The Gold Awards are presented at the Annual Parish Council in March and we are delighted that two of our invaluable volunteers have been recognised for their work and support  in the community.

The Gold Awards are given by the Parish Council to people for their dedication to volunteering in Wheathampstead.

This was what was said  about Ann and Bel

“Bel Bluemel  the Wheathampstead Community Group Community Secretary visits all the  people who request some form of financial help  from WCG.

The role requires endless patience, understanding and  empathy  and there is no doubt that Bel has large quantities of these  qualities.

Bel is always the first person to volunteer to help with any job that needs doing, she has total commitment to helping others and she carries out her sometimes difficult role as Community Secretary with selfless modesty”

“Ann Rudeforth has been the Wheathampstead Community Group Transport  Secretary for well over 20 years. Her role is to try to ensure that any vulnerable or elderly person living in Wheathampstead  is able to attend a medical appointment  whether it is the local Village Surgery or Watford or Lister hospitals. Ann has  250 users and 50 volunteer drivers  who she organises.

It is a vital lifeline for many people who cannot call upon family because they do not live nearby or friends because they too are no longer able to drive.

Ann quietly and very efficiently pulls everything together ensuring that no-one is let down or left to feel isolated without support. She is a remarkable woman who was awarded the British Empire Medal ( BEM) by the Queen for her services to the Community. “

We are incredibly proud of Ann and Bel for winning these awards, without the support of people like Ann and Bel we couldn’t do what we do within your our community. Well done ladies!

If you are interested in volunteering or want to find out more about how you can help get in touch 

We would like to thank the amazing Ann for all her time and effort with the Wheathampstead Community Group. Ann is stepping down from her invaluable Transport Co-ordinator post for the WCG after many years supporting and will be sorely missed.

Therefore Wheathampstead Community Group (WCG) are seeking a Transport Co-ordinator.

We need someone who is going to be able to run a system using emails with the support of 10 organisers who take it in turns to run the system but the Co-ordinator needs to be in overall control.

Job Description: TRANSPORT CO-ORDINATOR

Do you know anyone who can help? Would you like to help your local charity?  We would love to hear from you if you do.  Get in touch

We would like to thank the wonderful Gwladys Shone for all her time and effort with the Wheathampstead Community Group. Gwladys is stepping down from her invaluable Committee Secretary post for the WCG after many years.

Therefore Wheathampstead Community Group (WCG) are seeking a Committee Secretary, who is responsible for the smooth running of our formal meetings and the recruitment and administration of our volunteers. The role is important to the support of our Chair.

The main duties and responsibilities of the role are:

Ensuring that WCG Committee and Annual General meetings are run efficiently and are properly recorded:

• Formulating agendas with the Chair;
• Collecting, organising and distributing documents for meetings;
• Ensuring communication of Committee decisions;
• Organising Annual General Meetings in accordance with the requirements of the WCG constitution;
• Ahead of the Annual General Meeting, receive and process nominations from WCG members for Officers. Should nominations exceed vacancies, then administer any elections;
• Ensuring that all WCG meetings are recorded and those records stored;

Recruiting and administering WCG volunteers:

• Keeping a record of all new volunteers and ensuring that they are all DBS checked.
• Liaising as appropriate with the Committee member to whom new volunteers may be assigned;
• Liaising with the database administrator to ensure the database of WCG volunteers is up to date;
• Emailing WCG members and volunteers about events and meetings;
• Coordinating WCG’s annual appeal with other committee members, taking responsibility for the recruitment, briefing and administration of volunteer collectors.

Do you know anyone who used to be an accountant or is a whiz with numbers? Would you like to help your local charity?  We would love to hear from you if you do.  Get in touch

 Over the past 40 years I held a series of senior finance roles in major financial services organisations. I have also operated my own management consultancy, specialising in relationship management, risk management and corporate governance. I am a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (FCMA). Previously and since taking early retirement, I have worked with other charities in voluntary Trustee and Director roles, principally around Finance and Accounting.

As Treasurer of Wheathampstead Community Group, I have a hard act to follow after 12 years of sterling service by David Law. Since taking on the role, I have focussed in moving WCG banking and finances on line. I have gone through my first annual collection and leant much from it. However the biggest challenges for me have been around regulatory controls and policies. Financial reporting standards for charities are getting stricter all the time to meet the latest regulations. Privacy and data protection policies, even for small charities like WCG, now have to be formalised and fully documented to meet the latest GDPR standards. Using my business controls experience and working with other WCG Trustees, I have updated these standards and policies for WCG. I have also put together our first fully documented Business Plan and Budget. Over the next 12 months, I plan to review and update other WCG policies and procedures, including Safeguarding.

Despite having lived in Wheathampstead for over 30 years, I have surprised myself how much I have learnt about the village and community of Wheathampstead since taking on the role fo Treasurer. I am especially pleased to get know the other WCG Trustees. I can honestly say that I am honoured to be part of such a hard working, contentious team who are all so positive and friendly in their approach to supporting our great community. I look forward to working with my fellow Trustees for many years to come.