Completed Projects
Talk Community Money and Debt Support
A result of a grant from Herefordshire Council to enable debt prevention within the community during April 2021 to March 2022. Ross CDT ran a year-long campaign to raise awareness of debt prevention and debt advice services in HR9, ran multi-agency awareness-raising days, commissioned from local debt advice agencies “Managing your money” events for specific audiences, and provided a training activities for staff and volunteers from a range of local organisations to promote timely interventions and signposting to and from debt advice agencies.
Let's Talk Children and Families
Ross CDT worked with the Basement Youth Trust and Ross Children’s Projects to run two successful events on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th February 2022. On the Saturday, we ran a stall as part of Ross market and on Sunday we were part of the Pancake Races event. At both events we promoted engagement by 1. Our volunteers assisting people to fill in paper versions of the Talk Community questionnaire 2. Encouraging completion of a Play questionnaire, produced by Ross Town councillors as part of their Play Strategy and 3. Encouraging primary and nursery age children to indicate their play preferences with a specially designed sticker board. Completions were encouraged with gifts of a voucher (for exchange in two local cafés) and small gifts of chocolate eggs for the younger children.
A total of 77 Talk Community paper questionnaires were completed and 190 of the Play questionnaire. On both days the sticker boards attracted interest and responses.
Gloucester Road Wall Restoration Project
An ancient stone wall in Ross town centre fell into disrepair and posed a threat to public safety. Following a generous donation from Balfour Beatty, Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust invested the money into the restoration of the wall.
Unfortunately the grant wasn’t enough to complete the work so Ross Town Council stepped up to fund the remainder. The work was completed in July 2021.
Without this sort of financial support, the trust wouldn’t have the resources to address local projects needing attention and in turn wouldn’t be able to help to keep Ross-on-Wye safe for residents and visitors alike.
Oximeter Library
At the request of local GPs during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust used some of the generous public donations received to purchase 20 oximeters. The little devices are used to measure oxygen levels at home if a GP has concerns about a patient’s health during a telephone consultation. Locals could ask one of the charity’s volunteers to deliver an oximeter to their house and they could borrow the device for as long as the doctor thought they needed it. The oximeters came with full instructions on how to use them and were available at three locations in Ross, as well as Brampton Abbots, Bridstow, Lea, Upton Bishop and Weston-under-Penyard. The oximeters were only be loaned if requested by a GP, they were not available for general loan.
Face Mask Giveaway
Following generous donations from The Safety Shack and Hereford Freemasons, Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust was able to purchase a large number of face masks which volunteers delivered to the community for free of charge, to help keep Ross-on-Wye safe. Volunteers on the Ross Good Neighbours’ shopping team delivered them to local households and in addition, a stall was set up in the town’s Market Place where the free masks were distributed. In total, more than 300 masks were
handed out within 24 hours of being advertised.
COVID-19 Emergency Response
Ross Community Development Trust had not even had it’s official launch when the pandemic struck the UK. The charity swept into action for the community to help it’s vulnerable residents and also those self isolating. Many services were set up – a shopping operation, a community helpline, prescription delivery’s, telephone befriending, pet walking service and home from hospital transport. Our helpline and shopping service still exist (although they work a bit differently now). Telephone befriending was handed over to Age UK, and some of the friendships established then are still going strong today.
