ABOUT US
Andrew
Anna
Ben
Bill
Carol
Elaine
Eve
Greg
Helen
Jane
Laura
Joel
Jim
Janice
Mia
Teagan
Judith
Liz
Louise
Lorna
Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Monday Club has over 50 regular members who meet on Monday evenings and take part in events, trips and holidays together. The cost to attend is £2 per week, plus extra for refreshments, special activities and trips.
The club is led by its members, with the group choosing their own programme of activities for the term. Requests to try new activities and visit new places are always considered, with many members experiencing their first holiday abroad with the group.
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The club has strong links with the local community, often joining with other local groups for trips and events. This includes the local secondary school and youth service, from where many students volunteer at Monday Club as part of their Duke of Edinburgh or ASDAN accreditation. The group are also interested in wider issues which affect them and their community. For example, Monday Club members have recently attended several protests and meetings in Chesterfield and Matlock to save the Derbyshire Youth Service and protect the building where the group meets.
Over the years, Monday Club has built up excellent relationships with member's families and carers, many members and volunteers have been with the group from the beginning. They have also developed good links with social services and often gain new members through referrals and recommendation.
History
Monday Club was established over 30 years ago by Derbyshire County Council, as part of their Youth Service provision. 10 years later the club was due to be dissolved due to budgetary cuts, with members facing the prospect of being split up and having to find other groups and services in the area. To prevent this, Jane Marsh, one of the original volunteers, took on the running of the group on a voluntary basis at the same location.
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Since then the group has gone from strength to strength, gaining more members, volunteers and an excellent reputation for the services it provides. In 1996, the club received lottery funding to purchase two static caravans sited at Butlins in Skegness. The main purpose of this was to provide members and their families with the opportunity to use the caravans at a subsidised rate and also as a source of income for the group.
- New experiences - Community Links - Respite for carers
Future Plans...
Monday Club wish to continue providing life enhancing experiences for its members, but also to grow in terms of the services they offer. For example, one idea put forward by a member of the group is to run a 'Saturday Club', which would provide the opportunity for social interaction and life skills building through shopping trips, theatre visits and other activities.
Research into sources of funding is also a top priority, with the aim of eventually owning their own premises.
