ABOUT US
The Friends is an independent charity which was established in 1991 with the help of the doctors to support the work of Mount Pleasant Health Centre. With the exception of our part-time coordinator Debbie O’Dell (01392 499291) we are all volunteers.
In 2015 the Care Quality Commission described our work as outstanding, a tribute to the work of our volunteers over a quarter of a century.
Upcoming Events:
Our Knitting Group are now in their summer break & we will start again on Wednesday September 4th at 2pm until 3.30pm. In July the craft group will meet on Wednesday 3rd, 10th and 31st, times as above.
We love to welcome new members to our friendly and sociable groups so please come along and join us!
Congratulations to T Lethbridge and J Harris for being the July winners of the Friends Lucky Numbers lottery! The next draw will take place on Monday 19th August- for those already involved good luck and for anyone that would be interested in joining please contact me on 01392 499291 or at debbie.o’dell@nhs.net.
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We are seeking someone to serve as Chair at a date to be agreed . The main responsibilities are to chair 4 Committee Meetings a year and the AGM; to ensure with the other trustees that the Charity’s governance complies with best practice, and that it achieves its aims and objectives. Though we are an independent charity we work closely with the Health Centre and its Patient Participation Group. For more information contact Debbie O’Dell on 01392 499291.
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WHAT WE DO
- If you have difficulties in getting to a local medical appointment, our volunteer drivers can provide transport, or we can provide information about alternatives. We also drive patients to a luncheon club, to a day centre and to a memory clinic – part of our befriending work which we would like to expand.
- Our fund-raising team of volunteers works hard to raise money by, amongst other things, Easter, Flu-Clinic and Christmas draws – pictured here. We also have cake, knitting, plant and table-top sales, and a ‘rolling’ sale of books donated by patients.
- We organise a Knitting Group which meets fortnightly on Wednesdays. Open to all patients of the Centre it is an opportunity to meet others and chat. As well as producing items for our fund-raising efforts, the group has made twiddle muffs for dementia patients and blankets for babies at the RD&E. Beginners are welcome.
- We have recently started a Craft Group, meeting on alternate Wednesdays, which is also open to everyone. Like the Knitting group a meeting is a social occasion which aims to produce items for sale as part of our fundraising efforts.
- To keep in touch with members and patients we produce a Newsletter: you can access the latest edition here.
- We work closely with Wellbeing Exeter’s local Community Builder, who has compiled a comprehensive list of activities in our area which can be found here.
New volunteers are always welcome as drivers, befrienders and fundraisers (contact Debbie O’Dell on 01392 499291 or email Debbie).
DID YOU KNOW
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Last year our drivers made 1,371 trips on behalf of patients covering 9,276 miles.
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In recent year we have been able to make a substantial contribution to the refurbishment of the toilets at the Health Centre, and supported chiropody services for diabetic patients.
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Volunteering with the friends is often fun: Volunteering is good for you.
WANTED
Similarly, new fundraisers are always welcome, and again any amount of help that you can give will make a difference – enabling us to buy things which will improve the quality of a patient’s visit to the Centre. This is a great chance to become a member of a sociable and supportive team
Also, we welcome any ideas you have about what we might do in the future. If you would like to help set up a walking group, for instance, or help us to utilise social media, that would be great! So if you think you might want to volunteer, or have ideas about new activities, contact Debbie O’Dell on 01392 499291, or email here. We will be delighted to hear from you.
As well as a chance to give something back, helping to keep people independent and improve the quality of a patient’s experience at the Health Centre recall that volunteering is FUN and good for your health; see here.
