SFHT newsletter

r NewsletteAutumn TH E STA B LE S

2014

Latest news on... •The marriage of Nicole & John •Ben Swan’s 25 years with the SFHT •What our service users have been doing •Trustee David Rule retires •Town Mayor of Ringwood opening Skillsbase@Cornerways •Our Summer Fayre •Volunteering with the SFHT

•Plans for the refurbishment of two of our homes

Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

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Jan Mills, CEO

WELCOME to THE STABLES Newsletter Autumn 2014 I have just finished proof reading the volunteer newsletter which is being issued very soon. The newsletter is full of stories about the activity of our volunteers and I am always humbled by the amount of time, effort and commitment that the volunteers give to the Trust on such a regular basis. We would not be able to give so much extra time to individuals without the support of our volunteers. They really add value to our services and the way we are able to support people.

As I was thinking about our volunteers it brought to mind that our Trustees are all volunteers and I think we can sometimes forget that. We have an expectation that they will attend our social and fundraising events as well as quarterly Board meetings and the various Board sub-committee meetings.

They give their time, knowledge and expertise and have taken on the role of being Board members with all that entails: responsibility for determining the strategic direction the Trust takes; accountability to the Charity Commission for the actions of the Trust and its’ staff; commitment to ensuring that there is good governance. Individual Trustees also support us in the operational area of HR; hearing appeals, responding to complaints (and compliments!) and supporting the senior management team to manage difficult and sensitive issues.

This work is all voluntary.

As you will see later in this newsletter, David Rule leaves us after serving as a Trustee for twenty years. That is a phenomenal achievement! We have called upon David’s legal knowledge and expertise on numerous occasions and his sage advice and professional approach has informed many a discussion and decision. We will miss David very much. On a brighter note, we have four new Trustees, one of whom has already formally joined the Board. We have been looking for new Trustees for some time and are delighted that such prestigious people will be joining us soon.

I would like to thank the Trustees, past and present, from a personal and organisational perspective, for all that they give to ensure that the people we support have really good lives.

They all make a huge difference in people’s lives and I believe there is no greater accolade than that.

As ever, we want to sincerely thank everyone who supports the Stable Family Home Trust, your ongoing commitment to us is invaluable.

Jan Mills, CEO

Dates for your diary 2014

2014-2015

28th November

The SFHT Christmas Celebration from 3.30 - 6.30pm at The Stables, Bisterne.

29th November

The SFHT stall at Ringwood Parish Church Christmas Fayre 10am – 1pm

2nd December

The Friends of SFHT - ticketed members only event at Bisterne Manor 6.30 - 9.00pm (Finger buffet and wine plus guided tour of the house)

18th December

The SFHT Carol Service at Bisterne Church 3.30 - 6pm (Christmas refreshments will be served from 3.30 p.m. in Bisterne Village Hall followed by the Carol Service at Bisterne Church at 5 p.m.)

13th - 14th June

The SFHT Gardens Open in conjunction with the National Garden Scheme at The Stables, Bisterne

10th - 12th July

New Forest Spectrum 2015 (The SFHT and Minstead Training Trust Music Festival at Foxlease near Lyndhurst)

5th September

The SFHT Fayre 2.00 -4.30pm at The Stables, Bisterne.

2015

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What’s On

Other events are being planned so do check regularly on our website www.sfht.org.uk for the latest updates on all that is happening at The Stable Family Home Trust. t: 01425 478043 478043 www.sfht.org.uk www.sfht.org.uk THE STABLES Spring 2014 t: 01425

Newsletter

Celebrating the marriage of

Nicole Thorneycroft & John Fitzsimmonds Saturday 13th September 2014 at Poulner Baptist Chapel, Ringwood

We were very fortunate to have been able to celebrate the Marriage of

Nicole & John Fitzsimmonds on Saturday 13th September.

It was a very joyful, happy occasion and Nicole made an absolutely beautiful bride. We wish both Mr & Mrs Fitzsimmons a long and happy life together.

Volunteering with the Stable Family Home Trust

Lynda Gillies

Marina Caine with Hannah Jacobs

During the period January-August 2014 our volunteers have given the SFHT 4,304 hours of voluntary work. What an amazing contribution to our charity!

Our volunteers provide that extra support to enable our service users to experience and really enjoy those “extraordinary” moments.

Visits to: •Winchester Christmas Market •Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime in New Milton •The cinema at Tower Park •Russell Cotes Museum in Bournemouth •Tank Museum at Bovington We have volunteer drivers who drive the minibus to elderly care homes so that our people can sing there, drive a client group to the Olympia Horse of the Year Show, drive residential clients home after events.

