COMMUNITY STARS: Findon group nominated for volunteer award

FOR Doreen French, the work carried out by Sylvia Wheatley and her team at the Interim support group has been life-changing.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Sep 2009, 18:39 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:57 BST

Now she has nominated Sylvia in the best volunteer category at this year's Herald/Gazette Community Stars Awards.

Doreen, 67, said: "Without her, many of us wouldn't be where we are now. She does so much good and she is just a lovely person."

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Doreen, of Franklands Close, Findon Valley, lost her husband from

cancer in 2006 and joined Interim a couple of months later.

Overcome loss

The support group is designed to help people overcome and cope with their recent loss and is run by Sylvia and other volunteers on behalf of churches within the parish of Broadwater.

"For over 20 years, Sylvia has given her time and energy to bereaved people," Doreen said.

"The first year is always the worst and she is strong and she helps you through it."

Changing times

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Sylvia, 66, of St Wilfred's Road, Worthing, said: "20 years ago when we started we went back through the funeral book at the church and we made a list of all the people whose funerals had been conducted by our clergy in the last 18 months.

"In the past, people did not have cars. When people in the road died everybody knew about it and people knew their neighbours so everybody had a chance to grieve.

"People now have got cars and people grieving today do not have an opportunity to either talk over a garden fence or walk down the road together.

"We all live in little boxes. The idea of Interim was to give people that opportunity as a step into the rest of their lives."

Meetings

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The group meets at the Manor Coffee House, in Broadwater Street West, and covers a range of topics to help the bereaved, including how to cook for just one person and to keep healthy.

For more information about Interim, call 01903 823916.

To find out more about the Community Stars awards and to download a nomination form, click here.

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