|
Charity
Auction a great success (Feb
2010)
Eastbourne
College provided a perfect setting for Chaseley's Charity Auction,
with 54 lots being put up for auction, all generously donated.
The lots included holiday breaks, signed memorabilia, unique
days out, food and drink, and the afternoon raised over £5,000 for
the charity.
Around 100
guests attended, enjoying cocktails and canapes before the auction,
and auctioneer Paul Achilleous from Eastbourne Auction Rooms
expertly extracted generous bids from guests to raise this
fantastic sum.
Everyone
at Chaseley would like to offer sincere thanks to all who supported
this event.
Quality
Certification for Chaseley (Feb
2010)
The
Chaseley Trust has achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification. This
internationally recognised standard aims to ensure customer
satisfaction by providing a tried and tested framework for a
systematic approach to managing the organisation's
processes.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt commented, “We wanted to find a way to
illustrate to both our existing and prospective service users, and
to those purchasing placements here, that we provide a quality and
consistent service, not just in terms of hands on care for which
Chaseley is already renowned, but in all aspects of our
business. Being independently audited for ISO 9001 seemed the
ideal route to take, and I am delighted that through the hard work
of our staff, we have achieved certification.”
Chaseley
was independently audited by ISOQAR, an accredited certification
body that is authorised to audit organisations and issue
certificates against a variety of management system
standards. As an independent, third-party assessment
body, ISOQAR audits a wide range of manufacturing and service
companies, both throughout the UK and across many parts of the
world.
Mears
‘Heavenly’ visit to Chaseley (Dec
09)
A team from the local
branch of Mears Ltd hosted a Christmas coffee morning at Chaseley
recently. As well as providing seasonal refreshments
for Chaseley’s residents, day care guests and staff, the company
presented a large ‘Heavenly Hamper’ for distribution to the
residents and a cheque for £100 to the charity, raised from a staff
raffle.
Mik
Strevens, Branch Manager for Mears in Eastbourne, which takes care
of almost 4,500 properties in the town for Eastbourne Homes Ltd
said, “One of Mears’ guiding principles is that we improve the
community in which we live and work. This year we invited staff to
run a Heavenly Hampers Coffee Morning and were delighted to be able
to host this event for Chaseley. All our staff members were
supportive in putting together the hamper and buying raffle
tickets. The team who came on the day really enjoyed mixing with
everyone at the Home.”
Helena
Barrow, Chaseley’s Registered Manager, added, “This was a lovely
morning and we are extremely grateful to the Mears team for making
the event so enjoyable, and for the hamper and generous
donation.”
Photo: the
Mears team (L to R): Gary Pelling, Barrie Poole, Steve Jackson, Mik
Strevens, Pete Allistone and Heidi Young.
Award
for Chaseley's Physio (Nov
09)
Senior
physiotherapist Rachel Wilson has been short listed for the
prestigious Physiotherapist of the Year Award (professional
nomination), run by the Chartered Society of
Physiotherapy.
The awards
celebrate outstanding contributions to the profession by members of
the 35,000 strong Society, and at the ceremony held in London on
16th November, Rachel learned she was joint runner-up in
her category.
Rachel is
the Therapy Manager at Chaseley, where she is described as being an
inspirational team leader, innovative and constantly researching
ways to improve facilities and treatments to benefit her
patients. She pioneered out-patient clinics to ensure the
specialised equipment available to Chaseley’s residents was also
available to people in the local community, with patients seeking
help with a wide range of neuro-disabilities including stroke,
Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy and other severely disabling
conditions.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt commented, “Chaseley’s residents and
respite care guests have long benefited from our in-house
physiotherapy department, but thanks to Rachel our specialised
equipment and expertise is now available to anyone in the community
on referral from their GP. Seventy per cent of outpatients
have rated their experience here as excellent, with the remaining
thirty per cent rating it good. This is testimony to
Rachel and her team’s dedication and commitment to Chaseley and we
are all extremely proud that the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
has recognised this in their annual awards ceremony.”
High
Sheriff Visits Chaseley (Oct
09)
East
Sussex High Sheriff Bill Shelford, accompanied by his wife Annette,
paid a visit to Chaseley recently and also viewed the new
bungalows. He commented, "I was very impressed with the new
bungalows which allow the residents not only their own front door,
but also a feeling of independence which many people with special
needs crave above all. The provisions and support put in
place by The Chaseley Trust allow their residents to live within
the Community, and the new build has allowed the Trust to equip the
rooms with everything that is needed, including variable height
cooking facilities."
