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Good Things Happening!

A project that started life only last February is heading for success by helping many residents of Toothill,
Freshbrook and Westlea cope with the difficulties of living in a new, growing community.
The West Swindon Family Project began with nothing except a worker called Audrey Johnson, a small office
and financial backing from Wiltshire Social Services, Hambro Life Charitable Trust and Thamesdown Council.
There is now a solid team of volunteers providing all kinds of FAMILY SUPPORT. Audrey describes the project as
offering "warm friendly support to families at a neighbourhood level by using the abilities of ordinary people
doing ordinary things. The project was set up to work alongside professionals like doctors, social workers
and health visitors; but we are not professionals and I think the people we come into contact with appreciate that."
All the volunteers do a short course of training to improve their awareness of people's problems and to learn
a little of how to give constructive, positive help. Following the training, which takes up about six evenings,
the volunteers are placed in families where there are difficulties or stress of some kind. Each family's needs
are unique — very young parents finding a new baby a handful and in need of practical help; it could be a lone
parent needing a break from the children; maybe it's a family where parents and young teenagers do not see eye
to eye, or many other situations. Audrey visits the family after being asked by health visitors, social workers
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or by the family itself to explain the project and to ensure that the right volunteer is placed with them.
In all cases total confidentiality is kept. The team of a dozen volunteers has been in action for about two
months and they have found that giving help in their community has given them a great deal of confidence and
enjoyment. Another course of preparation is being arranged for early in 1983; men and women living in West
Swindon are invited to become volunteers by contacting Audrey Johnson.
The project is also in need of FAMILY DAY FOSTER PARENTS. This entails taking children into the family home
on a daily basis to provide care and attention. Payment is arranged to families offering Day Fostering but
one of the parents must have done a short training course and needs to be registered with Social Services.
A mini project within the project is the WEST SWINDON ADVICE CENTRE which offers advice and information on any
kind of welfare benefit available. Advice sessions are held every Thursday, 7-9 p.m. in the Toothill Temporary
,
Community Centres. With the help of th Thamesdown Law Centre a group of local residents now have the knowledge
to advise people wanting information about supplementary, unemployment, maternity and other benefits, rent and
rate rebates etc. And successful they are. For nearly every case where they have given advice, the claimant has
received more money from the DHSS than they had before. More people are wanted to help at the advice sessions
and another course will be starting in January.
If you would like to help at the Advice Centre, be a Family Support Volunteer, become a Day Foster Parent or
just want to know more about the West Swindon Family Project, why don't you contact Audrey Johnson at
WEST SWINDON FAMILY PROJECT Toothill Farmhouse, Bodiam Drive. Toothill Tel 612244.

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