We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Jill, Terry, Jenny, Ivor and Alison from the Care in Haslemere team. 

Care in Haslemere is an incredible local charity that provides a transport service to and from medical and dental appointments at clinics and hospitals. Most of their trips involve ferrying patients to and from the Royal Surrey in Guildford or to local surgeries and clinics. However, they are also able to go further afield and it's certainly not unknown for them to drive clients into London as well.

Those using the service are asked to make a suggested donation of £6 per journey for local visits and £25 for a visit to the Royal Surrey.  However, this is merely a suggestion, so for those struggling to make ends meet, it's a case of giving what you can afford.

It was lovely to chat to everyone and hear all about the work that this incredible organisation does. Jenny is currently the Secretary - she has been volunteering with the organisation since 1987 when she first heard about the work they did at a local WI meeting. However, she highlighted how volunteer numbers have halved since then. And everyone shared the same concern - the need to attract new volunteers - in order to keep up the incredible work that the charity does.

These days, the charity makes approximately 30 journeys each week. At the moment, they are just managing to cope with demand but it's proving extremely difficult. As a result, they would desparately like to hear from you if you may be able to help them and become one of their volunteer drivers. 

This is a great volunteering role. There are no set volunteering times or days (although it is Monday to Friday only) and you can simply say when you are and aren't available. You also get paid for your efforts - fuel costs are paid in line with the government suggested amount of 45 pence per mile. It goes without saying that you'll need a full driving license and a DBC check. But don't worry - Care in Haslemere will assist with that process.

Care in Haslemere are based at the Haslemere Methodist Church (opposite the Esso garage). Their office is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. until midday. Either pop in to have a chat with them, drop them an email or give them a call on 01428 652505. 

Care in Haslemere is such a vital service that people depend on in Haslemere - please help them to continue to do the incredible work that they do within our community.