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Click on the links below to discover what Evergreen Care Trust is about...
The Evergreen vision is an ambitious one and it needs to be! The challenge of the next 50 years, with Britains ageing population, demands that local churches and communities work together to establish grass roots support services that can be built upon by future generations.
The vision includes:
Home Nursing Service - This service would provide personal care, in the home, by trained carers, working in pairs when needed, as salaried workers. The model practised would be entirely different from what is currently on offer.
Cottage Accommodation - Properties given in trust or purpose built satellite bungalow cottage accommodation to provide suitable, small group housing. Members of the household would share their lives with each other, supporting and caring for each other according to their ability. The residents would be supported by the local church and community equipped and trained to do this.
Lifestyle Centre - A one-stop information, resource and health assessment centre incorporating a gift/book shop specialising in quality goods pertaining to healthy ageing. The centre would include an excellent health food restaurant promoting healthy eating. Also a training/conference suite; a venue for the promotion of healthy lifestyles from cradle to grave.
Across the Nation - What has become evident in the years that the Trust has been operating is that there is need for this model to operate in other parts of the county and country. It is our purpose to share our experience, policies and procedures, the framework for this model, with any like-minded community prepared to work together to establish these services in their area. To this end it is our hope to support, train and equip any interested communities.
Mission Statement:
The Evergreen Care Trust seeks to serve older and vulnerable adults in our community by improving their circumstances through advocacy, friendship and practical support.
"
Treat others as you would like to be treated...
love each other as I have loved you.
-J esus
The Evergreen Care Trust was established in Stamford in May 2005 by a group of volunteers from across the local churches in response to identified needs of older and vulnerable people which did not fall within the remit of statutory health and social care agencies. It represents a commitment to the resolution of the dilemmas of ageing with God inspired solutions that respond to pressing and changing needs.
The Trust has endeavoured to develop services appropriate to need; some are voluntary projects and other services are paid for by clients. Where there is singleness of purpose, the Trust works with statutory health and social care agencies and other local charities and projects serving the same client group.
The Trust is not about charity and doing things for ageing and vulnerable people, but rather we encourage and enable people to take responsibility, to do and be themselves, and support them in achieving this. We endeavour to maintain the highest levels of integrity, security and confidentiality in all our dealings with people.
Early January 2007 saw the gathering of local dignitaries, church and community leaders together with existing Evergreen staff, volunteers and clients to celebrate and consecrate the work of the Trust in Stamford. The Bishop of Grantham prayed a blessing over the work and those involved. Also for the future vision to continue responding to local needs and to share this working model across
the nation.
Later that year the Evergreen Care Trust received charitable status for its work and also as a grant giving organisation, making gifts to local charities and projects serving the same client group.
The Trust is committed to the teachings and values of Jesus in all areas of finance, service and relationships with partners, friends, staff, volunteers, clients and the wider community.
Application is not made for Government or Lottery funding, therefore, in faith, the work is financed and resourced by generous public donation, church, business and community group support.
The Evergreen vision is an ambitious one and has been many years in the forming. The vision has needed to be ambitious because the challenge that faces Britain and many other western nations with ageing populations, in the next half century is great indeed. Together, as we (any who catch the vision) work together, we can make a difference; a difference that will really count in the lives of older and vulnerable people today and will, I believe, set the foundation for continued building and developing of services and support into
the future.
I trained as a nurse in Sydney and spent three years after I graduated trying to find my professional niche and eventually took up a Community Health nursing post (District Nurse) in the outback of North West New South Wales. During this time I worked with an inspirational Geriatric Consultant and a team of professionals who would fly out to our base hospital once a month. Whilst serving the elderly community I began to ‘see’ them with new eyes, and so enjoyed working with them and serving them as the nurse responsible for their health and social care needs in the district. I soon found myself wanting to champion their causes and stand their corner when life experience was not all that it should or could be for our senior citizens. I spent the next several years in further training, specialising in Gerontology and Care of Older people and was then given opportunity to develop services for older people in this outback area. It was one of the professional highlights of my life.