Gone
Ape Again (Oct
09)
Tony Robins, proprietor of
The Ostrich Hotel in Robertsbridge, organised a “Go Ape” expedition
at Bedgebury Forest recently and led the way by undertaking the
high-wire challenge course in a gorilla suit.
The
sponsored event was to raise funds for Chaseley and just over
£3,000 was raised by the twenty staff and customers who took part.
After the event, Tony and his wife Rosemary generously provided a
barbecue meal for all at The Ostrich.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive, Sue Wyatt, who undertook the Go Ape course with
Tony last year said “Hats off to all those who completed the course
and raised funds for Chaseley. I know from personal
experience that it is quite daunting being so high off the ground,
so we truly appreciate everyone’s efforts in raising such a great
sum.”
Art
Exhibition a Success (Sept
09)
More than 500 people
visited the Eastbourne Open Art & Sculpture Exhibition at
Chaseley over the bank holiday weekend and 23 exhibits sold with a
combined value of just under £2000. Many of the
visitors also voted for their favourite exhibit as part of the
People’s Choice award, and the winner was Derek Baulcomb, with
‘Dusk’. Derek received £100 in vouchers generously
donated by Great Art. Runner up was Mike Harrison with
‘Crates’, who received £50 in Great Art vouchers.
A raffle raised £178 thanks to Emma Mason donating two Robert
Tavener prints, with winning tickets 321 and 356, and the event
generated a surplus of just over £530 for the charity.
Chaseley
would like to thank sponsors DP Interiors, ESOPS, Great Art
and Jacksons for supporting the event. We also greatly
appreciate the organising efforts of Rosemary Drysdale, her husband
Robert and her team of stewards.
Pictured
are the Mayoress and Mayor of Eastbourne, who attended the preview,
with Chaseley's Sue Wyatt and organiser Rosemary
Drysdale.
Donation
for MS Society (Aug
09)
A 40 km walk
undertaken by two staff from residential home Chaseley raised funds
for both The Chaseley Trust and the Eastbourne & South Wealden
MS Society. While Chaseley cares for people with all
types of severe physical disability, a large number of its service
users have Multiple Sclerosis and so it was felt very appropriate
that the walk should also benefit the local MS Society
branch.
Receiving
the £400 cheque on behalf of the organisation, Margaret Barrett
said “We would like to send our sincere thanks to Rachel Wilson and
Kate Wilkinson for their grand effort and in accordance with their
wishes the donation will be allocated to our physiotherapy services
which take place at the District General Hospital.”
Photo shows
Margaret receiving the cheque from Rachel and Kate, with Chaseley
service users Eric, Philip and Hazel in the foreground.
Loyalty
Awards for Chaseley Staff (August
09)
Trustees of The Chaseley
Trust presided over an awards lunch and ceremony to recognise and
reward staff for loyalty to the charity, which is part of the Rehab
Group. Awards were presented for ten and fifteen years
continuous service.
The
recipient of a fifteen year service award was Mary Ogden, Senior
Sister at Chaseley’s main residential home, who is renowned for her
expert care and empathy towards her patients, all of whom have
severe and often complex physical disabilities.
Those
receiving ten year service awards were Noel Chilton, Senior Charge
Nurse, Amanda Rae, HR and Training Manager, Gina Smith, Senior
Housekeeper, Howard Taylor, Nursing Auxiliary with NVQ3 in Care and
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt. Sue commented, “I am pleased that
many of our staff choose to stay with the organisation, and we like
to reward this commitment through our awards – it is one way we can
give a little something back to them in recognition of their
continued loyalty to us.”
Group
Picture: All the loyalty award recipients L to R: Noel Chilton,
Amanda Rae, Sue Wyatt, Mary Ogden, Howard Taylor and Gina
Smith.
Chaseley
Staff with the X Factor(August
09)
The votes
are in and counted, and an awards ceremony has just taken place to
honour the individual employee, volunteer and department who has
polled the most votes from residents and other staff members in
Chaseley’s annual staff awards.
They don’t
have to sing to win, but polling the most votes serves to highlight
the care and commitment these individuals and teams contribute to
life in the residential care home, and also at Chaseley’s new
bungalow development.
Chaseley relies heavily on volunteers
to help out with many activities around the home, and is pleased
that so many of these dedicated people received votes from those
they help and the staff they work alongside. However,
receiving the most votes and named Volunteer of the Year, was Mike
Parker, who helps at the home along with his wife
Aileen.
Mike is
pictured receiving his award from Chair of Trustees Angela
Kerins.
