APRIL 2011

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTERVOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER

In this Issue

Volunteer Conference 2011 A Volunteer’s experience of this year’s Conference Annual General Meeting A Word from Our New Chair Beverley’s Update Volunteer Representative’s: What do we do? Karen’s Update Roger Binns Farewell to a Coroner Fundraising update Training Update Who’s Who in the CCSS Newsletter Writer required for next issue Welcome Welcome to this edition of the Volunteer Newsletter. A lot has happened within the Coroners Courts Support Service since the last newsletter, including the Volunteer’s Conference, the Annual General Meeting – which we will focus on – along with other news and useful information, and of course, some more pen sketches. Volunteer’s Conference 2011

Audience listening to DCI Dick Henson L-R: Speakers – Denise Turner, Joanna Bailey & DCI Henson

The Volunteer’s Conference this year was very well attended. Over 50 Volunteers came to the Princess Diana Memorial Fund in early March to hear a selection of speakers give excellent talks. It was good to see so many of you there. This year’s speakers included: Denise Turner who gave a heartfelt talk about her experiences following the death of her young son; DCI Richard Henson – who spoke about the Metropolitan Police’s Project Indigo initiative; Joanna Bailey of Fentons Solicitors spoke about the role Legal Representatives attending Coroner’s Courts; DS Abi Lambkin and PC John Carter, part of the Police Collision Investigation Team, who spoke about their roles and experiences following road traffic incidents. Talks were also given by Rosie Murray, Roey Burden and Dr Palmer, and the Volunteer Representatives spent time with volunteers discussing their roles and the support they are able to offer to all Volunteers.

Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ to Margaret Catran, Peter Salomon, Terry McCann and Roey Burden and Rosie Murray, for all their help behind the scenes on the day. A Volunteer’s experience of this year’s Conference By Joan Trudgeon, Volunteer - Windsor Coroner’s Court I very much enjoyed being able to meet other volunteers, some that I had already met and some that I hadn’t. Meeting in our groups was good because we were able to exchange ideas and experiences, though it would have been better if there had been slightly more room or less people but, nevertheless, it was a positive experience for me. I found all of the scheduled speakers very interesting and it was heart breaking to hear what happened to Denise Turner when her baby died. Hopefully, Project Indigo will make the experience only as traumatic as it is given the circumstances for others in similar situations. DCI Henson sounded very committed to passing the word throughout the Met Police. Having supported families through the ordeal of an inquest, I can't begin to imagine the added horror of being treated unsympathetically after the death of your baby. Although it was in complete contrast to what had gone before, Joanna Bailey was

interesting in a very different way and it was good to hear from a Solicitor's point of view what happens in the case of death and personal injury claims, even if it didn't directly tie in with what we do. PC John Carter was a delight considering the subject and he made what was a grim subject very interesting. Rosie, Roey and Dr Palmer were also very interesting in the afternoon. It was good to get an insight into post traumatic stress from Rosie; Roey, utterly dedicated to keeping us afloat financially and Dr. Palmer came across as a