I moved from Australia to Scotland and sought work in Inverness in the private nursing home sector, an area of nursing where I had no experience whatsoever. I secured employment as a staff nurse in a registered nursing home eventually becoming Matron. I was shocked and concerned with what I witnessed and heard in some of the care settings, and, whilst there were good numbers of caring and compassionate staff at all levels, the approach and system delivery was generally very poor.
I learned much during this season in Scotland, made many mistakes along the way but became increasingly convinced that there is much to be challenged in personal, professional and social attitudes and behaviours towards ageing and older people. There has to be a better way to treat people as they get older, as they become vulnerable’ this became the cry of my heart and somehow I believed and knew that this was God’'s
heart too.
In 2002, having moved down to Lincolnshire, I was appointed as a Community Care Officer with the Stamford Social Service team. I loved working with the team, who were an amazing group of committed Social Workers and Community Care Officers. Working in the Older Persons Team was rewarding and fulfilling, however, a year or so later I observed a steady tightening of resources available for care provision in the community and my colleagues and I were increasingly aware that demand for service and support was outrunning supply. Clients were introduced to lengthy waiting lists, long term provision was fast becoming a thing of the past, unless a client was self funding, and we were aware that very vulnerable people were left struggling with tightening criteria. The services appeared to shift unrepentantly from prompt and preventative approaches to crisis management only. Tight resources meant that the highest priority cases only were provided for, a necessary strategy but one which has serious long term consequences. It also had a negative impact on staff morale and job satisfaction.
Quite apart from the statutory service provision, I, along with my colleagues, were very aware that there were great areas of need that were unable to be addressed by any health and social care agencies. During assessments we observed older and vulnerable people struggling to cope with their homes and gardens, their shopping and laundry, loneliness and isolation. We often witnessed extreme squalor and, on investigating, found that no public agency had the resources to deal with this. The cost of private companies providing cleaning in these extreme cases was prohibitive to our average pensioner.
I became aware of some of the experiences of older and vulnerable people being discharged home from hospital late at night, those without family or carer support at hand. Sent home to cold empty houses with no bread, essential groceries, not even milk for a cup of tea!
One day about six months after I had joined the team, I sat in the Stamford office at my desk catching up on paperwork but listening to an experienced Social Worker on the phone trying to find a Befriender for a client of his. The client was bereaved having lost his wife of almost 60 years. There were no children and while the client did not need the support of Social Services, he stated that he simply needed a friend, many of his peers had already passed away. The Social Worker had given most of the morning to this task yet without any joy. As I listened while yet another agency told him ‘'sorry we can’t help'’ I looked up out of the window that stretched across the length of the office; numerous church spires caught my attention and left me wondering, ‘surely the local churches could help with some of these unaddressed needs in our community?’
I approached my then Practice Manager and asked his permission to contact all of the local ministers with a view to discuss with them the possibility of a building a team of volunteers which was later to become known as the ‘Churches Together Volunteers’. He agreed; the ministers met around the Social Services Conference table and with agreement this new and exciting resource was born. Over the next two and a half years the Older Persons’ Team in Stamford referred 146 of their clients to these volunteers. The volunteers were able to assist with a high percentage of these referrals. They responded with Befriending, escorting clients without family or carer support to hospital and doctors’ appointments, supporting people home from hospital, meeting and greeting them and it was at this time that the ‘Clean Team’ was developed. These hardy volunteers would blitz the property of a client that had fallen into squalor, remove rubbish, carry out minor DIY and restore dignified and sanitary environments once again.
There was no stopping the volunteers who showed enormous enthusiasm, they even took on painting and decorating some of the homes and refurnishing where needed all out of their own resources. There was a committed group of about twelve volunteers, men and women from across the churches, ready and willing to respond to our referrals.
