Please contact Mervyn Tremeer: 21 Marlyns Drive, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7LS Tel: 01483 568936
The 'Friends' organisation exists to provide social activities for residents in both Guildford houses. We have a small committee comprised of a Chairman (Mervyn Tremeer), Treasurer (Joan Page), Social Secretary (Ron Page), Roundhay House Committee Representatives (Ann Chase), Castle Gate House Committee representatives (Ann Dry and Nan MacHardy), Roundhay residents’ representative (Elizabeth Nolan) and Castle Gate residents’ representative (Bunty Pitman).
This committee organises outings and activities every month, either to a place of interest, a garden centre, or once each year a day at the coast, but always with refreshments provided. We take residents out to a local hotel for a Christmas lunch in December, and also organise a yearly Garden Party in June, which is not only a social occasion, but also raises money to fund our activities. These outings are sometimes the only opportunity which residents have for getting out, and it is also a time when residents from the two houses mingle and get to know each other. We also have four volunteers who make up a weekly rota to take the Roundhay residents to Sainsbury’s, so the scope for help is wide.
All our trips, including the refreshments, are paid for from 'Friends' funds, as we prefer not to ask residents to contribute to the actual costs. However we could not exist without help, and we have volunteers who support us in many different ways. Some offer practical help in terms of driving residents in their own cars, always a desperate need; some help at the Garden Party by manning a stall or providing goods for sale or raffle; some feel they can best help by giving donations, either as a one-off amount or a yearly amount in January, which helps us to cover the costs of tea and cakes and petrol. The Friends would welcome anyone who would like to support the work we do.
Mostly our 'Friends' are residents themselves or their relatives and friends, but some are just people who know of Abbeyfield and would like to help provide a little help for residents to get out and about. Friends always receive a copy of the Abbeyfield (Guildford) Newsletters, and are most welcome to join us in any of our social activities, so if you, or anyone you know would be interested in becoming a 'Friend of Abbeyfield' I would be happy to add them to my list.