Supported Charity
From time to time the club chooses a charity to support during the year
For the club year 2023-24 the chosen charity is the Burwell Print Centre which is a social enterprise, training and supporting adults with learning disabilities, providing quality design and print. In their own words:-
"Each day up to ten people with learning disabilities are supported and trained to provide quality printing and print finishing services. Our “Printers” get involved in every aspect of Burwell Print Centre such as working in reception, answering the phone, using the copiers and the booklet maker for magazines and newsletters, cutting business cards and printing other items like mugs and t-shirts.
Thirty people with learning disabilities attend BPC for supported work experience and training over the course of a week. Each person has individual daily targets which fit alongside the completion of the many and varied tasks for producing our customers’ work. Our team of experienced, creative and dedicated Support Workers assist people in identifying their full potential and guiding them in ways to achieve this.
Our placements also provide many opportunities for people to gain life skills, such as going to the local shop, speaking up for themselves and others and developing self-confidence. Also, many Printers become role models and will buddy-up with others to enrich each other’s day at BPC. Printers are involved in all aspects of BPC and are the bedrock of the organisation.
We support people in a way that encourages the development of life and social skills by taking informed risks. We do this in a very discrete way, often with exceptional results and achievements!
As part of our role of supporting people, we attend external reviews. These meetings help us to build good working relationships with both family and paid carers, and consequently we all get a greater understanding of someone’s life and aspirations. We also support our Printers to achieve their citizenship rights and responsibilities"
For 2022-23 the charity chosen for support by the club was The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. The neonatal unit provides a full range of services for the vunerable and sickest babies for the catchment population of Cambridge. It also takes in referrals from the surrounding area. It is designed and equipped to care for the sickest of babies, supported by a range of specialists, including Paediatric Surgeons and Neurosurgeons. All expectant parents hope for a healthy baby but when problems arise with a premature birth, difficult delivery or antenatal concerns the baby could be admitted and cared for in NICU.
In 2018 the charity chosen for support from the club was Pos+Ability which was formed in 2011. The charity was set up in Ely and runs chair-based exercise groups for people living with long-term illnesses, including, but not limited to, Strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, Neurological Conditions, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscle Dystrophy in Cambridgeshire. Their aim is to develop clients’ mobility and strength within a supportive and inclusive environment. A total of £456 was raised by the club with a “Cake and Posy” stall in Burwell and by a “bring and buy” stall at the monthly meetings. A cheque was presented to the charity at the January 2019 club meeting.
The charity the Club chose to support in 2017 was the Cystic Fibrosis Trust by means of a cake stall outside Tina's shop in Burwell in March. Most people know very little about Cystic Fibrosis although there are over 10,500 people in the UK living with the condition. It is caused by a faulty gene which is carried by over two million people in the UK. If two carriers have children there is a one in four chance their child will have the condition which slowly destroys the lungs and digestive system. The Trust invests in cutting-edge research to develop treatments and one day, hopefully find a cure. It also drives up standards of clinical care at specialist centres across the country and provides advice and support to families who are affected. At the end of the year a cheque for £810 was handed to the charity.
In 2016 members turned their hands to baking cakes for the Dementia Carers’ Support Service. The Club raised £265.00 at a Cake Stall held in Burwell on Saturday March 14th 2016. The Dementia Carers' Support Service is an innovative new project that aims to link former carers with current carers of people with dementia to offer regular and consistent support as a “befriender” or buddy. At the end of the year a cheque for £315 was handed to the charity.
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