Community Impact Bucks is the independent charity which provides comprehensive support services to other charities, community groups, social enterprises and rural organisations throughout Buckinghamshire. It is also the Volunteer Centre for Buckinghamshire, helping members of the public to get involved in community activity. How can we help you today?

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I want to know what is going on in my community

Rural & Community Projects Team

Michael Hunt - Head of Rural & Community Projects
  I am the Head of Rural and Community Projects, leading several teams with responsibility for a wide range of projects and activities in both rural and urban areas. The dedicated, professional and enthusiastic project teams help communities prepare local action plans, set up community transport schemes, investigate opportunities for affordable rural housing, support village halls, establish pub lunch clubs, involve young people in art, film and music projects and provide volunteer gardeners to assist those who need help with their gardens. And much much more!!!
Jean Fox - Rural Housing Enabler
  As the Rural Housing Enabler my aim is to increase the amount of affordable rural housing in Buckinghamshire and Rural Milton Keynes. In a nutshell, I promote awareness and help to strengthen communities by presenting opportunities for affordable housing to Parish Councils.  I help them, by conducting and analysing Housing Needs Surveys to establish whether there is a need in their village for affordable housing. One day a week, I work at Chiltern District Council. My job there involves identifying properties that have been empty long term - over 6 months - and contacting the owner by letter with a request for information as to when the property is likely to be brought back into use, followed up by facilitating the process.
Sally Hussey - Rural Transport Partnership Officer
  I am the Rural Transport Project Officer and  broadly speaking my role is advising rural communities on alternative and community transport; implementing the Demand Led Transport Action Plan; working with County on Local transport Plan 3; overseeing Youth Bus project, Co-ordinating Access to Essential Services and the Wheels to Work projects.
Vicki Parker - Mobile Outreach Co-ordinator
  I work alongside Sally Hussey administrating the the Wheels to Work Scheme. My role involves interviewing new participants and maintaining all records, budgets and marketing and activities for the projects.
Suzi Devanney- i-Van Project Worker
 

I co-ordinate the bookings for the i-van project, and am responsible for the day to day running and maintenance of the van, working closely with KidsOut to ensure that monitoring and evaluation of all projects are up to date. I also have responsibility for managing a pool of session workers, matching them to the right project and developing a training and induction programme. I also assist the i-van Business Development Manager in securing and seeking funding to sustain the project.

Paul O'Hare - Community Development Team Leader
  I head up the community development team which is responsible for supporting communities across Buckinghamshire with Community Led Planning. Additionally the team has a delivery contract with Bucks County Council to deliver a range of community development activities in addition to supporting the development of the Local Area Forums.
Sarah Allwood - Community Projects Officer
  My role is mostly around providing support to those undertaking community appraisals, helping to feed the priorities identified by the community to the statutory authorities. I also help support Voluntary Community Building Management Committees including those for village halls and community centres.
Carol Nutkins - Community Projects Officer
  I am a part time Community Projects Officer working on the Community Development Team supporting Buckinghamshire communities to produce Community Led Plans. This allows a community to identify what is important to them and ensures their voice is heard by decision makers and service providers.
Llew Monger - Pub Lunch Club Co-ordinator
  The objective of the  Pub Lunch Club project is to reduce social exclusion in rural communities by bringing people together once a month for an inexpensive lunch in convivial surroundings.  My role is to negotiate with pubs, find local volunteers to help and then organize start –up publicity.  We have an average of 25 people attending each club with a 100% satisfaction rate.
Bridget Wythe - Digital Switchover Coordinator
 

I am the Help Scheme Digital Switchover Coordinator for the Crystal Palace Transmitter which switches from analogue to digital signal in April 2012.  I have responsibility for overseeing the Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey Help schemes, as well as coordinating the South Buckinghamshire and South Oxfordshire schemes. I worked on the Help Scheme for the Oxford transmitter covering North Buckinghamshire, which switched In September 2011. Through our Community Volunteers, we are spreading the word through lunch clubs, village shops, libraries etc, to ensure that everyone knows that their TV signal will be switching in April. We want to make sure that those people who are eligible to use the Help Scheme, are aware of it, have signed up, and are digital ready in good time. Our aim is that no-one will be without a signal on 19th April.

Samantha Hardy - Gardening Services Manager
  My role as the Gardening Services Manager is to offer our volunteers meaningful gardening opportunities to maintain attractive, safe and secure gardening spaces for vulnerable elderly and disabled clients.  My duties include: day-to-day management of our existing contracts; expansion of services through business development activities; securing sustainable funding and developing training initiatives.
Sue MacDonald - Gardening Team Leader
  I lead a team of volunteer gardeners who provide gardening services to vulnerable elderly and disabled clients.  My role includes supervising and supporting the team, providing on-the-job gardening training, maintaining our equipment and signposting our clients to other available services.
Leona Mardon - Gardening Services Administrator
  I support the operation of the Volunteers Gardening Services initiative. I recruit, induct and support our volunteers, liaise with our elderly and vulnerable clients, co-ordinate work schedules for the gardening team and deal with all enquiries about our services. I also maintain the client, volunteer and contract database records and distribution lists, organise events and training for volunteers, research sources of supplies and equipment and maintain training and performance records.