Dore to Door internet edition

Local organisations - Autumn 2000

National Trust Sheffield Centre - Alzheimer's Society - University of the Third Age - Sheffield Dog Rescue - Wanted - Friendly Visitors! - Cine & Video Club

National Trust Sheffield Centre

The Sheffield Centre of the National Trust was formed in 1972 as a local association of those who were already members of the National Trust, with the aim of providing in this area functions to further the work of the Trust.

We currently have a membership of some 350 and publish two Newsletters a year - in January and July - in the form of a 20-24 page booklet. Our programme consists of various events. Our Annual Luncheon is generally held in March, at which the speaker may be someone from the national HQ of the Trust, or, perhaps, a person involved in heritage or conservation work. In the summer, we organise a number of whole or half-day coach outings to houses, castles, gardens or well-known homes. A Spring 4 or 5 day holiday has taken place for many years, usually to the south, but also to Scotland and along the Scottish border country. This Autumn, for the first time, we have arranged a two-nights-away weekend in the Bath area. It was quickly booked up, so, hopefully, it may be an annual function.

We have seven autumn and winter meetings taking place at the Sheffield Friends' Meeting House, with talks, slide shows and a social evening with pea and pie supper. The December, January and February meetings are afternoon events. At these we raise funds for the National Trust's appeals, recruit new friends and members and try to make membership of the National Trust more enjoyable.

The President of the Sheffield Centre is Sir Hugh Sykes K.B., D.L. We have a voluntary serving Committee, with an AGM in March. We continue to listen to people's ideas to provide further opportunities for us to learn and hear more about the National Trust - its coastline, houses, countryside and gardens. If you require more information, please get in touch with our Secretary, John Robertshaw on 236 0846.

Mrs J. M. Norris

Alzheimer's Society

The Alzheimer's Society in Sheffield is a particular active and busy branch of the National Charity. The branch is active in providing a number of services to carers and people with dementia within the city. These include information and carer support, carers groups, day services and a home respite service. The branch is run by a combination of paid staff and volunteers. The voluntary help is essential and volunteers find themselves involved in numerous projects within and outside of the office.

The Home Respite Service is particularly reliant on volunteers who provide practical support for carers within their own homes. The support that they provide, enable a carer to take a break from their role for a few hours. Carers use this time in a variety of ways. Some go out shopping or visiting friends and some stay at home for a well needed chat to someone with time to listen. Some volunteers like to take the person with dementia on a short outing, giving the carer the advantage of having the house to themselves, (a rare opportunity for carers).

All of these things we take for granted in our everyday lives but when they are taken away, the effects can be devastating. Carers can become lonely and isolated. The physically and emotionally demanding nature of caring for someone with dementia, twenty four hours a day is immeasurable. It is not surprising that carers can become ill or depressed or both.
The need for volunteers in this area is becoming more pronounced. People who are enjoying an active retirement have become very valuable to voluntary agencies as they have a wealth of experience and a life time of skills at their disposal. The Alzheimer's Society welcomes volunteers of all ages but due to the nature of the disease (affecting mainly older people), the majority, are older.

The volunteers that work for the Home Respite Service provide an essential link for the carer, establishing a strong relationship not only between themselves but other workers at the Society who may provide general support or specific help with services and benefits. For the volunteer this is rewarding work and all volunteers are provided with training on dementia care and support from the Volunteer Co-ordinator.

If you would like to know more about volunteering for the Alzheimer's Society we would be delighted to hear from you.

Contact Andrea Welch, Volunteer Co-ordinator on 276 8414, Venture House, 105 Arundel Street, Sheffield, Sl 2NT.

University of the Third Age

I am an active member of Sheffield U3A, The University of the Third Age. This is a self-help organisation and a charity involved in Life Long Learning . It is part of a worldwide organisation started in France and there are 1,600 members in Sheffield. Membership is £4, you then have access to over 50 subject groups ranging from archaeology to sea yachting and Spanish to woodcarving. We do not run courses and there are no rewards for attending group activities.

The only qualification you need to join is, to be over 50 years and no longer in full?time gainful employment. We have a bi?monthly newsletter with group news called Links. Most of our activities take place in the SW of the city. We have 14 walking groups for different levels of ability; 7 local history groups; 7 Bridge groups: several art groups; chess; gardening groups; language groups; a theatre group; travel group etc. etc.

