Kimberworth Park Community Partnership

13 January 2022

 

End of Year Activity

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Undeterred by the Covid Pandemic and with the support and commitment of our volunteers and staff, we have continued to achieve and perform very successfully over the last year.

 

Two new services are now established as part of our support for people’s health and wellbeing.  These are the Shopping Project (shopping support for vulnerable /isolated people) and an approach to keeping people active after being isolated for many months,

through yoga/mindfulness and gentle exercise activity.  

 

We have also recently developed and opened a Food Pantry on the Chislett site. This has seen us working in Partnership with schools and other agencies to address Food Poverty in Kimberworth Park and its surrounding areas. This will, in the main, serve vulnerable families who are currently experiencing a variety of hardships.

 

All other services have continued throughout the year, either by different mediums of communication, telephone, Zoom, WhatApp etc. and where possible through opening up the Centre to small groups of people eager to meet together after being isolated for long periods of time.

 

We are grateful to all volunteers, staff and directors for the contribution they have made towards performance and achievements. Team work at its very best! 

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17th March 2021

 

Tuesday 23rd March will be the anniversary of the first national lockdown.

To mark this occasion, St John’s Church on the Green is placing a memorial board by the church tower, to remember all those people who have died during this past year, not all of them from COVID-19, and families who haven’t been able to have a proper farewell.

Anyone from the community who wishes to place flowers or other tributes can do so on the Tuesday or on any day up to the following Saturday.  At 12 noon on the Tuesday there will be a minute’s silence.

Please remember social distancing measures will still be in place.

When all restrictions are lifted, a memorial service will be held in church, where a candle can be lit in memory of each person’s life.

St John’s Church will provide details at a later date.
 

21st January 2021

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End of Year Activity

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2020, as will be agreed, was an extremely difficult year. On reflection however we think we might say KPCP volunteers, staff and Directors and the community itself rose to the occasion very well. At the latter end of the year, we had the four-week lockdown. We moved on from that only to be faced with the festive season. This caused a flurry of activity with us ordering food for hampers, toys for the children, books and coffee from Costa and packaging to wrap all these up.

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These were then wrapped by staff and volunteers, some starting at 7am in the morning, others were on the evening shift, all to get the hampers ready for despatch within days. They were then taken out for delivery by staff and volunteers, all coming back telling us what a worthwhile but emotional experience this had been, seeing families waiting excitedly on doorsteps for their hampers and toys. In all, fifty parcels went out.

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Alongside this the KPCP machinery still had to be kept going and some projects were at this time open, others continued either online or on phones. The ACE Project was open throughout lockdown as we were viewed as a ‘school’ experience. Food shopping and delivery went on right to the end of the year with staff and volunteers breaking their Christmas holiday to ensure people had their orders processed and delivered.

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A well-deserved thank you to all involved!

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4th September 2020

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Can we Help?

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During lockdown we have been put in contact with people who were shielding because of health or age and, where we could, we were able to offer help and support.  This has included things such as; help with shopping, weekly phone chats, finding prescription delivery services, and putting people in touch with other services. It has been really positive for us as a community organization to get to know people in the local area who we were previously unaware of, and we have built some rewarding relationships and new networks.

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As winter approaches, we are wondering if there are more people in the local area who are feeling isolated, whose heath and/or age makes them vulnerable to Coronavirus, and, who perhaps feel a bit alone during this difficult time?

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We would really like to like to talk to anyone who is in this situation themselves, and/ or who knows of anyone else who might be in this position.  This would involve a short phone conversation and if people feel keeping in touch is helpful then we can take things from there.

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Please ring the Chislett Centre 01709 559805

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27th August 2020

 

Chislett Centre to reopen 1st September

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The Chislett Centre is re-opening from next week and will be accessible by appointment only. Here’s what’s  happening at the Chislett Centre to keep everyone safe;

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• There will be fewer people in the building, and there will be changes to how spaces can be used, which will be explained by staff.

• We have changed the layout of the centre and how the building is used so that we can keep everyone socially distanced.

• For the foreseeable future people will no longer be able to come into the building without an appointment.

• All areas will be cleaned every day, and higher risk surfaces more often.

• We have increased the amount of cleaning time and have taken into account recommendations about cleaning methods and products.

• We are providing hand sanitiser and wipes at stages around the building which will be available for everyone to use.

• All KPCP staff will adhere to social distancing and safe practices at all times.

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What we are asking anyone who will be attending a group or activity at Chislett from September 2020 to agree to the following:

 

1. Telling us if you are classified as being particularly vulnerable to infection (e.g. if you are over 70, pregnant, immunosuppressed or have an underlying health condition) so that you we can consider whether we need to take any further action concerning your safety.

 

1. Respecting your own safety, and the safety of  the people around you,  by sticking to the guidance about hand washing, face coverings and social distancing as requested by KPCP staff.

 

1. Informing us if you or anyone in your household have experienced any symptoms of Covid19 infection within the 7 days leading up to your attendance at Chislett, or earlier than 7 days but are still experiencing symptoms.  (Symptoms are a raised temperature, persistent cough and/or loss of taste and smell)

 

1. Informing us if you develop any symptoms of Covid19 infection, or you have a positive test, within 7 days of having attended a group or activity at Chislett so that we can take the required action.

