Tony is “odd job” hero
“It’s little things that can make a huge difference to helping people maintain their independence, living in their own home for longer.”
This month in the Gloucestershire Gazette, we’re highlighting the role of our Care and Repair service, led by Volunteer Co-ordinator Tony Carpenter. Care and Repair is a trusted handy person service for local residents aged over 65, or any disabled adult. We can do anything from general DIY, such as replacing a light bulb or moving furniture, to installing a safety rail or fitting a key safe to enable home care for someone coming out of hospital.
All it takes is a phone call to us on 01453 548530, followed by a home visit, to assess what help is needed and provide a quote for any materials and the time involved. The home assessment is free and there is no obligation. Our team are all DBS checked.
Through Care and Repair, we hope we can help you to maintain your independence in your own home for longer.
October is Pension Credit Month at GL11
A charity in Dursley is urging people to check their entitlement to Pension Credit this October. Some 850,000 households around the country are missing out on this means-tested benefit, including many in Gloucestershire. Pension Credit is for people over State Pension age and who have a low income, and it can be worth an average of £3,900 each year. Those receiving Pension Credit are also entitled to a number of other benefits, including the Winter Fuel Payment and a free TV licence if you are over 75.
GL11 Community Hub has just launched Pension Credit Month, providing support every day throughout October. Local residents will be able to pop in to the centre on Fairmead in Cam or phone 01453 548530 between 12:30pm and 2:30pm, Monday to Friday, for a calculation on their entitlement to Pension Credit and for help completing an application.
“You could be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, receive other benefits, or have an income below £218 per week for a single household or £332 per week for a couple. We are running Pension Credit Month to ensure that members of our local community don’t miss out on benefits that they are entitled to, including the Winter Fuel Payment, and we hope that people will get in contact with our friendly team to check their eligibility.”
In addition to the daily support at GL11 Community Hub, the team will also be running a drop in session at Sharpness Village Hall on Monday 14 October between 10:30am and 12:30pm, and at The Keepers Community Hub in Wotton-under-Edge on Friday 18 October between 10am and 12pm.
“It literally saved my week”: the GL11 Community Pantry
“All families have unexpected bills and can find themselves short one week, unable to make things stretch; the GL11 Community Pantry is there to support you. As one of our Community Pantry members said after their first visit: “it literally saved my week”.”
This month’s column for the Gloucestershire Gazette is all about our Community Pantry initiative. Every week people come to GL11 Community Hub to do their shopping, choosing from a selection of good quality food, toiletries, cleaning products, nappies and more. Members pay a £4 contribution per person per visit and can typically expect to pick £15 - £20 from the shelves. What really makes the Community Pantry special is that membership is open to all and there is no means testing.
The Community Pantry runs on Wednesdays and Fridays. To find out more visit our Community Pantry FAQs page.
Could we all benefit from a summer shutdown?
“The feedback from staff is entirely positive; we are relaxed, rested after some really good downtime.”
This month’s column for the Gloucestershire Gazette is written by Indigo, our CEO, and explores the reasons why we have a two-week summer shutdown. What started as a purely practical measure actually has wider wellbeing benefits for our team of employees. As people around the world find it increasingly difficult to switch off from work, a organisation-wide closure means our staff can have good quality time off. Research shows that such closures are really beneficial; they can prevent burnout and even extend your life!
So maybe we could all benefit from having a summer shutdown in our place of work?
Hope not hate
It is truly inspiring when communities stand up together to reject the agenda of hate and racism driven by unacceptable extremism from irresponsible people in power and toxic social media outlets.
For more than 20 years, GL11 Community Hub has been dedicated to fostering community inclusion, and connecting local people with any help they need.
GL11 will always work to create inclusive environments where everyone feels safe, respected and hopeful, free from hate, fear and intimidation. To be there for you when you need us. To engage with our local communities to build hope, understanding and promote cohesion.
Nine out of ten people coming to GL11 Community Hub say they feel more engaged with our local community as a result. Together, we can create a society of hope, not hate, where everyone feels valued and protected.
