EASTBOURNE VOLUNTEERS WITH HELEN BURTON: Our success in matching up cafe projects

It was a well-loved service that provided good value meals five days a week, and one of our volunteers at the hub used to help out there. She was talking about how much the elderly patrons of the service were missing their club, so I suggested we look to see if we could get it up and running again. The very next day I was chatting with the volunteer manager at the hospital and was told that the RVS had not renewed their contract for the DGH café, and there was a large pool of volunteers that now had no café to work in. Some of the volunteers had been working there for over 30 years, and were very upset at their lost roles. By the end of the same week a trustee from Leaf Hall came to us and said that their café was being under-utilised, did we have any ideas for it? Not only that, but Leaf Hall is in Devonshire West and their next round of funding had just opened. Suddenly we had a viable project, and all within a week! This is the beauty of a small hub where information is being shared, we can react quickly to a need. We are finding out about the resources available in Eastbourne and can match people and projects together quite easily. We are working with the RVS and Leaf Hall to get this project off the ground, and if you want to follow progress you can like the Facebook page ‘Leaf Hall Lunch Club’ or of course you can pop into our hub. We are also looking for more volunteers who would like to help run the lunch club. Are you a good cook? The club will be serving a two course meal of meat and two veg with a pudding, tea, coffee and juice. Could you help prepare the meal? Even assisting would be helpful. Perhaps you would like to help serve food and chat to the patrons? It will be a social space as much as anything. The cost of attending the lunch club will be £5.50 per day, perhaps you or someone you know would like to attend? If so please phone 01323 381811 or email [email protected]

We would love to hear from you!

We are also looking for volunteers to become drivers for a new patient transport service we are setting up which will be run from our hub. Drivers will need DBS checks which will be undertaken by Eastbourne DGH. I will be writing more about this as that project progresses but if you would like to be part of a low cost transport service to help people get to medical appointments then email [email protected]

Working with organisations such as the RVS and the local hospital means we can achieve so much more, if you want to work with us too do get in touch!