By March 2005 I had a growing and compelling sense that it was time to leave the Older Persons Team and develop these services further. I handed in my notice and the Tuesday after the May Bank Holiday started what was the beginning of the Evergreen Care Trust. I purchased several pairs of Marigold gloves, a number of green striped Tabards from the local Red Cross Charity shop and with my little Nissan Micra and a mobile phone got to work.
I offered my services providing domestic, laundry and shopping support to older and vulnerable people who struggled with these tasks; for this they paid a moderate fee. The Churches Together Volunteers amazingly offered to come on board as Evergreen Volunteers and together we built on the already established volunteer Befriending, Hospital to Home Support and Clean Team projects.
This was a huge step of faith for me, leaving paid employment, yet I have experienced in the most practical and every day ways, God’s faithful provision for me and also the building and provision for what is now a Registered Charity, with growing and developing services for older and vulnerable people in our community.
Louise Marsh
Founding Trustee
Louise left employment with Stamford Social Services Older Persons team in May 2005 to further develop projects and services that had formulated whilst working with volunteers from across the local churches. Together they assisted older and vulnerable people in the absence of family and carers and developing services that had not previously existed.
Louise is the Chief Executive for the Evergreen Care Trust and purposes to franchise the evergreen model so that other communities who are prepared to work together can establish similar services in their own area. Louise actively promotes the value of partnership and communities working together at grass root level to best support those in need. Louise sees her future role in the development of resources and support for communities wishing to develop from the ground up the evergreen model and care networks in their own neighbourhood.
Margaret Chirico
Margarets professional background is in Education, from primary through to University teaching, and finally in adult education, where she became County lead for adults with disabilities and learning difficulties in the Cambridgeshire Community Education Service.
In 1998, she became Associate Minister for Care on the staff team at St. Georges Church, Stamford, where she continues to team-lead care ministry, both in the church family and in outreach into the local community.
A dear friend and brain-storming partner with Louise Marsh, particularly in the early days when they shared experiences and aspirations for the care of older and vulnerable people, Margaret joined the Board as an original Trustee.
She is married to Pino, and has two sons and four grandchildren.
Dr. Katy Hardy
Katy expressed her interest and support of the vision and work of the Evergreen Care Trust at an early stage of its development and became a great encourager to those who were breaking new ground and developing services that did not previously exist.
Katy is regularly involved in the ongoing training sessions for the Home support workers and volunteers particularly with the Anatomy and Physiology of Body systems and the Ageing process. Katy also promotes the work of the Trust amongst the General Practice surgeries in Stamford.
Katy always makes herself available to Trust administration in regards to counsel and guidance in health matters for both clients and the Evergreen team.
Katy is married to Harry and they have two children.
Pamela Dixon
Soon after their arrival in Stamford in 2005 to take up the Rev. Clive Dixon's appointment as curate at All Saints, Pamela and Clive became ardent supporters of the Evergreen vision. Together they embraced, encouraged and supported efforts to establish and build care and support for older and vulnerable people who seemed to be falling through the net. Many a team meeting and meal was had around their dining table at Hazelwood Grove in those early days!
Pamela remains a vital member of the Evergreen taskforce; as well as serving as a Board member, Pamela also offers her services voluntarily as Meal Service
co-ordinator and also Clean Team co-ordinator.
Renée Simpson
Renée felt called to the work of the Trust after giving up work at the Citizens Advice Bureau after 8 years service. Her interest was in the volunteer work of the Trust, in particular the development of a Befriending service.
Renée toiled tirelessly in recruiting volunteers, visiting clients who had been referred to the Trust for Befriending and matching up volunteer Befrienders with client Befriendees. Renée assisted in all of the volunteer activities herself including regular lunch provision, and hospital to home support in the early days. Renée relinquished the role in March 2008 when it became too great a task for a volunteer. Renée continues to Befriend her original Befriendee and they enjoy a mutually meaningful and close relationship many years old now.
Renée has a good grass roots understanding of how the Trust operates and its overall vision.
Renée was voted Chair of the Board in June 2009.
