Sheringham Shoal helps to sustain community well-being activities in Wells-next-the-Sea
Samantha Taylor (centre) and volunteers supporting dementia awareness at Wells Community Hospital
[image courtesy of Wells Community Hospital Trust]
As a result of a grant from the Sheringham Shoal Community Fund, Wells Community Hospital will be delivering an enhanced range of well-being activities during 2018, which will help to further strengthen the role played by this important facility in the port town of Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk.
In line with the Government’s agenda for independent living, Wells Community Hospital provides a range of services and clinics for local residents and the many tourists who now visit the town all the year around. However, the funding criteria relating to community hospitals across the UK means the Hospital Trustees and management team have to look at generating income from external sources in order to ensure the sustainability of the hospital facilities.
The Hospital’s Community Well-being Hub is an initiative which provides training services to businesses in and around Wells-next-the-Sea, and it recognises that the local economy is primarily driven by marine activity, tourism and agriculture. Courses covering food hygiene, health and safety and first aid already help local businesses comply with their statutory requirements, and 2018 will see the introduction of safeguarding training in respect of both children and adults.
“The grant from the Sheringham Shoal Community Fund will make a huge difference to the development of the Community Well-being Hub,” said Samantha Taylor, General Manager of Wells Community Hospital.
“It will enable my team to focus on the marketing and delivery of our enhanced range of training services, which in turn will free up the Trustees to concentrate on the further development of a multi-million pound scheme to establish an intermediate bedded unit [48 beds] to serve the needs of local residents.”
The Sheringham Shoal Community Fund, which is operated by the Norfolk Community Foundation [www.norfolkfoundation.com] receives £100,000 each year from the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm to support projects that make a difference to the North Norfolk community, tackling issues including climate change, sustainable communities, marine environment/safety, renewable energy and education/employment.
Wind Farm Place, the Operations and Maintenance Base for the 317MW Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is located at Egmere, just south of Wells-next-the-Sea, and the wind farm, which is operated by Statoil, is serviced by vessels based from the Outer Harbour in the Port of Wells.
For further information please contact:
Nigel Tompkins
New Ideas for Business
T: 01263 822427
M: 07860 206565
E: nigel@ni4b.co.uk