Karen Porter introduces the work of 'Closer Communities' (based at the Falsgrave Community Centre). PRECEDED by Council meeting - 6.00pm

                                           Closer Communities talk by Karen Porter on 17 July 2024

On 17 July, 2024, the Club had the privilege of receiving a presentation from Karen Porter on the support group which she and her husband had founded, “ Closer Communities”, a local charity supporting families with disabilities or complex health needs.

The Charity began as a small group of friends who came together during the Covid pandemic (March 2020) with such children and began to help with things such as shopping, posting, pharmacy collections and similar. The 6 families initially involved had grown to 30 families by October 2020 when it became a registered charity covering North Yorkshire. Currently support is provided to 226 families, 426 children and 314 parent carers.

The Charity has WhatsApp support groups for parent carers and has carer support groups. It works with local schools and colleges to support and assist the children in their education and also assists with diagnoses, income maximisation and submits grant application, amongst other activities. In fact, anything that will help the family and children. It even funds places on the 6 week adaptive surf course for disabled children called The Wave Project North Yorkshire.

Of particular note is the formation of a Dads Behaving Madly Support Group as divorce rates are nearly double the average when a family has disabled children. Often men appear to find it more difficult having a disabled child, so the support group brings men together through football days, surfing, fishing, escape rooms etc. This has been found to be very successful.

Karen and fellow helpers have been incredibly successful in obtaining support from a wide range of sources in just a few years through local businesses, co-hosting events with partners, encouraging employees of companies to become in volunteers, helping to obtain publicity and recognition for businesses assisting the charity and obtaining donations in goods, or in kind, from organisations which are used to benefit the Charity. Volunteers are at the heart of the Charity and more are always extremely welcome.

This is a very proactive organisation and is always planning ahead and is even planning to launch a Closer Communities song. Much of this planning is in conjunction with other charities.

To clearly demonstrate how integrated children are into the whole Charity, Karen was accompanied by some of those being helped by the Charity. These were Niamh and her mother Lisa and Brian and his mother Kirsty. Brian, a very young lad talked to the Cavaliers and is obviously a real character with a lovely sense of humour. He is classed as a Closer Communities Superstar.

Cavaliers member eric Morgan gave a vote of thanks highlighting, in particular, the way in which Karen and her husband had not just spotted a need, but had put amazing energy into filling a major gap in an incredibly short time. The Club then warmly applauded Karen and her visitors for one of the most informative and impressive talks they could recall.

Eric Morgan

(23 September 2024)