Sometimes you need to check you are doing the right thing - and we're on the right track

Marc Jobson, manager of Budleigh Hub (Image: Archant)

Seachange is your local charity that helps to support the community of East Devon, in any which way is needed.

We respond to local needs as they arise. This is a line I often use when explaining Seachange to those who may not have heard of us before.

I guess it has become second nature for me to use this line without really thinking about what it really means.

This week, I had the joyous task of finding quotes to renew our public liability insurance.

The yearly task involves informing insurance companies of our activities so they can assess the potential risk and thus the premium we will need to pay.

In a practical sense I have to list everything we do: older person day-care; child nursery; café training adults with learning disabilities; community transport; volunteering; shopping; prescriptions; meal delivery; exercise classes; gym; wellbeing sessions; social groups; bereavement group; scrabble club; allotment; cycling; table tennis; run leader courses; dementia sessions; NHS outpatient appointments; private medical appointments; refugee support; intergenerational work; room hire; conferencing; cooking sessions; holistic therapy; IT support; telephone and in person befriending...the list goes on, but you get the idea.

It really made me stop and think, ‘wow, we do so much.’ Our staff and volunteers really should be proud of what they achieve.

One person who has come through Seachange is our handyman.

He originally came to Seachange for counselling, then used the gym and our classes.

After a period, he became one of our volunteers helping around our building maintaining and building new projects.

He recently completed an enclosed garden for our Jurassic childcare youngsters to potter around in.

They have enjoyed the space to learn how to grow tomatoes from seed and how to look after them They have also learnt about the life cycle as some of the plants were soon eaten by a hungry caterpillar.

It does not hurt to stop and check yourself to see if you are doing the right thing.

I know having thought about the wide variety of activities we run that we are on the right track.

The thought that someone like our handyman who has come through Seachange and is now helping brighten the lives of children a lot younger than him is inspiring.

If you are inspired to get involved, please visit www.seachangedevon.org