GL11’s influence beyond Cam and Dursley
“When you see a busy and bustling GL11 Community Hub here in Cam, that’s just the tip of Cam & Dursley’s influence reaching out across Stroud and Gloucestershire! ”
This month’s column for the Gloucestershire Gazette is written by Audrey, our Head of Community Relationships, and looks at some of the work going on outside of GL11 Community Hub to influence local and county-wide policy and to ensure that the needs and voices of Cam and Dursley residents are listened to in other organisations.
From our work connecting the NHS with people locally who are managing chronic health conditions to see how they can be supported more effectively, to creating a network of Community Hubs across the Stroud district, Audrey has a busy and exciting role!
Camunity Concert to raise funds for GL11 Community Hub
St Bartholomew’s Church in Lower Cam is hosting a fundraising concert on Saturday 13th July at 7pm.
Celebrating the work of GL11 Community Hub and St Bart’s Church, the Camunity Concert will feature local artists including two Rednock School students, a classically trained soprano, a flautist, an Abba tribute singer, and the well-known Camtabile.
Entry is by donation and tickets are available from GL11 Community Hub or online at https://cam-unity.org.uk/. Drinks and nibbles will be available.
Volunteers’ Week at GL11 Community Hub
“Volunteering is the heart of community, it’s the lifeblood of everyday life, and it’s why I love my job at GL11.”
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of Volunteers’ Week, the annual celebration of volunteering across the UK in the first week of June. In recognition of this our Volunteer Manager, Adam, has written a column for the Gloucestershire Gazette reflecting on volunteering and community.
Did you know that 16% of the UK population report volunteering at least once a month? That’s about 8.3 million people! As well as making a huge difference to others, volunteering can also boost our own wellbeing, help us gain experience and new skills, and improve our confidence.
Here at GL11 Community Hub, volunteers are involved in everything we do: from serving in our Community Cafe, to taking on the role of Trustee, and from helping with advice on our Cost of Living support days, to befriending members of the local community. In total we have 107 volunteers who gave a whopping 4,117 hours (171 days!) of their time last year.
If you’d like to find out more, head to our volunteering page.
Mental Health Awareness Week at GL11 Community Hub
“We don’t need to wait until we feel unwell, more tired, sad or worried before we take action to MOT our mental health.”
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, organised by the Mental Health Foundation, runs from 13 to 19 May. As part of it, our Community Wellbeing Director, Lisa, has written a column for the Gloucestershire Gazette exploring the importance of making time for ourselves and highlighting some of the ways in which GL11 may be able to help support your mental health.
The theme for the week is ‘movement: moving more for our mental health’. As well as helping our physical health, regular movement can make a huge difference to our mental health. Despite this, more than a third of UK adults find it challenging to make time for movement. The good news is that even a small amount of activity can boost our mood, and throughout the day it all adds up!
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week at GL11, we’ve organised a treasure hunt and lunch for members of staff, we have sensory baskets in the cafe all week, you can come and dance at our silent disco in the afternoons from Tuesday to Thursday, and we’re asking you to contribute your favourite songs to our GL11 movement playlist!
But good mental health is important throughout the year, and there are many ways in which GL11 can help support you. Our counselling service helps around 1,000 people every year, whilst our gardening and walking clubs enable you to get out into nature and find time for movement. Why not pop in and find out more?
GL11 project nominated for a second national award
GL11’s Living Well With Pain programme, in collaboration with the NHS, has been nominated for The Excellence in Primary Care and Community Care Award in the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2024.
The programme works with people with chronic pain in an effort to understand how the condition affects their lives.
“We know persistent pain can have a massive impact on the lives of those living with the condition and their families. Anything we can do to offer more support and understand the experiences of people affected by pain is really valuable.”
Nominations for the NHS Parliamentary Awards are made by MPs to highlight excellence in their constituencies.
“I was absolutely delighted to nominate the team for this prestigious award because of the outstanding work it undertakes helping the community with issues like long COVID and chronic pain. It is very important how effectively the team works with other organisations, including GPs, to ensure its programmes help and support those in need. GL11 was recently recognised by the government too when their Community Project in Cam received more than £60,000 from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. I am looking forward to the awards ceremony and I will keep an eye out for GL11 as the winner in ‘the Excellence in Primary Care and Community Care Award’ category.”
The innovative project brings together NHS specialists, local GPs, voluntary workers and members of the local community.
