RNIB Talking Book Service
During the past year our Community and Hospital Volunteers have expanded their support roles both within the Hospital itself and in the role they play in the community.
We now have a dedicated volunteer that works on both Tarrant and Portman Wards, supporting patients who do not have many visitors. The project is called 'Let's have some Fun". Alison reads to them, plays board games, or just talks and listens, and hopefully they all have some fun. A very positive feedback tells us that as a result, patients have a much more pleasant stay in the hospital.
In the community, we are now working in co-operation with the Stroke Association by providing transport to take Stroke patients to and from their twice a month meetings in Shaftesbury. We now have two cars regularly serving this group taking people from Blandford.
In Blandford itself, district nurses working from Whitecliffe Surgery have started a weekly Leg Club, which combines nursing care with social activity. Our volunteers support the group by assisting with the social aspects, including providing the ever popular refreshments.
Dorset County Council have now ceased supporting the Blind and Partially sighted people in Dorset by paying for the RNIB Talking Book Service. As a result, the Friends are now supporting this project by paying the subscriptions to the RNIB Talking Book service, so that people may still have access to this brilliant service. If you know of anyone who would benefit from assistance, please contact Jean in The Friends Office.
Overall, we now regularly support approximately 60 people each month by providing an extensive transport service to all the hospitals in the regions, as well as the regular, more local journeys to the supermarket, bank, opticians, dentists, etc., not forgetting GP's surgery appointments.
In addition, we change people's library books, walk their dogs, sit with their loved ones whilst the carer goes out, play chess, read newspapers and befriend anyone that is housebound. Every year our volunteers provided approximately 9500 hours of voluntary work both in Blandford Hospital and the Community. We think that is an amazing achievement and are very proud of them all.
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