February 2021 Newsletter
In our January newsletter we told you that the decision for our Community Asset Transfer (CAT) request would be made at the NHS Tayside Board meeting on Thursday 25 February. We were informed last Friday that our request would not be on the agenda for the meeting. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. We now wait to hear when our request will be on a Board meeting agenda with the earliest date for a decision being sometime in April, but could be June.
The YES and NO working groups set up have been very active over the past few weeks. Both groups have been gathering together the information for each outcome which will enable us to move quickly once we get the decision.
The Jenner Centre continues to offer vital accommodation to a number of organisations enabling people the opportunity to have face-to-face meetings giving them the help and support needed. Being open during the lockdown has been greatly appreciated by the organisations involved.
We are expanding the work of the Jenner Centre with a COVID-19 recovery outreach project. The aim of the project is to support and improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable older community members who have been shielding or isolated. As the communities move towards recovery the project will look to provide direct 1-2-1 support to those requiring physical and/or emotional assistance, help reduce the effects of social isolation and connect them to activities that look to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life. Caroline Farquhar is taking the lead on this and she has been successful in getting an award of £20,500 from the Scottish Government’s Community Recovery Fund for the project. Caroline has also secured 10 Ipads and MiFi connectors through the Digital Connection project; these devices will be delivered to older members of the community, who will be identified through the recovery outreach project once it gets up and running. She has also applied for £25.000 to the Adapt and Thrive fund and is waiting to hear back from them.
With all that’s happening at the Jenner Centre we are aware that very soon space will run out for everyone keen to use the Centre. It is critical that we get a YES decision soon from NHS Tayside so that the folk in our community can benefit from local health and wellbeing help and support.
Over the next few days we will be deciding on our response to the delay in our CAT request. This will include deciding the ways our community can make their views known to NHS Tayside on the need for the Hub.
We will keep you posted on developments.