Annual Report 2022
Cromarty Care Project Annual Report. AGM November 7th 2022
It has been another busy year as we continue to help our community. Sadly, the cost-of-living crisis continues and in fact has got worse with increased fuel and food prices. We have therefore focused on trying to apply for grants so that fuel grants can be given out and to providing food for the larder.
Sharing Larder
The larder is stocked daily by an excellent group of volunteers. We have been grateful to the Masonic Lodge on Duke st for providing us with storage space up until the end of September 2022. Storage is now being provided by St Regulus Church, who have allowed us to take over the shed at the back of their building. The Care Project signed up to an organisation called Fareshare, which delivers to Foodbanks and community larders, food that is surplus from supermarkets and would otherwise be disposed of. The difficult is that we cannot request items but just accept what is delivered. We therefore must buy food for the larder with trips to the cash and carry on average every 2 weeks.
Amount spent from CCP funds -
For the financial year 2021/22 (1/6 – 31/5) £750
2022/23. June – September £609
Deliveries to individual households stopped in January 22. CCP liaises with the Youth Café who are continuing to provide some food deliveries to households.
Fuel payments
January 22. Fuel payments were made to 42 households £100 each and 33 children’s clothing grants at £50 each. 48 adults were supported and 37 children.
The grant was from CORRA £5000 and £850 CCP funds were used.
June 22. Grant from CORRA - £3175 and CCP Funds £1325. 45 households at £100 each. Supporting 85 adults and children.
We are very grateful for the donation from Cromarty Open gardens of £2000 part of which was used to pay for these fuel payments after going into CCP unrestricted funds.
September 22 - North Highland Initiative grant of £1000 with £2825 form CCP funds supported 51 households - £75 each.
Thanks go especially to Shirley for diligently keeping her eye out for suitable grants and applying for them – and in the main being successful.
Monday Lunch Club
In October 2021 we received a Highland Council Discretionary grant for the Monday Lunch Club of £1400. The club ran throughout the winter with an average of 12 attending each week. We are grateful to the Cromarty Arms for providing such a good meal each week and a warm welcome.
We are hoping that the new owners of what is not the Fishertown Inn will be able to run the club this winter.
The Club restarted on Monday October 31st with 13 people attending.
Home Care
The new provider of Home Care is TopCare Inverness. At one point during the past year there was doubt that Cromarty would have a care provider, but TopCare stepped in. However, there is a shortage of carers despite our and their efforts at recruitment. Cromarty now has more people requiring care than carers to provide it. We are back to where the care Project began in 2015.
We continue to provide an office space for the Care Staff but it is likely that the West Church will be sold in the coming year and the office will no longer be available.
The Care Project is approached by members of the community for help and sometimes we can provide support and signposting to services which they can contact.
Outings
There have been two successful Canal boat trips, provided by the Seagull Trust - a 2 hour trip provided free of charge for 8 people. We are grateful to the drivers of two cars who took the older folk that had been invited. Everyone enjoyed the trips very much and it would be good to repeat them next year.
Donations have been sent to the Seagull trust with a letter of thanks each time.
Classic Film Club
In April 2022 CCP was successful in a grant application to the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund . £250 was used for the Classic Film Club to run in the Cromarty Cinema. Helen Charley has led this venture which runs each month.
Donations from the Cromarty Stores
Marcel Gommers nominated CCP for a £250 donation to our unrestricted fund from NISA ,the coop owned supplier. Each time the store buys coop branded goods some money is put into a charity fund which the Cromarty stores can nominate the beneficiary.
Marcel also applied to NISA for £500 for a bench for Cromarty which we will arrange the purchase and placing of.
Thank you Marcel.
Trikes.
We had a fantastic weekend out with the trikes at the Cromarty Open Gardens, despite the dreadful rain on the Saturday we took around 36 passengers around the gardens, with 106 on the Sunday. We have a regular trip to the Cromarty Classic Film Club. However, generally, demand for trips out on the trikes has been slow this year with a dramatically reduced number of requests for use of the trikes.
We have three new trike pilots trained up which is very welcome as some of the trike pilots have not returned since the break over the covid pandemic.
In Spring, summer and autumn the trikes are stored in The Sheddie at the Victoria Hall. Over the Winter they will be stored in David and Susan Kent’s garage to allow the gritter users easier access to the Sheddie. We are very grateful to both the Victoria Hall and to David and Susan Kent for their flexibility and continued use of their garage for storage.
Alasdair Matheson is servicing the trikes regularly.
In Spring of 2023 we will have to have discussions regarding how we can increase the use of the trikes again.
Shirley Matheson
Table tennis
Simon Evans reports that has continued to meet on a Monday morning. The numbers are reduced since Covid – averaging 6 or 7 each week. There is some uncertainty about the future given the situation with the West Church but we hope that we can continue while they look for a buyer. The Care Project owns two very good table tennis tables which could be moved to an alternative venue.
Baby and Toddler Group – plans are afoot to restart the Cromarty Baby and Toddler group under CCPs umbrella – in fact this week.
Fourways Club. – Anne Short has approached the Care Project for support in running the club. Currently Shirley and Alison are working on putting in a grant application for a package of events that will help with social isolation and keeping warm this winter- the Fourways will be included in the application.
Future plans
Firstly I have to thank all the trustees for the work they have done during the year and for their support. I am standing down as Chair and Denise will take over. I will remain as a trustee and help to support the organisation in whatever way I can. Thank you, Denise. for being willing to take this responsibility on. The Care Project will continue to change over the years as the needs of the community change and you will bring fresh ideas to the table.
Helen Charley – has advised us that she wishes to stand down as a trustee. Helen has had valuable knowledge of the community, working here as a GP for many years. Thank you Helen for all you have done to support CCP over the years. We will continue our links with the Classic Film Club , helping when we can with funding applications .
Welcome to Alison Seller who is joining us as a trustee. Alison comes with many skills and we look forward to her working with us. She has already taken on a slot of larder restocking.
We have been successful in the past week in obtaining a grant for £3000 for slow cookers for our community – to support the community in cooking with less electricity.
As I step down, my big concern is about the future of Home care in rural areas and how it will be managed in the future – I will continue to look into this area.
Jill Stoner