“This project, and other work we have undertaken together, has shown the power that exists to treat patients in a different way in our community. The typical medical model just isn’t appropriate for chronic pain. GL11 staff have been amazing to pull us all together. We are so lucky to be working with Cathy Standard who is a nationally renowned pain specialist. This has been a triumph of partnership working and I am proud to be involved in it.”
You can find out more about the project in the Living Well With Pain report.
Have you seen our new column in the Gloucestershire Gazette?
Starting in March 2024, GL11 Community Hub now has a monthly column in the Gloucestershire Gazette where you’ll have a chance to hear from the team about some of the amazing work that take place here.
Our CEO, Indigo Redfern, penned the first column in March: GL11 one of the originals.
“Have you heard of GL11 Community Hub?
As CEO, I often wonder how best to introduce GL11 Community Hub to those people who haven’t come across us yet.
Community Hub is a trendy phrase at the moment, but GL11 is one of the originals! GL11 is a traditional community centre.
Our staff and volunteers are local people, all involved because we care about our community and want to make it a connected, kind and can-do place.”
Then in April the column was written by Jo Cole, who works on our blood pressure monitoring project as well as our weekly advice sessions for people struggling with the cost of living: Hub working to tackle a silent killer disease.
“Do you remember when you last had your blood pressure checked? Me neither!
I guess it just doesn’t occur to me because I feel pretty healthy. But high blood pressure is one of those silent killers. You feel fine then suddenly, bam.
So when the NHS identified blood pressure as a key priority to save lives in Gloucestershire, it made sense for GL11 Community Hub to step up and do our bit.”
We’re really excited to share more stories with you! Keep an eye out for next month’s column in the printed paper and online.
GL11 Community Hub is seeking two new trustees
We are a thriving local community hub, providing a wide range of activities and services at our centre in Cam, and across Stroud and Berkeley Vale, Gloucestershire. We work closely in partnership with NHS and public sector, providing community action groups to help shape services to better meet people’s needs.
Having completed our trustee skills and profile audit, we are seeking to recruit two new trustees to add to our current board of 8:
One with significant experience of attending GL11 activities either as a participant and/or as a volunteer, who is able to represent our community
One who can support our development of digital data capture, management and analysis, including future potential for AI and machine learning, aiming to develop GL11’s monitoring and evaluation of the impact of preventative measures.
As a local community hub we require the majority of our trustees to live in the Berkeley Vale area (Cam, Dursley and nearby areas) of Gloucestershire.
Trustees meet 4 times each year on Wednesday evenings and are responsible for the strategy and governance of GL11 Community Hub. Trustees have no operational remit or responsibility.
We especially welcome applications from the following groups who are currently under-represented on our Board:
people aged 18-50
men.
We also have opportunities for Expert Advisors who can input to the Board in more operational roles.
Please contact our CEO, Indigo Redfern, for an initial discussion or send a CV and covering email to indigoredfern@gl11.org.uk. We are aiming to recruit in early April.
Now Booking: Children's Activities at GL11 the first week of the Easter Holidays
Our families team will be running Messy Monday as usual for up to 5s, from 9.30am to 11am. Just drop in. £2.50 per family.
Then from Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th March, we will be running our usual school holiday Adventure Play sessions for 6-10 year olds.
Two sessions each day, 10am - 12 noon, and 1 - 3pm. £3 per session. Pre-booking required.
To book email: kathredmond@gl11.org.uk or call us on: 01453 548530.
Book early as these popular school holiday sessions, with only a limited number of places can quickly book up.
PLEASE NOTE that GL11 is CLOSED the second week of the Easter holidays, from Monday 1st to Friday 5th April for cleaning and repairs.
Make it a special Mother's Day with Flower Arranging at GL11
Come along to our NEW event in time for Mother's Day!
Make your own bespoke flower arrangement for mum at our special Flower Arranging morning at GL11.
Friday 8th March, 10am to 12noon.
Just £7.50.
To book your place, email - office@gl11.org.uk - or give us a call - 01453 548530.
GL11’s NHS Health Project shortlisted for National Award
GL11’s community health project, in collaboration with the NHS, which aims to helps people with chronic pain has been shortlisted for a national award.
