Chipping Norton Times - Issue 26 - November 2012 (PDF)

Can you drive?
Cotswold Volunteers North
Transport Service helps people
needing transport to get to their medical appointments and
family emergencies and to enjoy occasional social outings.
‘This can make such a difference to people’s mental and
physical health. Just having something to look forward to, like
a trip to the shops, can make a huge difference to someone
who has no car and no access to public transport’, says Beth
Johnson CEO of Cotswold Volunteers North.
CVN Drivers come from all walks of life: they are retired
people who find they have the time to take someone to visit a
loved one in hospital; they are mums who, while their children
are at school, will take someone to a doctor’s appointment;
they are people who will, after work and at the weekends, be
available to take lonely, isolated people to visit friends and
family. Volunteers’ fuel costs are met by the clients and CVN
help with insurance forms so that all drivers are fully insured
at no extra cost to themselves.
CVN need to recruit 50 new drivers across the North
Cotswolds, plus 2 more volunteers to help run the front desk,
which coordinates the driver bookings. Front desk operators
are required to use a simple bespoke computer system for
which training is given. New volunteers are offered
introductory training and can be accompanied by experienced
drivers / front desk operators.
If you can help please contact Beth Johnson on 01608 651415
or beth@cotswoldvolunteers.com. If you have jJust a couple
of hours a month free to help, you can make a big difference.
If you live in the North Cotswolds and need help with
transport, please call the CVN Transport Service on 01608
651115 Monday to Friday 9.30am – 1.30pm.
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07789 175 002
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CHIPPING NORTON TIMES
NCCR CHAIRMAN TO STEP DOWN
North Cotswold Community Radio (NCCR) volunteers are
digesting the news that longstanding Chairman and station
founder Robb Eden is to resign his post with effect from the
end of 2012.
In a letter to committee members and volunteers, Mr Eden, of
Moreton in Marsh, expresses concern over the difficulty in
obtaining funding for the project, which he had hoped would
have become self supporting in the time since its inception
five years ago. Mr Eden also bemoans bureaucracy which
“continues to dampen the enthusiasm of the numerous
volunteers who have worked with us over the years”.
Expounding on this point, Mr Eden continues “it has also
become apparent to me that, for community radio to survive,
that Parliament needs to deregulate the sector and allow local
people to decide how their community stations should be run.
North Cotswold Community Radio is a radio station for the
whole of the North Cotswolds and both Parliament and Ofcom
(the industry regulator) need to accept this.”
Since its inception five years ago, NCCR has continually grown
its worldwide audience to the point where it now has around
2,000 listeners a week. Several hundred volunteers, of all
ages, have passed through it doors and gained valuable media
and broadcasting experience, with several going on to gain
employment with major organisations or completing related
college and university qualifications.
Conceding that the amount of time he has dedicated to
ensuring the smooth running of the internet station (online at
www.northcotswoldonline.com) has meant that his work has
suffered, Mr Eden will now step back and allow his focus to
return to his ‘day job’. At a recent committee meeting,
members paid tribute to his tireless work for the station and
were heartened when he agreed to continue his involvement
in the newly created role of President, which would allow him
to step back from the day-to-day running of the station while
still being available to offer invaluable counsel.
Mr Eden concludes “I will be happy to continue my
relationship with the radio station and the community by
becoming President of the organisation, if the committee so
wishes. Most important that new members are encouraged
to join the committee and that the radio station moves
forward so that the foundations we have built are not lost.”
For further information contact Richard Price
(richardpprice@gmail.com) or Robb Eden on
(robbeden@aol.com)
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