Steve Goringe
Steve joined the Board of Trustees in December 2010. He is an accountant at HM Revenue & Customs in London but he lives in Stamford. Steve and his wife Amanda have supported the work of the Trust from its early beginnings. Amanda provides financial support and advice on a regular basis.
Suzi Wheatley - Clerk to the Trustees
Suzi, as she is affectionately known, was involved with the Trust from its early conception. In the beginning Suzi kindly offered her administrative and IT skills, always working to a standard of excellence, developing leaflets promoting the services, stationary, invoices and structure to the practical administration of the young Trusts growing volunteer projects and Home Support service.
Suzi's role continued to develop and she finally joined the Administrative team in March 2007, in faith as there is no funding for her post. Suzi initially served the Trust as Administrator and is more recently titled Chief Operations Officer.
Suzi has been Clerk to the Trustees as minute taker and also provides the Board with regular financial reports.
Bob Mackrill
Bob has supported the work of the Trust from its earliest days when he was priest in charge at Christ Church in Stamford. Bob was ordained in 1993 and served a curacy at All Saints while continuing his professional career as an architect. He was formerly a director of Ruddle Wilkinson, a regional practice servicing a broad range of corporate and private clients. After entering stipendiary ministry in 1997, Bob developed the pastoral outreach at Christ Church through the foundation of the Access and Learning Centre in 2005, which he then developed into a comprehensive programme of community services supporting the vulnerable and marginalised of all ages. Christ Church has continued to be a strong partner of the Evergreen Care Trust through the Day Centre, Car Scheme and Startafresh programmes supporting the elderly and vulnerable. Bob has held posts in the capacity of board member or trustee with the YMCA, Stamford Darby and Joan, and has been a chair and school governor to both primary and secondary schools.
Bob retired from full-time stipendiary ministry in 2011 and continues to live in Stamford. He is married to Bev and they have four grown up sons.
Louise
Marsh
Suzanne
Wheatley
Bob
Mackrill
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Click on the links below to download the latest PDF newsletters...
1.pdf
2.pdf
3.pdf
4.pdf
EvergreenLeaves5.pdf
6.pdf
EvergreenLeaves7.pdf
EvergreenLeaves8.pdf
EvergreenLeaves9.pdf
EvergreenLeaves10.pdf
EvergreenLeaves11.pdf
Our Vision
Mission & Aims
History
Background
Board of Trustees
Organisational Structure
Newsletters
Contact us
Please click on the links shown to find out further information on the services we provide.
We believe that simple, committed friendships may reduce and prevent the isolation experienced by those who may not have family close by or friends and neighbours for mutual support, particularly through failing or ill-health and bereavement. This is a free and confidential service supporting senior citizens and other vulnerable adults making the most of their life experience into old age. It is hoped that as a relationship develops this will prove mutually enriching and worthwhile.
Potential befriendees may refer themselves or, with permission, be referred by family, neighbours, friends, Social Services or health practitioners. Each befriending relationship will be unique to those in it, however the scheme is not intended to be a domestic, sitting or taxi service. Following referral the potential befriendee is visited by the Volunteer
Co-ordinator to assess suitability for the scheme before carefully linking them with a registered volunteer befriender and arranging an introductory visit. All befriending relationships are closely monitored and supported to ensure that both parties
are happy.
The Evergreen Care Trust is an approved service provider with the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation. This is a national accreditation body which strives for excellence in this provision.
Our volunteer projects exist for the purpose of promoting healthy ageing, working to build a personal sense of value, self worth and purpose into old age; encouraging individuals to maximise their potential. This enables them to remain responsible for their own physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Click on the images to preview the Advocacy Charter, or click on the PDF link to download the document.
Advocacy Charter2004.pdf
Increasingly the Trust finds itself needing to be a voice for the voiceless and it is a privilege to serve our older and vulnerable citizens in this respect. Our advocacy service upholds the National Advocacy Charter and provides practical support with form filling, applications, assisting with general household administration, bill payments, etc., and any situation where a client needs someone to speak out on their behalf. They also provide support to family and carers. Advocates are trained and supported and work closely with statutory and health and social care agencies.
