Community Action Malvern and District is a local charity which was established in 1972 to support the local community and is based in Great Malvern. We are a small organisation of part-time staff managed by a board of trustees and supported in our work by a team of volunteers.
The primary aim is to prevent older and disabled people becoming isolated and lonely, and we complement this by enabling residents of Malvern to support their local community through a range of volunteering opportunities. One of our major projects is the Community Transport service delivered by volunteers: a car scheme provides access to medical appointments and social trips; accessible minibuses provide group transport for members of local organisations to attend meetings and social events; and community bus services link villages with local towns for access to shopping or other services. We also have two vehicles enabling people who are unable to transfer from a wheelchair, or may have difficulty in doing so, to travel as independently as possible. A separate project - Out and About - offers ing twice-weekly outings, monthly Sunday Teas and a Cinema Club for people who are socially isolated, and a recently established Men’s Shed provides space and tools for men to combine practical activity with social interaction to reduce the risks associated with isolation. We are also in the process of setting up a Volunteer Centre to support local voluntary organisations with recruitment of volunteers for their own front-line services. As well as providing a range of transport and social services for residents, Community Action also works with networks of local statutory and voluntary groups to share their specialist knowledge.