The Employee of the Year Award was won
by Roy Blackmore who works in the Activities department. Roy
has worked at Chaseley for some years but has recently taken on a
more proactive role in organising a wide range of exciting event
for residents and day care service users, coming up with completely
new ideas and initiatives to make life at the home more interesting
and enjoyable for everyone.
Roy is
receiving his award from 'Friends' Chairman Mitch
Kerry.
The Department of the Year Award went to
Chaseley’s maintenance team headed up by Estates Manager Geoff
Wilding. The team has been kept particularly busy of late
with the culmination of Chaseley’s Diamond Jubilee Appeal project
last year and also its new bungalows development this year, and
their hard work and commitment clearly didn’t go
unnoticed.
Mitch Kerry
and Chaseley’s Maintenance Team, receiving their department of the
year award (L to R, Chris Pettit, Michael Taylor, Geoff Wilding,
and Mitch Kerry).
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt commented, “We are grateful to The
Friends of Chaseley for sponsoring both the Employee and Department
of the Year Awards. It is a pleasure for us to see our staff
recognised for the tremendous work they do in circumstances
requiring patience and empathy - well done to all our award
winners”.
MP visits
Chaseley Bungalows (July
09)
Local MP Nigel Waterson paid a
visit to Chaseley’s semi independent living community recently,
viewing both the first phase of occupied bungalows and the second
phase which has just been finished, ready for
occupation.
Accompanied
by Chaseley’s Chief Executive Sue Wyatt, Mr Waterson chatted to
residents and was interested in the facilities and the new model of
social care on offer. He commented, "I was extremely
impressed by Chaseley's bungalow development. They are very
comfortable, well designed and above all, homely. For people
with severe disabilities who value their independence, they are the
ideal solution."
The
bungalows, which offer 24 hour RGN nursing support as well as
Personal Assistants on hand to help with everyday activities and
personal care, complement Chaseley’s main residential Home in South
Cliff which also offers respite care, day care and outpatient
therapy services. For more information or to view the
bungalows or main Home, contact Helena Barrow on 01323
744211.
Picture
shows Chaseley’s Chief Executive Sue Wyatt with bungalow resident
Paul Woods and Nigel Waterson MP.
Garden
Party a Great Success (June
09)
Fine but
slightly chilly weather prevailed for Chaseley's annual Garden
Party but that didn't stop the fun and a very healthy sum of
almost £1600 was taken on the day, with a further £300 plus taken
in advance sales for the Spring/Summer raffle, drawn on the
day.
The
Eastbourne Silver Band entertained visitors throughout the
afternoon, and there were mini traction engines on display, along
with members of Canine Concern in all shapes and sizes (we mean the
dogs!) and the gorgeous and very cuddly Frankie, pictured above.
Meads Butchers provided the delicious sausages and burgers
for the barbecue, Eastbourne's Allotments and Gardens Society ran
their usual fresh produce stall, and we were delighted to have a
stall from Eastbourne Beekeepers, who were selling honey and other
beeswax products. East Sussex Fire and Rescue also dropped in
with their fire engine, which was a great attraction for the
younger visitors (and some of the older) as was the face painting
and crafts.
Chaseley
would like to thank everyone who participated on the day with
stalls and attractions, all the companies who gave prizes for our
Spring/Summer raffle and also all those who came along to support
this event. We truly appreciate you spending your time with
us.
Mayor
and Mayoress visit Chaseley Bungalows (June
2009)
The Mayor
and Mayoress of Eastbourne, Greg and Clare Szanto, paid a visit to
Chaseley's newly occupied bungalow development where they chatted
to residents and staff and viewed the facilities on offer. As
well as seeing the completed first phase of the development, they
were also able to view the second phase, which was due to be
completed the following month.
The Mayor
and Mayoress are pictured with resident Paul Woods, and
Chaseley staff Geoff Wilding, Zoe Janda and Sue Wyatt.
Duke
of Devonshire visits Chaseley Bungalows (May
2009)
His Grace the Duke of
Devonshire KCVO, CBE visited Chaseley’s new semi independent living
project ‘Chaseley Bungalows’ recently, and planted a flowering
cherry tree to mark the completion of the first four bungalows, and
the arrival of the development’s first residents. He
was accompanied on his visit by the Duchess of Devonshire and The
Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Peter Field and Mrs
Field.
The Duke
commented, “The Duchess and I were very impressed by the high
standard of the work that has been done inside and outside.
