The Wychwood Day Centre

The Wychwood Day Centre is a registered charity providing day care facilities for housebound elderly people in our community. It meets once a week at the New Beaconsfield Hall and gives our members a chance to socialise in a warm and loving group. For many, it is their only opportunity to leave their homes for a day and enjoy the company of other people.

Volunteer Lead
Apart from our one, part time co-ordinator, the Day Centre relies entirely on volunteers giving their time to support people less fortunate than themselves. This includes helpers, cooks and drivers.
We also undertake our own fund raising which covers about half of our running costs. But, the other half of those costs are covered by a grant from Oxfordshire County Council who, incidentally, have rated our service ‘excellent’.
As you have probably heard on the local news, this budget will now be severely cut. We originally expected the axe to fall in Spring this year, but we now understand that we will lose all County funding in April 2017.
Most organisations faced with the loss of half of their income would be preparing to shut down. The Trustees of the Wychwood Day Centre believe we can save our charity.
We are embarking on a difficult review of our costs and looking for more sources of funding, no easy task when we rely on volunteers and already raise a substantial amount from kind and generous donors.

Weathering the Storm
Fortunately, the Day Centre has cash reserves in compliance with the Charity Commissioner’s guide lines so we have a short term financial buffer for 2017.
If the Wychwood Day Centre is to survive, we must ask for support from the communities we serve.
We are interested in sponsorship from local companies and organisations, and personal donations wherever possible. You may also like to consider a legacy from yourself or a loved one.
You can also help by joining the Wychwood Day Centre 100 Club. A single annual subscription costs £24 and you can have as many as you like. There is a prize draw with two lucky winners every month.

Contact numbers:
Membership:  Katherine Gidman, Co-ordinator 01993 831479
Donations:  Joanna van de Poll, Trustee 01993 830090
Volunteering:  Linda Dixon, Trustee 01993 830411
100 Club:  Margaret Hartley 01993 830306
General:  Paul Young, Chairman 01993 832092

Paul Young. Chairman
Wychwood Day Centre