Haywards Heath Deputy Mayor joins Good Neighbours CARE for a morning of volunteering

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Duncan Pascoe, said: “Last year I was invited to the 40th anniversary celebration of Good Neighbours CARE (GNC) where I met John Bines, the new chairman. I have since been invited to join John for a number of typical activities any volunteer of Good Neighbours CARE might do in a day and last Thursday, I got to see what it was all about.

“We started by collecting Geoff, a Haywards Heath resident with a visual impairment, and drove him to the Iceland on South Road to help with his shopping. As soon as Geoff got in the car, he took every minute to tell me how important GNC is to him and the positive impact it has had on his life. Geoff moved to Haywards Heath because he wanted to be in a lively town with active community groups. He is involved in a social club for the blind and visually impaired, that meet at The Yews, as well as other voluntary activities for the NHS and RNIB (Royal National Institute for Blind People.”

Geoff added “Good Neighbours CARE is a big help to me and is provided by good and kind people regularly. As my sight declines it is organisations like this that help me keep my independence. They are also part of the community safety net we all need in Haywards Heath.”

Duncan continues: “I was so pleased to hear such positive feedback about volunteers in our community that help people like Geoff. We helped Geoff with his shopping, happily dropped him home and then moved onto our next client Paul, a resident in Scaynes Hill.

“Paul was a new client to GNC, and although we got a little lost finding the right address, we finally met him at his house. Paul is elderly, lives alone and is no longer able to drive. He needs to attend regular physiotherapy appointments at the Princess Royal Hospital and without anyone at home to help with transport, Paul is reliant on taxis and the good will of neighbours to help him with his appointments. Paul said that Taxis from Scaynes Hill can be expensive so having GNC support him with transport is a huge help. Paul also asked about needing help with shopping and John informed him that GNC can help him order his shopping online so has more independence and doesn’t need to rely on transport. Paul was very grateful for our help getting him to his appointment and John said he would follow up to help with Paul’s shopping.

“Lastly, I had the pleasure of meeting Molly, a Lindfield resident. Molly is 90 and lives alone. Most of her family live outside the UK, but thankfully Molly has a regular visit from Jo, a local volunteer from Good Neighbours CARE. Jo checks in on Molly, helps her with small tasks and appointments and it’s clear that their regular meetings have developed into a true friendship. I was kindly invited to join one of Jo’s visits for a nice chat and cup of tea. Molly said how much she appreciates everything Jo and GNC does for her and the community. It was excellent to see other ways GNC volunteers can help, by simply being a friendly face offering time to support someone else in the community.

“I really had a brilliant day getting to see first-hand what GNC do. They are a fantastic organisation and a brilliant asset to the community of Haywards Heath. It was also clear to see how much impact we had in only a few hours of activity; the flexibility to help when and where people have time, makes it easy for volunteers to fit helping others into their routines.

“I encourage anyone who want to do more to support their neighbours to get in touch with John and see how they can get involved. I also look forward to seeing Good Neighbours CARE continue to develop and how the Town Council can support the work they do.”

John Bines, Chair of Good Neighbours CARE added: "We were delighted that Duncan was able to take time out of his hectic schedule and witness first-hand the range of support services we provide. Our clients certainly enjoyed meeting the Deputy Mayor, and it was great to see our volunteers receiving recognition for the selfless work they do in helping local people live their lives. Anyone out there, who can spare a few hours a month, should take a look at our website, or just give us a call.”

Good Neighbours CARE

Good Neighbours CARE is a voluntary organisation, founded in 1983. We offer practical help to the residents of Ansty, Ardingly, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield, Scaynes Hill and Wivelsfield Green.The services we offer are those of a friend or neighbour - time, a helping hand and a friendly ear.

For more about Good Neighbours CARE, visit their website at http://www.careinhaywardsheath.co.uk/ or give us a call on 01444 455955