I am involved with travel ? educational day visits, short breaks and longer haul tours. We have a sub?committee of 5 who run these. One member took a party to the Dome earlier this month, another is taking a group to Norfolk and later this year to The Cities of the Hapsburgs. I am taking 21 people to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. In the last 10 years various groups have been all over the world walking, playing Bridge, sketching and going on educational tours etc.

Our Enquiries Officer is Maureen Hessel, 1 Abbey Lane Dell, S8 0BZ, tel. 262 1995.

Yvonne Gutsell

Sheffield Dog Rescue

The Sheffield Dog Rescue was formed in November 1984 by a couple of friends who were upset at the thought of stray dogs being destroyed after only seven days, and with the conditions the dogs had to suffer in some of the pounds. People's pets sometimes stolen from their own gardens - taken miles away and dumped in strange surroundings and often too far from home for the owners to trace in 7 days.

Dogs and bitches abandoned for various reasons or just that the owners could not care less.
Puppies dumped in dustbins, rivers, canals, put down holes in woods and covered with brambles etc etc. There's no end to the neglect and cruelty we encounter in our work.

Lucky, a twelve-week-old pup - rope burns round his neck, scalds on his face, found in the lock of the Sheffield canal.
Freddy, laid at the side of the road, no hair below his shoulders, tumours on his back, severe ear infection and riddled with fleas and tics, starved, too weak to stand.
Fifty-two dogs virtually abandoned in a so-called sanctuary.
Bessie stolen from her own front garden, put in a van and thrown out of a moving van four miles away - needing an operation for injuries received.

Two pups of ten weeks old left in the back garden of a house by the owners when they moved to a different home.
The list is endless ...............

We have a no destruction policy!

Although an independent rescue group, the S.D.R. liaise with other rescue groups and rescue workers. We are at present involved with others in trying to get changes in legislation regarding the welfare of animals unable to receive help needed because of restrictions within the out-dated Protection of Animals Act (1911).

All our rescued dogs receive whatever veterinary help they need plus full vaccination or booster (if applicable). Kennelling averages £9,000 per year. The S.D.R. team are all volunteer workers. We are always in need of good jumble, bric-a-brac, homemade cakes etc for our fund raising events and helpers.

If you can help or offer a good home to a dog please ring 255 0469 or 01246 568 712.

We would love to hear from you!

Wanted - Friendly Visitors!

One person in every 500 has Parkinson's Disease. Over the age of 65, one person in 100 is affected and by the time 80 is reached the figure rises to one person in 50. It is a progressive, neurological disease, occurring when 80% of the brain cells which produce a chemical called dopamine are lost. No-one knows why this happens and at present there is no cure. However, there is a wide range of treatments available.

The Sheffield Branch of the Parkinson's Disease Society currently has over 250 members. We employ two paid Welfare Visitors who offer advice and support, we hold monthly meetings in the centre of Sheffield and produce a local newsletter about 6 times a year. However, we have found that one of the most useful facilities that we can offer our members (a lot of whom live alone and/or are housebound) is our volunteer visiting service. These are friendly people who call on a regular, but not necessarily frequent basis, to make sure everything is fine, or to see whether more specialised help is needed. These 'friendly' volunteers have the support of our Welfare Visitors to whom they report back if necessary.

Our problem is - we don't have enough 'friendly visitors! - so we would like to appeal through your magazine for volunteers who could spare 2-4 hours a week. Training and ongoing support are provided, and reasonable expenses reimbursed. Anyone interested should call our Welfare Officer, Chris Bond, on 235 2885 for more information.

Cine & Video Club

The meetings of the Sheffield Cine & Video Club start again in September after the Summer break. We meet on Wednesday evenings 7.30 for 8 p.m. at the Michael Church Hall, Lowedges Road. Visitors are always welcome.

September
20 Leeds Cine & Video Club visit us for a Challenge Match.
27 Members' favourite videos from last Season.
October
4 Practical night.
11 Digital video at Norton College. 6 p.m
18 Challenge Match with Mercury Movies at Wakefield Club Open.
25 We visit WAVE at Long Eaton.
November
1 Novice Competition.
7 50/50 evening at Chesterfield.
8 Members talk about their films.
15 Summer Theme Competition. "A Local Event".
For further information contact Peter Collins 236 1267 or Roy Ledbury 236 7283