very warm person. I am sure he will be a very good Chairman. Annual General Meeting This year’s AGM followed closely on the heels of the Volunteer Conference. Although not as well attended, we were very happy that a number of Volunteer’s stayed behind for the meeting. A Word from our new Chair By Dr Roy Palmer LLB MB BS FFFLM I am honoured to have been invited by the CCSS to serve as a Trustee and to succeed Dr Paul Knapman as chairman of the management committee. His will be a hard act to follow but I shall do my best to foster and promote the interests of this wonderful charity. I qualified first in medicine and, after hospital appointments, entered general practice on the Hertfordshire/Essex borders. Later, I acquired legal qualifications and served for many years on the staff of the Medical Protection Society, one of the three UK medical protection organisations, looking after the medico-legal interests of doctors. My third career has been that of a coroner, a role in which I have now completed 11 years of service and which I greatly enjoy. Coroners are under-resourced and the service that CCSS provides to many of us is of great help to coroners and to the families and others who attend our courts. In the current economic climate things are not likely soon to improve, so the service of the CCSS Volunteers will be much needed and most welcome. If any who read this newsletter are aware of any persons or corporate bodies that might be prepared to provide some financial support, please let the directors know! Meanwhile, to all the Volunteers and others who help CCSS in its work I extend the most grateful thanks and appreciation of the trustees. Beverley’s Update Since our last newsletter to you all things have moved on a pace. We have all been very busy recruiting new volunteers to existing teams and I would like to thank you all for supporting these new volunteers and welcoming them into your established volunteer teams. We are also very excited about being invited to open up the Service in the City of Liverpool and Greater Manchester South Coroner’s Courts. Once again, the Ministry of Justice has been very generous in financially supporting our start up costs in both these jurisdictions. We have almost completed our start up in Ashford and Maidstone in Kent and Oxford. Our second Volunteer Conference was a huge success with 52 volunteers attending. It was really lovely to see so many of you there and I was just so sorry that I couldn’t chat to more of you for longer! Everyone agreed that a third Volunteer Conference is a must so watch this space…! We received some very useful feedback for what you would like included for next year’s conference. Thank you to all who responded. Spring is one of my favourite times of the year with the lushness of the new green shoots that appear after the colourless landscape of the winter months and I can’t help but smile at the beautiful weather we have managed to sneak into this particular spring – long may it last! As ever, I am always left impressed by what you all manage to achieve and honoured to be working with you. Thank you. Volunteer’s Representatives: What do we do? By Margaret Catran Mary Crawford and I are the current volunteer representatives on the Management Committee. Peter Salomon served as one of the representatives for the past two years or so, and then stepped down just before the recent AGM, when Mary was elected. We attend meetings of the Management Committee, primarily as observers, but we have been given the opportunity to participate in the discussions and to raise matters of interest or concern, on behalf of the volunteers, or to comment where a volunteer input is requested. The Trustees reserve the right to discuss particular matters in private and we would also not participate in a vote, should that arise. At present, we have divided the volunteers alphabetically into two groups, based on people’s first names, A – M and N - Z. So, my group ranges from ‘Abigail’ to ‘Myrtle’ and Mary’s group

includes ‘Nancy’ through to ‘Zebedee’. A few days before each Committee meeting we email ‘our group’, inviting you to put forward any matters that you would like raised with the Committee. And, after the meeting we email you again with a brief report of items of interest arising from the meeting. Either one or both of us is invited to attend one of the sessions during the Part 1 training, to talk about our experiences and then to join in a general discussion about being a volunteer. It is a real pleasure to meet new potential volunteers and pick up on the enthusiasm and interest generated during the training. Peter and I have so far visited a couple of the out of London Courts and met up with the local team of volunteers for lunch and a chat. Mary and I hope to do some more of these visits during this year, co-ordinating the arrangements with the relevant Lead Volunteer. Do let us know if you would particularly like a visit. When a volunteer decides to step down, Beverley or Karen let us know and one of us will then undertake a telephone ‘exit interview’ – if the person is from ‘our group’. This gives the volunteer the opportunity to feed-back any matters that they would prefer not to raise direct with Beverley or Karen. They are, of course, your first point of call for information, support or matters of concern but Mary and I are very happy to hear from you if you wish to raise anything with us or just have a general informal chat about things. A – M volunteers: contact Margaret at mnc@jnb-mnc.com N – Z volunteers: contact Mary at mary.crawford@waitrose.com

