Martha Trust celebrates its 30^th Anniversary

Martha Trust supports young people and adults with profound disabilities at homes in Deal and Hastings, providing lifetime care in a safe and loving environment, respite and day care. And this year they are celebrating their 30th Anniversary. Martha Trust was founded in 1983 by a small group of Christians from Deal. They felt there had to be a better alternative to the NHS long stay mental health hospitals and institutions where people with profound disabilities were being placed. They believed those with profound disabilities should be able to live life to the full and get the most out of each and every day. Their vision combined with a lot of hard work, determination and support from the local community means that thirty years on Martha continues to support families and their loved ones to live fulfilling lives in a safe, loving environment. Martha Trust’s Kerry Rubins writes.

Over the past thirty years they have built two modern homes, including one in Hastings, acquired and expanded a third, created a day centre, respite care facilities, sensory rooms, state of the art hydrotherapy pools and beautiful accessible gardens.

Adults with profound physical and multiple learning disabilities need help with every function of life. Most are unable to communicate using language, or able to stand, walk or move unaided, and they all need round-the-clock nursing. Martha offers a home for life in purpose-built accommodation with an individually-tailored and continuous programme of education and therapy to develop their actual and latent skills and abilities.

Their daily and nursing care is funded by social services or NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, but other costs, from hydrotherapy to day trips, specialist recreational equipment, minibuses and improvements to the homes have to be paid for entirely by voluntary donations. These are the things that make the difference between giving supportive, holistic care and just minding someone.

With the numbers of people with profound disabilities on the increase, due to advances in medical care, the demand for their services is going to continue to grow.

2017 will mark Martha’s 30th anniversary. And it’s thanks to the continued support and generosity of their dedicated supporters in the local community that they are where they are today. They have enabled them to develop and grow into a leading provider of services for people with profound disabilities.

Supporting Martha in our 30^th Year

The aim at Martha is to expand their service offering and reaching out to support more families in the years to come. So help them to achieve their vision and get involved in their 30^th anniversary celebrations.

There are many ways for you to get involved from fundraising to helping them raise awareness of people with profound disabilities and the challenges they face each and every day. Below are just a few ideas of how you can play your part in their vision.

If you would like to get involved or find out more, visit Martha Trust, email fundraising@marthatrust.org.uk or call 01304 610448.

Wear Blue 4Martha

Encourage your colleagues, classmates and members to get involved by holding a Wear Blue4Martha day. Get them to donate £1 to Wear Blue4Martha.

Download tools to help you promote your day: www.marthatrust.org.uk/Blue4Martha

Music4Martha

Help them reach their target of 30 Music4Martha events in their 30^th year by holding a music event in aid of Martha. Visit www.marthatrust.org.uk/music4martha to find out more or get in touch at 01304 610448.

See below for 30 fund raising ideas – and the other HOT article on Here come the girls.

30 ways to show your support

1. 3miles for 30days – run/swim/cycle/walk miles every day for 30 days and get sponsored
2. 30 Friends , 30 likes. Encourage 30 friends to Like and share the Martha Facebook page
3. Give it up for Martha – Give something up for 30 days – and make a donation to Martha or get sponsorship for doing it
4. Music4Martha – help us reach our target of 30 Music4Martha events in our 30^th year. Hold a music event in aid of Martha
5. Copper Collection – collect your small change for 30 days and donate to Martha
6. Tea Party – invite friends round for afternoon tea or a coffee morning in aid of Martha
7. Raise it for Martha, £30, £300 or £3,000 in 30 days – pick your target and get fundraising!
   Get your employer, collegaues or friends and family involved.
8. £30 for 30 Years – make a £30 donation to Martha to mark our 30^th Anniversary
9. Hold a Wear Blue4Martha day – and aim to raise £30 or £300 – Get colleagues, classmates or your members to donate £1 to wear blue.
10. eBay for Martha – Sell 30 items for Martha on eBay to mark 30 years
11. Plant Sale – grow 30 plants and sell to friends and family in aid of Martha
12. 30 hours for Martha – donate your time to Martha and volunteer.
13. 30 tweets in 30 days –help us reach our target by tweeting about Martha
14. Come along and support one of our organised events in our 30^th Year
15. Sell 30 Martha wristbands or pin badges to 30 people
16. Sign up to a challenge in 2017 in aid of Martha – choose from our annual car challenge – Monte Carlo Madness, Virgin London Marathon, or take on one of your own.
17. Collect 30 prizes through the year to donate to the Martha Tombola
18. Shout about Martha to 30 friends, family or colleagues – help us raise awareness of the work we do
19. 30 Cakes for 30 Years – Cake Sale for Martha – bake a batch of cakes and sell at work or school to raise money for Martha
20. Hold an 80’s themed night – to mark our founding year 1986
21. 30^th themed Sports Day – hold a Sports day in aid of Martha – based on the number 30!
    30 laps of the field, 30 sit ups!, 30 star jumps
22. Film night – pick favourite films from 1986 and host a film night
23. Become a regular donor to Martha to mark our 30^th Birthday
24. Grow £30 è £300 Make a donation to Martha of £30 and see how much you can grow that donation in the year by investing and fundraising your initial £30.
25. Donate a £1 to Martha every 30 days through 2017 = £12 donation for the year
26. 30 journeys for Martha in 2017 – give up using your car for 30 local trips – walk or cycle instead and donate the fuel saving to Martha
27. Wash 30 cars for Martha – hold a charity car wash
28. 30^th Pledge – do something for Martha whether raising awareness, fundraising or make a donation the 30^th day of each month in 2017
29. Hold a quiz on Things that happened in 1986 with question 30 holding a bonus prize!
30. Share our 30^th Anniversary – If you have a special Birthday, Anniversary or celebration in our Anniversary year why not ask for donations to Martha instead of gifts

Quotes

Julie Gayler, Director or Operations and Marketing at Martha said “Martha Trust has been transformed over the past 30 years, offering support to more people with profound physical and multiple learning disabilities than ever before. We are extremely proud of our achievements and plan to continue to develop our services in the coming years. Fundraising has always been key to enabling us to achieve our goals and never more so than in the current financial climate. The generosity of our supporters is astonishing and we are sure many will get involved in our 30^th Anniversary fundraising campaign. Whether you are an existing or new supporter, why not join us at one of our Music4Martha events, or organise one of your own? Alternatively nominate a day to Wear Blue4Martha at your workplace or children’s school? Whatever your involvement it will benefit all of our service users and their families, so a heartfelt thank you from everyone at Martha.”

Dave, parent of Alice who lives at our Hastings home, Mary House said ‘Living at Martha Trust has enabled Alice to live a full life as a young adult doing the things she enjoys and so much more than she could at home.

“It has enabled us to be parents rather than nurses and carers. It has taken away the anxiety of trying to make sure she is properly occupied and the worry of carer support. Mary House is a real home not a residential service.”

Also in: Campaigns

« The Big Sleep 2017
Here come the girls! »