The Barnwood Trust

On Wednesday  31st  October, Sue  Price   from the Barnwood Trust gave Stonehouse Rotary a fascinating talk on how they have been building communities in the Stonehouse and Stroud area.

The Barnwood Trust is one of the oldest charities in Gloucestershire and was funded by the sale of Barnwood Hospital in Gloucester after residents were discharged to 'Care in the Community' schemes.

As the charity is supported by this trust it does not have to tailor the services it provides to meet the requirements of Donors, and it does not have to spend the majority of its time on fundraising unlike other Charities.

The aim of the charity is to create inclusive local communities that are able to support people with physical Disabilities and Mental Health needs, so that there is real, meaningful care in the community.

They go about this by having conversations with local people and helping them to set up services that they want, rather than deciding what they think people would want.  They work closely with other Charities

This approach has led to some significant success in the local area in building supportive communities and all club members present wished them all success in the future.

Steve Tomlinson