The chairman of Crosspoint, Len Clift, gave a talk about the local charity at the March U3A general meeting.
The Westbury U3A report, “Most people visiting Westbury know that Crosspoint is in the market place but may not know much about the work that is done there.
“A former policeman in Trowbridge, Len retired and then worked for an NG0 in Afghanistan, served at a small church in Bristol before returning to Westbury. Initially he became involved in Crosspoint as treasurer before becoming chairman in 2014. Although initially sceptical, he quickly realised that Crosspoint was very much needed.
“There is a bank of four computers for general use and many people fill out their Universal Credit applications. Not everyone is computer literate or has access to one of their own. Most things are IT-based and so the four machines in Crosspoint are in constant use.
“Crosspoint helped to initiate a counselling service, although this is based in the surgery. Hope Debt Counselling service also works with Crosspoint; there are four trained counsellors and one in training. This can be intense work, demanding dedication from the volunteers.
“Hampers from the Food Bank are kept at Crosspoint where they can be exchanged for an issued voucher, and up to eight hampers are issued per week. Donations for the food bank are taken to Warminster where they are packed into the hampers.
“Funding is by a mixture of grants and donations.
“Next month on Tuesday 10th April Ward Jones will talk about Korea, a place he has visited several times. The talk is titled “The Hermit Kingdom: understanding Korea.” Korea has been much in the news in recent times, but for most people the two Koreas remain a mystery. Ward will share his insights into life on the Korean Peninsula. The meeting starts at 2pm in the URC Church Hall, newcomers are very welcome.”
