The Co-operative Funeralcare - Newport

Daisy Chains Was formed in 2012 and was the idea of two of our team after having experience of having premature babies transferred to the mainland then also having had children diagnosed with disabilities and long term illness, these experiences gave an insight into how many families with children who have a diagnosis were struggling financially with the cost of ferry fares to the mainland and how there was a need for support. The charity has grown a lot in the past 8 years, from year one when we helped just 12 families to 2020 where we have already supported over 48 families with travel or equipment and sent out 428 essential food and baby parcels during the first lockdown of COVID 19. We offer support to Island children who have a diagnosis of long term or life limiting illness or disability with travel costs to hospital as well as premature babies that are transferred to the mainland for care. Premature baby support used to be quite a rare occurrence helping maybe 4-5 preemies a year but over the past couple of years we have seen a huge rise in referrals for support with this, this is due to the Isle of Wight unit downgrading , it can now only take babies from 32 weeks and only has 6 cots available, this means that most premature babies are sent to Southampton or Portsmouth for some time at least. We work closely with the nursing team in Southampton and Portsmouth and in 2018 launched our NICU box project with them, this means that every family from the Island that gets rushed over gets a box from us with all the things in it that the baby and mum needs for the first few days so new parents dont need to worry about sourcing this meaning more time to spend with their poorly baby, each box costs around £45 to make and they are kept in the Southampton unit ready to give out as soon as the families arrive. For the families with children with long term illness/disability we help by booking ferries direct with operators for the them , these can be anything from a couple of times a week to once every few months . over the past 8 years we have supported well over 200 families with the past 12 months being our busiest yet with more than ever on our caseload at any one time, we have booked thousands of ferry trips over this time. There is no other support for these families to travel if they are not on benefits and it is a huge financial strain for them when all they should be thinking about is getting their child well.

To save lives, promote safety and rescue service efficiency, and provide relief from disaster at sea and on inland and flood waters; to advance the education of the public in matters relating to sea, inland and flood water safety, and in the history and heritage of the institution; to relieve/assist those who have been involved in saving lives at sea and on inland and flood waters in any capacity. Bembridge Station serves the eastern side of the Isle of Wight and its fundraising Guild is very much a part of the operation in Bembridge.

Pan Together exists to support & provide a community hub for the residents of East Newport, which includes the Island's most disadvantaged area, ranked at 5.8% in England's most deprived. In other words, 94% of places across the country are more affluent than Pan. Many local people are amongst society's most vulnerable & marginalised, including the shocking 35% of local children growing up in poverty compared to an England average of 17%. These statistics are from September 2019. The situation has undoubtedly worsened in the wake of the pandemic & the cost of living crisis which is biting so hard. Our purpose-built centre comprises: a community café providing wholesome, affordable food whilst also acting as a social hub; an IT learning suite (free Wi-fi, six computers); two community rooms; a large training kitchen; & an outside produce-growing area. We provide: vital signposting/triage support for people needing assistance/advice; help to avert social isolation; free courses in Maths/English/IT; free weekly drop-in sessions for people wanting to brush up their skills/get help with their CV/are thinking about returning to work after a break; volunteering/work experience opportunities; social activities such as bingo; & cookery sessions for children/young people/vulnerable families. Having identified the growing need in Autumn 2021, our community support & anti-poverty services are (sadly) increasingly essential. No-one should have to choose between food, fuel & children's clothes. We can't change the world but we can & do make a tangible & direct difference to people's lives. We run a community larder twice a week for local residents. Members pay £5 per weekly visit for two carrier of fresh/frozen/refrigerated/tinned/dried food & other household essentials & receive £20-£30 of goods, which they choose for themselves. No-one needs a referral. We also run a money management advice & form-filling service to maximise residents' income & access to benefits. We’re a charity & membership-based organisation where members have a say & a vote on what we do. We began as a community centre in 2007, operating for many years from a portacabin. In 2016 we relocated to a purpose-built community centre & became a charity in 2018, allowing the trustees to apply successfully for National Lottery Community Fund monies to employ a Centre Manager from mid-2019. In May 2022, the then Earl & Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward & Sophie) made an unprecedented visit to the centre to say thank you to our volunteers & staff for their lifeline support service work during pandemic. As part of the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, in June 2022 Pan Together was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - the highest award a voluntary organisation can receive in the UK & the organisational equivalent of an MBE. In December 2022 we received an Isle of Wight High Sheriff's Award in recognition of 'great & valuable services to the community'.