After a 16-month closure of our Clifton friendship groups and Home Visiting Scheme, Good Companions are pleased to report that three of our friendship groups have now re-opened and volunteers are able to visit service users again in their own homes, as part of our Home Visiting Scheme.
Good Companions aims to support elderly and vulnerable people in the Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale areas who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
Whilst our 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) – in November 2020 – was held on Zoom in line with social distancing requirements, our AGM for 2020 will take place as a face-to-face meeting on Wednesday 1st September.
Some of our long-standing volunteers will be stepping down at this next AGM. They have put their hearts and souls into supporting Good Companions over the years and now feel it is time to ‘put their feet up’; they will continue to attend our friendship groups and enjoy the activities but not as volunteers.
We are therefore looking to recruit additional volunteers, specifically to stand on our Management Committee and also within our specialist sub-groups.
The skills required to sit on the Management Committee include being a good team player, coming up with positive ideas – and having the ability to action tasks; a commitment to the aims of Good Companions; and attendance at Management Committee meetings plus agreed tasks. The meetings are currently held approximately quarterly. Our sub-groups comprise of Social Media, Events & Local Fundraising, Policies & Procedures; and Strategic Finance: we would very much like to recruit new volunteers with skills and experience in these areas. Sub-groups meet between monthly and three-monthly, currently via Zoom.
Volunteers are also encouraged to join in our wider fund-raising activities; recent events have included afternoon tea and an information stand and tombola stall at the weekly Clifton market. We also welcome volunteers to support our weekly friendship groups.
For more information on how to get involved with the work of Good Companions, please email Sarah Cox on [email protected] or by phone on 07743 561 092. We look forward to hearing from you.
– Words by Sarah Cox, Lead Coordinator at Good Companions