Other volunteers help with dance and drama performances including our “Love in the War” show at Greyfriars Community Centre in Ringwood, accompany residential clients so that they can enjoy a Helicopter Ride near Chichester, or visit the Classic Car Show at Beaulieu.

Some volunteers help in the garden – weeding, watering and supporting service users, others in the kitchen supporting service users with their cookery or helping at the Touching Base Club in Sopley, run by staff member Mary Hindmarch.

Our big events needs lot of extra pairs of hands and again our volunteers come to the rescue manning stalls, helping in the kitchen, serving cream teas, running the raffle, helping with administration. Nothing is too much trouble for our wonderful volunteers who always arrive with a smile and take on whatever volunteering task is asked of them. THANK YOU - WE

COULDN’T ACHIEVE ALL THAT WE DO WITHOUT YOU!

If you would like more information on volunteering with The Stable Family Home Trust please contact Teresa Hunt, Volunteer Manager on 01425 485089 or email: teresahunt@sfht.org.uk

Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

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News from Fundraising

above: Colin Waters and service users receive a cheque from The Town Mayor of Ringwood, Cllr. Barbara Woodifield inset: Marion receiving a cheque from Sue Jolin, Christchurch Ladies Charity Lunch Club

The Town Mayor of Ringwood, Cllr. Barbara Woodifield, who has chosen us as her charity for the year, held a fundraising event for The Stable Family Home Trust at her home. She invited the Pampered Chef franchise to provide a cookery demonstration for her guests who then sat down to a delicious lunch in her beautiful garden. The event raised £385.64 for our charity and the Mayor recently visited The Stables to present her cheque to us before a tour of the garden and the main Stables building.

I look forward to working with the Mayor on fundraising events over the coming year and to her visiting us again in the near future.

She will definitely be with us for our Christmas Celebration on Friday 28th November as she has kindly agreed to open the event for us.

Legacies are important to us as they enable us to plan for the long term future of the charity. We have just been informed that we will shortly be receiving a legacy of £10,000.

We will use this to kick-start the fundraising for the refurbishment at Abbotsford.

We are currently working on a new legacy leaflet and hope to announce the date of our Will Making Day in the near future. If you would like more information on how you can ensure the long term future of our charity by leaving a legacy please contact me.

The Friends of The Stable Family Home Trust We now have 66 Friends members since our launch in March but it is good to have lots of Friends so we hope that you will join us. I am working on our first event and will be in touch with members shortly so if you join now you will receive details. Single membership is £10, Joint £15 and Corporate £25, membership can be paid by standing order or cheque. You will find a Friends membership leaflet enclosed with this newsletter but if you would like to speak to me about membership please use the contact details below.

Christchurch Ladies Charity Lunch Club A big thank you to this lovely group of ladies who invited me to their meeting at the Christchurch Harbour Hotel to receive a cheque for £3,500, which represented their fundraising efforts on behalf of the SFHT over the course of the last year. The ladies have worked very hard on their fundraising, including a fashion show, Christmas celebration and various other events that raised this magnificent sum for us. Do you belong to a community group who might consider raising funds for us? If so, please do get in touch with me to discuss your ideas.

Raising funds for the refurbishment of Pinehaven and Abbotsford You will have read Jan’s article on our plans for refurbishment of these two homes.

This is an exciting project and we are just about to launch the fundraising appeal so if you would like to help us by organising a fundraising event, make a donation etc. then please do contact me for more details. The changes that we are making to these two homes will make a significant difference to our clients and will provide them with the facilities that they truly deserve.

Regular donations enable us to plan both for the short and long term future of our charity. A regular monthly donation will help us provide more of those “extraordinary” moments in the lives of our people with a learning disability. It is easy to set up and can be cancelled at any time. You will find a donation form enclosed with this newsletter and I hope that you will feel able to support us in this way.

Fundraising for us does not have to be complicated or time consuming but can be great fun. Just getting together with a few friends and neighbours for a coffee morning, running a cake stall, bring and buy or tombola can all raise funds for the SFHT. We are currently working on a Fundraising Pack so please contact me if you would like us to mail this out to you as soon as it is available.

Selling on eBay Martin Wells, one of our volunteers, has set up an eBay account specifically to sell goods to raise funds for us.

If you have any good quality items that you no longer need please think about donating them to us to sell on eBay. Please speak to me about any items that you may wish to sell.

