Two local charities, the Whitwell Hall Country Centre and the Reepham Patient Care Fund (RPCF), are to merge. This follows on from the planned retirement later this year of Jeannette Overton, who with her late husband Brian founded RPCF in 1991.
Whitwell Hall Country Centre is set amongst 40 acres of stunning Norfolk countryside
Through their efforts, and those of the many trustees and volunteers, the charity has provided mobility equipment and social mobility and inclusion to hundreds of service users in the community. A valuable part of the charity has been to reduce isolation and provide companionship for senior citizens who live locally.
In 1997, RPCF was fortunate enough to benefit from the generosity of a local resident, who, having no close next of kin, left his house and contents to the fund, thus enabling it to buy a purpose-built minibus with a wheelchair hoist, named the Reepham Rover. The popularity of this service resulted in an additional slightly larger Reepham Rover being acquired in 2002.
The fund’s trustees have been keen to ensure the charity finds a new home and, with their support and that of Whitwell Hall trustees and staff, a merger of these two charities will take effect from September 2014. The merger has received approval from the Charity Commission.
“Jeannette’s retirement along with that of the existing trustees and some of the current volunteers of RPCF is richly deserved and our local community will be the poorer for their going,” said Mike Seppings of the Whitwell Hall Country Centre trustees.
Whitwell Hall was acquired by educational charity Forest School in 1938. After the Second World War, the Hall was increasingly used for holiday camps and staff training courses.
Forest School is now called Whitwell Hall Country Centre. It remains an educational charity that provides outdoor learning opportunities for children both locally and from other parts of England.
There are strong links with local schools and also with RPCF service users through Christmas events over many years.
Whitwell Hall will focus initially on the provision of these events and trips for the local core users, but needs new volunteers from September. Some of the existing Reepham Rover drivers and carers are to stand down when Mrs Overton retires and there is an urgent need for replacements.
“If you can give a few hours weekly, monthly or even just occasionally please let us know,” said Mr Seppings. “We can only preserve this fantastic service if we have volunteers to help us deliver it.”
If you are interested or would like to know more, please contact Whitwell Hall manager John McKean on 01603 870875 or info@whitwellhall.org
- We hope to publish updated information about booking the Reepham Rover in the July/August edition of Reepham Life.