ANNUAL REPORT 2020/2021
NEVILL GOOD NEIGHBOURS
Although we have previously held our AGMs in May we are meeting in October, a year on from our Zoom meeting last year. It is wonderful to be able to meet face to face once more.
Requests for help:
1 March 2020 – 4 April 2021
Lifts 30
Odd jobs 53
Prescription pickup/surgery samples 58
Shopping 115
Befriending/keeping in touch calls 201
Signposting/advice 15
Total helps 472
(Requests for lifts turned down due to either CV19 restrictions or unavailability 11)
5 April 2021 – 19 September 2021
Lifts 17
Odd jobs 15
Prescription pick up/surgery samples 9
Shopping 25
Befriending/keeping in touch calls 159
Signposting/advice 1
Total helps 226
We have now been running for four full years, our data being collated to coincide with the financial year.
Year on year requests for help:
2017/2018 105
2018/2019 165
2019/2020 254
2020/2021 472
2021/2022 so far 226
COMMITTEE
Most of this year’s quarterly meetings have been held on Zoom but we were able to meet face to face for the first time last month. We welcomed two new committee members,Sally Attwood as our new Secretary and Eric Khilstrom who has
taken over Communications (formerly described as publicity). Both have already proved to be great assets to the team.
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
There has been no training this year and other local Good Neighbour Schemes are now working independently. A researcher from Royal Holloway made contact to include us in her work on community responses to the pandemic and several committee members spent time explaining what we do.
VOLUNTEERS and HELPED NEIGHBOURS
This year saw three of our users celebrate their 90th birthdays and we sent volunteer signed cards to them all. Every user received a Christmas card this year and we are considering having our own printed annually, with an image designed by a resident.
This scheme is provided and run by volunteers, who give their time freely to support our neighbourhood. As we emerged from the particular demands of the pandemic, we thought we should check our list of volunteers. It was decided to consult all volunteers to ask if they wished to remain active members or would prefer to stay in touch by becoming a friend of the scheme. It also gave any temporary pandemic volunteers who are now back at work the opportunity to stand down. This ensures that group emails for helps will be restricted to those who are able to respond, in line with data protection legislation. It will also inform our DBS check requirements.
Users of the scheme were asked individually whether they would like us to hold emergency contact details to enable us to get in touch with friends or family members, if necessary.
Our new councillor Wendy Maples has responsibility for addressing loneliness and we are keen to involve ourselves.
It was decided that volunteers should use their own judgement, informed by government advice, whether they would like to offer lifts and enter neighbours’ homes once more.
COMMUNICATIONS
Our website was enhanced and developed to provide a wealth of information to Nevill residents. We funded and organised the delivery of scheme leaflets to every home on the estate and had regular articles in both the Nevill Residents Newsletter and the Sussex Express. Our users took part in a digital inclusion survey and training remains the greatest need to support the use of technology: Ability Net is a new venture which aims to address this. The Foundry Healthcare website now has a link to all the local GNSs, ours included. We have plans to design and print postcards for another leaflet drop before Christmas. Independently organised WhatsApp and Next-door groups continue to flourish and connect residents in very helpful ways.
FINANCE
Please see separate financial statement.
FUNDING
We have had a stable year and and haven’t needed to apply for further funding.
SOCIAL
It has not been possible to arrange any face to face meetings this year and we look forward to these circumstances changing.
Penny Ollosson
On behalf of the NGNS committee