Marion Davies 01425 484090 or email: mariondavies@sfht.org.uk

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THE STABLES Newsletter Autumn 2014

t: 01425 478043 www.sfht.org.uk

Job Coach Robert Batten has succeeded in getting a 16 hour paid role as a Kitchen Porter at Lovitaly Restaurant /Café (formerly the Market Place Café) in Ringwood.

Cristina one of the Directors who interviewed Robert was very impressed when an extremely smart Robert turned up for his interview and offered him the job within two days. The Café is due to open in mid-October and Robert can’t wait to start!

Farm Work: Both Julian Pilditch and Simon Frigot supported by our wonderful Volunteer Paul Kelham have been continuing to do battle with the ragwort weed (poisonous to animals) in the three paddocks near the Stables Day Service and are being paid for their efforts. They are both saving their wages up so they can buy themselves a treat. Well done all three of you and keep up the hard work.

Touching Base Club, Sopley After over 2 years at New Milton, Touching Base Club moved and has been running at Sopley each Thursday evening from 7.00pm until 9.00pm since the 4th September. Numbers of people attending have increased and everyone likes the new venue. We have an events list for each month and always have lots of fun.

So… if you would like to come along and join in or just sit and people watch with a nice cuppa we would all be pleased to see you.

Harleith Before the make-over at

News from

All spruce d up – wh at a differ ence!

Harleith & Abbotsford

At last we have a new Te am Leader, Daria Szmidt for our two homes. Daria starte d on 8th September, has a wealth of experience and comes from a large Care organis ation supporting adults in the community. Daria has be en warmly welcomed by our residen ts and staff, she has a wa rm, open and friendly approach.

HOLIDAYS Seven of our residents have enjoyed a holiday at Butlins at Minehead and had a gre at time. Another two reside nts enjoyed time on the Isle of Wight soaking up the sun and en joy ing the tranquillity of the island.

Other residents have enjoy ed days out to see shows or visit historic towns and cities and one res ident is going to Thorpe Park for a 3 da y theme park adventure.

HARLEITH Staff from Llo yds Bank Group voluntee red to tidy up the front and rear gardens at Harleith. They planted a va riety of flowers and shrubs, cleared all the leaves, mowed the grass and painted the shed. Their hard work ha s given the front of the ho us e a new fresh look. Thank you Lloyds Ba nk for making a differenc e at Harleith!

ABBOTSFORD Decorating some of the client rooms has been a priority at Abbotsford. On e in readiness to welcome a new resident, Sam Dobson, who has jus t moved in, and another res ide nt has bought new bedroom fur niture and had a complet e ma ke-over of his room including a bright gre en colour for the walls!

Residents at both Harleith and Abbotsford continue to enjoy Touching Base Club and Artsable where they bring home items to decorate the house.

Marks Wells, Service Mana ger, Harleith and Abbotsf ord

hard at work Lloyds bank volunteer team

Thank yo u so

much Lloy ds Bank vo lunteers!

Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

5

Abbotsfor d Treasure

Ben Swan Open Auction

Hunt Beer Tent Members

Dave Brown with Kitchen Helpers

Pinehaven Lemonade

Alpa cas

GJ Cabaret

RMDS

Our Summer Fayre... ...this year took place on the last Saturday in July and what an exuberant and joyous event this turned out to be. The weather was certainly on our side with the sun shining upon us, in fact the heat was so intense at one stage that all our visitors were heading for the shade, which was fortunately in the Beer Tent! It is not surprising that our IceCream stall made excellent sales, run by our Harleith team, together with Pinehaven who were providing Home-made Lemonade.

We were delighted that Hallam Mills, Chairman of our Board of Trustees, was present to officially announce the opening of the event and also privileged that Hallam’s daughter, Isabel Mills, thereafter unveiled the plaque to honour the kind donation by her grandmother. This was in memory of Lal Mill’s mother who had given funds for refurbishment of the greenhouse within the Stables’ Gardens.

6

Gareth Mills, as always, undertook the role of compering throughout the event – and what an excellent job he did! We had two brilliant Volunteers, Micky Chilman and Pete Thompson, meeting and greeting our visitors and selling Lucky Programmes – generating extra funds. We were again very fortunate that members of Bransgore Rotary Club manned the Car Park for us and the Ringwood Parish Church attended for the second year to run the BBQ - they are both such organised and competent teams we are so appreciative and fortunate to have their support!