The project to understand the impact of chronic pain, works with people with experience of persistent pain in a bid to understand how the condition affects their lives, and has now been shortlisted for a national HSJ Partnership Award.
GL11 Community Hub and NHS Gloucestershire have been nominated in the ‘Best Not for Profit working in partnership with the NHS’ category at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2024.
Ellen Rule, Director of Strategy and Transformation and Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Gloucestershire, said:
“We’re delighted that the fantastic work of an organisation like GL11 has been recognised at a national level. As One Gloucestershire Integrated Care System, we have good, long-standing relationships between statutory and VCSE sectors, with this project a shining example of our shared ambition to make our county a better and healthier place to live and work. GL11 are experts in understanding the needs of their local community, and they’ve established strong and trusting relationships with people who are living with chronic pain, so they were well placed to lead this work.”
Cathy Stannard, Clinical Lead for Pain Transformation at NHS Gloucestershire, added:
“The best way we can support people with persistent pain is by asking what matters to them. The feedback and insight GL11 have gathered from people with lived experience allows us to work together to focus on developing the support and services they need to live well. We know persistent pain can have a massive impact on the lives of those living with the condition and their families, anything we can do to offer more support and understand the experiences of people affected by pain is really valuable.”
The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed across the UK’s healthcare system.
Read all about the help available at GL11’s Warm Wednesdays
Our Warm Wednesdays, with £1 Cafe and a shed load of wonderful free help and advice, run10am to 4pm every week.
NEW in 2024 - family advice sessions with a creche. Please ring to book a slot - 01453 548530.
Hear about all the help available at GL11’s Warm Wednesdays in this NHS short video.
Did you see GL11 showcased on BBC Points West this month?
GL11 was proud to be showcased on BBC Points West again as part of Gloucestershire Community Foundation's Christmas Poverty Hurts Appeal for vital funds so that Community Hubs, like GL11, can continue supporting those who most need help this winter.
GL11 community champion receives MBE
We're super proud! Indigo Redfern, CEO of GL11, received her MBE from HRH The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle at the end of last month.
The King awarded the MBE in recognition of GL11’s services to the community, particularly during the Covid pandemic. Congratulations Indigo.
“I don’t think my MBE award had quite sunk in until I went to Windsor” Indigo said. “I felt part of a whole different world there, with so many other fantastic people receiving their MBE’s, and I was one of them! I felt so proud to receive this award from HRH the Princess Royal for leading GL11 Community Hub, and all we achieved together, during the pandemic.”
Impact of ‘Off We Go’ partnership with NHS
For the last couple of years, after Covid, GL11 have been working in partnership with the NHS and other local community organisations to put on creative workshops for people to reduce isolation.
These workshops have been delivered out in community space across our area under the shared banner of "Off We Go" and funded by the NHS.
The wonderful Abi Nicol has made this fantastic slide show of our collective impact, which is being shown in local GP surgeries TV screens in the waiting rooms.
#healthandwellbeing
*New* Community Handy Person Service Takes Off
Care & Repair is a handy person service for residents over 65, or any adult living with a disability, in the Cam and Dursley area. This service is run by GL11 Community Hub, Cam.
What is Care & Repair?
GL11 Community Hub has launched a new service called Care & Repair. It’s a handy person service for residents over 65, or any adult living with a disability, in the Cam and Dursley area. This service is run by GL11 Community Hub, Cam.
This useful service aims to provide the help to get small jobs done in the home and garden, to help residents maintain their independence for longer, with the help of members of staff from the trusted local charity.
A team member will visit you at home, to assess what help is needed and advise on a course of action from there. The home assessment is free and there is no obligation. All GL11 Hub team members are DBS checked.
The type of jobs that will be covered are: General DIY e.g. replacing a light bulb; Fall Prevention e.g. installing a safety rail; Hospital Discharge Facilitation e.g. furniture moves; Security e.g. fitting a key safe or letterbox cage covers
What does it cost?
GL11 Community Hub is a registered charity and the Care & Repair service is a not-for-profit service, however, charges will apply to cover some costs incurred.
How do I apply?
The best way to reach us is by phone. Give us a call on 01453 548530. Alternatively, you can send us an email on office@gl11.org.uk.