Steve Brine visited One Community in Eastleigh on Friday 2nd March to discuss their role as the Council of Voluntary Services (CVS) for the area, and specifically across Chandler's Ford and Hiltingbury.
One Community is an independent charity providing voluntary sector support, community development, day care, domestic help, information and transport services in the borough of Eastleigh and beyond. It has a membership of some 250 voluntary and community organisations and was established in 1978 having been previously known as Eastleigh Community Services (ECS).
Their aim is to improve the quality of life for residents of the borough, particularly older people, carers and people with disabilities, through the work of our various projects.
Steve met the new Chief Executive, Jean Roberts-Jones, at their office overlooking Eastleigh town centre, where they also discussed Government changes to the welfare system, including the housing benefit cap and changes towards the Personal Independence Payment.
He also heard about the excellent initiative whereby Marks & Spencer at Hedge End commission One Community to run a bus service from Eastleigh down the superstore, and touched on their working relationship with the CVS for Winchester – WACA – and possible ways they can come together to provide a seamless service in the future.
Speaking afterwards, Steve said: "It was really good to meet Jean who brings a tangible sense of energy and enthusiasm to the role. I am very lucky to have WACA at the Winchester end of my patch and One Community look after the Eastleigh end so I feel the people I represent are well served.
"It is always useful to catch up with the voluntary sector and I am always struck by the sheer volume of work they do and what a gaping hole there would be in society if they ever stopped doing it.
"Among the many things we discussed, we talked at some length around the Coalition's NHS reforms and the positive ways organisations like One Community can engage with the new Care Commissioning Groups and the Health & Wellbeing Boards.
"There is no doubt that they have a central role to play in joining up health and social care and, if they are engaged correctly, they can make an enormous difference to peoples' lives and I think save the public services vast sums of money."
More information...
Find out more at www.1community.org.uk, and check out WACA at www.waca.org.uk.