Our chosen theme this year was “World War” in order to commemorate those who fought in both wars. Our members running the Beer Tent certainly set the scene by dressing up in land girl and army uniforms.

The hot weather definitely promoted sales – especially with the refreshing glasses of Pimms and pints of Boondoggle from our local Ringwood Brewery.

THE STABLES Newsletter Autumn 2014

Ringwood Parish Church BBQ

As always, our Chef Dave Brown made us feel very proud with his wide range of delicious cakes and snacks. Dave had a brilliant team of helpers in the kitchen area and Stables Cafe – consisting of family members, staff and volunteers, their support was so welcome as this is such a demanding and busy area. Our second Refreshment point was covered by two service users’ parents’, Gail Salmen and Jean Loader, together with Volunteer Mary Thompson. We are so grateful to them for giving their valuable time to help us. Our Peripatetic Support Worker, Cliff Warne, with the help of service user James Meekers, ran a Hot Dog stall – always so popular with our guests!

Our Abbotsford Residential Home organised a Treasure Hunt stall and Stables Flat a Tombola & Bottle Tombola – all were highly successful. Our Dom Care team manned the Bouncy Castle – we hired one this year to accommodate both

t: 01425 478043 www.sfht.org.uk

g Face Paintin

Hallam Mills

Jules Pony Rides

& Gare th Mills

ls Isabel Mil

Hot Do g Stall

Lynda Gillies & e Karen Thompson, Raffl

PC Linford & PC Cooper Football Shootout

e Cream!

Harleith Ic

Scarlett Swing

Ringwoo d with Ric Police hard Tate m

Sockies External Stall Royal British Legion Tombola Stall

children and adults to provide extra fun.

Face Painting and Glitter Tattoos offered by our Art & Graphics Instructor, Rose Perry and Peripatetic Support Worker, Bex Green, are always a much loved feature amongst the children – together with the Football Shootout and Hook-A-Duck – although it is amazing to see that adults like to take part in these activities too!

We are thrilled each year to have the attendance of our local Ringwood Police – PC Nigel Linford and PC Tracey Cooper – they are always willing to join in the fun.

Our Craft Emporium was situated in the Courtyard Area and included our excellent Craft and Woodwork stalls selling items that had been made by our Service User groups.

The Royal British Legion also joined us running a Tombola Stall. We had a Vintage Stall to enhance our World War theme and some vintage cars were displayed within the garden area – together with various internal and external stalls selling numerous items and unusual gifts.

Stables Cafe Helpers

We were blessed with our very talented entertainment. The gorgeous singers from Scarlett Swing were first on stage – followed by our Drama Group who then undertook their acts and songs from their “Love in the War” show. We were then joined by attractive dancers GJ Cabarets and also RMDS Choir - who are such a friendly and cheerful group and so supportive of us.

All performed in line with the World War era and certainly attracted our visitors’ attention with their fabulous acts.

Barbara Humphries brought along two of her male Alpacas – her female having just given birth at home - they are so magnificent! We were very fortunate this year to have Jules Pony Rides in the Orchard area – a real success with the children and some of our service users really enjoyed meeting them too – especially Matthew Walden who has a great passion and love of horses. Matthew is still talking of the experience today and is hoping they will come again.

Volunteer Lynda Gillies did a brilliant job organising the Raffle – helped on the day

by Pete Thompson’s wife Karen. Lynda and Karen make a great team and are extremely organised and methodical – so willing and helpful too! Ben Swan conducted an Open Auction – raising funds by selling items that had kindly been donated to the Trust.

We are so privileged that our Staff, Volunteers, Family members and Visitors all come forth on the day offering such cheer and kindness – creating an amazing atmosphere and leaving us with very fond memories of another wonderful day at the Stable Family Home Trust.

Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

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Day Service

Day Service Activities...

Bisterne Village Scarecrow Competition Summer 2014 The title of this year’s SFHT Scarecrow was ‘Land of The Giants’ and made by the joint forces of our Craft and Woodwork groups.

For those of you who don’t remember the Land of The Giants, it was based on the space ship ‘Spindrift’ which was on a mission when it encountered a space storm and was transported to a mystery planet where it has a bumpy landing and the crew find themselves in a strange world where the animal inhabitants are enormous compared to the size they are here on planet earth.

Angela with her stained glass mosaic

Nathan with his gypsy caravan he made in workwork

Sam Dobson in craft

Laura Thomas in craft

We are grateful to the Craft group who created all the huge creatures and tiny humans and to the woodwork group who made the spaceship.

Well done to everyone who was involved in this project.

