Front cover:
Members of the Armagh Lithuaniuan Community AMBER celebrating international Mother’s Day at the Jethro Centre.
Contents
4. AGM Preperations! 5. Queens Award for Voluntary Service 6. ABC Healthy Living Centre 8. ABZ’S Hair Razor!
9. Armagh Lithuanian Community AMBER 10. CANS Metal Box Pensioners Club 11. Craigavon Area Foodbank 12. Volunteers Wanted
ABC Community Network 82 Thomas Street Portadown County Armagh BT62 3NU 028 3839 2777 info@abccommunitynetwork.com www.abccommunitynetwork.com facebook.com/ABCCommNetwork twitter.com/ABCCommNetwork Summer 2019
WELCOME! Welcome to the latest edition of Network News!
It’s been a very busy few months for ABC. We have developed our new strategic plan and associated operational plan which includes a detailed programme of activity commencing in September 2019. Congratulations to all our members who were successful in the first two calls for financial assistance from Armagh Banbridge Craigavon Council. This is an important source of funding for many groups throughout the Borough and the third call for Revenue Grants 2019/2020 will open on Monday 19 August 2019 and close on Friday 13 September 2019. This call relates to projects taking place 1 December 2019 to 31 March 2020 and information sessions will be held during the third week in August 2019. ABC would advise groups that may not be active over the summer months to think about this important funding opportunity as soon as possible. ABC can provide assistance with the completion of the online application or indeed assistance in accessing other sources of funding and help with the application process. Similarly ABC would also advise those group members who are registered with the Charities Commission NI to ensure that their
annual monitoring returns are submitted on time. All registered charities must submit their Charity accounts, independent examiners report / audit report, trustees’ annual report along with a completed online annual monitoring return within 10 months after their full financial year after charity registration. We are delighted to report, ABC is progressing with the development of our new multipurpose room and as an interim measure, to meet the demand for activity space, we have refurbished part of the existing outbuildings which now offers the possibilities for an extended range of arts & crafts activities within the ABC Healthy Living Centre. Volunteering is a theme that runs throughout this edition. The Annual Volunteers Week 1-7 June 2019 celebrated the valuable contribution made by volunteers. The theme for this year was “Time to Celebrate” and one of our group members who has good reason to celebrate is Richmount Rural Community Association who were granted The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Congratulations to Joe Garvey and all the associations’ volunteers. Congratulations and a big thank you to all the ABC Volunteers for their support over the past year – we couldn’t do it without you! John McGuinness
AGM preparations and annual monitoring return DO NOT leave it until the last minute! ABC was pleased to have been able to assist a number of our member groups, over the past number of months, by providing independent examination of accounts, hosting AGM’s and acting as an independent invigilator of the AGM. The next key date for those groups who are registered with the Charities Commission is to ensure that their annual monitoring returns are submitted on time. The advice is simple... Don’t leave it to the last minute as you may not have all the information to hand that you need to submit a completed return! All registered charities must submit their Charity accounts, independent examiners report / audit report, trustees’ annual report along with a completed online Annual Monitoring Return (AMR) within 10 months after their full financial year after charity registration. It’s the charity’s responsibility to check all information before submission. Information submitted under annual reporting is automatically published to the register of charities – once you hit submit that information is what will go live to the public. Network News August 2019
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If the AMR is submitted by the deadline date, the charity’s entry on the register of charities will automatically display as ‘Up-to-date.’ If the charity does not submit on or before the deadline date the charity’s status on the register is marked ‘In default’ and will stay there until the following year, even if you’re one day late. Where a charity fails to submit within the deadline, but submits an AMR after the deadline date has passed, the charity’s status on the register changes from ‘In default’ to ‘Due documents received late’ and once again will stay there until the following year. If you have any queries regarding the accounting and reporting requirements please visit the Charities Commission NI website for guidance and don’t hesitate to contact ABC Community Network.
