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Benson Millstream Centre

The Millstream Centre has been supporting the community in Benson, Oxfordshire for many years. We are fully open. We will continue with appropriate Covid precautions and are providing an increasing range of intesting and stimulating activities along with our delicious lunches. We continue to support the villages of Benson, Ewelme, Berrick Salome, Roke and Preston Crowmarsh using local volunteers, facilities and resources.

Our extension and refurbishment project is complete.

We are still ready to provide friendship and support for all those in need

in our community at the Centre or via our Community Hub.

Community Hub demand has reduced but support is there if you need it.

How we work

We have a team of staff and volunteers, all DBS checked, and trained in Covid management, and infection control, understanding the need for confidentiality and carrying identification.

For those in need we offer prescription collection, shopping, hot meals, a ‘Millstream at Home’ service with regular contact support and support to our vaccination centre with drivers etc. Where possible we will pair up a dedicated volunteer with you. Over time, we hope you will build up a good relationship with them.

With the support of our Trustees, subject to our resources, we will continue to change and develop our services to meet your needs during the crisis.

Governance

Governance

The Benson Millstream Centre is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. 1163000. It is managed by the trustees in compliance with the rules and regulations set out by the Charity Commission.

The Centre values communication with, and advice from interested local groups and organisations.

This is facilitated by a Liaison Committee comprising, our managers, representatives from local groups (the Church, Patients Panel, Benson Helpline) and the Benson. Ewelme and Berrick Parish Councils. Representatives from South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council are also invited and attend when their schedules permit.

Trustees

Trustees

Our volunteer Trustees communicate regularly to ensure that the Centre and the Millstream Community Hub are meeting the needs of their customers - now and into the future. We are always open to new ideas.

We have five Trustees currently:

Rob Wadley, Chair
Geraldine Gault, Vice Chair
Noelle Stallard

Julie Broscomb
Sue Clayton

They are ably supported by our Treasurer, Heather Merryweather.

Funding

Funding

The Centre is totally self-funded. The Centre costs about £60,000 a year to operate, approximately 50% of those costs would normally come from our customer fees. The balance normally comes from:

Grants from our local Parish Councils which we apply for annually.

Donations from individuals and other local charities, we are particularly grateful for the support we receive from the Ewelme Almshouse Charity.

The generous donations received when the Centre was set up in 1983 have been invested and generate significant income.

The hard work of our fundraising committee raised over £8000 in 2019, before the pandemic.

The Centre benefits from support of the FareShare charity which provides food to subsidise the cost of our meals and has been particularly important during the pandemic in supporting not only the meal delivery service but also the provision of food parcels.

The Centre has now completed an extension and refurbishment, making the building more fit for pupose for the future. Our thanks to local Councillors at both County and District level for accessing funds that have enabled work on the project to commence. Work continues with fund raising, in particular through grant applications to secure funding for the overall scheme which is estimated to cost close to £150,000.

The Covid pandemic has clearly had a significant impact on the Centres finances with limited opportunity to fund raise and the Centre closed at times to normal duties. The Benson Help Hub is now fully incorporated under the umbrella of the Millstream Centre as the Millstream Community Hub. Trustees have been able to support the Benson Help Hub and now the Millstream Community Hub thanks to generous local support from the Bensington Society and the local Parish Councils and a selection of grants for those supporting outreach activities in this crisis. We have also been able to access funds from national Government whether channelled through SODC, the Oxfordshire Community Foundation or HMRC. To date Trustees expect to be able to cover our operational costs.

For the immediate future local fundraising is restricted. The 400 Club lottery successfully raised over £5,400 in 2023. Other local events such as Open Gardens, Quizzes, cake sales etc. will no doubt resume in later 2023 as we settle into the new building and conditions permit.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact us

Just click on the contact button above

Benson Millstream Centre

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Millstream Centre

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Millstream Community Hub

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Volunteering

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Fundraising

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Future Plans

Governance

Objectives

Trustees

Funding