Downland Volunteer Group celebrates 40 years of Service to the Community
The Downland Volunteer Group (DVG) is unique. It was founded by sixteen-year-olds. This statement was made by Mrs Deb Jeffs, one of the founder members of the DVG. In 1984-85 pupils at The Downs School in Compton conducted a social studies project on communities. They looked at the contributions of voluntary organisations as many of their pupils came from the surrounding villages north of Newbury. Each village organisation seemed to operate in isolation, so they decided to bring these groups together. This was how the DVG was born with The Downs School catchment area becoming the focus of their operation.
In 1985 a management committee was appointed and an office set up in the Compton scout hut. A prize from The Shell Village Venture competition and a donation from the Thames Valley Police helped get them started
The DVG officially started on 9th January 1986. It began as a ‘good neighbourhood scheme’ but soon focused on helping residents attend their medical appointments due to the lack of regular public transport in the area.
The first AGM in November 1986 voted Mrs Deb Jeffs as Chairman supported by Mrs Sue Fletcher, Vice Chairman and Dave Morris as Treasurer. In its first year the DVG made 179 trips to various medical locations. Publicity was a challenge to create awareness of the service as was recruiting volunteer drivers and office support.
As the organisation grew, they decided to draw up a Constitution to achieve charitable status and became a registered charity in 1989. By 1990 they were achieving 500 trips per year. Also, that year they became involved in the Handybus service. The vehicle was then owned by Newbury District Council and it was used to drive patients to their appointments at the surgeries. In the afternoon the DVG could organise shopping trips for Downland residents or allow other organisations to hire it.
They have always worked closely with the Downland Practice and in 1995 one of their doctors joined the DVG committee. In 1997 the DVG office moved to its current location in the Compton surgery.
In 1998 they set up a monthly Luncheon Club thanks to support from the ‘Help the Aged’ charity. Twenty-seven years later it is still going strong with two of the original volunteers still involved!
By the Millenium the number of trips to medical appointments exceeded 1000 per year and the office became computerised to cope with this growing demand and the statistics required to support grant requests. In 2005 they became a registered company. In 2018 they were ‘gifted’ the Handybus vehicle. By 2023 this vehicle was getting old and the DVG managed to obtain an all-electric 12-seater vehicle renamed the HandEbus which at the time was the first all-electric community transport vehicle in West Berks. This was made possible thanks to generous support from the West Berkshire Council and other charities and individuals who wanted more environmentally friendly transport in our area. To help maximise the use of this new vehicle they amended their Constitution to allow them support all sections of the community, the young and not so young who have always been our main focus.
In the last 40 years the DVG has come a long way. So much has changed during that time, yet certain things do not change. They are always looking for new volunteers; they still need to publicise the service to new residents in the area and car parking is still an issue at some hospitals. Nevertheless, the continued demand for this service, the gratitude shown by clients and the satisfaction the volunteers derive from helping those in need proves that what began in 1986 has benefited the Downland community.
Companies House No. 05572984 Charity Commission No 1112181
