A message from Age UK Thanet's Chief Officer, Vanessa Wood

As a Chief Officer it is always good to take time to reflect and recognise the amazing work that is being achieved especially in a pandemic! Something that most of us thought we would only ever see in the movies and not wake up to every morning when the trees and flowers look the same but there is a silent war going on which the whole world is having to face.

When I look at the staff team and volunteers of Age UK Thanet I think of the unforgotten Hero’s of many wars. People that work tirelessly to ensure that the NHS staff have a chance to look after the very sick and people who already are seriously ill with Covid-19. Anyone that knows me will probably see me as a talker but for once there does not seem enough words in the dictionary to Thank every individual who is helping our very elderly, frail and vulnerable members of our community.

Our amazing Kitchen team led by Curtis Moore who only joined Age UK Thanet at the beginning of March 2020, what an induction he has taken on with the support of Deborah Diss, Courtney Jackson, Marc Lawrence and Brian Chiiyama. Our hot meal delivery ‘Buddy Box’ looks and tastes amazing and is now reaching over 80 people a day to ensure that tasty home cooked food is available and a pack up for tea is available too. The food is then delivered by another amazing team of Drivers, David Thorpe who has been with the organisation for over 20 years and is definitely part of the heart of Age UK Thanet, with Nick Lee and Stephen Dawson and then our fabulous new support from Margate Taskforce and the team from Martin Pritchard and the Fire Brigade who are helping with two staff members a day seven days a week and Keith Simpson  a wonderful volunteer of Age UK Thanet. We now find some particular clients ringing us up saying what time are the drivers expected as they wish to put their lipstick on ready ! Putting a smile on their faces as the driver is the only person they will see in their days of isolation.

I also see Tim Van Vugt DCO in the kitchen every day helping prepare the meals ready for delivery and helping with the drivers sheets to ensure no one gets missed and I believe he takes the opportunity to try food he has never had before ! Macaroni Cheese…….good wholesome hearty comfort food in a crisis!

Our new Corona Crisis Shopping Service set up within two days by the next amazing team Fiona Bah, Maria Colgan, Clare Andrews, Diana Fergusson and  Louise Collins with the support of volunteers Angelina Morley and Clara Lewis . A safe supporting service especially to families who do not live near and are reassured that their loved ones are receiving their shopping weekly.  A cheery smile and waves and I believe even a dance on the door step has been delivered across the whole of Thanet and to Plucks Gutter! This week we have been joined by some dedicated volunteers from Your Leisure! Thank you!

Louise Collins is also ensuring that people are being phoned weekly by our fantastic befriending scheme…………..now over 100 people a week chatting away and planning days after the Coronavirus and dreaming of new days to come, Thank you Lou and to all the volunteers and staff who make such a difference.

Our Finance and Admin Team well what can I say Lorraine Pollard and Sarah Chinchen who pick up the phone minute after minute and sign post and support with every persons concerns. It has been so busy that Fiona Bah has become a regular voice at the end of telephone too. The knowledge and depth of support does not go unnoticed Sarah and the amount of feedback I get is heart felt when someone says to me ‘Thank you to your  team for  being at the end of the phone’.  To Lorraine who has done nearly every job within the organisation Thank You!

To Sue Holges who is supporting with the ART (Acute Response Team ) at Westbrook House. Still out supporting people who have come home from hospital and need shopping and reassurance. Absolutely phenomenal to her and all the Team at ART.

To Annie Hales and Sarah Boatwright our Community Care Navigators from Connect Well who are taking referrals and doing everything they can to guide people through this crisis. Thank you!

To Jo Spiteri our Fundraising Manager who is at home working all the hours day and night to ensure Age UK Thanet continues to support our community in Thanet and that we continue to provide excellent services now and in the future. Thank You!

To Caremark Thanet who continue to support our ILS (Independent Living Service) clients with shopping calls and cleaning where necessary Thank you to you all.

A very BIG Thank You to Shirley Tomlinson And the staff and volunteers who run the Age UK Thanet Shop in Margate. We can’t wait to see the doors open and see the latest fashion! Thank you!

To all our staff and volunteers who are at home keep safe and know we miss you all very much and can’t wait to see you all and need your help to organise the Biggest and Best Party Ever when our doors will reopen! Thank you to all our clients and their families and you must  know we miss you all at the Hub but we are glad we can see you when delivering a hot meal or dropping off your shopping and hearing you when we ring.

Thank to the Board of Trustees who give up their time to support Age UK Thanet and care very much for the future of the organisation. Thank you!

I want to Thank Everyone who has supported Age UK Thanet to mention a few our neighbours The Casino who wheeled a freezer over to us in our time of need with lots of chocolate to go with it! Thank You. To Aldi who let us enter their store and miss the queues  at any time to ensure no time is wasted to collect the shopping for those in need.  To the DWP Team and CAB Team who are also working relentlessly to support. To Adam Littlefield at TDC who has also been working so many hours to support the community. To Global Generation who have been delivering food parcels to those who have been shielding. To Thanet Community Transport who are supporting people with shopping to and who we refer to as it is indeed a partnership approach. To my colleagues Cleo Smith CO at Hythe and Lyminge and Ashford and Jon Wilson CO of Romney Marsh Day Centre who work closely with me to support our communities 365 days of the year. To Diane Aslett who works on behalf of the Consortium of all Age UK’s /Concerns in South East Kent. Thank you to KCC for their support and understanding.  I also want to say a Big Thank you to Sir Roger Gale and Tony Freudmann River Oak Operations Ltd as without their support and generosity to enable us to continue providing our services it would be hard for us to do our welfare checks to those who cannot hear us when we ring but can see us when we wave from afar. For us to go out and buy equipment when we have been phoned as a microwave has blown up and a new one is needed to enable a person to eat. Even down to running around and buying dry shampoo to those who are unable to wash their hair! A problem shared is a problem solved.

To those who have comments around our costs or concerns of what we do at Age UK Thanet I want to thank you for your feedback and say that sadly as the same for everyone our bills have not stopped coming in. Our Community Hub still needs maintaining.  Our dedicated staff and volunteers need to be looked after as most services at Age UK Thanet have closed until further notice. Their skills and truthfully sheer determination to support each client through this crisis means that they are all putting themselves at risk every day and I am unable to reward them as they deserve but ensure they are paid and hope that each individual knows what a difference they make and for that I can’t thank them enough.

Looking forwards it is important to have long term plans and that is why we at Age UK Thanet do what we do and how we deliver our services to a high standard. We are all human and do make errors for which I take full responsibility for as without errors we cannot learn and I hope the one thing we can all learn at this present time that forgiveness is very important and I know that the Team are doing their very best so please be kind to the staff and volunteers as they are truly doing their best.

Our doors will open again and we may need to look a bit different but I can ensure all of you it will be done with wonkiness and wonderfulness and with the thoughts of those who really need us to enable people to remain living as they wish in their own way,

As Gary Storer from Orbit Housing and I agreed we can and need to work together. One organisation cannot do it all.

So Thank you to one and all and I look forward to a bright and healthy future for everyone.

Keep safe and well and remember you may be on your own but you are not alone.

Kind regards,

Vanessa Wood

Chief Officer, Age UK Thanet