Corona Virus Urgent update 18th March 2020

We were contacted by Norfolk County Council late yesterday afternoon advising that all day services should close by today (Wednesday).

We have had no choice but to make the difficult decision to close all Workskills / Adult Leisure and Bespoke services until further notice

So this means that from this afternoon members will be remaining at home and will not be coming out to services. NCC, in addition, have cancelled all the transport from today.
We know this will be really difficult for our members and their families.
Supported Living and outreach in people’s homes will continue as normal; we will let you know of any changes that come into force.
It goes without saying that we need to be notified of any symptoms from members or their household.
Currently, our Charity Shop and Café will remain open as normal staffed by staff – it will be closed if advice changes from government.

If you suffering extreme hardship due to the current situation, please ring to discuss in case there is anything we can do to help. Our office will be open the usual hours.
About with friends have been busily gathering as much information as possible about the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). We have taken advice from trusted sources, working out how we best protect our members, our communities and our colleagues.
We are in constant contact with all relevant authorities to make sure that we continue to do everything we can.
If you have any concerns please contact us on info@aboutwithfriends.co.uk.
We don’t want to inundate you with emails so follow us our web site www.aboutwithfriends.co.uk
Remember:
A high temperature or fever OR a new continuous cough could be signs of the Coronavirus. If you have ANY of these symptoms please visit 111 online and complete the questionnaire for Coronavirus or telephone 111 if you do not have online access. If you have ANY of these symptoms you should stay indoors, avoid close contact with other people and contact 111 for confirmatory advice. It is VERY IMPORTANT that this advice is followed.

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It was a massive decision for his family to make and by choosing AWF it means they trust totally in the service. I am of the opinion that AWF is the only provision in the county for D and he is very happy to attend.

About with Friends and you particularly, have done some great work with excellent outcomes for D. I was particularly pleased to hear that you are working on integration with the Youth Group as I felt he would miss out on peer interaction if he didn’t come to college.

Just wanted to say a big thank you to you and everyone else that supported H on the recent trip – she had an amazing time. I enjoyed look at the Twitter feed to see what you had been up to.

I always have a smile on my face after a day with the members of the team. They are all individuals and each, in their own way, bring joy to my life. They are all much appreciated and I enjoy the gardening of course!

I just cannot thank you enough for taking K my daughter so that she could have fun with her friends on holiday in Milton Keynes, […] it made her extremely happy.

Selfishly for me it gave my wife a much sought after period of respite exhausted after 16 years of constant care. Complete respite is dependent upon the knowledge that your child is in safe professional caring hands. The ‘about with friends’ staff impress me because they display such enthusiastic vocational attitudes towards their care.

We cannot tell you what AWF means to us as a family – a lifeline, a light in the dark. Something that has offered our daughter equality, to have a social life and really support us as a family.

To all the staff at About with Friday, I had a wonderful time with you guys, and I want to say a big thank you for looking after me. Love from K.

I’ve got my life back

Over the last five years I have had a fortnightly, 2 hour designated gardening slot. I highly value your service and ethos.

A big thank you to yourself and the About with Friends staff for another great trip! J had a fantastic time, going on the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which he had wanted to do for ages and ages.