28 Aug Join us for a series of events celebrating 10 years of bringing people together

Now in our tenth year and Torbay Communities continues to go from strength to strength.

We are proud of our strapline, ‘Stronger Together’ and strive to bring people together in everything we do to ensure that Torbay communities are strong and resilient.

Our team of Community Builders work in neighbourhoods across the Bay, helping people be the best they can be and ensuring that no one is involuntarily lonely or isolated.

They work with people of all ages in every ward in the Bay. We also partner with other organisations from the voluntary, charity, and social enterprise sectors to run the highly successful Torbay Community Helpline, which helped thousands of people during the COVID crisis. The Helpline continues to support the vulnerable and proudly boasts the strapline — One Call, That’s All.

Since the Helpline launched in March 2020 the Helpline has:

• Taken more than 90,000 calls.
• Supported the Torbay Food Alliance with more than 13,000 referrals for food support
• Referred almost 2,000 people for mental health support through our partner agencies, Age UK and Shekinah
• Worked with more than 2,000 individuals and their families/carers following referrals from Adult Social Care
• Supported almost 2,300 people to access specialist money, debt and benefits advice
• Supported thousands of people to access their local community, tackling loneliness and isolation through our network of Community Builders

Like every charity, we rely on the generosity of our funders to keep delivering essential services, and every year, we need to raise more than £1.3 million to pay for our vital community work, which means that we can’t continue without our fundraisers. It’s as simple as that.

That is why we are turning to you for support in this our tenth anniversary year and have organised a series of fundraising events that kick off with our Celebratory Ball at the Grand Hotel in Torquay on Saturday, November 2^nd.

We hope our supporters will join us for an evening of fun, fine food and festivities that will also raise much-needed funds that will be spent exclusively in the Bay. You can book your tickets online now.

But the ball is not the only thing this year; we have 16 people currently taking part in a 1,000,000 step challenge which started on July 15^th and lasts 100 days into October – that is an average of 10,000 steps a day. No mean feat.

We also have runners going in the Torbay Half Marathon and 10K race which starts from Paignton Green on Sunday, September 29^th each endeavouring to raise money through their efforts. Want to join in? Sign up online now (select Torbay Communities under “Charity entry tickets”)

But that is not all; for those who simply prefer a good night out we have a night of fabulous music at the Berry Head Hotel on Wednesday, November 13^th with the popular sea shanty group, Missin’ Tackle, who will be supported by Carport Extension, a four-part harmony group and pianist, Anne Fairey. You can book your tickets online now.

Later in the year, we will also be doing something special at Cockington Court involving pirates and Christmas. Watch this space for more details as they unfold.

There are also exciting plans for next year when we are looking at marking the 75^th anniversary of Eurovision. Did you know the contest was dreamt up at a ‘cordial but starchy’ meeting of men in suits at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay? Next year is also the 50^th anniversary of the Abba gig at Torre Abbey in 1975, another landmark occasion.

As already noted, bringing people together is what we do, and if we can do that while having fun and raising funds, what’s not to love?

Even if I say so myself, what we do is special and is now being replicated in other parts of the country because we have proved that building stronger communities benefits everyone who lives in them.

Final words go to new MP Steve Darling who said of us recently: “Over the last decade, I’ve seen first-hand the great work the organisation does in building strong communities across our Bay and ensuring our most vulnerable residents get the support they need.

Torbay Communities brings residents together, fostering better communication, encouraging local involvement and decision making and developing high-standard volunteering opportunities. I was proud that my first meeting in the new role was to discuss how we could collaborate to support their work and long-term goals.”

For details of all upcoming events and to support us, keep an eye here on our website and follow us on our Facebook page (@TorbayCDT)