OTS COMMUNITY
OUR COMMUNITY WORK
Here at OTS, we are always looking at how we can work with local communities around the world, to keep our streets and homes safer. Working with charities, community groups and members of the public, we aim to increase those with first aid skills and confidence with dealing with medical emergencies. We also look to support causes close to the hearts of our team here, to give back to the communities who have helped our business grow. Take a look below at some of the community work that we do here at OTS.
WHO WE SUPPORT
HEADS UP SOMERSET
In 2017, we at OTS unanimously decided to support our local community, and that began our work with 'Heads Up' in Wells, Somerset.
Heads Up is a registered charity set up to serve the needs of those affected by mental health problems living in the community, including those with dementia and learning difficulties. They have established a high quality and widely respected centre providing services and are recognised as being leaders in the provision of activity-based learning and development, targeted for clients with mental health needs by offering arts and crafts, cookery and gardening classes, as well as hosting memory workshops.
Heads Up rely on grant funding, fundraising and donations to supplement fees from personal and direct payments, and we at OTS - Training support Heads Up financially, from our own profits, to support volunteers and the amazing work that they do. Heads Up have a very real and personal closeness to our hearts having had a parent family member of one of our Directors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
A2B Albania
In 2010 we began to work with A2B Albania after we heard about the work they do in Albania with the local communities. A2B Albania is a development agency working to bring hope, compassion and practical support to poorer communities. They have the vision to lift dignity and to restore hope by ensuring the basic needs of life, as well as the respect of the rights and dignity of every person to enable peace.
We at OTS work with them by have various collecting points in Somerset where Hospitals and GP Medical Practices can donate surplus or out of date medical supplies and equipment.
Saving usable equipment and supplies (which in the UK would normally go into landfill), can be recycled and sent to Albania, where it will be used in hospitals and local medical communities to save lives and improve the quality of life in the poor communities.
THE GHANA COMMUNITY
We began working with the community of Takoradi in 2005, and our Managing Director - Frank has travelled to Ghana staying in Takoradi to support both Ministry and Education, whilst being blessed to stay in the home of our close friend Rev. Emmanuel Boamah Agyekum, who is the Director and Head Pastor of Elgate Education Centre and Immanuel Community Church.
OTS supports the work of the community through hands-on teaching and financially supporting the building projects for the new School and Health Centre. We have a clear vision to support the ministry and to give hope to all people regardless of race or religious faith and to ensure the basic needs of life-giving hope and prosperity for the future. We saw the start of the work being done to build a better community including the fresh water well.
OTS sent Frank to Ghana, after accepting an invitation to speak for a whole day at a Government Conference in the capital Accra, on Road Safety, and was asked to speak specifically on the management of Scene Assessment, Mechanism of Injury and Trauma Management in relation to Road Accidents and the Triaging of Major Incidents.
Since our trip to Ghana the community have finished building the school it has now opened, giving many children an education that they would never have had, yet we take for granted here in the UK.
Work has now started on the Health Centre and we will continue to support Ghana financially from our profits for the benefit of others. We look to return in the near future to Ghana in order to teach and support the Health Centre staff and help serve in what ever capacity see the progress and to see our loved friends Emmanuel and Monica.
ASHFORD STREET PASTORS
OTS began our work with the Ashford Street Pastors in 2010 and have since worked with them every year. We freely give our time and resources to deliver all their first aid training needs so that they may be equipped to help others in time of need, whilst keeping themselves safe on the streets.
Ashford Street Pastors currently have 22 Street Pastors and 9 Prayer Support Team members and work in partnership with the local authorities and Police. Their street teams have put in over 4,000 hours, and their prayer team have clocked up over 3,000 hours.
They patrol the streets of Ashford 3 Fridays and 1 Saturday per month, with the aims to listen to, help and care, for anyone they meet who needs it, whilst maintaining a peaceful presence and offering prayer support.
We continue to support Ashford Street Pastors in the valuable work, helping to make Ashford night-time streets a safer place.
Compassion UK
We have been working with compassion since we began in 2000. Compassion is one of the world's leading child development and child advocacy organisations. Compassion works in partnership with local churches in 25 developing countries. Together, they provide resources, training and expertise to help the church give the children in their community the opportunity to escape from poverty and fulfil their potential.
They link a child living in poverty with a loving sponsor, which gives a child access to education, health checks as well as the care of a local church.
At OTS we sponsor 3 children, supporting them financially, caring for them through letters and loving them through our prayers. We support children on the compassion network around the globe for those who live in poverty, to give them a better education and life in the future.
Without the help of sponsors, these children will not get an education and will be left at a disadvantage.