7 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL 081 969 9105

18th May 1994

Sean Bryson
Flat B
48 Tavistock Road
London W11

Dear Sean,

Further to our discussion today regarding your activities as a volunteer with Sixty Plus I am, as promised, confirming the situation in writing.

You will have noted that I requested Ian MacAulay to be present during our discussion.

Approximately 10 days ago you asked me to provide you with a reference and at the time, as I reminded you today, you noted my hesitation about providing one. I outlined the reasons for this at the time by stating that prospective employers generally prefer to approach referees directly for an up-to-date character reference, and also, as you were most insistant about obtaining a reference for your own circulation, I explained that there wouls be a delay due to pressure of work.

This was somewhat disingenuous on my part and I should instead have made an appointment with you immediately to discuss some disturbing reports which related to your volunteer activities in the recent past. As I explained to you, during our discussion, this concerned two separate reports from female pensioners, whom you had visited in their homes, and who said that they experienced your behaviour as intimidating and aggressive. As you know we held a meeting in an attempt to resolve the earlier incident, but this second report occured around two months ago, since when you have been involved in your own projects and have only recently become available for volunteer work on the Practicle Help Scheme.

Your request for a reference has now precipitated matters, but before discussing the situation with you I consulted with members of the Management Committee and was sanctioned to proceed with terminating your involvement as a volunteer on the Practical Help Scheme, which I have now undertaken. Although you were offered the opportunity of continuing as a volunteer on the basis of helping in the office with clerical or admin tasks, you chose not to take this up.

In view of these circumstances I advised you that Sixty Plus would be prepared to offer you a reference stating only that you had been a volunteer with the organisation from July 1992 until May 1994 but you declined this offer.

As I stated today, you have carried out your volunteer work over the past two years, for the most part with diligence. However, again as I explained, my principle responsibility as Volunteers' C0-ordinator for Sixty Plus, is to our users, and it is not acceptable that any pensioner should be at risk of feeling frightened or intimidated by the attitude of a volunteer acting on our behalf.

As your ID card was not at hand today, would you kindly return it as requested, as soon as possible, to either myself or Ian.

Yours sincerely

Geraldine Timlin
Volunteers Co-ordinator

Funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
A Project of Notting Hill Social Council Registered Charity No,283062