The main work of Scratch is to provide housing packs to support families and people who are suffering the effects of poverty due to various issues including forced relocation due to domestic violence and other issues. They do this by providing furniture and household equipment including white goods in combination with various local organisations. As an offshoot from this Scratch are able to offer positions to asylum seekers and other refugees who are otherwise unable to work while their applications are being considered. This allows those people to bolster their future employment options and also helps them find meaningful activity when they would otherwise be isolated. This has a beneficial effect on their mental health. As an aside they also run a Christmas toy appeal enabling local families to give gifts to their children when they would otherwise be unable to afford to do so. Last year nearly 3000 children were helped in this way. Donations of toys are received all year round with extra volunteers needed in the months leading up to Christmas to help package and distribute the gifts to families. It is hoped that SPA can assist with both financial help by way of our fundraising events and also by asking our members to provide items either for the housing packs or toys and games to be donated at Christmas. Storage of items can also be an issue so it is possible that our members can assist with logistics. We will be publicising Scratch at our Friday Frolics and at other events during the year. We would be interested to hear from our members with any ideas they may have around supporting this worthy and local cause.

Last Friday (26th Jan) we visited the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to present them with a cheque for £10,000. A big well done to our members for the incredible effort in raising much needed funds for a such worthy cause. A big thank you to Lucy Butcher and the team at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance for the tour of the base and helicopter, which was real eye opener and further cemented just how important this service is to our region which relies on solely charitable donations. If any members would like to get involved in fund raising or attend any fund raising events please contact them via their website: https://www.hiowaa.org/

On behalf of everybody at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, our patients and their families, thank you for the incredible amount raised at the Southampton Property Association Ball. £4,305,53 is amazing and will go a long way to supporting the work of our critical care Doctors and Paramedics. For the past 15, years support from people like you has given our patients the best possible chance at life. The chance of a future. When our patients and their families need us most, you help put us there. Whether it’s by the bedside or at the roadside, we will be there for them.Our teams of doctors, paramedics, pilots and dispatch assistants have now responded to more than 15,000 calls for help since we began flying back in 2007. As a vital member of our team, none of those missions would have been possible without you on board. In November your Air Ambulance was called out to 176 emergency missions. We were recently called out to Jim when he was hit by a car as he was riding his bike near Andover. Due to the severity of his injuries, Jim sadly died shortly after arriving at hospital. Because of the interventions of our air ambulance crew, however, Jim was able to be taken to hospital while still alive. This meant his wish for the donation of his organs, including heart valves and tissue, liver and kidneys, could be granted.His daughter Emma told us: “I’ve got no doubt whatsoever that Dad had the absolute best care. Every possible chance was given to him, but his injuries were just too severe. We always knew about the Air Ambulance but didn’t realise it relied on donations. We will never be able to show enough gratitude for what the team did for him. Support from people like you will hopefully mean another family doesn’t have to go through what we’ve been through.” Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us and the patients and their families who so desperately need our help. You are a lifesaver. If you could please extend our thanks to all of the committee and your membership for the ongoing support everyone has shown. Wishing you and your colleagues a very Healthy and Happy Christmas. Warmest wishes Lucy Lucy Butcher Support Engagement Officer Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance