Gavin Hodge started his role as the Good Neighbour Scheme Co-ordinator in July 2003, and his first job was to visit the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and see how ‘Village Care Schemes’ were run. Bedfordshire and Wiltshire have been running these schemes for several years and Suffolk Acre decided to build on Bedfordshire’s well established model to set up similar schemes in Suffolk.

Each individual village Good Neighbour Scheme is run from a mobile phone, and the phone number is made known throughout the parish. The phone is held in turn by a core group of volunteers, backed by a larger group of volunteers. Any resident in need of help of the sort that the scheme provides can ring the number and the duty officer then matches the request for help to a volunteer who has offered that type of help.

Help can include changing a light bulb, minor domestic repairs including checking a smoke alarm, giving people lifts, visiting the lonely and the bereaved to give support, or liaising with other service providers to ensure well-being.

Gavin says ‘Befriending is an important part of the scheme’ and he is working closely with Wendy Herber, Befriending Manager at Age Concern Suffolk.

In Suffolk the need for such a scheme may arise from a Parish Plan survey which Suffolk Acre is encouraging every parish council to undertake. If a parish shows a demand for a Good Neighbour Scheme Gavin follows this up by approaching the community in question to discuss ways of taking a scheme forward. This is usually done by circulating Suffolk ACRE’s simple single-sheet Good Neighbour Scheme Questionnaire which raises a pool of potential volunteers and assesses the level of need.

The first scheme was launched in March 2004 in Stradbroke. Good Neighbour Scheme questionnaires were sent to all householders to gauge the need and level of support for such as scheme. When the questionnaires were returned it was seen that eight people said they would use the scheme and 19 volunteers pledged there support. Now some 12+ people regularly use the scheme and volunteer strength has increased, but there is always room for more. Stradbroke volunteers carried out 104 jobs in the scheme’s first year.

Gavin says ‘There needs to be at least 15 volunteers to ensure that a scheme is viable’.

Every volunteer has a CRB check which is recommended to ensure that everyone is confident in the scheme and this is also funded by the start-up grant.

There are currently 8 schemes running in the county which was the target number set for the pilot scheme. The other schemes are at Botesdale and Rickinghall, Holbrook, Elmsett, Earl Stonham, Shotley and Erwarton, Honington and Sapiston and Stowupland.

Gavin says ‘Although our schemes are predominantly used by the elderly they are intended to be used by anyone in the community.”

The start-up costs are around £500 covering the essentials including a mobile phone, insurance, criminal record checks (CRB) for volunteers, publicity and stationery. There are several sources of potential funding and the current schemes have been funded by Suffolk County Councillors from their locality budgets, by Mid Suffok District Council and by Community Safety Officers’ funds.

The pilot Good Neighbour Scheme finished at the end of June 2005, but Suffolk ACRE is keen to continue the project and funds are being sought to continue Gavin’s post for a further two years. Contributions have already been pledged by Suffolk Community Safety Officer, Suffolk Rural Transport Partnership, and Mid Suffolk District Council. Other funding applications are currently under consideration.

The Future

Gavin is currently working with Claydon and Barham, Friston, Wenhaston, Wickham Market, Worlington and a steering group is now under way at Waldringfield. He is working closely with the Leiston Volunteer Bureau with a view to launching a scheme at Aldringham cum Thorpe, which will be administered from the Bureau’s landline number, with the volunteer bureau also benefiting from a greater pool of volunteers. Gavin has also been working with Felixstowe Family Centre at Grange Road Primary School and the questionnaire has brought in an encouraging response from the surrounding area of the town. A public meeting is now being called to take the scheme forwards.

Gavin stresses that ‘All villages have good neighbourly activities going on including kind hearted work by the WI and the churches but with the best will in the world they cannot reach everyone, especially in relatively large communities, and the Good Neighbour Scheme aims to fill any gaps’.

Want to know more?

Visit: Good Neighbour Scheme website or contact Gavin Hodge gavin.hodge@suffolkacre.org.uk or telephone 01473 242500.

I would like to thank Gavin for taking the time to talk with me and I would like to wish all the best to the schemes currently up and running and hope that many more like them will be popping up around the county.

If you are involved in or know of any community activities running in your area which you would like us to feature then please let us know. Email: kerry.burn@onesuffolk.co.uk or Telephone 01473 583891.