Our Aim
Our Aim is, with voluntary support, to improve the quality of life of those in need with our community.
That community now stretches throughout Kingsteignton to Newton Abbot and the surrounding villages.
In 2017 we secured a grant for a year from the Big Lottery’s Awards for All Programme to employ a coordinator to develop more patient support services in Kingskerswell and the surrounding villages alongside Sharing Care. By November Kerswella Care was born.
We are now also working with representatives from Buckland who are establishing a patient support group there – BuSS
Our History
KingsCare League of Friends began life as an idea born of the GPs at Kingsteignton Medical Practice. They employed one of their receptionists for a few hours a week to recruit some volunteers to bring patients into the surgery for appointments in their own cars. A few more visited patients in their own homes to sit with the cared for whilst the carer went out, delivered prescriptions. A Lunch Club and a social afternoon known as Tea & Chats were added as time went by.
1997
KingsCare became a charity and independently employed a coordinator for 20 hours week. In December we won a minibus with the Herald Express, the local evening paper.
2003
We opened a Memory Café in Newton Abbot and our charity shop, the Hub, in Kingsteignton.
2010
We were awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the first group in Teignbridge to do so.
2012
The Coordinator’s role had grown enough to employ an assistant coordinator.
2013
The Hospital Discharge Coordinator joined the team.
2014We were awarded a 5 year Reaching Communities Grant from the Big Lottery to develop services and activities in Newton Abbot. The Transport Coordinator and Mental Health Support worker joined the team.
2015
Our Wellbeing Coordinators joined the team.
2016
KingsCare League of Friends became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation –CIO
2017