The Great War Order your The Charity Ball remembered Christmas Cards

I’m writing this introduction to Compaid Voice a few days after our Annual Meeting, where staff, volunteers, clients and their families came to hear about our achievements in the last year and our plans for the future. Everyone there heard a presentation from Fiona Pengeley of the Paddock Wood Advice Centre about changes to disability benefit. Calls to their centre are rising, and it is taking them far longer to challenge inaccurate assessments. Above all, one message was clear: to claim and manage benefits in the future, disabled people need to be online. Both Val and I have been meeting a number of other charities and organisations in recent months who are keen to tap into our training support. This doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s very easy to see the immediate impact of our Transport Service, but for our skills training, progress can take many months. However, these are skills that nobody can do without, and the more we can enable disabled people to master technology, the more we can ensure they are ready for a world where all our transactions are conducted online. This is perhaps also a good moment to mention the new Blog on our website. I am keen to get many more people to hear the views of disabled people and those who work with them. Compaid Voice does an excellent job of this, and we want to share some of your stories and views on the website. If you’d like to take part, please let me know. Stephen Elsden - Chief Executive

Welcome Aboard Hello! I was born in Pembury but I live in Crowborough. I have had several jobs where I have helped the elderly and disabled people in the past, including working as a Hospital Porter for Kent & Sussex Hospital and working as a volunteer at Pepenbury. I also work at ASDA as a cashier. My interests include movies, music; especially singing, drawing, writing and the theatre. I have also worked with TWODS as a stage hand. Matthew Standell - Compaid Training Centre Staff Member

Compaid is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England with company registration number 3400811 and charity registration number 1064160. Registered Office: Unit 1, Eastlands, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6BU 2 Compaid’s Charity Ball Compaid’s Fourth Charity Ball raised over £9,000 at High Rocks in Tunbridge Wells. Guests, including former Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker, were wined, dined and entertained by singer Jason Allen with his Michael Bublé tribute act, a casino and a DJ. Funds were raised on the night with a raffle and silent auction, with prizes including tickets to the X Factor, a meet and greet with Status Quo and a canvas of a Calla Lilly designed by our

client and trustee Rob Atkinson. We are very grateful to all the people and organisations who donated prizes, to all the guests who were so generous on the night and to High Rocks for hosting another fantastic event. Also a big thank you to Judith, Val and Jenny who helped on the night. Davina Morgans Fundraising Manager

3 Compaid’s Got Talent The re-scheduled final of Compaid’s Got Talent is taking place at Trinity Theatre on Saturday 18th January at 2.00pm. The audience will be able to vote for their favourite musical act from the 5 finalists of our live auditions. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s and can be purchased by contacting Davina on 01892 834539 or via email [email protected]. One of the highlights of the show will be a live demonstration by clients, staff and volunteers of Soundbeam which forms part of our “Concerted Effort” music project. Soundbeam is an interactive system in which movement within a series of ultrasonic beams is used to create musical and environmental sounds. Soundbeam along with other real and virtual musical instruments are available to use at the Training Centre so if you would like to have go please let Jenny, Emma or James know in the Centre.

Bingo Thanks to everyone in the Training Centre who have taken part in Bingo on the first Tuesday and last Friday of the month. We have now raised over £140 and many of you have been the lucky winners of some great prizes which have been kindly donated by clients, staff and volunteers.

Christmas Raffle Your Chance to Win to £200 Compaid’s Christmas Raffle tickets are now available to buy. Tickets cost £2 and the first prize is £200, 2nd prize £100, 3rd prize £50 and there are lots of other great prizes to be won. If you want to buy or can help sell tickets to friends and family please contact either Sharon in the Training Centre or Davina. Davina Morgans Fundraising Manager

