Contacting us
 |
 |
|
Message from the Chairman of Trustees Charles Ellis February 2012
The Society started the year with a small party for residents, staff and trustees. This celebrated two things: to welcome back – as House Manager - of Chaowadee Varakamin after maternity leave and to thank Clare Barden who had filled the gap made by Chawoadee’s absence. The party went very well indeed. To ease the burden on staff trustees brought in their own contribution of food – and none of the residents complained!
This gives me an opportunity to say something publicly about Clare – and it is that her contribution has been in every way outstanding. She has been a friend to residents (and supplied smashing food), an example to staff and a very safe pair of hands in which any trustee could place a special task that needed attention. During her time, Jo Curtis resigned as Administrator (continuing now to work with the Society as a trustee) and this gave the executive board the chance to adjust the management of the Society. The decision was taken to increase the responsibility of the House Manager. Clare was invaluable in advising (after only a few months in the job) on how this might best be done. She has not left us for good, we are pleased to say, and is currently working on some new marketing initiatives. In all that she does in the future, we wish Clare very well indeed – she will be an asset to any organisation who has the wisdom to employ her.
On a personal note, I had the pleasure last week of introducing and playing a few opera recordings to residents. Opera is my passion and it was perhaps a greater pleasure to me to share these recordings (some of which were of live performances where I had actually been in attendance) than it might have been for the residents to hear them!
Chairman’s reports past:
December 2011
It is always good to start with welcomes. So firstly to a new resident Mrs Val Day who has settled in very well and for whom we hope a long stay with us. And also to a member of staff Lauren Hoadley, who has joined her mother Jayne as a House Assistant. Finally. a belated welcome to Nic and Jo, two boys from Magdalen College School, who have visited us weekly over the last school term, to talk to residents and work in the garden.
At the year end, I would like to thank all staff, trustees and friends for making 2011 such a satisfactory year for the Society. We have sadly said farewell to a number of residents but have also welcomed four more. We have also engaged new staff and welcomed a new trustee. Our social programme has been strong, with visiting entertainers and our garden party. The last event of the year will be carol singing in the house.
I would like also to report a practical success. Fire Safety regulation is understandably of great importance and the requirements are pretty rigorous. So all who live in or visit Brian Lewis House can take comfort that the systems and procedures were recently judged as very good by the County Fire and Rescue Service. The fire doors in our house are very user friendly: they can be opened easily and then stay open. Thus they act like a normal door. This system is, of course, more complicated than the old fashioned doors which spring back to close. So they require attention and maintenance from time to time.
For some time now, the first call we make when this or any other problem with the house occurs is to Graham Wheeler. Graham is a builder and qualified surveyor who worked some years ago for the NHS. He built our porch a few years back and I would like to record here the value of his continuing support as a volunteer.
May I wish everyone a jolly Christmas and a good peaceful 2012.
September 2011
New faces, and many welcomes
August/September can be quiet months at Brian Lewis House, with many residents enjoying a break away from Oxford with family/friends. Those remaining in Oxford have been enjoying the glorious weather in our lovely walled garden.
We are very pleased that Vinnie Juggins, a long standing member of staff, has now agreed to take over looking after the garden, along with volunteer help, too. A multi talented person, Vinnie is an enthusiastic gardener, working at a number of venues around Oxford. He is also keen to work with residents who enjoy gardening, and who will be able to help him to plan new plants.
In August, we welcomed a new volunteer, Mrs Walker, who joined us for the summer meeting of our poetry group. As mentioned before, volunteers are very much a part of the Abbeyfield culture. We are hugely grateful to them for sharing their enthusiasm and time in a variety of ways - running a weekly gift shop in the house for those residents who cannot get out and about; visiting residents, particularly those who are new to the area and settling into a new home.
We also say hello to our new Administrator Cath Greehy who joins us this month.
Jo - our current administrator - moves over to become a Trustee and will continue working closely with the Society.
Finally, a huge welcome to two new residents. Ron Adams has just moved in and soon we will be joined by Tony Thomas. We hope that they will very quickly settle into our small community, making new friends and enjoying all that Abbeyfield Oxford Society has to offer.
July 2011
Independent charities such as ours depend on the service of volunteers, as trustees (to manage and take responsibility for the operation) or as friends who help out in the myriad activities which make the place worth living in to the residents.
In this, my second report, I would like to pay tribute to departing volunteer Laidon Alexander who, for the last seven years, has provided personal contact with and support to all our residents. Meeting with them regularly, and organising events and entertainment has made better what we hope, in any case, is a pleasant life in the house. Laidon was also a trustee for three of those years and his calming presence and advice was invaluable in our deliberations.
But, as Laidon leaves us, we are delighted to welcome Karen Thomas who joins as a trustee. Karen, who has background and experience in care for the elderly, is specifically applying this knowledge to the question of how we, who are not geared to provide ‘nursing’ care to our residents, can best ensure that the necessary extra support is available when needed.
As the main page indicates, we have a vacancy for a new resident in the house at the moment but we look forward to the arrival in the near future of three new residents. Much redecorating of the rooms they are to occupy is going on and some of this was done by four young volunteers from St Andrews Church in North Oxford. I would like to thank them here – much appreciated.
May 2011
This is the first of what will be short but regular reports on news that may be of interest – not only to future residents of Abbeyfield but also to all who have a stake in the care of people as they grow older.
This regular report is also made possible by the continuing advance of internet technology. We have recently upgraded out old website and are in the process of doing so again. The internet is ever advancing in importance and, in the same way that staff and trustees work to improve services to residents, so do we work at these new information channels.
So, in this my first report, I would like to thank our trustee director Mike Owen and his partner Anthony Morris, who have helped the Society in its website development.
The other thing worth mention involves Mozart. He played in the famous Holywell Music Room (the first purpose built concert hall in Europe) as a child prodigy. On his way from London he would have passed along the road on which our house now sits. This we remembered yesterday when a local string quartet visited and played one of his compositions to residents, trustees and friends. A great evening.
As I write this we are in the throes of preparing for our annual garden party. We would be delighted to hear from friends old and new who might be in Oxford on Saturday 18th June from 3pm, who would like to join us. We hope to repeat last year’s most successful formula with music, Thai dancers, conversation and refreshments from 3 – 6pm. Please do ring our administrator on Oxford 790439, or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
if you can come along, to allow us to plan ahead with the catering.
|