Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has awarded the first Wealden Heroes of summer 2021 at a celebratory afternoon tea held as a thank you to volunteers of Wealden’s ENGAge charity.
ENGAge is a Wealden charity based in Hadlow Down providing personalised day activities with an emphasis on friendship and fun through its two clubs. The TN22 Plus Club meets the needs of people with mild to moderate dementia, while its sister club - the TN22 Club, is a social lunch club for those aged over 60 that are lonely or isolated.
Both clubs rely on help from a group of volunteers who provide personalised support to enhance the wellbeing of its members. Although the Club had to cease its usual activities due to the pandemic, the volunteers have remained in weekly contact with the members, making regular phone calls, delivering care package gifts, and organised socially distanced outdoor entertainment in the form of music and dancing in the members’ gardens, when restrictions allowed.
Wendy Coleman, Dementia Manager of the TN22 Plus Club was awarded Wealden Hero last summer, but since the relaunch of the awards this summer, Nusrat received nominations for the whole ENGAge team of volunteers to be awarded. To celebrate National Volunteer Week which took place at the beginning of June, the charity managers held an outdoor afternoon tea which was a fantastic opportunity to present the volunteers with the Wealden Hero Award.
For more information about the charity, please visit: www.engagewealden.org.uk.
Nusrat Ghani said: “I’m aware of how difficult the pandemic and periods of lockdown have been for our elderly residents and their carers.
I’m incredibly grateful to all the fantastic volunteers and management team of ENGAge for their amazing work and tireless support of members and their carers throughout the pandemic and beyond. I know from the many nominations submitted how valued they are amongst Wealden communities. It was a pleasure meeting them in person to thank them and present them with the award. Many congratulations!”
