Wickham Market Care Project (WMCP)
Trustees urgently needed to save the Aspire Day Care Centre Wickham Market has a long-standing history of volunteers serving the wellbeing of its residents. When Lehmann House was closed, with a possibility of it being sold to developers, a group of residents saw an opportunity for not only saving the Care Home but introducing a partnership arrangement involving a care home services provider, the village volunteer community, Suffolk County Council (SCC) and NHS , to create an integrated health, care and wellbeing hub. This was established with the aims to
Reduce loneliness and social isolation
Promote healthy lifestyles
Support early identification of health problems to allow preventative measures to be put in place with consequential reduction in hospital admissions
Increase the number of volunteer carers in the community and provide support and training for them
Support and help family carers
Support those leaving hospital to improve wellbeing and reduce readmissions
With support from the care home owner (DeVere), SCC, and the NHS, the community volunteer input is through the Wickham Market Care Project (WMCP) which has been set up specifically to
Provide a local, affordable day care facility for vulnerable adults
Provide care skills training for volunteers
Provide support, advice and respite for Family Carers
Provide 1st aid cover for local events
The day care facility is the Aspire Centre operating out of Lehmann House. The WMCP is an unincorporated association so that it can raise and manage funds. It comprises a number of volunteers who provide day to day (or occasional) support in a number of activities principally involving people using the Aspire Centre. Overall management is via a Board of Trustees, of which there needs to be at least 5. As time moves on volunteers and Trustees retire, and the Project is now in the position that without 3 new Trustees in the next 3 weeks it will dissolve, the Aspire Centre will close, and the support it currently gives to other village organisations will end. If you think this is an important community service in the village and are able to help either as a trustee or a volunteer and would like more information please contact Bryan Hall on 01728 746837 or email to BryanHall@uwclub.net.