4 The Great War remembered

As you will all be aware, 2014 sees the centenary of the outbreak of World War One. I’m sure that many of you have a family story about a grandfather or great grandfather who served, or perhaps was killed, injured or was a prisoner of war. Perhaps there is someone who is known to have served, about whom you know nothing at all. In succeeding articles I would like to publish these stories, in Compaid Voice, or help people to discover what happened to ‘great uncle Ernie’. So if you have an interesting story, or would like to discover where and how somebody served, please contact me in the Training Centre and I will do my best to help you and point you in the right direction. In the meantime I will share with you a story from my own family, not about individuals but about an island where I am sure I still have many relatives who I do not know. That island is the and this is the story of the sacrifice of Princess Beatrice’s Isle of Wight Rifles. The Rifles were formed in 1859 as a part-time volunteer . From 1885 to 1896 their commanding officer was Prince Henry of Battenburg, the husband of ’s youngest child, Princess Beatrice, after whom the unit came to be known. The farm labourers, carpenters, masons etc practised on the rifle ranges at Newton and Gurnard and held overnight camps at Yaverland. At the outbreak of war in August 1914, they were mobilized as the 1st/8th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. They were sent to Bury St Edmunds where they became part of the 163rd Brigade of the East Anglian Division. Having been trained for service in the trenches of the Western Front, they set sail aboard the Aquitania for Turkey, arriving at Mudros in Greece on 6th August 1915, a short distance from the roaring battle of Gallipoli. On 10th August they landed at Sulva Bay, amongst the carnage that had already occurred. The British attempted to break out and on 12th August the 163rd received orders to attack that afternoon, with no maps and no clear military objective except for the hazy Anafarta Hills, three miles inland. When the orders arrived Captain Clayton Ratsey of the Rifles exclaimed “My God, we will all be killed”. Both he and his brother died that afternoon. At 4.45pm Bugle Peachey sounded the advance and was promptly shot and wounded. In amongst the 163rd Brigade, the 800 men of the Rifles advanced in broad daylight, under hot sun, across an open plain of flat scrub and dry pasture scattered with single trees and ditches, ideal for the waiting Turkish Infantry, armed with Mauser rifles, machine guns and artillery which set the dry vegetation alight. Within one thousand yards 300 of the Island’s finest lay dead or injured. By the time they were forced to withdraw, from the area, another 150 men had either been killed or died from dysentery. On 3rd December less than 200 men arrived back at Mudros where, thin and weak, they received the food parcels and clothing sent out by their families. In January 1917, after being reinforced and brought back to health in Egypt, the Rifles were again ready for action. The 1st Battalion carried out an epic march of 145 miles in twelve days across the for the invasion of Palestine. On 19th April they were ordered into the Battle Of Gaza, attacking with tanks against powerful Turkish defences. It was another massacre. The Isle of Wight Rifles went into battle eight hundred strong. At roll call that same evening only two officers and ninety men were there to answer. The Editor

5 Spotlight on John Ash

Hello, I’m John Ash and I have been attending Compaid since January of last year. Let me tell you about myself. I was born at home, in Petts Wood, on 12th May 1959, the youngest of four boys. Dad worked on the Isle of Dogs as a ship’s electrician, while Mum looked after me and my brothers, Terry, Barry and Ken. My earliest memories are of our dogs; Bruce was a black and white Alsatian and Jacky was a brown Alsatian/ Labrador cross. Like a lot kids in that era I was sent off to the local Sunday School, where I made my first friends. My education started at Southborough Infants School in Petts Wood. When I was about ten Dad came down to the school and thumped the Headmaster for picking me up by my ears. Nowadays Dad would probably have ended up in court and the Headmaster suspended, or sacked! At eleven I continued my education at Quenmore School in Bromley, staying there until I was sixteen. One of our teachers was Doctor Gasper (I believe he had something to do with the targeting mechanism for Chieftain tanks) who locked me in a cupboard for talking in a French lesson. I was always a big lad and enjoyed playing rugby (prop forward) and being tall I was also quite good at the long jump. When I left school I became a trainee butcher, having done some part-time work whilst at school. I also joined the Auxiliary Training Corps and the RAF took me to Germany and Holland for parachute and combat training. Great fun for a seventeen year old! I also worked in Smithfield Market and in a butcher’s shop. At twenty I joined Bromley Borough Council parks department, where I stayed for four years. In 1986 I married my gorgeous wife Jan and the following year I joined my brothers in the family business AB Pets and Aquatics. Our first child Colin came along in 1990. Just after this I learnt I had glaucoma and this put paid to driving lorries anymore. In 1993 Natalie came along and I changed direction again, starting work with a flooring company. I later became self-employed in the same industry, working quite happily until 2006 when I developed spinal problems. Walking over the last seven years has been very limited, but thankfully I am still able to get around in my automatic car. Luckily I am still able to do a bit of gardening, which I enjoy, plus the occasional game of snooker (bending is the problem). Since coming to Compaid I have been able to develop my computer skills and I have made a start on Compaid’s Accreditation Course, which helps to keep the brain active, even if the body struggles.

