|
One of the charities that will benefit from our
Gift Day on 11 September
You
may find it helpful to know a little about some of the work undertaken by
Merton WelCare in advance of the Gift Day in early September.
WelCare is a local charity, based in Lavender Ward, Mitcham. This is
amongst the 15% most deprived wards in England. Within Merton, this is the
ward with the highest number of reported domestic violence incidents and the
highest number of repeat victims. Lavender has the highest crime statistics
in Merton and the highest number of children receiving free school meals
(32%). So, you see, Merton WelCare is ideally placed to provide help where
it is most urgently needed.
WelCare offers three kinds of help. The first two are relatively
self-explanatory. Firstly, WelCare provides a holistic social work service
to families that are referred by the London Borough of Merton. WelCare's
team of Social Workers supports these families with problems as wide-ranging
as chronic debt, addiction and domestic violence. WelCare also runs a “Home
School” project, which aims to improve children's attendance, behaviour and
performance in school. Merton WelCare currently has one worker who operates
in two schools in Mitcham, and her work is showing very promising results.
The
third service is known as the “Contact Centre”. As many people will not have
heard about such Centres, it may be wise to offer a more detailed
description of what this achieves.
As
is well known, an increasing number of marriages and partnerships are
breaking up. The effects upon the children of such breakdown are only now
becoming clear. Children feel torn between loyalty to both parents and
often grieve deeply for the loss of the parent who has moved away. The
distress these children feel is hard for them to cope with, and often
manifests itself in aggressive and “difficult” behaviour. This can have very
negative results, particularly at school.
At
the “Contact Centre”, every week, arrangements are made for non-residential
parents to meet their children in the spacious playroom or crèche. In a
number of cases where family breakdown has occurred, it becomes possible for
children to see not only the absent parent but grandparents as well. Social
workers and a team of dedicated volunteers support this ‘contact’. In many
cases, the existence of such supported contact eventually leads to the
estranged parents being able to communicate constructively again, to ensure
that the needs of their children are fully met. The children benefit
enormously from being able to stay in close contact with their wider family,
they become happier, more settled able to cope with life.
Last
year, the Contact Centre was open every week last year, except two, when
training took place. You will not be surprised to hear that there is always
along waiting list. Some families ask for help themselves and the Family
Courts refer some to us.
Merton WelCare is in constant need of funds to help it continue its work. In
the past, the people of St Mary Merton have been very generous to WelCare
and this has been greatly appreciated. It would be wonderful if this
generosity could also be apparent on September 11th.
However, if you feel that it is not possible to give any money, there are
other, equally valuable ways you can help WelCare:
1)
We need a little of your time. We need volunteers,
either to work at the Contact Centre or to join our Executive Committee as
Trustees.
· Volunteers
at the Contact Centre are asked to be available one Saturday a month, during
the daytime, to support the staff there. Full training is given. Our
work with volunteers across the Merton and Sutton contact centres led to the
award Investing in Volunteers, which we won in June 2002. If you would like
to offer your time, please phone Pamela Wilson, our Volunteer Co-ordinator,
on 020 8640 5506.
·
Executive Committee
meetings take place approximately once every 6 weeks at WelCare House, and
last two hours. Members may also need to read some papers in between times.
If you are able to offer some time in this capacity, please phone Sheila
Dibben, our Chair, for more information on 020 8393 4524.
2)
We need your prayers. Those who come to WelCare are often in
deep distress. Many of them have been involved in domestic violence, most
of the children are traumatised by parental conflict. Your prayers are
needed both for the families we help and for the people who work so
tirelessly with them, to generate hope and healing.
If
you can offer any of these things to WelCare - thank you!
Merton WelCare is an independent charity that works as part of a Federation
of individual WelCares across South London and East Surrey. This Federation
is the agency through which the Anglican Diocese of Southwark expresses its
commitment to families and children.
Top of page |
