~ FROM THE 1st MAY, THE FRIENDS OF WHITWORTH HOUSE’ WILL BECOME ‘THE WHITWORTH TRUST’ ~


‘The Friends of Whitworth House’ was founded some 20 years ago, by a group of women who wanted to provide for the need of homeless young women in Cambridge, for which there was a serious lack of provision. Money was raised to buy and establish a suitable house, Whitworth House, which is now owned and managed as supported social housing by Orwell Housing Association. “The Friends” continue to support the House in various ways, notably recently by raising over £100,000 to support an extension to the House to give a halfway-house to independent living.

Since the new Trustees of “The Friends” took over in March 2016, we have been reviewing the work of the charity. The need to support Whitworth House continues, of course, but in addition we are very aware of the great shortage of provision for street-dwelling women in the cold winter months in Cambridge, and the very great difficulty former residents of Whitworth House have in finding affordable move-on accommodation in such a high rent area. We plan to extend the charity’s work to assist in these two areas in particular, and have already gone into partnership with Jimmy’s Cambridge on a project that will provide independent move-on accommodation for two homeless women in the city.

The current objects clause of the charity reads:

The objects of the Charity are the relief of poverty; more particularly amongst young women normally resident in the City and County of Cambridge needing supported residential accommodation such as that provided by Whitworth House or similar institutions.

This does give us some latitude, but at our recent AGM we voted to make the wide remit of our charity more explicit, by amending it to read as follows:

‘The objects of the Charity are the relief of poverty; more particularly amongst women normally resident in the City and County of Cambridge:
i) needing supported residential accommodation for young women such as that provided by Whitworth House
ii) needing other assistance and support in finding and securing secure and affordable accommodation’.

In accordance with this widening of the role, those present at the AGM also voted to rename the charity “The Whitworth Trust”. Doing so allows us to retain the link both with the House and with the Whitworth family, who are still strong supporters of the Charity.

This name change has been approved by the charity commission, and it will come into effect on 1st May.

At our AGM we said goodbye to two very special and long-serving members of our committee: secretary Ank Rigelsford, and chairwoman Sarah Martin. 
Sarah (pictured below, on the left) and Ank have done so very much for the Friends over the last ten years, and we thank them heartily for their generosity and energy!

Tim Wheatley, another very special and long-serving member of the committee, is staying with us for the time being --- not least to help us ensure a smooth transition over to the new group. Tim stepped down from his role as treasurer at the AGM, but we thank him for his wisdom and his commitment to our cause!  

The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Whitworth House was held on Thursday 6th April. 
Our guest speaker was Lord Richard Best (pictured below, alongside our President, David Whitworth, and the Mayor of Cambridge). It was brilliant to welcome a number of guests from local agencies and organisations, and to discuss the future of the charity, and our role in supporting homeless women in Cambridge.

We have a few announcements to make following the AGM : watch this space! 

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Whitworth House will take place this year on 6th April, at St Luke's Church, Victoria Road, Cambridge CB4 3DZ . 

The meeting will begin at 5pm, and refreshments will be served from 4.30pm. It will be chaired by our President, David Whitworth, and our guest speaker will be Lord Richard Best, OBE,  Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications, and Chair of The Property Ombudsman and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People.

During the meeting, we shall discuss motions concerning a widening of the remit of the charity, as well as future partnership opportunities with Hope Cambridge and Jimmy's Cambridge. We shall also elect a new team of officers to the committee, and will hear from our out-going chair, Sarah Martin. 

All are welcome. Should you wish to receive a copy of the agenda in advance, then please email friendsofwhitworthhousecbg@gmail.com . Those who are already on the Friends of Whitworth House mailing list will receive an agenda and associated papers in mid-March. 

A Concert by Pianist David Earl
In aid of the work of the Friends of Whitworth House. 

PROGRAMME

Schubert      Sonata No 16 in A minor D845
David Earl    Piano Suite No 4 Darshanas (2016)  
Chopin       Scherzo No 4 in E Op 54
                     Nocturne in B Op 62 No 1
                     Ballade No 3 in A flat Op 47 
                     Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Op 22

VENUE Old Library, Pembroke College, Cambridge
TIME & DATE Saturday 29 April 2017 | 7.30pm
TICKETS  £15 / £7.50 concessions. Available on the door or, to reserve in advance, please send an email to friendsofwhitworthhousecbg@gmail.com

The concert will last for two hours (maximum). This includes a twenty minute interval. 

​BIOGRAPHY
DAVID EARL 
Well-known in Cambridge as a pianist and composer, South African-born DAVID EARL broadcast a professional recital for the SABC at 16, and a year later made his concerto debut with the then Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. 

Moving to London three years later, he studied piano and composition at Trinity College of Music, and while there gave the first of a number of solo piano recitals at Wigmore Hall, as well as broadcasting live on BBC Radio 3. After seven years based in Oxford, he settled in Cambridge, where for over twenty years he has taught piano performing to undergraduates at Cambridge University, as well as supervising Tripos composition students.
In addition to music for solo piano, David has written concertos for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Clarinet and Trumpet, as well as two double concertos for 2 Pianos and 2 Violins. Works for chamber ensemble include a Viola Sonata, two Sonatas each for Violin and Cello, a Piano Quintet, Clarinet Trio and String Quartet. Orchestral compositions include The Wineland Suite, and seven commissioned ballet scores.

His new Rupert Brooke opera Strange Ghost was premiered in Cambridge in December 2015, receiving glowing reviews. The CD of Cello Sonata No 1 and the Mandalas Piano Suite won a Gramophone Editor's recommendation rosette, and was nominated by International Piano magazine for best new music recording.
Plans for 2017 include a series of recitals in the UK, Germany and South Africa premiering Piano Suite No 4 Darshanas, and performances of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor.
For information, audio and video pages - www.davidearl-pianist.net

Join us for a lively evening of music and dancing in the impressive gothic surrounds of St Giles Church. Led by the Cambridge University Ceilidh Band, and by caller Bob Ridout, we shall be stepping out in the spirit of Robert Burns. Light refreshments (soft drinks and finger food) are included in the ticket price, and there will also be a cash bar available. This all-age event has been organised by the Friends of Whitworth House, and all proceeds will go towards the work of the charity. 

DATE: Fri 27th January 
TIME: 8pm -- 11pm
BOOK NOW: https://www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/dance/burns-night-ceilidh/

The price of the ticket is £10 / £5 concessions, and under 12s can attend the event for free.

Information about access and parking can be found here: http://www.churchatcastle.org/node/24