Every Tuesday evening members of Rebound Group meet at the Carers’ Centre in Southsea to provide mutual support and advice in a forum which is guided by a trained facilitator.
This week’s meeting was slightly different in that members were given the opportunity to meet with the Charity’s Trustees so that their role could be explained.
The Trustees guide and manage the work of the Rebound Group, and their work is often unseen and unsung.
Each of the Trustees introduced themselves to the members, explained their background and interest in Rebound and briefly explained their roles as Trustees. This was followed by three more detailed presentations.
Firstly, Bill Leach explained the need for the website, Facebook and Twitter pages. Most people, if they are looking for information, advice or assistance will look to the internet first. It is important, therefore, that people can find Rebound Group easily. The website was relaunched about a year ago, and provides details of the history, aims and services of the group, together with a comprehensive directory of support services and contact information so that people can get in touch easily if they need advice or assistance. Members were encouraged to take a look at the website and pass details on to anyone who may need Rebound’s help.
Bill also spoke about Facebook and Twitter, as these are also sources of information if anyone is looking for help. Both Facebook and Twitter offer a mix of news and information about Rebound activities as well as shared articles and news items which may be useful or interesting to members. Members were encouraged to Like the page, to Invite relevant friends to Like the page, and to Like. Share & Comment on posts to improve the page’s visibility.
David Meager introduced himself as the Charity’s Treasurer. When Rebound first started, funding was available from sources such as the NHS, Portsmouth City Council and the Police. Due to budget restraints, these funds are no longer available, so David has been able to attract funds from the Big Lottery Fund, Portsmouth Lottery and other Charitable Trusts. Some of this money is for specific purposes, such as funding training for facilitators or outreach work such as bringing a play to Portsmouth. Other funds are for general overheads (premises, telephone, print, etc). He will continue working to attract funding from other sources to ensure that Rebound’s work can continue in the long term.
Finally, Rebound Group Chair Lynn Evans spoke about the need for new volunteers to help with the work of the Group.
There are increasing numbers of people approaching Rebound for assistance, so there is a need for more trained facilitators to help run the Tuesday night meetings, to provide one-to-one sessions for new members and others who feel the need for additional support and to provide outreach support to people who are not able to attend the Tuesday night meetings, offering one-to-one sessions in people’s homes. Rebound members were invited to volunteer to join the facilitator team. Full training will be provided – contact Lynn for further details.
Additionally, Lynn asked for nominations / volunteers for people to join the Board of Trustees to help manage the charity and determine its future. This is for succession planning to ensure continuity in to the future, and to widen the gender and age profile of the Trustees to ensure that the Board reflects the age and gender profile of the service’s users. Contact Lynn for further details.
There was also some discussion of the need to set up a new sub group to meet the needs of children and young adults who are providing care for their parents, as there is already a sub group focussing on the needs of those Bereaved by Addiction, a group which meets on every third Tuesday of the month.
