History

Loggerheads & District Befrienders was set up in 2008 supported by Staffordshire County Council.  Founder member Kathleen Pemberton retired as Chair in 2017 after seeing the group go from strength to strength culminating on the Queen’s Jubilee Award in 2016 for voluntary services in the community.  She was succeeded as Chair by Ann McCullagh former Treasurer and also a founder member.  Ann stood down as Chair in December 2021 and has been succeeded by Karen Watkins, MBE.  Ann will continue as a valued member of the Committee  and a Trustee.

In 2015 when the Community Fire Station was opened the group were able to expand what they could offer to the community and  held regular weekly gatherings at the Station.  The station closed during covid and now we have outgrown the capacity so we have moved to Ashley Methodist church.  See What we Do for a description of our offering to residents of Loggerheads parish.

The group was awarded charity status in 2018.  See our constitution for our aims and objects.

In summer 2021 the group took on the coordination of the  local walking group, previously set up by Ashley Surgery under the banner of Walking for Health.   When national funding was withdrawn the Befrienders stepped in to cover the insurance.

In September 2022 the group took on the Loggerheads Voluntary Car Scheme to ensure it could keep providing an essential service to local residents who cant otherwise get to medical appointments.