It is a wonderful use of a redundant piece of land and the up to
date equipment available for residents will I am sure be hugely
appreciated. This is an exciting initiative which is bound to
be a great success thanks to all the hard work of the dedicated
team at Chaseley.”
Directors
from builders Hanover Homes were also present, and the company are
now working on the second phase of the development for
Chaseley.
Pictured
left to right are: Trustee Patrick Salmon, The Duke of
Devonshire, The Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mr Peter Field,
Chaseley's Chief Executive Sue Wyatt, Warren Medlock from Hanover
Homes, Trustee Richard Bugler and Rob Williams from hanover
Homes.
A
long walk for charity (May
2009)
Two
members of Chaseley’s staff walked 26 miles on 9th May to raise
funds for The Chaseley Trust and the Eastbourne and South Wealden
MS Society. Rachel Wilson, Chaseley’s Therapy Manager, and
Kate Wilkinson, Psycho-Social Care Manager, joined in with over 700
other walkers in the Just Walk event, which started at Goodwood
Racecourse and followed a circular route over the South
Downs.
The pair
chose the 40 km or 26 mile option, starting at 8 am and finishing
late afternoon in a time of 9 hours and 25 minutes. Donations
are still coming in for the pair, and more would be very
welcome. So far over £1,000 has been pledged for the two
charities. Rachel (pictured left) and Kate would like to
thank all their sponsors, whose generosity encouraged them over the
many hills to the finish line.
TA
get on their bikes for Charity (April
2009)
Members of
the Territorial Army’s 56 Signal Squadron (V) from Eastbourne
undertook a gruelling bike ride over 10 days last year, to raise
funds for The Chaseley Trust and the Army Benevolent Fund.
Travelling from John o’Groats to Lands End, the team
averaged 95 miles a day and were supported by TA units throughout
the country who supplied accommodation and meals en
route. When stopping away from civilisation, the team
put up tents and endured the Scottish midges!
Representatives of both
charities attended a special event this week to receive the
cheques, and Chaseley Trustee Colonel (Retired) Richard Bugler and
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt received a cheque for £665.90 from Col
Paul Willmott OBE TD Royal Signals.
Pictured
are two of the cycling team, SSgt ‘Mac’ McMullen and Cfn Andrew
Jarmin. The other two riders were SSgt John Atherton and Sig
Samantha Ambrose and support was provided by Sgt Eric
Gardyne.
Chaseley
helps develop wheelchair solution. (March
2009)
A design project funded by
the Department of Health and developed between the University of
Brighton and Neater Solutions, offers people who have lost the use
of one arm and leg, possibly through a stroke, the ability to
manoeuvre a wheelchair using their unaffected limbs.
Following a
successful trial by Chaseley’s Therapy Department and Outpatient
service user Brian Pettit, the wheelchair adaptation will be
manufactured by Neater Solutions, a Derbyshire based company
specialising in the design and manufacture of equipment to aid
people with disabilities. Pictured with Brian and Rachel
Wilson, Chaseley’s Therapy Manager are Jon Michaelis (left)
Manufacturing Engineer from Neater Solutions, Dr Anne Mandy,
Principal Research Fellow and Samuel Lesley, Development Engineer
and Faculty Fellow, both from the University of Brighton. The
wheelchair has now been donated to Chaseley to be used by Brian and
other service users.
A
Great Year for Chaseley's Therapy Department (Jan
2009)
Last year
proved to be a very good one for everyone in Chaseley’s Therapy
Department. Not only did they acquire a newly expanded and
refurbished facility with some great new equipment, thanks to
Chaseley’s Diamond Jubilee Appeal, but the team were also awarded
the title of ‘Department of the Year’.
The award,
sponsored by The Friends of Chaseley, is made every year and gives
staff and service users the opportunity to vote for those who have
made an exceptional contribution to the Home, which cares for
adults with severe physical disabilities.
On
receiving the award Therapy Department Manager Rachel Wilson
commented, “Everyone in the team has personally contributed to us
achieving this award. The Therapy Team has been working hard to
improve the provision of care for the service users at Chaseley.
Over the last year our staff have developed skills in many areas
including Cognitive Assessment, specialised seating & postural
assessment and splinting. Our outpatient service continues to
expand and we have recently recruited a part time Speech &
Language Therapist to the team. We are very excited
about our new facilities and are committed to further developing
specialist therapy services for adults with severe and complex
physical disabilities”.
Other award
recipients include Fundraiser and Public Relations Officer
Christine Ellis, who was named Employee of the Year, and Chairman
of The Friends of Chaseley, Mitch Kerry, who was named Volunteer of
the Year, the latter award being sponsored by Chaseley
itself.


