Family & Friends

Hi, my name is Pat Calver and I am currently President of the Family & Friends group. This group was set up some 70 years ago as a support to parents, and to raise funds to further help all the clients at Bayley House. It was originally known as the Mothers Club but anyone who has a connection to a client at Bayley is welcome.

Whilst our meetings and fundraising has had to stop during the past Covid year, our first meeting back was a very emotional one and the thing that was missed the most was our connection with other parents who are in a same/similar situation and the ability to vent with people who just ‘get’ what you are talking about is invaluable.

If you are having an issue with something there is always someone in the group that  has been there and done that and is able to pass on their experience to help, and all of us are willing to be contacted at any time.

Pat Calver
[email protected]
0407684272

Meetings

We get together on the first Wednesday of the month, at 10:45 a.m. for an 11 o’clock start. We have traditionally met at Bayley in the hall but due to the current restrictions this option is currently not available to us so we are meeting at Classic Residences, Brewer Road, Brighton East. This has the added advantage that those who wish to can stay on for lunch together afterwards!

These meetings normally run til 12.30/1 p.m. depending on who is joining us for a chat from Bayley. Minutes are produced by Gillian Peatling, our Minute Secretary, but the meetings are very relaxed and informal. We are most grateful that Warwick Cavanagh, the CEO, joins us when he can to give a much welcomed update on all things Bayley, and quite often someone from marketing or philanthropic fundraising will do the same.

Newsletter

We produce a  Family & Friends newsletter after each meeting, giving some of the information and any important upcoming dates for the diary, which each Bayley family should receive. We encourage this to be sent by email so please make sure Bayley has your current email address.

Events

 Pre-covid we used to hold social lunches every 2-3 months, and other functions and fund raisers as we felt necessary. Our Christmas in July lunch and end of year celebration at the Lobster Cave are always popular.  We hold raffles at both of these functions, in addition to a larger Easter and Xmas raffle to boost our funds. Our main fundraiser is our Lucky Prize Night held at the Brighton Town Hall.

Support

We sometimes we ask for items for Bayley via our newsletter, produced by our newsletter secretary Margot Broadway,  and  we are currently asking for used stamps (these can be left on the envelopes please) – we have a scheme whereby these contribute to our raffle postage costs –  and vinyl records (remember those?) for the art room. Old towels are also put to good use.

We also raise funds through our money box scheme, if you don’t have one please ask and we will get one to you. Every family in Bayley House is given one to pop your small change (or anything larger!) into and this proves to be a great fundraiser for us. The monies (but not the house please) are sent in to Lesley Swallow, our Treasurer, at Bayley at the end of the financial year or sooner if it is full!!!

If there is any further information you would like to know, please do not hesitate to get in contact.