Rutland Community Spirit

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Rutland Community Spirit

• Rural Community Council (Leicestershire Rutland)

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Outline of the presentation

• Aims of the Project
• Progress to date
• Champions
• Referrals
• Volunteers
• Sustainability
• Any questions?

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Project aims
To identify and offer direct support to
vulnerable people in their own home environment,
before their needs reach a stage where formal
referral and assistance is required to and from
specialist agencies
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Project Structure
Local volunteers Rutland Community Spirit
Champions part time Project Officer full time
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Rutland Community Spirit Champions

• Three Champions working part-time to cover the
  county
• Carry out initial assessment of client needs
• Sign-post to appropriate partnership agencies
  when necessary
• Work with existing community groups, in
  particular Parish Councils, to generate
  appropriate voluntary support
• Provide additional local assistance and
  knowledge to the Project Officer

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Volunteers

• Volunteers are sourced at a local level
• Interested people are provided with appropriate
  training, ongoing support and out of pocket
  expenses
• They offer discreet, confidential advice together
  with practical support to others in their own
  community
• They usually have a sound knowledge of the area
  in which they live, along with local community
  activities, facilities, support agencies and
  services available.

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Progress to date

• 25 clients have been supported
• Networking and referral systems firmly in place
• 6 volunteers with ongoing recruitment
• Dedicated grant scheme has helped provide
  resources to help some individuals to maintain
  independence
• Working with a number of people living in homes
  specifically for independent living to encourage
  community cohesion and social interaction

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Case studies

• Client A Husband in Rutland Care Village, was
  housebound and not been able to visit church
• Client B - Failing health meant that she took 2 ½
  hours to walk to the village shop each time to
  collect shopping pension
• Client C Poor eyesight lead to non-payment of
  bills, and subsequently struggled with every
  element of life
• Client D Lady living alone in a rural setting
• Client E - ?

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Sustainability

• Parish Council involvement is the key to the long
  term success of this scheme
• Attended meetings, editorials in village
  magazines, met with key individuals throughout
  the county
• Extending invite to Parish Councils to discuss
  the project and its implications in their
  community

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Consultation Evening
Tuesday 9th December 2008 Conference Suite,
Rutland Volunteer Bureau, Oakham Presided
by Dr Laurence Howard OBE JP HM Lord-Lieutenant
of Rutland Vice President of the Rural Community
Council(Leicestershire Rutland) Senior
Representative from Rutland County
Council Buffet supper included
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Sustainability
Rutland Community Spirit is a 2 year project
we would like activities to go beyond 2010 and
need your help to make it happen!
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Contact details
Rutland Community Spirit Rutland Volunteer Centre
Barleythorpe Road Oakham, LE15 6QH Sue Renton,
Project Officer Tel No. 01572 720282 Mobile
07503 473 280 Email srenton_at_ruralcc.org.uk Lei
cestershire Rutland Rural Community
Council Tel [phone] Rural Community
Council web site www.ruralcc.org.uk