Richmount Rural Community Association Receives Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Richmount Rural Community Association Receives Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – The highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK Richmount Rural Community Association based 3 mlies outside Portadown has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Richmount Rural Community Association is managed entirely by volunteers and provides a wide range of services including: Promotion of health and well-being, activities for older people and promoting good relations across all sections of the community. It also facilitates artistic activity in the area, enhances the emvironment and seeks to preserve the rich heritage of the area. Joe Garvey, Chairman of Richmount Rural community, said: “ We are absolutely delighted and very honoured to be granted a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It is a magnificent tribute to all the volunteers who have worked so hard to make the Association so successful in meeting the needs of our community. We trust that this award will be an incentive for more volunteers to join us to sustain and enhance our services to the community. We have won awards in the past but to receive a Queen’s Award is totally outstanding” The Northern Ireland Representative for the Award, Walter Rader OBE said “This is a wonderful achievement for Richmount Rural Community Association as it recognises the dedication, commitment and skills of volunteers who every day of the week
invest their time to help others.” Later in the year the Lord Lieutenant will formally present the Community Association with the award at a special ceremony at the Palace, Armagh. Some members of the Committee together with other recipients of his year’ Award recently attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace and at Castlecoole in Co Fermanagh. Richmount Rural Community Association is no stranger to awards. Since 2013 it has won at least one award in the Borough’s Council’s Community Awards. These include: Best small community group (2), Age Sector Award (older people) (2), Good Relations award (2) & Most Innovative Community Initiative. It was also a winner in the prestigious All Island Pride of Place Award for Reaching out to the Community. It has a very wide-ranging sphere of activity but some of its more well-known ones are: Providing a service for older people. It has an overarching theme of promoting well- being and tackling social isolation and loneliness. It hosts its older people’s group Richmount Elders every Thursday from 11.00 am to 3.30pm with a wide variety of activities and entertainment. There is also a traditional 2 course home cooked lunch served. Some 50 to 60 people attend these sessions every Thursday. Good Relations: The Association has wide ranging good relations projects and for some time it has been working with Ballyoran Seniors and the local Bulgarian community. Heritage Project: The Association is currently leading a major heritage project with 3 schools and the local community.
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ABC Healthy Living Centre ABC Community Network is working to develop a new multipurpose facility, at ABC Community Hub in Thomas Street, Portadown. Last year we carried out a community needs consultation to seek views on the plans for development, from a range of stakeholders, through online surveys, focus groups and open days. The response to the consultation was very positive and the findings identified through the consultation have now been taken on board. As an interim measure we have refurbished outbuildings to facilitate a much wider range of arts & crafts and structured wellbeing activities from the beginning of July 2019 as part of the ABC Healthy Living Centre programme. Recent activity in the new facility for example has included Ceramic and Mosaic workshops,
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ABC has received funding from SHSCT and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council and is currently seeking additional funding from a number of funding streams, in support of the ABC September 2019 – August 2020 activity programme. A key element of the overall programme is the “Health Plan” which incorporates a range of structured health and wellbeing programmes including: VERVE health trainer 1:1 sessions; walking & talking group; stress management; performing arts workshops; drawing and art classes; ceramics; mosaic; rustic crafts; dance therapy; singing and gardening activities. These sessions and workshops will be delivered in the ABC Healthy Living Centre.
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CAN YOU DIG IT? It’s been all systems go in the garden hear at ABC. As a charity we rely on the support of volunteers to maintain the ABC Community Garden. It’s a great way to get out and about and meet new people or gain new skills and experience. Over the past few months we were delighted to welcome four new volunteers to the team who have helped to prepare and maintain the garden for the summer season. The team have been involved in a range of interactive gardening activities such as planting out, digging over beds, maintaining vegetable beds, cutting grass, weeding and picking fruits and eating the fruit! So it’s a big thankyou to all our volunteers who have given so generously of their time and have made a great contribution to the maintenance and development of the garden. Thanks also to the Craigavon & Banbridge Volunteer Bureau for making the volunteer placements and for their ongoing support for the volunteers and ABC
ABC’s Walking & Talking Group on the road again! Come rain or shine, each Monday morning a group of people meet at ABC Community Network in Thomas Street, Portadown. Their goal is to walk together, chat together, laugh together and snack together! Over the past two years the group has grown in numbers, welcoming new walkers and encouraging them to walk within their limits and then build up slowly. ABC’s Walking Group is open to all – the laughing and chatting that goes on when the Walkers return to enjoy their tea and coffee is infectious! Please join us, starting on Monday 2 September 2019. Meet at ABC Community Network offices for a 10.30 am start. There’s a world of walking to be found – and other activities as well so come and find out more!
ABC Healthy Living Centre
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Network News August 2019
Hair Raising Grand Total!
