Sources of Help in Hard Times

Two Ascot residents, who are concerned about the  impact of the financial crisis, have produced a leaflet, now available in doctors' surgeries and public buildings. It is 'a work in progress' but already, there is some extremely helpful information ( see below)  Anne Yarwood and Jeniifer James, both of whom are members of All Saints Church,  have pulled together sources of help with hardship during the current recession eg charities that might be able to give a small amount of money to get a boiler fixed, or help with getting to appointments.

CHARITIES

Age Concern & Help the Aged

The four national Age Concerns in the UK have joined together with Help the Aged to form a new charity alliance, now called Age UK, dedicated to improving the lives of older people.  Age Concern offers a ‘Protect & Save’ scheme covering home insurance and gas and electricity supplies and also provides Aid Call personal alarms to give peace of mind that help can be provided when living on your own. Age Concern and Help the Aged are also helping older people claim benefits they are entitled to, but may have overlooked, through their ‘More Money in your Pocket’ national benefits take-up campaign.

Contact:  Help the Aged Senior Line:  0808 800 6565 or go to www.helptheaged.org.uk.
Age Concern National Information line:  0800 00 99 66, or go to www.ageconcern.org.uk.

Citizens’ Advice Bureau

The CAB is free, confidential, independent and impartial and is there to help with advice, information, support and training.  Advisers will talk through problems but do not judge, just listen.  Clients are not told what to do but are taken through the options so that they can decide what to do next.  If an adviser is unable to help clients are referred to someone who can and the CAB works closely with local community partners to provide the best service possible.  Services offered by the CAB include specialist advice, information and options on:  employment, welfare benefits, debt and money issues, taxes and general advice, information and options on:  housing, consumer problems, relationship breakdown, dismissal, legal matters, education, health, discrimination, immigration and completing forms.

All Bracknell and Disrtrict CAB services have to meet high quality standards, such as the Community Legal Service Quality Mark, so you can be sure that you are getting an excellent service.

A CAB adviser is at Winkfield Parish Office, Fernbank Road on the first Saturday of the month and appointments have to be made in advance with the Bracknell Bureau on 01344 428107..

Contact: 40-42 The Broadway, Bracknell, 0844 4994107 Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday between 10.00am and 4.00pm and on Wednesday between 10.00am and 12.30pm or go to www.bracknellcab.org.uk for details.

Sunninghill Fuel Allotment Trust

Help on a one-off emergency basis only is available to individuals living within the boundaries of Sunninghill parish.

Contact: Mr R Dugdale, Trust Clerk, 101 Victoria Road, South Ascot, SL5 9DX or call 01344 620614.

Rector’s Discretionary Trust
This limited fund is available for modest, emergency cash assistance to people in the parish of All Saints’, North Ascot.

Contact: Rev Dr Darrell Hannah, All Saints’ Rectory, London Road. Ascot, SL5 8DQ or call the Parish Office on 01344 884686.

The Berkshire Nurses & Relief in Sickness Trust

Help from this charity is provided to all persons – whether or not they are nurses – who are resident in the county of Berkshire.  To qualify applicants must be under the care of the medical profession and generally be in receipt of DSS benefits and must be referred by a member of one of the Statutory Authorities e.g. GP, Health Visitor, Social Worker, District Nurse etc.  Applications are not accepted direct from members of the public.

Items or services that could be paid for by the Trust include convalescent holidays, fuel, medical or other aids, adaptations to the homes of the disabled, physiotherapy in the home, tape recordings for the blind, household equipment etc.

Contact: Mrs Rosalind Pottinger, Secretary, 26 Montrose Walk, Fords Farm, Calcot, Reading, RG31 7YH, telephone 01189 424556.

Red Cross Centre

The centre, based at Heatherwood Hospital provides, on a temporary basis for a donation to their funds, a range of appliances and equipment such as crutches and wheelchairs.

Contact: 01344 627377

CHARITY SHOPS

For items from crockery and curtains to furniture and frocks, look no further than your local charity shops, and they will also be pleased to accept your donations of items for sale.  Local shops are as follows but many more can be found in the surrounding towns.

Bas Books (Sebastian’s Action Trust), 5 Crossway, Bracknell
British Heart Foundation, 62 Broadway, Bracknell
Cancer Research UK, 8 Broomhall Buildings, Chobham Road, Sunningdale
Oxfam, 96-100 Broadway, Bracknell – has furniture
Sue Ryder Care, 6 Crossway, Bracknell
Thames Hospicecare, 4 Warren Road, Fernbank Place, North Ascot
Thames Hospicecare, 52 High Street, Sunninghill
Thames Hospicecare, 60 Broadway, Bracknell – has furniture

SOCIAL NEEDS

Winkfield & North Ascot ‘Good Neighbours’ scheme
Offers volunteer transport to North Ascot residents – at 40p per mile – for medical and other appointments.  Anyone wishing to undertake the driving should also contact one of the numbers below.

Contact: Anne 01344 621167, Sheila 01344 884333, Joyce 01344 890244.