 

We are looking forward to seeing people in the centre again and will be gradually re-introducing  groups and activities, in a limited way, as long  as it is safe to do so.

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26th June 2020

 

Re-opening Plans Update

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We appreciate people are biting at the bit  at the moment to get out and about now lockdown is easing, so we thought we would bring you up to date about what’s happening at Chislett.  At the moment we are making changes in the Centre in  line with Government Guidelines in response to Covid-19,  in other words, making it  a safe  place for you and KPCP Staff to be in.

 

We are hoping to open early September. It isn’t going to be  exactly business as usual, however, in so far as it is  possible, we are hoping to begin with some small groups and activities at various times throughout the week.  In the meantime, do enjoy the lovely weather we are having, we  will be in touch again nearer the time of opening to give you an update and more information.

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3rd June 2020

 

Lockdown Blues - a poem by Ron Town

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Lockdown Blues

 

Stay at home and keep safe we were told at the end of March this year

And for the first time in my lifetime there are pubs with no beer.

Social isolation and Lockdown are the buzz words today

Kids stay in the garden and don’t go out to play

After years of meetings and activity I’m glad for the rest

I’ll make things in my workshop which is what I do best

I’ll paint a few pictures and watch a film or two

I’ll have food delivered to our house and not have to queue.

I’ll stay at home like Boris said and do all the things I’ve missed

But on the second day of lockdown my wife produced a list.

Build a trellis to support the raspberry canes and make it good and strong

If you think that you are doing nowt for months I assure you that you’re wrong

 

I got out my saw and hammer and built that blooming fence that day

But as a retired joiner my wife refused to pay

I have the next few days for my hobbies, now that I’m free at last.

You’ll paint the fence tomorrow, your leisure days have passed.

At the weekend I feigned a backache and she gave me two days off

And on Monday it was a sore throat and an imaginary cough

But after over forty years of marriage she could read me like a book

You get on with building that stone wall Ron or I’ll refuse to cook.

This has gone on throughout the lockdown but I’ll give my wife her due

I’ve had time off for good behaviour, well just a day or two.

Now by week ten things have got better and many jobs are done

And we have started having walks together and having lots of fun.

 

I’ve got out my paints and easel and life’s not too bad at all

If you want to paint that badly, said my wife, you can paint that bedroom wall.

And one wall led to another until I was about to faint

And then a miracle happened and I ran out of paint.

No more jobs for me I said with all the force that I could muster

I know we’ve run out of paint she said so here’s some polish and a duster

I mustn’t complain too much you see for I am feeling fine

Now I know how Howard felt on the last of the Summer Wine

I polished and I scrubbed and the house could not be cleaner

But Howard escaped for an hour or two to be with Marina

I might have exaggerated slightly and I have time for my self

I’ve just tidied my workshop, sharpened all my tools and put my screws upon a shelf

 

Ron Town in Lockdown

June 1st 2020

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14th May 2020

 

A Thank You to Morrison's 

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We would like to say a big thank you to Morrison's Supermarkets for their generosity in providing the special food parcels to vulnerable people on our Shopping Project yesterday. They were delighted. A big thank you to those on the phones taking orders, pickers, and delivers staff who go out of their way to make sure people have what they need to keep them in good spirits foodwise over the week. This is so important and it is greatly appreciated.

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29th April 2020

 

An update on what we are currently doing while we can’t be together.

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Our new community Covid 19 response project working alongside Rotherham MBC, NHS Social Prescribing Service, schools and other local groups is up, running and going really well. Activities so far have included shopping, signposting, telephone support, information and advice, for people who are particularly vulnerable and isolated.

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We have met with some lovely people so far and Its a real pleasure to be able to get food and support out to people who are keeping safe in isolation.

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One of these people so far has been a lovely lady who’s having her 90th birthday this week. As she is unable to have the big family party that had previously been planned so on behalf of the local community we have dropped her off a card and little birthday cake with her shopping.

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All of our workers and volunteers have been doing a fantastic job and all eager to continue.

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31st March 2020

 

An update on what we are currently doing while we can’t be together.

 

All of our many different projects and groups are being contacted regularly to check everyone is ok and find out what people are doing. We're using WhatsApp, Phone calls, Zoom, Facetime and Facebook.

 

There are also a number of Facebook groups that people have kindly set up and are hosting which are very active, helpful, useful and fun, so many thanks for the people who are doing this, supporting people and sharing ideas.

 

We are working on ways in which we can offer more help in the coming weeks for people who are particularly isolated or vulnerable so we will be asking you if you are able to identify anyone who fits this bill. We will let you know when we have more details of this.

 

Until things return to normal life please be assured that we are still here and continuing to help the people who already use our services.

 

Sending love and best wishes from all of us at Chislett and KPCP take care and stay safe.

 

 

17th March 2020

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Groups Suspended

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In light of the current situation regarding the corona virus (covid 19) and the latest government guidlines it is with regret that we have to close all our groups until further notice.

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We appreciate that this will be difficult for some but hope that people will look after yourselves, each other and our neighbours.

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We are working on ways of continuing to support people where most needed. We will be in touch and update you as and when information becomes available.

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Thank you for your understanding
Stay safe