Aim and Purposes
Frome Market Health Hub (FMHH) is partnered with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) to facilitate the provision of health screening clinics for farmers, their families and agricultural workers who visit Frome Livestock Market. In addition to the services provided by NHS partnership, FMHH also provides regular podiatry care, free of charge to visitors to the Livestock Market.
Objectives and Activities
FMHH is committed to providing convenient, free of charge, health care to the rural farming communities that are among the hardest to reach through traditional health channels. While NHS nurses and mental health nurses are funded by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (SFT), FMHH trustees facilitate two treatment rooms at the market, provide items of equipment, marketing and promotional materials and having received a grant from Somerset Community Foundation, trustees intend to use these funds to provide additional health-based care, not provided by the SFT. The partnership is an example of a public body working alongside the voluntary sector for public benefit.
Achievements and Performance
It was unfortunate that the organisation’s foundation year, 2020, coincided with the COVID 19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns which impacted severely on the organisation’s partners – Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (SFT). However, the year was not wasted, and very useful work was completed in the year so that as restrictions lifted in Autumn of 2021 communications between the organisation and its partner had bedded in and constructive planning had taken place.
Indeed, the most difficult stage of the year came with total lockdown before the organisation had been able to connect with the right partnership individuals, but through persistence and a mutual desire to move forward the right contacts were made and there was an immediate meeting of minds on the potential efficacy of the proposed clinics, our joint aims and objectives.
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For example, with our partners’ advice, FMHH Trustees put in place refurbishments needed to bring the livestock market offices up to NHS standards for use as treatment rooms. A new floor was laid by our market-based trustees. Our thanks to Frome Livestock Auctioneers (FLA) for undertaking the refurbishment with no cost to the organisation.
Much work was also done with another trustee who took on the design and production of our branding and signage needed for the site and general communications materials. We are indebted to Mole Valley Farmers for undertaking this vital work, again at no cost to the organisation.
In the period trustees continued to research the subject of rural health concerns which produced essential information that helped form a true picture of the type of patients most likely to make use of the clinics and the ways in which the Health Hub clinics could be most supportive of farmers’ needs. It was useful to gather information from the media and examples discovered through the livestock market and wider channels of communication in the rural area. Particularly pertinent was finding many examples of farmers struggling with their mental health. With this in mind our NHS partners earmarked the need for specialist emotional wellbeing professionals in their recruitment planning for the staff to run the clinic.
Financial Overview
Discussions that took place in the foundation year were to do with the division of financial responsibilities between the organisation and our partners. During the year, Somerset NHS Care Commissioning Group (CCG) agreed to fund staffing to run the clinics on a one-year test and learn basis. It became clear that the organisation would be responsible for additional services that would be offered on alternate weeks to the NHS clinics in order to provide a full schedule of health activities at the livestock market. The organisation highlighted the likely need for podiatry services as a priority and this service would be funded by the organisation. A grant application was submitted to Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) and an award of £5000.00 was granted. When the Health Hub is able to open, it is intended that this sum will pay for the services of a freelance professional podiatrist for a year and will also cover the cost of specialist equipment if it is needed.
Since the organisation has no paid employees, no overheads and no expenses in the first year, the grant sum has remained untouched. The organisation has reported back to SCF and explained the reason for not being able to open as a result of the pandemic and this has been accepted by the SCF
Volunteers
Throughout the foundation year the organisation has been supported at a distance by NHS Mendips Health Connectors who have provided invaluable advice and guidance. The registering of the organisation with the Charity Commission was greatly aided by SPARKS Somerset and the wonderful organisation that is Farming Community Network (FCN) has cheered us on when at our bleakest time during lockdown we wondered if the organisation would ever become a reality. All our trustees have given their time and advice with worldly knowledge and grace.
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Structure Governance and Management
In the initial stages, before registering FMHH with the Charity Commission, there was a working group of people, all of whom had an interest in the overall aim of improving health services for the farming community. From this working group, the founding trustees were approached, on the basis of individual skill sets. For example, our Chairman is a retired farmer with extensive farming knowledge and excellent ‘soft’ skills in relating to others. A Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset with extensive experience in mental health in the county accepted the invitation to become a trustee and has been a driving force in outlining the key areas where the organisation can have most impact. We asked an accountant who is partner in a firm that is very involved in farming; the livestock market manager who is on site both willing and able to manage the site requirements of the Health Hub staff; a senior member of Mole Valley Farmers who understands the needs of farmers and is able to communicate through the MVF newsletters; a livestock auctioneer who is in touch with Young Farmers and who communicates well with them; a senior member of Cooper & Tanner who is based at the market and who is close to estate management and the affairs of farmers in general; and a senior member of the Frome Market Auctioneers who lends wide experience in voluntary service and is a great source of common sense guidance. Finally, the writer is trustee administrator for the organisation. The board works extremely well together and has been supportive and constructive throughout the first, difficult year. The governing document outlines a rotational arrangement at 2-, 3- and 5-year intervals.
Administrative Information
Frome Market Health Hub is situated at Frome Livestock Market, Standerwick, BA11 2QB. The administrative contact for all correspondence is: Diana Bourne, at Yarnfield Cottage, Maiden Bradley, Warminster, BA12 7HY.
Finance Officer: Andrew Vickery, Head of Rural, Old Mill Accountants, Malltravers House, Petters Way, Yeovil, BA20 1SH
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Financial Statement for the Year ended 31[st] March 2020
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