Karen’s Update I have had a busy time of things in my capacity as Co-ordinator since the last newsletter. I was fortunate enough to join some of my teams for both pre and post Christmas meals, which I enjoyed immensely. I have managed to get round to finally visiting all the courts in my area, with just a handful of volunteers still to meet. Although a very busy day, I enjoyed putting names to the many faces I met on arrival at the Volunteer’s Conference in March. It was good to see so many of you there and thank you for making it so enjoyable! I have also been busy travelling down to Kent, which ended with Beverley and myself delivering a training course to the two teams based there. I am also looking forward to meeting and welcoming the new volunteers for the Service in Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford and Reading at some point. Finally, a big thank you to all of you for your help and assistance in keeping the Service going week in and week out. Roger Binns It is with sadness that we learned of Roger Binns’ death on Saturday 19th February 2011. Roger joined the CCSS in 2008. Although he retired from the organisation in 2010, he continued to assist with administrative tasks. Roger possessed a great capacity to help and care for others, and whose friendship was valued by many. Roey, Karen and several volunteers attended his funeral in March, which was attended by many of Roger’s friends and neighbours from Brentford Dock. We attended the Dock’s community hall after the service, where we met many people who had very fond memories of Roger, and who also spoke of his kindness and generosity. He is sadly missed by so many. Farewell to a Coroner By Patricia Layer, Volunteer – Milton Keynes Coroners Court The CCSS volunteer team at Milton Keynes bade a fond farewell to Mr. Rodney Corner, Coroner for Milton Keynes for the last 35 years. Reflecting on his experiences as Coroner, he recalled the start of the service in his court 3 years ago, and said how much the presence of the volunteers at court had helped the families, witnesses and Coroner’s Officers. He also paid tribute to his Deputy, Mr Tom Osborne who takes over as Coroner in early May. The volunteer team presented Mr Corner with a digital photo frame, which he was both surprised and delighted to receive. Whilst the team will miss Mr Corner, they look forward to working with Mr Osborne.digital photo frame, which he was both surprised and delighted to receive.

Fundraising Update

Training Update Beverley and Karen have just completed delivering Part I & II Volunteer Training Courses to volunteers based at Ashford & Maidstone Coroners Courts. Kind thanks goes to the staff at the Archbishop’s Palace in Kent for offering free training space and assistance and to the forthcoming Coroner for Maidstone & Medway – Patricia Harding - as well as Coroner’s Officer Christopher Kemsley, for their help and support. The next area to receive the same training course is Oxford Coroners Court Support Service, with a Part II Training Course to be delivered in London within the next couple of months. Please do get in touch with Beverley or Karen for more information about forthcoming courses.

Who’s Who in the CCSS? Volunteer Profile Name: Pam Watkins Coroners’ Court: Hatfield, Hertfordshire About me: I retired from the Financial Services industry at the end of November 2007. I started this because having worked full time most of my working life I missed the contact with people. As part of my job was talking to strangers on a fairly personal level I imagined I may be able to help those having or needing to attend inquests feel more at ease, sometimes just a friendly face or word may just make the situation a small amount more bearable. What I like about being a volunteer: Having never had to attend an inquest I can see now how stressful this is for both non professional witness and especially family and if it was me in their shoes I would appreciate having someone there for me. Volunteer Profile Name: Robina Bush Coroners’ Court: Southwark, London About me: I have been volunteering at Southwark Coroners Court for around 18 months. When I retired from full-time work I was looking for new roles which involved contact with people, was practical and didn't involve committee work. What I like about being a volunteer: I had attended an inquest in a professional role many years ago and remembered what a daunting experience it had been. When I saw the advertisement for volunteers for CCSS it seemed that this role would both meet my requirements, but more importantly, seemed to be a really worthwhile and helpful service. Since becoming a volunteer despite some challenging days, I have enjoyed supporting family members and witnesses at inquests and meeting such a wide range of individuals for all walks of life and have learnt much from working alongside the coroners and Coroners’ Officers. Newsletter Writer Required And finally, we would like to ‘recruit’ a new writer for the next and future newsletters please? Have you any experience of writing newsletters, or just an interest in keeping your fellow volunteers informed about what’s happening in the CCSS? If the answer is YES, please contact Beverley or Karen.

The CCSS needs to raise more funds to continue to provide support and assistance to families and witnesses attending Coroners Courts. The Fundraising team welcomes any suggestions or ideas you may have to help to raise more funds. A recent suggestion that you may all be able to help us with is by attending your local branch of Waitrose, and completing a Community Matters leaflet to nominate the Coroners Courts Support Service as one of the charitable organisations, who may be eligible to a share of £1,000 (between 3 nominated local charities). Once nominated, customers receive tokens, which then can then ‘post’ into the instore glass boxes. The more nominations received, the more money the charity receives. Waitrose donates £1,000 per month to their Community Matters scheme.