It was a busy year with both regular ongoing initiatives alongside new one-off projects.

WinterAid

Our Winter Aid project was still running from 2023, to help local people that were struggling with the cost of living (with energy price increases on 1^st Jan).  We had winter quilts, energy efficient electrical appliances, heated throws (specifically for people/children living with a life limiting illness or disability), battery operated lights & LED light bulbs to distribute. We also signposted to local Warm Hubs and schemes that could provide financial support. While wound down for the spring/summer, the project will again ramp up in the autumn/winter.

Winter Aid 2024 restarted in October with a specific focus on senior citizens who are simply on the basic state pension and nothing else (ie not in receipt of pension credit).

Job Club

After a short break over Christmas 2023, to make way for Secret Santa, the Job Club was back up and running again for the new year, posting about local vacancies and providing support to residents on the journey towards work, education and training. Residents can use our computer facilities, and we can also offer a very flexible programme of personalised support and guidance that is tailored to specific needs.

Household Support

Revive’s household service supports struggling households by distributing free, non-perishable goods (such cleaning products, washing powder/detergent and toiletries) to those whose budgets are stretched due to the increases in the cost of living including and escalating fuel/food costs. Those that access the service, make considerable savings by not having to purchase these expensive products. This is an ongoing service throughout the year. To qualify, local residents need to be:

• A member of Revives Job Club (and attending on a regular basis) or
• A Household/individual where at least one person is in employment for 16 hours or more and in receipt of the minimum wage
• A pensioner just in receipt of the basic state pension (ie not getting pension credit)

Heated Throws & LED Bulbs Project

Thanks to an award from the National Grid Community Matters – Fuel Poverty 23 fund, Revive was able to buy and distribute LED light bulbs and heated throws for households where an occupant had disabilities, cancer or was facing a life limiting illness. When the project closed in Spring 2024, over 150 throws and 335 LED bulbs had been allocated; as part of the project Revive staff and volunteers visited the St Philips Church warm hub as well as the Age UK centre on Chaddesden Park. Annual energy savings of using the new bulbs alone equate to nearly £4,700.

Easter Eggs

In the run up to Easter we had another truly amazing response to our appeal for Easter Egg donations, from local residents businesses and organisations. In fact, the response was so large that not only could we distribute eggs to local children from two locations on the 27^th March, but we were also able to donate eggs to entire year groups at several local primary schools (Roe Farm, Breadsall Hilltop, Derwent, St Albans and St Giles Schools), as well as making a donation to Children’s Social Care Services. Distribution on the day was made possible by a small army of volunteers including staff from Rolls Royce.

Hopes, Dreams & Aspirations Project

We continued to provide updates on the 2023 students on our ongoing project, helping last year’s school leavers with the practical costs of attending college or training programmes (eg travel or equipment costs). We are pleased to report that all those we supported completed and passed their courses.

Over the summer of 2024, and during September, we began with a new group of students many of which again faced challenging personal circumstances on top of starting the next stage of their lives after leaving school.

Tickets to Events

Thanks to a long-standing partnership with Derbyshire Cricket Club we have been able to offer free tickets to cricket games and events over the summer of 2024. In the autumn we were able to distribute 200 free tickets to the Fireworks display at the Cricket Ground.

School Uniform

Thanks to another long-standing partnership, this time with ASDA, we were gifted a large range of primary school uniform. During the spring Revive team members and volunteers worked with our local primary schools to identify and provide free items to many local families.

Fundraising for Holiday to Skegness

Revive took a group of our most disadvantaged young children on holiday to Butlins, Skegness in August 2024. These were young people that had lost their parents (some have lost both), or had experienced major trauma, or were subject to care proceedings. This year two very courageous volunteers from Rolls Royce generously offered to run from Derby to Skegness in just 24 hours to raise funds towards this holiday. Click here for full details.

Video Doorbells:

Last year Revive ran a very successful project providing a free Blink video doorbell to local households in Chaddesden, Spondon & Oakwood that were:

• affected by domestic violence or anti-social behaviour
• older people that were anxious about answering the door
• disabled residents that wanted to see visitors before answering the door

Working collaboratively with the local neighbourhood board and West Chaddesden Councillors, we  launched a similar (but smaller) project in the Autumn – this time limited to residents in West Chaddesden (email reviveaid@revivecentre.com if you wish to be considered as its still running).