A thanksgiving service for Geoff Vincent a committee member and past chairman of Age Concern Fakenham Area Mininbus was held at 13:00 on 17th February 2020 at Fakenham Church.
After the service refreshments were held at Fakenham Masonic Lodge in Hayes Lane where a presentation of a framed photograph was made by the current chairman Adrian Hill to Geoff’s son Richard Vincent.
Photos by: Ray Longman
Len Harding(treasurer) making a presentation to Bob Francis (chairman) as he steps down as chairman. Adrian Hill (newly elected chairman) making a presentation to Lesley Francis.
Photos by: Ray Longman
New Bus Delivery July 2019 at Fakenham
Photo by: Paul Dedman Satnford Coachworks and Mobility Services
The Fakenham Ukes band did more than just entertain with their upbeat toe-tapping music at Fakenham’s second annual music festival.
Tucked away in group leader Graham Thomas’s back pocket was also a cheque for £500 which they presented to Bob Francis, chairman of the Age Concern Fakenham Area Mini-Bus, at the end of their set.
They entertain wherever invited and charge no fee but ask for a donation which goes into their charity chest.
Pictured above, Ukes leader Graham Thomas presenting a £500 cheque to Age Concern’s chairman Bob Francis.
Bob the chairman of Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus seen here graciously accepting a £500 cheque from the Fakenham Ukes at today’s Fakenham Music Festival. This donation was raised by the Ukes from various functions throughout the year, the Fakenham Area Minibus being their charity for the year.
Photo by: Ray Longman
Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus Drivers, Helpers, Committee members and all their partners gathered at Q’s Fakenham for their 2017 Christmas Dinner last night to reflect on another successful year. All are volunteers and their time and enthusiasm is very much appreciated by the whole community.
Another reason to celebrate was the 50th wedding anniversary of chairman Bob Francis and Lesley being presented here by treasurer Len Harding.
Photos by: Ray Longman
Joan Harding setting up the Fakenham Cancer Research UK tree. Picture: Ian Burt
The Fakenham Christmas Tree Festival at the Parish Church. Setting up the tree for the Age Concern’s mini bus appeal is Leslie Francis. Picture: Ian Burt
Frank has retirement as a driver from Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus, he did not think he would pass the medical this year so has called it a day. Bob, myself and our wives Joan and Lesley went round to Frank’s house last Friday eve to present Frank with a plaque thanking him for all the work he has done over a number of years, also we presented Joy his wife with a lovely yellow rose bush for there garden. Regards Len.
Photos by: Len Harding
The Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus Christmas Tree was seen at the annual Christmas Tree Festival at Fakenham Church where 54 charities and organisations have decorated trees on the pews, up the aisle and into the chancel.
Len has just finished counting the buckets from the Christmas tree festival and has announced a new record of £203.12. Well done everyone for making it possible and well done Len for counting it. Lloyds bank will be delighted to see you on Monday with your bags of 1p’s and 2p’s!
There are decorations and lights of every colour, from the blue of the Wells RNLI to the green of Ellie’s Love. There are even knitted hat decorations from the knitting group, horses for North Norfolk Riding for the Disabled and pompom owls for the Hawk and Owl Trust. The Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus tree can be easily identified by a large array of internally lit red and blue model minibuses.
All the trees have again been donated by Fakenham Garden Centre.
It also includes six prayer trees for people to remember lost loved ones. The prayers are offered at a special service in January.
Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus Service have now taken delivery of their long awaited new Minibus awarded them under a £25 million transport fund by the Department for Transport. The Minibus is one of 300 awarded to local charities and community groups across England to provide a vital link to medical services, shops and events for elderly residents, people with learning and physical difficulties and those who do not have access to a commercial service.
Peugeot Boxer – Chassis VF3YETMFC12A37398
Photos by: Len Harding
Article taken from: Age Concern The Link online – November 2016
Age Concern Fakenham has been in touch to tell us about the difference that their new minibus has made to older people in their area:
“It’s well over a year since Age Concern Fakenham took delivery of its new VW MiniBus.
