Meet the volunteer groups and firms at Newham that are supporting people in need across Cornwall
Wednesday 11th April, 2018
Newham, Truro’s riverside business district, is home to a community of much loved charities, voluntary organisations, care and health firms all dedicated to supporting people across Cornwall.
Bluebird Care Mid and West Cornwall has been based at Newham for six years this summer. Specialising in providing care for individuals in their own home including domiciliary care, support packages, outreach and live-in care, the organisation supports people from Lostwithiel to the Isles of Scilly.
Building a strong reputation for offering high quality, dedicated care, the team has also had its work celebrated on the regional stage.
Lauren Duck, recruitment and development coordinator, said: "We have a lot of recommendations from local people and professionals for the high-quality care we provide. We have a great recruitment and retention rate as we value our Care Teams, we were also rated 'Outstanding' by CQC and have recently won an award for 'Outstanding Workforce Development Employer' at the CAHSC Health and Social Care Awards 2018."
Keen to continue expanding the business, Bluebird is happy to be based at Newham as it is a central location making it easy to travel to various locations throughout the county.
"We also have a presence here in Truro for marketing as we rent two separate office spaces along Newham Road," said Lauren, "it is nice to be located amongst other local businesses."
The company is also involved with a number of fundraising events. Last week, a fundraiser was held at Carnon Downs Village Hall to help raise money for the District Nurse Team and to say thank you for the support they showed one of Bluebird’s late customers.
"We host many coffee mornings and bake sales across the year which appear on our new Facebook page (@bluebirdmidcornwall),” said Lauren. "We are also part of the 'Proud to Care' campaign, which is several local businesses working together to raise the profile of Health and Social Care as a career choice."
Also with a presence at Newham, Spectrum is the South West’s leading charity for autism services. It provides residential care for both adults and children, education and domiciliary care services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, similar conditions and challenging behaviours.
Spectrum has an autism resource and information centre in Truro - The Pearl Centre - providing local families, carers and professionals with autism related information, support groups, events and signposting to relevant services.
A newly relocated business to Newham, Westcountry Home Care Ltd has been looking after people throughout Cornwall for 17 years.
Tailoring support to each individual person, the dedicated team offers everything from housework to designing and delivering complex care with staff trained to the highest standards, including regular booster sessions with an in-house trainer.
The company, which has offices based across Cornwall, moved into the riverside business last week and is excited to make Newham its new home.
iSightCornwall is the only charity in the county dedicated to supporting people with sight loss to lead active and independent lives.
The organisation which helps over 4,000 people a year from its headquarters in Newham, relies on donations to run its services. And this year, all money raised for the charity, including through six runners taking part in the London Marathon, will go to the Sight Appeal. A campaign aiming to raise £50,000, it will not only support local clubs and groups but also help to fund an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), based at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.
Newham is also home to a St John Ambulance training centre. Located on Heron Way, the leading first aid charity teaches vital lifesaving skills to people through its training centres.
The organisation’s volunteers provide first aid in their communities, keeping people safe at events, and working alongside the NHS in response to 999 calls. They are always campaigning to raise awareness of first aid and directly educate the public.
Volunteer Cornwall is a charity dedicated to developing active and engaged citizens through volunteering. Matching people who want to volunteer, with organisations that need volunteers, the charity also has a range of projects and services – all designed to support and develop volunteers and host organisations.
"The solutions to the challenges we face – whether global (such as climate change) or local (such as littering) start with us as individuals," said a spokesperson for Volunteer Cornwall.
"We foster and develop voluntary action in response to the challenges of today and tomorrow. From advocates and event volunteers to transport, training and time banks – for all things volunteer-related, we are the people to speak to first."