Team
Chaseley Go Ape and raise over £2,500
(Sept 2008)
Ten
intrepid individuals have raised over £2,500 for Chaseley by
braving the daunting heights of Bedgebury Forest’s Go Ape course of
rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides. Both Chaseley
staff and supporters took part, the youngest being just eleven
years old. Pictured is Chaseley’s Therapies Manager Rachel
Wilson, who enjoyed a hands free approach to the zip
slides!

Airbourne
enjoyed by all at Chaseley (Aug
2008)
The Mayor
of Eastbourne, Councillor Greg Szanto, joined trustees, residents
and other guests at Chaseley last Friday to enjoy the Airbourne
flying spectacular from the vantage point of Chaseley’s own
garden.
The annual
event gives Chaseley’s trustees and management an opportunity to
extend a luncheon invitation to friends and benefactors as a thank
you for their support, which, thanks to good weather, was enjoyed
outside where guests could also view the air show.
Pictured left to right
are: Trustee Richard Bugler, The Friends of Chaseley Chairman Mitch
Kerry, The Mayor of Eastbourne, Trustees Jeremy Howes and Kate
Gammon, Councillor Bob Lacey OBE and Chief Executive Sue
Wyatt.

REHAB
Awards for Chaseley Staff (Aug
2008)
At a recent
ceremony presided over by Chaseley’s Chair of Trustees, Dr Angela
Kerins, who is also Chief Executive of the Rehab Group, a number of
Chaseley staff were given Rehab Group awards for their loyalty and
dedication.
Chaseley is part of the
Rehab Group and Nursing Auxiliary Michael Prescott (pictured left)
picked up an outstanding achievement award having been employed at
Chaseley since September 1973, working full time on night duty
for many years before transferring to day duty in November
2002. During this time he has seen many changes at the
residential care home for people with severe physical disabilities,
having started work at a time when all the residents were war
pensioners and when the Health & Safety requirements were very
different. He certainly remembers the times when he and
colleagues used to physically lift residents from their
wheelchairs, a practice leading to many back strains among staff
and no longer permitted. By far the longest serving employee,
he outruns Chaseley’s longest term resident by just one month! The
stories he can tell are innumerable and, in some cases, hair
raising.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive Sue Wyatt commented, “Mike has
weathered Chaseley's storms and shared in the triumphs and
continued to be loyal and trusted throughout. He is well
respected and much appreciated and has successfully completed his
NVQ in Care levels 2 & 3. We hope he continues to stay
with us for many more years.”
Other long
service awards were given to Kate Wilkinson and Ros Staniford for
over 15 years service, and Shirley Charman, Justin Dennis, Steven
Lacey, David Monaghan, Mary Ogden, Linda Reynolds, Maria Sinclair,
Michael Taylor, Elizabeth Gower and Barbara Thompson for over 10
years service.
Going
Ape for Chaseley (July
2008)
Eight
members of Chaseley's staff, plus some family and friends, will be
swinging through the trees at Bedgebury Forest's Go Ape course on
Saturday 12th July, in the hope of raising enough funds to complete
our Diamond Jubilee Appeal.
With just
over £3,000 to raise, it is a tall order but with the support of
the Ostrich Hotel in Robertsbridge, who are also sending a few
brave participants along to help out, and will provide a free BBQ
afterwards for all those completing the course, it is
achievable.
Our
fearless team would really appreciate sponsorship and if you could
pledge a sum to one of our team, please contact Christine on 01323
744390 or email me here and put Go Ape in the subject
box.
You can sponsor Helena, Sue, Kate, Noel, Rachel, Lynda, Wendy
or Sophie, and of course, they must complete the entire course to
collect the sponsorship!
Learn more
about their task at www.goape.co.uk
Chaseley's
Garden Party (July
08)
Traction
Engines, Belly Dancers and Bunnies!

Great
weather, lots of visitors and just over £2,000 raised towards our
Diamond Jubilee Appeal made our Garden Party a huge success.
We are extremely grateful to all the members of the
Eastbourne Silver Band who gave their time and talent for free, and
also the very entertaining Sea Gypsies Belly Dancers (pictured) who
drew quite a crowd. The traction engines were also a great
hit, as were the Cuddle Bunnies and Care Dogs. Thank you so
much to everyone who came on the day and spent most generously, to
all the staff and volunteers who helped out, to the companies and
individuals who donated prizes and the members of the Eastbourne
Allotments and Gardens Society who grew and donated so many fine
plants and fresh produce. A full report will appear in the
Autumn/Winter edition of Chaseley Chat.
