page last updated 25/04/2007
Reepham Patient Care Fund (charity number 1006498)
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On the left is a picture of Jeannette Overton, founder and chief driving force behind the Patient Care Fund, taken at the inauguration of the new Reepham Rover II in September 2002, together with the Reepham Kings Arms Public House dog holding in its mouth an envelope containing a cheque for £285 collected from the Pub's patrons. Jeannette started fund raising following the tragic death of Nicky Waller ( niece of husband Brian) who had died tragically, aged 16, from cancer. Jeannette decided that Nicky deserved some permanently useful memorial and set about raising money for that purpose. Fund raising quickly became so successful that she and her husband decided, in 1991, that they needed to regularise its results. Thus was born the Reepham Patient Care Fund, a registered charity, whose remit is to benefit disabled people living in the area served by the Reepham Doctors' Surgery. |
| Initially the Fund's focus was on providing
medical and surgical appliances on advice from the medical professions.
Donations arrived in a regular stream and were spent on items including
extra equipment for the Reepham Surgery, walking and shopping aids,
therapeutic devices and (above all) electric wheelchairs and scooters to
enable people who would otherwise be virtually housebound to achieve a
more independent life style. Then, in 1997, the Fund was fortunate
enough to benefit from the extraordinary generosity of a local resident
who, having no close next of kin, left his house and contents to the
Fund. The sale of this house, together with other savings and donations,
enabled the Fund to buy immediately a purpose-built minibus with wheel
chair hoist. (See below.) The Reepham Rover took to the road in
September that year.
The Fund attaches great importance to keeping the whole community up to date with its activities and fund raising (some £172,000 in total at our last notification). A statement of items purchased by the Fund is displayed in the Bircham Centre. Several times a year a newsletter is distributed by hand to all the 1200 homes in the area. |
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| The photograph on the right is of
our latest minibus
(Reepham Rover
3). Having sold our
very first minibus we still have two serving the local community. With
both minibuses and additional drivers
the Fund
has
been able to augment its shopping
and other trips to Reepham Market Place, supermarkets etc., with events such as annual sponsored walks and
sponsored wheelchair rides etc.
and to
provide leisure outings
often
in the form of "mystery
rides". Contact Jeanette Overton at 32 Sunbarn Road, Reepham, NORWICH NR10 4JY. Tel: 870426 |
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