We are highly focused on the community we serve and are committed to matching our services to the real needs of local people. When we consider new services we are careful to ensure that they are consistent with this commitment. Here are some of the activities most in demand in the Southwold area.

Driving

Anyone, young or old, with or without a disability, may ask for transport on certain journeys for which neither a family car, nor any form of suitable public transport is available. Medical appointments, shopping trips, visits to relatives at home or in hospital, lifts to link with public transport... Any of these may qualify.

Befriending

Our volunteer befrienders visit the housebound and lonely, help with shopping, type and read for the blind and sight-impaired, assist with correspondence and even sometimes walk dogs and tidy gardens.

Respite care

Volunteers may offer to 'sit in' so that a caring relative can take a break.

Thursday Lunch Club

The VHC’s latest initiative is a weekly Lunch Club. Held on Thursday at the Southwold Stella Peskett Millennium Hall, it provides an opportunity to socialise informally over morning coffee and afterwards to enjoy a light lunch. For many elderly and disabled residents in particular it is a much valued chance to stay in touch with friends and the wider community. Around 35 local people regularly attend, some every week, others on an occasional basis. Transport is provided for those who need it. The price of just £4 per head is made possible with the support of a team of rotating volunteers and the generosity of local businesses in providing food at cost price. The Lunch Club is proving very popular indeed and is regarded by the trustees as a natural and highly appropriate development of the Charity’s core services.

Visits to hospital form a major proportion of our driving requests

Some of the members of our weekly Lunch Club. You can see a lot more pictures on our Flickr page