Trust Week: Welfare

Last season, saw the launch of the Trust’s Welfare section, and in today’s aspect of Trust week, we look at the work done and is planned for the new season.

For members good times, and those dark times, Birthdays, Births and other goodwill times the Trust now has a Welfare section to cover these areas.

The Trust has felt for some time that it needed to be more proactive in recognising its member’s needs, be it those happy times or occasionally those problem times, which can bring darkness and despair.

The Trust last year set up its welfare team, something it had been some time wanting to do because it recognised that its members will, like all other members of society, be subject to the stress and strains of modern life and to the ailments and problems that this brings, and it acknowledged the openness now being shown in society towards mental health issues without the taboo or stigma as associated in the past, which is a good and positive thing and should be embraced by all.

Whilst we have no magic panacea we feel we needed to be “available” to our membership at those darker times besides the happier times

Though the trust does have two counsellors amongst its membership it is NOT our intention to offer a counselling service, we just do not have the time or full resource to do that, but what we are prepared to offer and to do is listen, to be that person who actually hears. It’s called “active listening “and that is often the first step in someone making progress, and feeling better, for someone to just be there and acknowledge and share a problem. Together we can, and if needed, sign post members to specialist agencies or maybe to just other members who may be able to help. No matter what we will try to respond to any person who approaches us

To this end the team has established a confidential email line and telephone line. Though not monitored 24 hours a day they will be monitored regularly should members or their family wish to Contact us

They are Confidential Contact Numbers

Email:    info@daletrust.co.uk

                 welfare@daletrust.co.uk

Phone:  07795216741

To make this work, we need the memberships help in informing us, when you considered it appropriate (and be sure you are not breaking any confidentiality between you and the member), of any fellow trust members who you think may need support. Sometimes just a chat or an email can help, especially at those times for example like bereavement and loss.

Any correspondence to us is treated in strictest confidentiality

Whilst in the above section we talk about the Trusts objectives to try and be there for our members and families should we be asked, we are also concerned to celebrate all the good things that can happen to our members, happy times and there are many, besides Dale winning!.

The trust has software for its email system and a specialised bolt on which will assist us to celebrate with those members who have given their email address and consented to the sending of an appropriate mail, greetings on birthdays (especially those special birthdays) and also greetings on other days of celebration throughout the year. If you the membership feel you would like us to send greetings on other topics, baby births being one then simply contact us and, providing we are satisfied that the person can accept the greeting via the email, we will send an appropriate message, or failing that can arrange for birthday or appropriate card should you prefer, and if the situation is of special note and with the consent of all we can publish an article on our web pages.

Our younger membership in particular can have a special mention on the web and our social media sites (but with written parental permission) and again also at the festive time like Christmas and New Year. So if you’re a Mum and Dad or guardian, and with your permission we can post a personalised greeting on the web just send what you want to say and any photo to our info site, info@daletrust.co.uk

Last season we were aware of at least three families that had new “Daley’s” born and again, with your permission we can celebrate that too, a mum and dad photo with new Daley will cheer every one up, so if you want a special mention on our website, or have a photo you would like us to use then contact us on the numbers below or on our info line which is info@daletrust.co.uk (but we will require clear written permission to use any photograph), it therefore also follows that if our members have achieved something special, and in particular, our younger members then again, let us know and maybe they could feature on our face book page that week (again parental consent will be needed for children)

Following on from the above the Trust under its “Welfare” tab on the website www.daletrust.co.uk also has a “signpost” list which directs members who may require information on related “Health topics”, again though we cannot stress enough, should any member be concerned for themselves or family then a trip to their GP is always advised, in many cases just to alleviate fears.

Starting last year we have posted several items on certain health issues, Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Heart Disease and more.

These sites all link to the main information areas and specialist websites on the web to which members can get more detailed advice.

https://www.daletrust.co.uk/category/welfare/

At all times we strive to offer clear advice on where you, the members can obtain factual information, but we constantly stress that should any member, for whatever reason feel that something is not right within themselves then they should contact their GP or health professional as soon as they can, early treatment is always the best and will put many a mind at rest.

Early this year (2019) the Trust assisted the club in hosting the Barry Kilby Prostate Cancer Charity which provides free testing for men for early signs of Prostate changes by facilitating a simple blood sample, about 200 men attended on the day, which was amazing, especially when its well-known men tend to shy away from visiting the doctors, this testing saw results which required some men see their GP and to get early advice and treatment and in most reassurance by a negative response.

Under the welfare section on the Daletrust site you can read more about Prostate cancer and the simple PSA blood test that was used .which is available via your own health care professionals.

Other areas we have covered, and we will be adding more, are Cholesterol, Heart disease and sign posting to support agencies and can be found here

https://www.daletrust.co.uk/category/welfare/

Later this year we will be covering the area of Mental Health and again covering various aspects of the topic with full links towards support agencies and hopefully providing more of an insight to the more common topics which this area covers, and in some cases debunking some of the negative myths associated with mental health. So keep an eye out under trust “News” https://www.daletrust.co.uk/category/trust-news/  which is where we publish first before it gets disseminated to our other social media. All new topics will also be added to the welfare section under their appropriate heading

To contact the team you can email us on

www.friends@daletrust.co.uk or info@daletrust.co.uk

Or visit the trust desk in the Dale bar and ask one of the Trust Board members to get the team to contact you, or if you want to discuss special occasions then the Trust member manning the desk will be able to help