Abigail Tedford, Volunteer Co-ordinator at ABC, decided to donate her hair to The Little Princess Trust in June 2019. The Little Princess Trust, founded in memory of 5-year-old Hannah Tarplee, supplies beautiful real-hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people up to the age of 24 who have lost their hair through cancer treatment or other conditions such as alopecia. As well as donating her own hair, Abigail fundraised for The Little Princess Trust to raise awareness and support for young people who have experienced hair loss. Abigail hopes to encourage other people to donate their hair to the charity and was happy to meet with Katie, a young woman from Canada. Katie had heard about Abigail’s hair donation plan so she cut approximately ten inches off her own hair and asked Abigail to send it to The Little Princess Trust along with hers! On Friday 21st June, Abigail invited Anita from Chop N Change hairdressers (William Street, Portadown) to do the deed at ABC Community Network. Abigail has raised £700 so far and cut off sixteen inches of her hair. If you would like to donate to The Little Princess Trust, please go to
www.littleprincesses.org.uk
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National Lottery Community Fund unites the local Lithuanian Community The Armagh Lithuanian Community Amber group invited local Lithuanians and their guests to the trip to the Dark Hedges, the Giant’s Causeway and Portrush on 15th June 2019. This special trip marked the end of the school year for those attending the Lithuanian Saturday School, Ladybird, in Portadown. Fifty-five people, including the community members and the Ladybird school children, had a unique opportunity to visit some of the most splendid parts of Northern Ireland and learn about local history. Armagh Lithuanian Community Amber promotes the teaching of, and contact with, the Lithuanian language and culture through a variety of educational activities for children aged between 6 and 12 years old, and
ne, Edita aite-Raizie
sk Kochanau Poet Rasa ileris) M s u ri a (D and Nojus
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Kochanauskaite-Raiziene; Lithuanian folk-dance group ‘Spiecius’, along with children from the local Saturday School and nurseries. During the event, Amber collected funds for one of its members who is suffering with cancer and for the Rugutes Fund which supports children with cancer in Lithuania. Edita Hamilton, Chairperson of Armagh Lithuanian Community Amber, said, “A big thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for supporting these very special and unique festivities celebrating Lithuanian and the local cultures which helped unite our community and those in need. Thanks also to Svaja, R&D store and ABC Community Network for their support and help.”
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traditional music and dance for those over 18 in Portadown and Dungannon.
Earlier this year, Amber, in co-operation with Ladybird, celebrated the Anniversary of the Restored State of Lithuania as well as Lithuanian Mother’s Day. The events united over 130 Lithuanians from across Northern Ireland, featuring some of the most celebrated Lithuanian performers: Nojus (Darius Mileris); poet Rasa
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Network News August 2019
CANS metal box pensioners club
call it a day with gift for alzheimer’s society published in 2002. The Tin God included a wealth of information provided by the members of the Pensioners’ Club and former employees. The book has been reviewed for this article as it represents an important part of Portadown’s industrial heritage and, as such, is a story that deserves to be told. The factory was a progressive work environment for its time: employees were among the highest paid workers in Portadown and public health conditions were of top-standard and surpassed anything in Northern Irish history.
After 27 years, the members of the Cans Metal Box Pensioners’ Club, a retirement group of employees of the former Metal Box factory in Brownstown, reluctantly decided to wind up the Club, mainly due to declining membership. The last meeting of the Club was hosted by ABC Community Network on 26 June 2019 and members had the opportunity to reminisce about their time at the factory and the social activities promoted through the Club, while enjoying afternoon tea. The Club, which developed from the Metal Box Factory Sports and Social Club following the closure of the factory, held monthly meetings at ABC Community Network in Thomas Street, Portadown over the last few years. With 29 members the monthly meetings and social outings gave members an opportunity to reminisce about their time at the factory and maintain friendships that were developed over many years together. The Club offered a range of social activities aimed at alleviating social isolation and loneliness, encouraged physical activity through social outings, and stimulated mental health through educational trips. The Metal Box factory was established in 1945, officially opening in 1946. Its original workforce of 40 rose steadily over the years and peaked at around 350 in the 1970s. By that stage, Metal Box was among the largest single employers in the Portadown area. It worked to produce all types of cans and metal boxes for the food and drinks market throughout Ireland, north and south. At its height, the factory turned out eight million cans per week. When the factory closed in 1987 members of the factory’s Sports and Social Club established the Cans Metal Box Pensioners’ Club. Much of the factory’s history is recorded in The Tin God (compiled and written by Adrian Rice), a book Network News August 2019