Chaseley
shortlisted for Fundrasising Award (May
2008)
The
Chaseley Trust has been short listed for a National Award organised
by the Institute of Fundraising, the UK's professional membership
body championing best practice in fundraising.
Entries
were judged by a panel of twelve senior professionals from the
industry, and Chaseley is one of three charities shortlisted for
Best Local/Regional Campaign, for its Diamond Jubilee Appeal that
aimed to raise £500,000 in two years. This appeal was to
enable the Eastbourne based charity to make substantial
improvements to its residential, respite and day care home for
people with severe physical
disabilities.
Chaseley
is just £27,000 shy of its target, and hopes to conclude the appeal
at its Garden Party on 28th June.
The Awards
ceremony will take place alongside the Institute of Fundraising’s
National Convention in July at the Hilton London
Metropole.
Going
Ape for The Friends of Chaseley (April
2008)
Two
intrepid young ladies, Naomi Clifton and Crystal Greenfield, scaled
the heights of the daunting ‘Go Ape’ high wire adventure course in
Bedgebury Forest near Goudhurst, to raise almost £1,000 for The
Friends of Chaseley.
Organised
by Tony Robins, proprietor of The Ostrich Hotel in Robertsbridge,
there are two more Go Ape adventures lined up for June and July,
with some of Chaseley’s staff participating in the
latter. Sponsors are very welcome for these brave
individuals, as are other daredevils who fancy approximately three
hours of monkeying around on rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip
slides. Email Christine
to request
further information.
Cheers
to The Ostrich (April
2008)
Proprietors
Tony and Rosemary Robins of The Ostrich Hotel in Robertsbridge,
East Sussex have raised an astonishing £8,779.80 during 2007 for
The Chaseley Trust. With the help of staff, customers and
friends, they have put on a number of fund-raising activities and
Tony has personally contacted local businesses to persuade them to
contribute. Many of the donations were gift aided,
which means the true value to Chaseley will be nearer the £10,000
mark.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive, Sue Wyatt commented “We are extremely grateful to
everyone at The Ostrich for such a tremendous effort on Chaseley’s
behalf. The contributions have been put towards our Diamond
Jubilee Appeal, which now stands at £473,533 towards the £500,000
target.”
Rosemary
and Tony are pictured receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from
Chaseley Trustee Patrick Salmon, Chairman of the Diamond Jubilee
Appeal, while Vice-President Dr Peter Greenfield and Chief
Executive Sue Wyatt look on.
Charity
Auction a Great Success (March
2008)
Chaseley
would like to give a very big thank you to everyone who
participated in their recent Charity Auction, which raised the
amazing sum of £5,089 towards our Diamond Jubilee
Appeal.
Special
thanks must go to Auctioneer Pippa Deeley, whose enthusiasm created
a brilliant atmosphere, and also Eastbourne College for allowing us
to use their fantastic Big School. We had some fantastic
helpers on the day, with duties ranging from pouring the cocktails,
serving the canapes, parading the auction lots, wrapping them up
afterwards, making teas and coffees in the interval, washing up,
car parking and so on! We could not put on these events
without your help.
We also
appreciate everyone who donated an auction lot and special mention
should go to Colin Pitt of DP Interiors. His fantastic
lot of two men, for two days, plus materials to do those
DIY jobs around the house attracted two strong bidders, and to
avoid disappointment, Colin generously offered a second identical
lot to the losing bidder.
Last, but
certainly not least, a huge thank you is due to all the people who
turned up on the day and bid most generously on our lots, and also
to those absent friends who left bids with us.
Congratulations to all those who won their lots - we hope
they give you much pleasure.
Design
a Christmas Card Competition (October
2007)
Norman
Clark and Roger Blackwell are the winners in our Design a Christmas
card competition, and their designs are adorning Chaseley's
Christmas cards this year. Norman's traditional snow scene is
100 x 100 mm approx. in size, and Roger's penguins is 136 x 85
mm. Both are available in packs of 10, price £3.99, including
envelopes.
The message inside the card is 'Season's Greetings', with
Chaseley's details on the back.

