Calne & District Link Scheme (the Scheme) Charity No: 1063848 2022 Trustees’ Report
The number of trips per week currently stands around 50 trips, with a total of 37 drivers. The Scheme is urgently in need of additional drivers. Community First has received a grant to conduct a recruitment campaign to canvass doorto-door, in an effort to get more volunteers and this will take place in January 2023.
Up to the calendar year-end 2022 volunteers drove 66,096; did 2,656 trips and gave up 7,370 hours of their time.
No requests have been received for Link Scheme volunteers to sit with clients’ partners, enabling clients a little respite, but the scheme continues to offer this service.
Representatives from the Scheme have attended local groups: the Calne Health & Social Care Forum, the Voices & Dementia group and Wessex Community Action Zoom calls, which cover a variety of topics and involve many voluntary organisations. The Re-connecting Group, which takes place on Tuesday mornings in the Town Hall has also been attended to let the attendees know about the Calne Link scheme; as a result, a few attendees have started to use the service. The Scheme also had a display at the Calne Big Get Together in May, again in the Town Hall.
Sadly, a number of the clubs that were held pre-Covid – the Methodist Lunch Club, the Church House gatherings and Cherhill Day Centre have all closed since Covid, although it is hoped that the Methodist Lunch Club may re-open. All volunteers have also had the opportunity to join the Interactive calls and Safeguarding calls for all Wiltshire Link schemes, run by Community First.
The Chair has attended the Wiltshire Link Chairs’ meetings, organised by Community First.
The Scheme is in the process of developing a contemporary website, using the Chippenham Link Scheme’s website as a template, in an effort to attract more volunteers/clients. The committee also discussed having its own Facebook page, but considered that entries on the two Calne “Shout Out” sites are sufficient.
It was decided that transport for Ukrainian refugees would be offered free of charge, for the time being at least.
During the latter part of the year, the Scheme was given a donation, to enable it to offer free transport to anyone wishing to attend the three Warm Spaces venues in Calne, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The commitment of all our volunteers made it possible to continue operating – especially during Covid – and now that the Scheme is in full swing again.
Fran Creasey* Chair. 23 January 2023
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