Working Together Annual Report 2022 – 2023
Welcome to the Working Together Annual Report, covering the year 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023.
Looking back… 2022-2023, our 20th anniversary year, has been a time of looking forward and a period of positive evolution, if not revolution, at Working Together Ludlow.
As the post pandemic rules and guidelines were slowly and cautiously relaxed, whilst being mindful many of our members remain at greater risk from Covid-19, we began to build significantly on the strong foundations that were laid in 2019, when Working Together relocated to the Rockpring Centre.
We continued to focus our daytime offer around food production – with our mini-café, cooking for each other, families and visitors forming the basis of our concentration on independent living skills and promoting the positive contribution our members can make to the local community.
Strengthening and building on the activities that have evolved since our move to Rockspring: the Community Lunches in partnership with the Baptist Church; our relationship with Ludlow Foodbank and Open Table events; increasing our involvement and the number of members who participate in managing the bag creche at Ludlow Spring and Food Festivals; our participation in Ludlow Carnival and Ludlow’s Medieval, now Winter Festival, all help to raise awareness of Working Together and showcase the willingness and
enthusiasm our members have to playing an integral part of their community.
Our Youth Club (for 11-18yrs), funded by Children in Need, continued to flourish, providing a varied range of activities and opportunities for our younger members to enjoy, promoting social inclusion and reducing isolation. Diversity (for 18yrs and over) continued to grow its membership and delivered a broad range of activities and a programme of social events to encourage friendship and mutual support.
We’ve increased the links and opportunities that our custodianship of the community garden offer and broadened the activities our members can enjoy – planting, nurturing and harvesting food that we can cook with and share, with support from our valued gardening volunteers.
The Charity Bookshop continued to go from strength to strength, contributing significantly to our financial sustainability and offering a wide range of opportunities for our members, stock management, e-commerce and fundraising book stalls to name a few. We’re grateful to all our dedicated bookshop volunteers for the generous contribution they make to supporting Working Together.
The Fee Star Award
The Fee Star Award is presented to a person who has really shone by bringing fun, laughter, care or compassion to Working Together in the previous year.
Our 2022/23 award was given to James Small
The award is presented annually in memory of our colleague and close friend, Fiona Calderwood, who passed away in 2021 and who is sadly missed.
