Our Vision Our Future is a voluntary group based in Chesterfield Derbyshire.  We have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Our Vision Our Future is a self-advocacy, self help group run by and for adults with learning disabilities, we offer a safe place to meet 3 times a week.  We are an essential circle of support for people who otherwise have little choice or opportunity to socialise, access their community, meet and make friends or have relationships.  We have celebrated two weddings!  We access ability and aim to fulfil potential by encouraging and supporting our members to use their skills and talents to get involved in valuable and worthwhile work.  Having purpose, new experiences, learning new things results in a more active and fulfilling life.  “Without Our Vision Our Future we would be stuck at home with nothing to do, lonely, bored and isolated.”

Our members volunteer their time to help and support not only each other but also their community. We work with and support many local and national organisations and value the support they give to us.

Our Vision Our Future is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a community shop in Cornwall, an environmental group in Swansea, a group working with refugees and vulnerable people in Stirling and a thriving community arts centre in County Down.

Representatives of Our Vision Our Future will receive the award from Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Mr William Tucker later this summer.  Furthermore two volunteers from Our Vision Our Future will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

Maria Britland (Chair Person) and Emma Kellet (Vice Chair) wish to say a big thank you to everyone at Our Vision Our Future for their hard work, for their friendship and the way everyone supports each other.  This has continued throughout covid-19.   Receiving the Queens Award is wonderful news, it makes us proud and means a lot to us.  Having our work recognised makes us very happy and gives us much to smile about during this difficult ‘stay at home’ time.  We wish to thank Julia Cook – Derbyshire Voluntary Action for nominating us for the Queens Award, Simon Rose – Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust Foundation and Toby Perkins Member of Parliament for their letters of support.

Thank you to all our funders who have kept us going, (28 years!) without this our work and the joy it brings would not be possible.

If you feel unwell or have hurt yourself, you can still get the care and treatment you need.

It’s vital that if you’re having a potentially life-threatening medical emergency, such as a heart attack, stroke or really bad flare up of asthma, you contact the NHS.

You might be worrying about a mole that’s changed shape, or grown larger, and think you need to contact your GP.

Everyone in the NHS really appreciates people taking pressure off services for conditions that can be safely managed with over-the-counter medicines, and taken care of at home.

But it’s crucial that for anything else you do not risk your life or wellbeing – contact NHS 111 online or by phone, get in touch with your GP, visit an Urgent Treatment Centre, or for emergencies go to A&E or call 999.

First Steps ED is looking for Befrienders to join theirr team and support those who are struggling with mental health at this time. The current lockdown circumstances mean that it can be a very lonely time for people, so, could you spare a couple of hours a week to reach out to someone in need of support? If so, they would love to have you on the team! For details on how to become a Befriender or for further information, please email rose@firststepsed.co.uk. 

Action for Happiness create monthly calendars packed with actions you can take to help create a happier and kinder world.

This Joyful June Calendar has daily actions for June 2020 to help us look for what’s good even in difficult times.

You can sign up to receive monthly calendars and there are also other language versions available too.

https://www.actionforhappiness.org/meaningful-may

We are Volunteer ‘Buddies’ who have previously been diagnosed with prostate, breast or other cancers, or have cared for someone with cancer.  

We know that going through cancer can an isolating and lonely experience, particularly at present, when many people cannot leave their homes because of shielding and social distancing measures.

If you need to talk, we’re here to listen.

With a weekly call from one of our trained Telephone Buddies, you don’t have to face cancer alone.

Call or Email today:
Mobile: 07926 361183
Email: sam@dva.org.uk  

North Derbyshire Expert Patient Volunteer Programme

A leaflet filled with advice and guidance about palliative and end of life care is being distributed across the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales to support primary care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janet Dunphy, from Blythe House Hospicecare in Chapel-en-le-Frith, has drafted the document to offer advice and support to local colleagues, who may be experiencing more conversations about death and dying due to the current situation.

Janet, who has over 35 years of experience as an end of life care specialist, said: ‘Originally I devised the leaflet with care home staff in mind, but having written it, I hope it will be beneficial to colleagues across the healthcare sector during the current times.

‘I just wanted to share some useful phrases that I have learnt over the years of working with dying people and their families. The leaflet has advice on having difficult conversations and answering tricky questions on subjects including what to expect when someone is dying, as well as medication and treatment issues. There is also some mental health and well-being guidance, which could not be more important now. I sincerely hope local healthcare professionals have and will find the leaflet helpful.’

Dr Louise Jordan from Baslow Health Centre said: ‘Both clinical and admin staff at the surgery have found the leaflet to be incredibly useful; we have downloaded and printed further copies from the hospice’s website. Not only do I believe it’s valuable to healthcare staff, but members of the public may find it of interest, especially during the unprecedented times we find ourselves in at the moment.’

To read and download a copy of the ‘thinking of you’ leaflet, visit:

https://blythehousehospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Thinking-of-you-booklet-for-care-homes.pub_.pdf

Kirsty Scarborough, Project Manager, Weston Park Cancer Charity, is project managing the takeover of the Nenna Kind service in Chesterfield and part of that includes a free bus service between Chesterfield and Sheffield for cancer patients which is staffed by a small number of volunteers. 

Currently the service isn’t running due to the Covid situation, Weston Park Cancer Charity would like to recruit some more volunteers and have a wider ‘pool’ to draw from.  If you are interedted in volunteering please contact Kirsty Scarborough, Project Manager, Weston Park Cancer Charity on 07496 964517 or Kirsty@wpcancercharity.org.uk

You can read the Support Centre Driver Volunteer Role Profile HERE

Active Derbyshire in partnership with local organisations have launched a new survey to better understand how physical activity levels may have been affected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey, which is being launched across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, aims to get a further understanding of whether resident’s frequency of exercise has been affected positively or negatively, and to explore the possible reasons for this.

The survey will run until Friday 6 June and anyone who participates will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win £50 in shopping vouchers.

Anyone can participate and is encouraged to share with as many friends and families as possible so more communities can be reached.

To take part in the survey visit: https://www.activederbyshire.org.uk/active-at-home#survey

Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) has issued recent guidance for village hall management committees to help them make the necessary preparations for the phased re-opening of community premises. It is based on the Government’s recovery plan roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Read more: https://mailchi.mp/4d5556a30139/village-halls-training-4920325?e=6808a0229a

Inclusive Pedals successfully applied for funding to provide this service from Cycling UK.

The funding will provide up to 35 free basic bike services for key workers (as defined on the UK government list) or as part payment towards more extensive work.

Inclusive Pedals can also collect your bike within a radius of 10 miles from Chesterfield if you can’t get it to them.

Work will be carried out by two of the trained mechanics who volunteer for their monthly Dr Bike workshop – Alastair Meikle from Wheely Fun Wheels and Simon Geikie from Brampton Cyclery.

The offer is limited to one adult bike per household.

To find out more visit: https://www.inclusivepedals.org.uk/bbr-key-workers.html