John Ash - Compaid Client

6 Whilst you think about ordering your Christmas cards on the opposite page, let’s look back to a glorious summer. Compaid client Josie Singer holidayed in Llandudno and brought us back a song about Compaid. It is sung to the tune of ‘Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside’

Oh we do like to spend the day at Compaid Oh we do like to spend some hours there All the staff are very nice And so are the volunteers And the computers all hum Tiddly-om-pom-pom And then the cry goes up-anybody printing? And then another one-lunch is ready So we eat our food and drink our tea And then we go back to work or play. So we do like to spend our time at Compaid We do like to spend some hours there And we also have some fun And also a good chat Down at Compaid In Paddock Wood

Welcome Aboard

I'm Geoff the new Outreach Worker. I've worked for Compaid for the last three months and found it a very rewarding experience.

Previously I have worked in Social Housing with residents from a variety of backgrounds giving them support and training to empower themselves. I like to be able to pass on knowledge and experience to others and here at Compaid I have been able to support people achieving their potential, all different and at a number of different levels. The job is very varied meeting clients in their own homes or in sheltered and nursing homes. Everyone has their own ability and limitations, and its lovely work to be able to support people reaching their potential and having some enjoyment in the process.

A little about me; I have just got married and moved to Tonbridge, and I spend the rest of my working life being a professional photographer. My main hobby is taking photos of aeroplanes from my own aeroplane whenever I can!

Geoff Collins - Compaid Outreach Staff Member

7

Jolly Snowman All designs are original artwork by No…………@ 60p each Compaid Clients No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 Please return this order form to: Compaid Ho! Ho! Ho! Unit 1, Eastlands No…………@ 60p each Maidstone Road No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 Paddock Wood

Merry Christmas Kent TN12 6BU

No…………@ 60p each Or email: [email protected] No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 Or telephone: 01892 834539

Postage and Packaging Bethlehem Up to 4 packs £2.50 No…………@ 60p each 5 to 10 packs £4.00 No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 10 to 15 packs £6.50

Total amount …………………. Christmas Post Total amount incl p & p …………………. No…………@ 60p each

No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6

Name Christmas Tree ………………………………………………………... No…………@ 60p each Address No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 ………………………………………………………... ………………………………………………………... Christmas Birds ………………………………………………………... No…………@ 60p each ……………………………………………………..…. No…………@ £3.00 pack of 6 …………………………………………………….….. ………………………………………………………... Reindeer (large square)

No……@ 70p each No……@ £3.50 pack of 6 Telephone

Email:

8

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Stephen Elsden 01892 833664 [email protected]

OFFICE SERVICES Srikanth Bodduluri: Manager 01892 834539 [email protected]

GENERAL ENQUIRIES [email protected]

OUTREACH AND TRAINING Val Sprott: Manager 07942 180885 [email protected]

TRAINING CENTRE Sonia Watson: Manager 01892 833606 [email protected]

ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORT Mark Gettings: Manager 01892 722297/832447 [email protected]

APPEALS AND FUNDRAISING Davina Morgans: Manager 01892 834539 [email protected]

VOLUNTEERING 3. A bird that hoots and flies at night Across Judith Williams: Manager 4. A big green water creature with lots of teeth 01892 834539 7. A woolly animal herded by dogs [email protected] 10. This creature will give you a boot in the face 12. A very nosey creature 13. A big hairy cat that roars EDITORIAL STAFF 17. A creature with a very long neck and very long legs Michael Butterfield 19. A greedy farm animal that oinks 07972 564451 20. This little squeaker helps you control a computer [email protected] 21. If you wanted this insect to go away you would tell it to buzz off

22. This bird is also a European country 23. This striped animal will help cross the road Compaid Unit 1, Eastlands 1. A sea creature that is also a country Down Maidstone Road 2. This is a jockey’s vehicle Paddock Wood 5. This fish always comes first in the race 6. This is not a very brave bird Kent TN12 6BU 8. A big hairy monkey 01892 834539 9. A giggling creature with spots all over 11. This creature carries its home on its shoulders [email protected] 14. This animal is barking mad 15. This creature lives in a web www.compaid.org.uk 16. What lives in the ocean, is grouchy and hates neighbours? Registered Charity Number: 1064160 17. An insect that runs away Company Limited by Guarantee Number 3400811 Crossword compiled by Compaid Client Michael Day

Compaid is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England with company registration number 3400811 and charity registration number 1064160. Registered Office: Unit 1, Eastlands, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6BU