The arrival of the bus has changed our working pattern dramatically – it soon became clear that we needed more drivers and helpers and we achieved this quite quickly, taking on four new drivers and one new helper.
We are now in a position to offer day trips out to Sandringham, Norwich, boat trips out on the Broads, Garden centres, Heacham Lavender fields, to name a few. The care homes in Fakenham and older people’s groups are the main users. We have also started a new shopping round and this is proving very popular.
In one year, we have covered over 20,000 miles, carried 3,670 passengers and taken 163 passengers for doctor appointments or prescriptions. One of our latest trips was to Wells Harbour for the yearly blessing of the boat and its crew. We took two bus loads and were rewarded with the best view of the service and afterwards enjoyed fish and chips all round, followed by ice cream. We also presented a cheque to the harbour master for £100.00 which was the collection from the passengers. All of this would not have been possible without the Cornford Trust grant from Age UK which has made so much difference to the older people of Fakenham and surrounding District. So from all of us up here in Norfolk a big THANK YOU”!
We are always really pleased to hear your good news stories so if you have a story that you would like to share in a future edition of Link online, please e-mail us at friends@ageuk.org.uk
The Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus committee preparing for the start of their 2016 Annual General Meeting yesterday (Wednesday) at the Fakenham Community Centre. Many regular passengers on the Age Concern minibus which is centred around the town of Fakenham were picked-up at their homes by the two buses owned by the charity in order that they can attend the meeting.
Photos by: Rob Parker
Photo by: Len Harding
Having your flu jab is not as traumatic as some people think. These passengers on the Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus seem to have quite enjoyed themselves. Either that or they all had a very alcoholic breakfast! Over the last week Age Concern Fakenham was able to deliver two busloads of ‘victims’ for their annual flu jabs. All the passengers were picked up outside their homes in Fakenham and the surrounding villages, taken to the Fakenham Medical Centre where the wonderful, friendly staff came onto the buses to deliver the jabs. The passengers were then delivered back to their homes; all free of charge. This was on top of our normal shopping runs from Massingham, Great Ryburgh, Snoring, Colkirk, Hindringham, Barney, Wighton, Walsingham and Weasenham to the Morrisons and the Fakenham market; and a day trip to Wroxham for lunch, followed by a boat trip on the Southern Comfort paddle steamer from Horning to Ranworth. The exhausted driver of the Sunday bus to Wroxham was heard to gasp “the drivers and helpers have a great time too”, as he fell off the bus late on Sunday evening. Not bad for one week!
After some problems a couple of years ago, the Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus service is up and running again and trying to make a small difference to the lives of Fakenham’s senior citizens by helping them maintain their independence.
The downside is we need more drivers and helpers. If you can help in any way or would like to be involved please get in touch with Bob Francis on 07990026839.
Article by: Rob Parker
Both Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibuses attended the blessing service for the Wells lifeboat on Sunday 31st July. This is an annual event and part of the Wells carnival. Passengers on the two buses donated £116 for the RNLI and a cheque was presented to Richard Platten by Joan Harding from Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus Service. Joan’s family has been associated with the RNLI for three generations as her great grandfather was the coxswain of the Cromer lifeboat in the early 1900’s.
The outing, initiated by husband Len Harding, was a great success. The combination of a very moving event, an excellent viewpoint, perfect weather and of course lots of Wells fish and chips and ice cream, was enjoyed by everyone. One of the bus drivers was heard to comment “we’ll have a problem next year as we’ll need three buses!”.
Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus Service would like to thank the Wells Harbour Office for helping to organise the visit and for providing parking that allowed some of our less mobile passengers to enjoy and participate in the event without needing to get off the bus.