Chaseley's
Annual Awards (August
2007)
Every year
Chaseley invites staff and service users to vote for the employee
and department they feel has provided exceptional service
throughout the preceding year. This year the title of
Employee of the Year goes to Sharon Cassar, who works in the
Training Department, where she has expended much time and effort in
carrying out auditing, leading on the review and update of policies
as well as conducting regular training sessions. Appreciation
for all that the team in the Training Department has achieved was
marked by the fact that they also won the Department of the Year
Award, in recognition of their continuing development programme,
excellent training opportunities and innovation, as well as the
maintenance of mandatory training for all staff. The Volunteer of
the Year Award was won by Zak Buckley, a young man who has recently
joined Chaseley and who, with his enthusiasm and bright
personality, has brought such joy to our service users through the
various activities he engages in. Zak is pictured with (left
to right) Sue Wyatt, Mitch Kerry and Kate Gammon.
All Award
winners received their prizes and certificates at a small ceremony
at Chaseley in August. Mitch Kerry, Chairman of the Friends
of Chaseley who sponsor the Department and Employee of the Year
Awards, presided and Kate Gammon, Trustee, presented the
Chaseley-sponsored Volunteer of the Year Award.
Loyalty
Awards were also presented to Maria Sinclair, Steve Lacey and Dave
Monaghan.
The
Spring/Summer 2007 edition of Chaseley Chat is available to
download here (the
file is 2.2MB). Alternatively email your name and
address
here, and we'll
post one to you.
Airbourne
comes to Eastbourne (August
2007)

Distinguished guests
enjoying Eastbourne's annual air spectacular from the vantage point
of Chaseley's balcony included (L to R), Group Captain
Martin Armstrong RAFBF, Chairman of the Friends of
Chaseley Mitch Kerry, Chaseley Trustee Jeremy Howes, Eastbourne
MP Nigel Waterson, Chaseley Trustee Kate Gammon and (front)
Mayor's Consort Olive Woodall, Chaseley's Chief Executive
Sue Wyatt and Eastbourne's Mayor, Councillor Mary
Pooley.
Balloon
Race winner (August
2007)
Despite the rain
weighing down our balloons, most managed to escape from Chaseley
and the £100 cash prize, sponsored by G M Monk Ltd and
Sussex Cars, was won by Mrs Bartter of Eastbourne. The
balloon made it as as far as Silverdale Road in Eastbourne, which
was a pretty feeble effort. However the finder, Mr Mullens,
was rewarded with a £10 Boots gift card. Winner Mrs Bartter
is the grandmother of one of our residents, Sarah Wren, and very
generously donated half her winnings back to
Chaseley.
Awards
For All Grant for Chaseley (July
2007)
Chaseley
has been granted £5,000 towards a volunteering project, thanks to
the Lottery Fund's Awards for All Scheme. The grant
will enable Chaseley's volunteer coordinator to give talks to local
groups about volunteering, fund a training programme for our
volunteers, host open days at the home and produce
professional leaflets and display equipment to encourage more
volunteers to help out with many aspects of the home's activities
and outings.
Garden
Party survives the rain (July
2007)
Despite
appalling weather, Chaseley's Garden Party was well supported and
raised almost £1,000 for the charity. There were lots of
attractions, including Canine Concern Care Dogs and Cuddle Bunnies
and a demonstration of Tai Chi.
(Pictured
below). Chaseley would like to thank everyone who contributed
to the success of the day, including Canine Concern and Cuddle
Bunnies, the Eastbourne Silver Band, the Eastbourne Allotment
and Gardens Society, the Eastbourne Historical Society, Care Homes
Insurance Services, the Red Cross, Falklands Veteran Con Cronin,
the Territorial Army, all the local businesses who contributed
prizes and all the volunteers who helped out. A full report
and acknowledgement will be in the next edition of Chaseley Chat,
due out in October.
Eastbourne
Open Art & Sculpture Exhibition a success
(May
2007)
Fantastic
variety, great quality and very professional. These
were just some of the comments received about the Eastbourne Open
Art and Sculpture exhibition held at Chaseley over the bank holiday
weekend.
Baroness
Fookes, who officially opened the exhibition to the public on
Friday commented, “I did not know quite what standard to expect and
I was very impressed by the quality of the exhibits and their
range. Eastbourne and the county of Sussex can take
justifiable pride in the artistic talent on display at the
Exhibition. I hope that it will go from strength to strength
and remain an ever more valued event in the town's
calendar.”
The
prizes, sponsored by PlanAhead Fine Art & Graphics Suppliers,
were won by Lorna Holdcroft (Best Professional), Zan Stevenson
(Best Amateur), Christopher Furner (Best Sculpture) and nine year
old Brett Tatham-Wood (Best Junior). Highly Commended awards
were also given to Jackie Hurwood and Suzanne Rudd for their
paintings and collages respectively, St Dunstan’s for their
impressive sculptures, and junior entrant Katharine Thompson, also
aged nine, for her computer generated artwork.
