This week for Charity Tuesday we are focusing on Impetus. Impetus is a registered charity that improves the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable adults in Brighton and Hove. Established December 1999 and until 2012, there were two sides to their activities. One side was the provision of frontline services to improve life for disadvantage adults, and the second was an infrastructure organisation which provided support through Brighton and Hove’s Volunteer Centre. In 2012, Impetus became a partner in the lottery funded Transforming Local Infrastructure Project with the aim of bringing together the services into one organisation. From August 2013, Impetus started focusing on its core adult social care and health services.
Impetus have a multitude of services, such as neighbourhood care schemes, cancer advocacy and ASpire, a service that supports adults with Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism and similar social issues. ASpire put on social activities, such as cinema trips, games nights and a Christmas party every two weeks on a Thursday evening. It’s an autism friendly environment and 90% of those who attend the social group say that their confidence has increased. They also provide mentors who are specially trained in Asperger’s and autism, who give support, guidance and understanding to the people they work with. Over the course of a year, mentors help to identify changes or achievnemtns to be made. The mentors are provided for people with Asperger’s and higher functioning autism, and they recruit and train mentors four times a year. The Neighbourhood Care Scheme recruit’s local volunteers to help older people, people with disabilities and carers in their neighbourhood. The scheme currently runs in ten neighbourhoods in Brighton and Hove, roughly half of the city’s population. From social visits, reading aloud, DIY to assistance with wheelchairs and one-off tasks, the scheme provides a huge amount of support for local people who need our help. Impetus also have a scheme that provides people with mental health support needs, learning disabilities, and people with autism volunteering opportunities.
Those mentioned above is merely a small snippet of the work Impetus do for our community. For those who want support from Impetus, head here. If you have been looking for opportunities to volunteer, Impetus has a number of opportunities in their various schemes, there’s definitely something for every type of volunteer. Go here to find out more about volunteering with them. You can also follow them on Twitter @BHImpetus
If there is a charity you think we should be featuring in Charity Tuesday, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Holly Martin
Thanks for featuring us, Holly. We’re always looking for new volunteers and want to provide support for those who need it whenever we can — so I encourage anyone who’s interested in Impetus to get in touch.