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It held a reputation as a ‘family factory’. Whole families were encouraged to join the workforce – fathers & sons, mothers & daughters. “Mr & Mrs” was a fond nickname for the factory on account of having at least thirty couples working there, some who met at the factory. Anyone daring to announce their engagement had to suffer the indignity of being put in a wheelbarrow and paraded around the factory floor! While such antics were banned by management, this still happened in a more discreet manner. But this was not the only horseplay to have been seen around the workplace. The factory was rife with pranksters willing to pin an unflattering label onto an unsuspecting person’s back or painting someone’s shoe soles while working or standing overhead on one of the factory’s runways. The factory was abundant with characters larger than life, including one who performed somersaults all over the factory floor, and another who became so good at predicting when he would be off sick that he repeatedly handed in his doctor’s notice one week in advance. Olive Summerville, a former employee, said, “Metal Box was a wonderful place to work with a very active social club and I was devastated when the last cans went down the line”. Prior to closing the Club’s bank account, Cans Metal Box Pensioners Club members agreed that the remaining £300 should be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Key Foodbank Referral Agencies in Lurgan & Portadown Emmanuel Church, Lurgan Monday – Thursday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm 23a Church Lane, Lurgan, BT67 9BY T: 028 3831 6998
The Craigavon Area Foodbank opened on the 3rd November 2012. Since then we have seen a considerable increase in the number of people needing emergency food. On average we help at least 200 people per month. The Foodbank has two distribution centres in Portadown & Lurgan. The Foodbank is seeking premises in the Craigavon area. Within the wider Craigavon Area there are many families and single people struggling to put food on the table. For people on low incomes, a sudden crisis, redundancy, benefit delay/changes or even an unexpected bill can mean going hungry. Every day people skip meals to feed their children and people are forced to choose between paying the rent, heating their homes or eating. The Craigavon Area Foodbank provides emergency food and support to local people in crisis. We also take time to listen and signpost people to further support. We operate a referral system and people are referred to us by statutory and voluntary organisations who are active in the provision of care within our community and an example of some of these organisations is included.
WISH LIST
There are many ways in which you can help. e.g. •
Volunteers – To help at the Distribution Centres – Currently in Portadown and Lurgan.
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We also welcome people who can help with key events eg Collection Days
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Financial Support – to contribute towards Warehouse running costs and van upkeep etc.
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Premises – with ground floor access and parking (to let the van load and unload donations)
Donations
Urgent need for – Long Life Milk, Dilute juice, smash, tinned meat, tinned fish and tinned vegetables (except baked beans) Please note: •
While we welcome donations of non-perishable items, we have limited storage and would ask that you consider items from the above donation list only.
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We do not distribute sugar, flour or fresh produce
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We do not take baby formula, alcohol products, fortified drinks or medicines
Salvation Army, Lurgan Tuesday – Friday 10.00 am – 1.00pm Union St, Lurgan, BT66 8ED T: 028 3832 3222 St Vincent de Paul, Lurgan Monday – Friday 10 am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm Ozanam Centre, 14-16 William St, Lurgan, BT66 6JA T: 028 3832 5725 St Vincent de Paul, Craigavon Monday – Friday 9.000am – 3.30pm Unit 4 Tullygally Shopping Centre, Craigavon, BT65 5AU T: 028 3834 1513 Shalom Life Monday -Wednesday 9.30-12.00, Thursday -Saturday 7.00pm -8.30pm, Sat 5.00pm to 7.30pm Unit 2 Victoria St Lurgan T: 07845885706 / 07984324268 DUP Office, Lurgan Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 5:00pm, Friday 9:00am – 1:00 pm 50a High Street, Lurgan, BT66 8AH T: 028 3831 0088 Key Foodbank Referral Agencies in Portadown Portadown Cares Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm 35-36 High St, Portadown, Craigavon BT62 1HY T: 02838986003 Community Intercultural Programme Monday – Friday 9am-5pm 7 Foundry Street, Portadown, BT63 5AB T: 028 3839 3372 Salvation Army, Portadown Monday – Friday 9.30am – 1 pm 17a Edward Street, Portadown, BT62 3LX T: 028 3835 2953 Migrant Support Services Monday – Thursday 10am – 1pm 3pm – 5 pm Mayfair Business Park, Garvaghy Road, Portadown BT62 1ED T: 028 3898 8610 St. Vincent de Paul, Portadown 193-205 Mayfair Business Park, Garvaghy Road, Portadown BT62 1ED T: 028 3839 3898. Ulster Unionist Office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 5 pm, Wednesday 12pm – 8pm, Friday 9am-4pm 103 Bridge Street, Portadown, BT63 5AA T: 028 3835 0004
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