One of
the judges, Roy Donaldson said, “The standard was very high and the
professional work was first class. Some of the amateur
exhibits also showed enormous promise, including the winner of the
Best Amateur prize.”
More
than £2,700 worth of paintings and sculptures were sold during the
exhibition and Chaseley will receive a commission on all these
works. Thanks to a community grant from Eastbourne Borough
Council, the event raised just over £1,000 for the charity, and
Chaseley would like to thank all the artists, sponsors, volunteer
helpers and visitors who made the event such a
success.
EODS
Cheque for Chaseley (April
07)
The
Eastbourne Operatic and Dramatic Society, a long established
Eastbourne institution, raised £500 through sales of programmes
during their season of shows last year and decided to donate it to
The Chaseley Trust, another organisation with a long history in the
town.
Chaseley’s
Chief Executive dropped in on the Society’s rehearsals for
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" to receive the cheque, which was
presented by EODS Chairman Nick Reynolds. The donation will
go towards Chaseley’s Diamond Jubilee Appeal, which will
significantly improve the physiotherapy and occupational therapy
department, a facility available for both Chaseley residents and
the local community through outpatient referrals.
Minister
for Veterans visits Chaseley (March
07)
Derek Twigg MP, the
Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans at
the Ministry of Defence, visited Chaseley this week to see for
himself the facilities and treatments on offer for ex-service
personnel and other members of the community.
Chaseley’s management
has been concerned for some time that ex-service personnel are not
being referred for rehabilitation, respite or residential care at
Chaseley. This situation has arisen since specialist
military hospitals have closed down and war casualties are now
being treated under the National Health Service. The
Minister’s visit was therefore an opportunity to voice these
concerns and ask that he look into the current treatment of our war
veterans, and consider how Chaseley can be kept in mind as one of
the few facilities that specialise in the care of all ages of
paralysed or brain injured veterans, as well as those with
neurological conditions.
The
Minister was also informed of Chaseley’s Diamond Jubilee Appeal
progress and the additional facilities a successful appeal would
create for all of Chaseley’s Service Users. He was invited to
officially unveil Chaseley’s Commemorative Diamond Jubilee Gate,
and is pictured with (left to right) Trustee Robin Harrison,
resident Mary Tester, and Trustees Patrick Salmon, Jeremy Howes and
Kate Gammon. The Appeal fund is approaching £300,000, with a
target of £500,000 and all donations are very
welcome.
The Winter
edition of Chaseley Chat is available in printed form, which you
can order by emailing here and
providing your name and address. Alternatively download
a pdf here.
Four
stars for Chaseley in Business Excellence Awards.
(January 2007)
As a result of independent
assessment under the EFQM Recognition Scheme of Levels of
Excellence, Chaseley has attained 4 stars in the Recognised for
Excellence (R4E) strata of Business Excellence
Awards.
Chaseley’s
management has always been dedicated to ensuring best practice is
maintained at all levels, and since 2003 they have been using the
EFQM Excellence Model as a means of coordinating and focusing an
improvement programme. Having gained the Committed to
Excellence award in 2005, managers and staff were spurred on to
apply for the next stage in their journey towards recognition as
being among the best in the country.
CEO, Sue
Wyatt, said 'We are dedicated to the pursuit of Excellence and
continuous improvement in all that we do, and it is very
encouraging and rewarding to receive this recognition. Our
aim now is to apply for a National Award within the next 2 years. I
would like to commend and thank the committed and conscientious
team of staff for their hard work; everyone's efforts have really
paid off'.
Picture
shows Chaseley's Business Excellence Team.
Diamond
Jubilee Grand Raffle Winner(Dec 2006)
Many
congratulations to the first prize winner in our Diamond Jubilee
Grand Raffle, Lynda Boyle, seen here with Chaseley's Registered
Manager Helena Barrow receiving her prize.

Lynda runs
the Rosedale Hotel in Eastbourne, since moving from London six
years ago.
Second
prize winners were Mr & Mrs Fryer from Heathfield in
Sussex, who win a 5 night cruise for two on the QE2, thanks to the
generosity of Personal Service Travel. Mr & Mrs
Fryer are seen here receiving their prize from Nicky Taylor from
PST (right), and Helena Barrow.
We are
very grateful to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service who
provided some very able bodied men from the Eastbourne Station to
perform the draw for us. They are pictured here with
Chaseley's Chief Executive Sue Wyatt and Fundraiser Christine Ellis
(left).
|