On Monday 14th July we were very fortunate to be able to welcome two speakers to talk about different aspects of care in our community: Roma Mills, Policy and Engagement Manager from Carers in Hertfordshire https://www.carersinherts.org.uk/ and Sacha Kirsten, Care Manager at Verso Care St Albans https://www.verso.church/verso-care .
Barbara Saunders OBE welcomed and thanked both of our speakers. Due to time constraints Sacha joined the meeting for her part and left straight afterwards, and we were very grateful that she could spare the time to join us. Roma was able to stay for the whole meeting and it was lovely to catch up with her – she had been quite involved with the Club 25 years ago when she was Mayor of St Albans
The meeting covered various community initiatives and support services, including advocacy for carers, local government changes, and the work of Verso Care St Albans in providing assistance to those in need. Discussions focused on the challenges faced by carers, the importance of integrated health and social care services, and the range of programs offered by community organisations to support vulnerable individuals and families. The meeting ended with updates on ongoing projects, fundraising efforts, and plans for future events.
Roma Mills – Carers in Hertfordshire spoke about Carer Advocacy and Support Services
Roma, a carer and community activist, shared her extensive experience in public and community work, highlighting her advocacy for Carers in Hertfordshire. Roma started by telling us about the backdrop of her life that brings her to where to she is now. She has 2 sons with profound hearing loss who attended Heathlands School for the death in St Albans. She was on the PTA and then the governing body for 25 years. She has been involved with Herts Hearing Advisory Services and with Earthworks and employment direct. She has found that people’s own needs and experiences drive them to get involved and do something. In public life she has been a Magistrate, Councillor and Mayor.
Please click here to see the PDF presentation that Roma sent after her talk Carers in Herts Presentation 2025 – in it there is a timeline history showing that the Carers Movement was started in 1965 by a carer.
Hertfordshire’s Social Care Priorities, Carer Support, Community Outreach
Roma talked about the challenges faced by carers. The Hertfordshire Carers Strategy is trying to integrate social care more closely with health care services.
She listed 4 priorities:
- Good information and communication of available support to solve the “I don’t know what I don’t know” problem.
- Unpaid carers need a life outside caring – maintaining work, continuing with a hobby, having a break and time away from their caring responisbilities.
- Keeping well and healthy. Considering the impact on the health of the carer.
- Consistent services that are joined up e.g. hospital discharge!
Roma added that it is important for care to be delivered “closer to home.
From the last census there are an estimated 100,000 unpaid carers in Hertfordshire, 23,000 have full time jobs, 40% are men. Ages are from young children who are carers up to carers in their 90s. She highlighted the challenges faced by carers, including a lack of social support. She emphasised the importance of identifying and supporting carers, and some of the many services available to assist them.
She discussed the upcoming changes in local government and health services in Hertfordshire, including the establishment of new unitary authorities and healthcare partnerships. She emphasised the need for social care to be prioritised and adequately funded, highlighting the ongoing challenges in integrating health and social care services. Roma also touched on the recent NHS plan and the appointment of Baroness Casey to review social care reform, expressing hope for progress in addressing the funding and resource issues facing social care.
Roma raised the importance of reaching more carers in Hertfordshire, highlighting the need for public consultation on local government service re-provision and the significance of their biennial survey in advocating for better care services.
Follow up: Barbara thanked Roma and said we are now all so much better informed about the services that Carers in Herts provide, and the connections within the county. We will inform ourselves (to the extent that we can) about the forthcoming restructuring of local government and its interface with the changing Health and Social Care bodies, and then consider the opportunities for influencing those changes, taking on board points made about minimising disruption, and not damaging those services which are working well. Much of what Roma said resonated with those of us who are carers, or who know people who are struggling with their caring responsibilities.
Sacha Kirsten spoke about the services offered by Verso Care St Albans
Sacha introduced herself as the manager of Verso Care, a community outreach program, part of Verso Church in St Albans. She explained the rebranding of the Vineyard Church to Verso, which aims to reflect their focus on transformation and outreach, and she briefly described the programs and services provided by Verso Care.
You can see a PDF version of Sacha’s presentation by clicking here: Verso Care Service Offering Presentation
Sacha described their organisation’s core program, which began as a small food bank in 2000 and has since expanded to provide wraparound support to the community through a drop-in cafe, food bank, and various services. She detailed their partnership with organisations like Christians Against Poverty, Citizens Advice and St Albans District Food Bank, as well as their “Bridge” mentoring program which offers one-to-one support and courses to help individuals achieve independence. The organisation provides a range of services including a kit room for children’s clothing and equipment, social supermarket, and various training courses, while maintaining a welcoming and dignified space for all guests.
Sacha presented an overview of Verso Care’s initiatives, including their school uniform shop, Christmas toy shop, and family holiday club called “Refuel”. She shared statistics on the number of individuals and families they supported through various programs, such as providing Christmas gifts, food parcels, and mentoring services. Sacha also explained the different ways people can support Verso Care, including financial donations, physical donations, and through an Easy Fundraising app.
Helen Byrne asked some questions leading Sacha to explain that her organisation is open to people of all religions and backgrounds, emphasising respect and inclusivity. She detailed their referral process, which includes partnerships with social workers, schools, and other organisations. They gain referrals following Community events and trying to share what services they offer with partners. It is often by word of mouth.
When asked about her background she told us that us that she transitioned from a corporate role after a bereavement. She volunteered with the Vineyard Church to start with, which led her to her current position at the organisation, aligning with her passion for volunteering and helping others.
Helen thanked Sacha and said that even though she had heard Sacha deliver the presentation before she was blown away again by how much Verso is able to achieve and Sacha’s passion and enthusiasm.
There was just a small amount of Club Business to cover at the end what more than fulfilled it’s promise of being a really interesting evening!