On Sunday 20th November, over a hundred and twenty volunteers and friends of the Redbourn Care Group gathered in the village hall to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Group. In November 1980, the Parish Council invited some forty individuals and local volantary service organisations as well as the faith groups and caring volunteers to a meeting for the purpose of ascertaining if it was possible to form a co-ordinated, centrally organised group, acting on behalf of the entire community, and supported by the Parish Council.

That meeting was very successful, and the Redbourn Care Group came into being.

Previous surveys by the Council for Voluntary Service, together with local experience, had highlighted the fact that there were considerable gaps in the voluntary effort, and also many mobility difficulties being experienced, particularly among the more vulnerable members of the community, including the disabled, elderly, sick and lonely. there was also a great deal of piecemeal and individual good neighbourly work going on, and thankfully that continues to be the case.

The aim of this new Group was to draw the voluntary caring activity into one strong and united effort, and to support it financially. Soon a small room was provided for the RCG and a loyal band of helpers manned the office and telephone help line each weekday morning. As the Group grew from strength to strength under the chairmanship of local postmaster Cyril Lambert, more and more volunteers came forward to join the "Own Car Driver Scheme", or to become "Street Contact Representatives", and later to drive the first of a series of Care Buses and act as couriers. In the mid nineties, former Parish Council chairman Peter Fox took over the chairmanship of the RCG, and Cyril Lambert became Its President. Both are still in these posts, backed by a very industrious team of officers, an executive committee representing the whole village, and the very strong and continuing support of the Parish Council.

However there is no doubt that the fact that we now go into our next 25 years in great heart and good spirit is entirely due to the wonderfully loyal efforts of so many volunteers whose service to the community has been quite remarkable.

As the community grows and average life gets longer, there are great challenges ahead for the Care Group in its aims to fight loneliness, help residents to feel safer, assist the less mobile, and those who find themselves in difficulty, However, as the anniversary celebrations showed, we are up for the task of doing all we can, working as a united force, to conserve, and where possible enhance the quality of life for all local residents.

Our thanks go to Jennis Sandwich Bar and her staff for providing such a splendid buffet.

Peter Fox, Derek Townsend, Colin Donovan	Graham Lale, Steve Lillywhite, Peter Fox, Derek Townsend
Lord Lieutenant and Jane Spreull	Care Group Awards

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-- Bob Boutland - Nov 2005