Ascot Volunteer Centre

Provides a transport service for local residents unable to use public transport and covers Ascot, Winkfield, Winkfield Row, Sunningdale and Sunninghill.  Local journeys at £3.00 per journey and further afield eg to Wexham Hospital at 40p per mile.  Anyone wishing to undertake the driving should also contact the number below.

Contact: Miss M Carpenter, South Ascot Church Hall, Church Road, South Ascot, telephone 01344 625520 between 10.00am and 12 noon Monday to Friday.

The Ascot Project

Runs shopping trips for older people to nearby shopping malls every Tuesday for residents of North Ascot and Sunninghill one week and South Ascot and Sunningdale the next.  Cost £2.50.

Contact: Stephanie on 01344 625344 or David on 01344 626784.

Talking Newspaper for the Blind

Keep in touch for free with what is going on in the area by receiving a weekly summary on cassette of local news, sport, entertainment etc read by volunteers.

Contact: Mrs Lesley Simm, 01344 885303

Ascot ‘Drop In’ Centre
Drop in at Ascot Community Centre, Fernbank Road, on a Wednesday afternoon between 1.30pm and 3.30pm and be sure of a warm welcome, a cup of tea and delicious cake and a chance to have a chat with other visitors and, from time to time, enjoy an outing or some special activity. Weekly sub of £1.00.

Contact: Geoff and Jane Moss, 01344 625700

Ascot Day Centre, Sunninghill

Five days a week for a small daily fee The Centre opens its doors to the over 60s (although younger members are also welcome). Together with a warm welcome, morning coffee and afternoon tea, and a two course lunch are on offer plus a variety of activities including cards, board games and dominoes, carpet bowls, keep fit or dancing, as well as services such as hairdressing, podiatry, aromatherapy and manicures.  The Citizens’ Advice Bureau visits regularly, while members are both collected and taken home if transport is required.

Contact: The Day Centre, 01344 624923

KEH Social Club

Meets in King Edwards Hall on alternate Fridays from 7.30pm to10.00pm and provides plenty of opportunity for a good chat over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits and to improve your skills at various activities including table tennis and darts – and all for a weekly £1.00.

Contact: David Bennett, 01344 885727

North Ascot Mother & Toddler Group

Meets in King Edwards Hall Mondays and Wednesdays in term time from 10.00am to 11.30am for mothers, fathers, carers and their children aged between 0 to 5 years to socialise and play together.  Cost £1.00 for one child and 50p for each extra child.

Contact: Helen Wright, 01344 450321

SELF HELP

LETS

The Local Exchange Trading System is a self-help community initiative that encourages the sharing of skills and resources, which are advertised in a directory.  Members trade with each other, writing a LETS cheque at the end of each transaction, which is then passed to the group accountant who adds or subtracts from members’ accounts.  The group sets its own ‘rate of exchange’ - in Bracknell the rate is 20 ‘Bricks’ an hour and everyone’s time is equally appreciated.  Go to a LETS meeting which is held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7.30pm at Newbold School, Popeswood Road, Binfield. 
Contact:  01344 442914

Ascot Horticultural Society

Meets in King Edwards Hall on the second Wednesday of the month between 7.30pm and 10.00pm and covers all aspects of gardening and encouraging wildlife in the garden including how to grow your own produce no matter how small your plot or limited your knowledge.  Annual membership £10.00 + 50p per meeting or attend as a visitor for an individual meeting for £2.00.

Contact: Peter Cleare, 01344 622086

Freecycle website

The Ascot Freecycle® is open to all who want to ‘recycle’ items they no longer need rather than throw them away. Whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, it can be offered on the website, or you may be looking to acquire something yourself.  One main rule: everything posted must be free and you have to make arrangements to collect.  This group is part of The Freecycle Network, a non-profit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills. 
To subscribe contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NATIONAL/LOCAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Warm Front Scheme in England

If you need help paying for heating and insulation improvements in your privately owned or rented home, you, your partner or civil partner may be able to get money from the government’s Warm Front scheme if, for example, you are receiving income or disability related benefits.

To find out more call Eaga Partnership, the Warm Front Scheme Manager, on freephone 0800 316 2805 or textphone 0800 072 0156 between 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday, or go to www.warmfront.co.uk or www.direct.gov.uk.

Repair with Care

This service is funded by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead and operated on their behalf by Maidenhead & District Housing Association.  It helps elderly and disabled people to carry out repairs and improvements to their homes, to secure funding for essential work, advises on what improvements are available and also helps manage the installment of any equipment.  The service is available to anyone with a disability or aged over 60.  You must also be the home owner or private tenant living within the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.

Contact: Repair with Care at Crown House, Crown Square, Waldeck Road, Maidenhead, SL6 8BY or call on 01628 545000 Monday & Wednesday 9.00am-5.00pm, Fri 9.00am-4.45pm, or go to www.rbwm.gov.uk and follow the links from Housing/Improvements & repairs.

'Unless otherwise specifically stated, the details in 'Here to help' are for information purposes only and the authors do not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any such information.  The inclusion of any specific organization and/or its services does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favouring by the authors of this document.'