Photos by: Rob Parker
Photo by: Ray Longman
Martin Shaw chairman of the Fakenham Society presenting Bob Francis chairman of the Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus with a cheque for £314. During the year the Fakenham Society have been fund raising for their charity of choice (Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus) which culminated with the presentation of a cheque on Thursday 17th March 2016 after their AGM.
Photo by: Ray Longman
At the charity quiz night on Saturday 13th of February the Fakenham Society raised £235 in aid of the Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus service. Many thanks to Barbara and Ray who supported the event.
The Age Concern Fakenham Minibus Christmas Tree at Fakenham Parish Church
Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus raised £137.04 at this years Christmas Tree Festival held in the Fakenham Parish Church. Thank you all.
| Charity | £ | Charity | £ |
| B/F | £9,427.68 | ||
| 2534 (Fakenham) Squadron ATC | £111.08 | Gurkha Welfare Trust | £359.64 |
| ABANA | £125.00 | Hawk & Owl Trust Sculth Moor | £166.42 |
| Action for Children | £200.00 | Helping Hands Nth Norfolk | £171.49 |
| Age Concern Fakenham | £137.04 | Heritage House Daycare Ctre | £114.00 |
| Aid Africa | £173.00 | Let the Children Live | £159.68 |
| Al-Anon Family Groups | £- | Litcham Community Fete | |
| Beetley & East Bilney PCC | Little Angels Pre-school | £75.00 | |
| BREAK | £189.15 | Macmillan Cancer Support | £900.55 |
| British Heart Foundation Fak | £554.10 | Matthew Project | |
| Brooke Donkeys | £493.28 | Motor Neurone Dis – Joppa Lodge | £300.00 |
| Burnham Market Nursery Sch | National Coastwatch | £179.58 | |
| C.A.T.S | £395.43 | Norfolk Hospice | £457.55 |
| Cancer Research (Bill Tyler) | £634.34 | Norfolk Knitters | £175.62 |
| Cancer Res UK | £693.52 | Norfolk Zipper Club | £388.21 |
| Cats Protection | £407.65 | North Nfk Riding for the Disabled | £277.81 |
| Christians against Poverty | £123.38 | NSPCC | £414.00 |
| Cleft Lip & Palate Assoc’n CLAPA | £300.98 | Pact Animal Sanctuary | |
| Coastal Retired Greyhound Trust | £341.25 | Pancreatic Cancer UK | £500.05 |
| Crohns and Colitis UK | £290.28 | R.N.L.I. | £536.85 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Trust Fakenham Group | £283.21 | Relate Norfolk & Suffolk | £128.28 |
| DebRA | £320.45 | Rosemary Rooms | £461.63 |
| Diabetes UK Nth Nfk group | £467.43 | Rotary Club of Fak & Dist | |
| Docking C of E Primary Sch | £119.14 | Royal British Legion | £461.51 |
| Ellie’s Love | £554.12 | SERV Norfolk (Blood Bikes) | £250.06 |
| EACH | £440.64 | Sound System tree | £174.65 |
| Fakenham Barnardo’s Helpers | £236.85 | St John Ambulance | £239.39 |
| Fakenham Childrens Daycare ctre | £165.59 | Stepping Stones | £235.96 |
| Fakenham Infant School | Sue Ryder – Morrisons | £200.16 | |
| Fakenham Parkinson’s Support grp | £444.55 | Talk Lipoedema | |
| Fakenham Wensum Scouts | £130.00 | The British Lung Foundation | £153.26 |
| First Focus | £125.00 | Tommy’s | £364.98 |
| Fitzroy Support | £180.00 | Wells Prim/Nursery Sch – P/FA | |
| Friends of Cranmer House | £195.22 | World Wide Mothers’ Union | £156.10 |
| Friends of Kelling Hospital | |||
| Friends of K’s L Stroke Unit-Fak Eve WI | £300.00 | ||
| Great & Little Snoring WI | £296.00 | ||
| C/F | £9,427.68 | Total | £17,430.11 |
Age Concern Fakenham Area Minibus 