Suffolk Cruse News
A date for your diary!
- We are planning a weekend in October for all members of Suffolk Cruse and their friends and families: on Saturday 2nd October, we are getting together at Ipswich School for a workshop and a talk by Ted Bowman, from the US. Details can be seen here: Conference flyer and programme.
On Sunday 3rd October we are holding a sponsored walk/run at Thornham Walks, near Diss. We are hoping that our friends and families will be persuaded to join in and make the most of an opportunity to collect some money for Cruse and have a day out. Details of the venue and timings are here.
Members of other Cruse Areas and branches as well as others interested in our work are welcome to join us for either or both of these days.
- A Suffolk volunteer chosen as Cruse's Volunteer of the Year Sarah Titford, from Friars Street in Sudbury, has been chosen as Cruse Volunteer of the Year 2009/10. She was presented with the award at the national Cruse Conference at Warwick University on 21st July. Mrs Titford has been involved in all aspects of the work of the West Suffolk branch since its creation in 1986, when her husband and a small group of like-minded people founded the group, then known as the South Suffolk branch, in Sudbury.
Over the last quarter of a century Sarah’s main work has been as a visitor, helping bereaved people, but she has also been the branch unpaid administrator (at its headquarters in Bury St Edmunds), a member of the team dealing with referrals and the main telephone link for the public, as well as supervising the work of other bereavement support volunteers.
Adrian Williams, Chairman of West Suffolk Cruse said “We are absolutely delighted with this news. Sarah is utterly selfless, never seeking or expecting praise or thanks and she is a superb representative of the 3,500 Cruse volunteers across the nation. She is the most sensitive and caring of human beings and she has contributed immeasurably to the success of our branch. It is typical of her that when she was told of the award she was amazed, embarrassed and annoyed in turn”.
Sarah, pictured below,said on receiving the award, "The only way I feel able to accept this honour is to share it with everyone in Cruse. It feels crazy for me to be given an award for something that's part of me and I love doing.......So I am accepting it on behalf of all the volunteers, who give so much and don't ask for any reward or thanks."
- Adrian Williams, Chairman of Suffolk Area and West Suffolk, is pictured being presented with a cheque for £500 by Steve Cuthbert of British Sugar in Bury St Edmunds. The West Suffolk branch is very grateful to the Company for their generosity.
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- Suffolk Area has recently received a very generous grant from the Mrs Smith and Mount Trust for £3,500 towards the cost of reimbursing volunteer expenses. This sum is particularly welcome at a time when funding is extremely difficult to obtain.
- The Adnams Charity has very kindly donated £1,800 to the North Suffolk & Great Yarmouth branch of Suffolk Cruse to help pay for volunteer training. We are very grateful to the Trustees for their generosity towards their local branch.
- The Waitrose Community Matters scheme has recently donated £720 from its Bury St Edmunds store to the West Suffolk branch of Cruse. The Waitrose scheme is designed to help put a share of Waitrose profits back into the local communities, which is done by supporting three local charities each month. Each store has £1,000 per month which is divided proportionally between the three local nominated causes or charities. Many thanks to Waitrose and to the local people who chose Cruse as their charity.
- The West Suffolk branch has re-launched its friendship group in Sudbury. It is delighted to be able to report that Suffolk County Council has generously given a grant towards the training of the group leader and towards the expenses incurred in setting up the group. The funds are coming from the Locality Budget of Sudbury local councillor, John Sayers, who has been kind enough to give his wholehearted support to this project.
- Another Sudbury Councillor, Colin Spence, has generously donated funds from his Locality Budget to help fund the work of volunteers in his area. Suffolk Cruse is very grateful for his support.
- We also have received a donation from Councillor Ken Sale, of Carlton Colville, to be spent on volunteer training expenses. The generosity of County Councillors and of Suffolk County Council means that we can continue to train our volunteers to the highest level.
- The Suffolk Lodge of Unity, Lowestoft, have recently donated £400 to Suffolk Cruse. We are very grateful for their much-needed support.
- Ala Lodge of Freemasons at Stowmarket have kindly given a donation of £500 to the Area.
- Orwell Lodge Freemasons have generously donated £100 to Suffolk Cruse.
- Woodbridge Rotary Club have very kindly donated £100 to Suffolk Cruse.
- The Suffolk Foundation has given a generous grant to branches in the Area. We appreciate this much-needed support.
- Suffolk Cruse thanks The Henry Smith Charity for its generous grant to support our activities once again for 2010 - 2011.