For further information regarding assessment and services, please contact us.
All volunteers are registered and insured with the Trust; CRB checked and provide two references. On-going training and support is provided by the Trust.
Changed or deteriorating circumstances sometimes prevent a struggling adult from managing and improving their situation without supportive and non-judgemental help. The Clean Team work to reinstate cleanliness and order, restoring a sanitary and dignified environment for the client. This is a free and confidential service for senior citizens and vulnerable adults in the absence of able family and/or carer support. It is the Trust’s policy to implement clean team operations only if the client agrees to employ our regular home support service to maintain the standard. If our risk assessment highlights health and safety concerns the Trust will signpost to professional and statutory agencies for management.
This service was developed for our clients who struggle to cope with everyday tasks like shopping, cleaning and laundry. We understand that not everyone has family, friends or neighbours who are present and able to help with these tasks. We also understand that inability to cope with these everyday chores can adversely affect an individuals sense of well-being and control over their domestic circumstances. Home support does not include the provision of personal care such as washing, dressing and toileting, etc.
Our Home Support Co-ordinator will visit the client to discuss and assess their abilities and consider those activities that have become a struggle. Support may be either for a short period or longer term. The Home Support
Worker is there to help the client with what they cannot do. We do not promote dependency and will encourage clients to continue doing whatever they can for themselves with home support working alongside to help
accomplish the tasks.
For further information regarding assessment, charges and service conditions or employment opportunities please contact us.
We are in the process of
re-launching this service and are negotiating with Peterborough City Hospital discharge staff the way forward. It is our intention to campaign for zero tolerance of unsupported discharges of older and vulnerable people. We are endeavouring to develop close links with hospital staff and the British Red Cross, who are already providing hospital to home support for those who live in counties adjacent to our own.
We are looking for the right person to take this very important work forward and develop a team of volunteers to support this role.
We will keep this site updated on progress.
Campaigning for
zero tolerance
of unsupported discharges from hospital of older and vulnerable people in our community.
Have you had experience of unsupported discharge?
This is a Monday to Friday lunchtime service where volunteers deliver homemade hot soup, bread roll and butter and two portions of home baking to the client’s table. This service aims to reach those older and vulnerable adults in the community who are unable to get out, particularly those recovering from illness or a stay in hospital. Alternatively the service may be required on a longer term basis. In addition to delivering a nourishing meal our volunteers also provide a friendly face to help brighten the day of our clients.
Quality fresh food is used for the lunches. Kitchen hygiene, policies and procedures in food preparation meet health and safety standards as required by the local authority environmental health agency.
For information concerning venues, days and cost or employment opportunities please contact us.
These projects make use of the excellent facilities in the local authority sheltered housing complexes in the town. The communal dining rooms and kitchens offer ideal settings for the provision of home cooked nutritious meals. The Trust employs qualified and experienced catering staff, supported by volunteers, who provide good wholesome fare and friendship.
Up to 35 meals are catered for at each sitting. These provide wonderful social opportunities for local residents and their guests from the surrounding district. Special dietary needs can be catered for whenever possible. The menu includes soup, main course and vegetables, pudding and tea or coffee. The cost of the meal is kept to a minimum and is generally considered value for money.
Home Support Service
Evergreen Meal Provision
Soup Delivery Service
Volunteer Services
Advocacy
Befriending
Clean Team
Hospital to Home Service
The Trust offers abundant volunteer opportunities for those who enjoy working with and serving our client group. There is something for everyone, either working one to one, as in befriending, or as part of a team, such as meal provision or clean team operations. Volunteers can commit to regular hours, or as needed depending on the projects. As the work of the Trust has grown the volunteering opportunities have expanded to include administrative support, service review officers, ambassadors and fundraisers.
