GROUPS All groups meet monthly Ash Meets 2 nd Thursday. Contact Rachel Ash Parent Carers Meets 1 st Friday. Contact Karen West Horsley Meets 1 st Wednesday. Contact Vicky Fairlands Meets 3 rd Thursday. Contact Karen Mental Health Meets 2 nd Thursday. Contact Rachel Friendship Mainly for Former Carers, meets various times. Please contact the office for details. Making the most of CS(G) Carers Groups If you would like to discuss your caring situation with a Carer Adviser from CS(G) you can make an appointment to meet briefly in private at one of the monthly support groups. Call Future events held at Carers groups will be open to any Carer who may find a topic beneficial. This might include speakers from useful organisations or topics such as how to apply for a GP payment or completing forms. We will advertise Carer group events in future newsletters, on the CS(G) website and by . YOU MIGHT FIND THIS OF INTEREST Welcome to Carersmart.org CarerSmart is a new club from Carers Trust. Did you know there are offers, benefits and discounts available exclusively for Carers and people with care needs? Benefits of free membership include: Cash back on shopping from numerous retailers Best rates from energy providers Reductions on insurance Discounts on holidays Free legal advice services and much more! Being Heard is the Carers UK self-advocacy guide to help you navigate a confusing system, get your message across and cope with complex thoughts and emotions when you are caring. It is down loadable from the Carers UK website

5 Other sources of information Carers Trust launches new employment guide for Young Adult Carers who want to get into work The handbook offers guidance on how to find a job, the application process and how to balance work with a caring role. For more information go to type in the search box Getting into Work: a Guide for Young Adult Carers in England or contact Carers Trust on Christians Against Poverty The Guildford CAP group organise Budgeting skills courses. If you are interested, please call Sam Richmond on Disabled GO Publish access information to over 125,000 places of interest across the UK. Developed by disabled people for disabled people, information is free on their website where they publish disability news, a calendar of disability events and a job search portal featuring employment opportunities with inclusive companies. Contact enquiries@disabledgo.com or Prevent unwanted telephone calls Safe Haven in Guildford Is a place offering a safe, calm and friendly environment to people who need support for emotional or mental health issues when they are feeling unable to cope. You can drop in at any time without making an appointment. If you are unable to get to the Safe Haven an Outreach Link worker can support you. Trained staff including qualified mental health professionals can help you access other services. Contact: Safe Haven, Oakleaf Enterprise, 101 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4UQ, Open 6 pm 11 pm every evening, 365 days a year. Telephone for Outreach Link worker safehaven@oakleaf-enterprise.org Upfront Upfront is the first online guide to give tailored financial and practical information to those who are new to caring. As well as the practical and financial support, you ll find information to help you with the impact of caring on your health and relationships. Click the link to give it a go and get your own personalised guide to caring! Find Upfront on the CarersUK website. By registering your number with the Telephone Preference Service telephone or registering online at Phone companies offer various services to block nuisance calls. Some are free and some have a monthly charge. Services include caller display which shows you the number of the person calling, incoming call blocking which prevents selected numbers from getting through, and call identification or If you are completing a form that asks for your telephone number and you don t want to give it, an online form will not always let you complete it until you enter a number. You can use truecall38. Enter the phone number as your phone number and if the company calls a short recorded message is played: truecall38 is handling my calls.

6 INFORMATION ON SERVICES THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO CARERS ARE NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY CARERS SUPPORT (GUILDFORD),ITS STAFF OR TRUSTEES Carers Support(Guildford) are affiliated with Carers UK and The Carers Trust. Registered Office: Howard Buildings, Burpham Lane, Guildford, GU4 7NB. Company Limited by Guarantee. Company No Registered in England and Wales with charitable status. Charity No We re all going on a summer holiday Many Carers ask us for information about accessing funds to enable them and their families to go away for a holiday. Here are some ideas: Specialise in low cost, fully accessible self-catering caravan holidays in UK resorts. For families or individuals who are disadvantaged, whether through disability, income or circumstances and can provide wheelchair access. You can stay in some of the country s best holiday parks, close to some of the country s most beautiful countryside and enjoyable beaches, Cerebra is a unique charity set up to help improve the lives of children with brain related conditions through research, education and by directly supporting children and their Carers. They also have a holiday home adapted to be accessible for children with physical disabilities and Autism. For more information see w3.cerebra.org.uk or call FUNDING IDEAS Holiday caravan in Bognor Regis Offer of a week for 250 outside school holidays at Riverside Caravan Park, Owned by St. Vincent de Paul Society. For info contact CS(G) office REQUEST To save our postal costs, please send an to office@carersguildford.co.uk and we will be able to send newsletters and other information directly to you in the future. If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter please let us know. Providing disability equipment hire in Surrey and the South as well as specialist equipment for purchase or on loan, a catalogue of living aids as well as a showroom in Leatherhead. VASD also provide wheelchair accessible holidays by the coast in Sussex, in specially adapted holiday properties and also a specially adapted canal boat for canal boat holidays on the Grand Union canal info@vasd.org.uk If you would like more details about holiday ideas please contact the CS(G) office. SILC GP respite break payment and early intervention payment - have you applied for yours yet? Applications to Family Holiday Association for a holiday grant by a Carer adviser Carers Support (Guildford) Howard Buildings, Burpham Lane Guildford, Surrey GU4 7NB