Bex Green

The Bournemouth Air Show September 2014 The day of the Air Show had been eagerly awaited by our clients but sadly, the weather was less than ideal with the wind, rain and bleak skies. However, you can see from the photographs of the day that there was still huge enthusiasm for our annual day trip to the beach to see all of the aircraft that take part in the event – and, especially, The Red Arrows!

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THE STABLES Newsletter Autumn 2014

t: 01425 478043 www.sfht.org.uk

How time flies...

Bex & Joanne making the worm

Kate & Simon

BEN SWAN’S 25 YEARS WITH SFHT

Marion met with Ben to talk about his 25 years of rew arding, challenging and var with The Stable Family Ho ied work me Trust.

Ben joined SFHT in May 1989 and was the sole Support Worker at Harlei eight residents. He remain th caring for ed at Harleith for some five years when another very opportunity presented itse different lf.

Ben took on the role of gar dener working with Richar d Brown as gardening wa to this day one of his great s and remains passions. In those days the re was not the variety of Da opportunities on offer tha y Service t we have today and ma ny of the service users wo garden 5 days a week. In rke d in the addition to his garden role Ben has worked with the Domiciliary Care service fled gling at SFHT initially supporting three service users who live Cottage and providing on d at Forge call cover for them.

Over the years Ben also trained to become a qua lified counsellor with the SFHT, he also undertook support of the a ‘teaching people with lea rning difficulties about rela course which enabled him tionships’ to take on the role of Per sonal Relationships/life Leader. Meanwhile, Day skills Group Service started to grow and with more service increasing variety of suppor users and an t needs the range of activit ies needed to widen, Ben’s interest in holistic health continued and welfare led him forge a new role as sports and fitn he developed many of the ess lead and activity based groups tha t are still on offer today.

It was identified there wa s a need for an Assistant Day Service Manager to sup manager. Ben successfu port the Day lly applied for this role and also gained his NVQ in Lea Management. Day Servic dership and e continued to grow year on year until it had double the need for another Day d in size and Service Manager was nec essary. Ben was promoted Day Service Manager wit and became h special responsibility for welfare.

Over the years Ben’s role has developed and he is now Day Service Manager responsibility for Health with special & Welfare and Complex Sup port Needs, which he is we to lead. His special inte ll qualified rest and one he has person ally studied for many yea individuals who have a dua rs, is those l diagnosis of learning dis ability and mental health diffi cul ties.

Ben also runs workshops for staff and volunteers on var iou s asp ects of working with people with learning disabilities and in particular those wit h complex support needs. extremely grateful to him We are all for the time he takes to explain complex issues to never-ending patience to us and his ensure that we understan d the needs of our individ users and how best to wo ual service rk with them.

Ben is about to commence a level 5 diploma in leader ship and management and 4 in mental health and soc a level ial care qualification as par t of his ongoing professio development. nal Many congratulations and best wishes to Ben on his 25 year service award, wh he recently received from ich the Trustees. SFHT would not be the same if we did not see him walking through the garden with service use rs, enjoying the tranquillit of our lovely setting and y at the same time being ent ertained by his beautiful Chihuahuas. We wish him continued fulfilment and success in his role here.

Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

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Our

PEACOCKS

WIN 2nd PLACE in the Ringwood Carnival

The 85th Ringwood Carnival took place on Saturday 20th September and for the first time the SFHT entered the procession as Carnival Peacocks. The build-up to the event was tremendous, with excitement mounting as the beautiful peacock costumes were made by Rose and our service users. Then Sam began the rehearsals for the dance routine and just before the big day, a full dress rehearsal in the Courtyard here at The Stables.

Nine service users took part in the carnival procession – Ben Lale, Anjuli Hebbern, Beverley Cook, Alan Wilkinson, Sarah Hawkridge, Heather Wiles, Lee Pedder, George Collins and James Suttle – and they were supported by staff members Sam Bolter, Matt Maden, Rose Perry and volunteer Libby Bellhouse.

The atmosphere was electric down at Parkside where all the entries met up on the day. The Mayor of Ringwood stopped by to say hello and admire the costumes and the judges awarded the Carnival Peacocks 2nd Prize in Class 1: Walking entries. What a wonderful surprise and everyone was so excited. Then the procession set off with the Marching Band leading the way and the Carnival Peacocks not far behind in their wonderful costumes. All the spectators were in a jolly mood and waved and cheered as the Carnival Peacocks walked by.

It was a long, slow procession winding through the narrow streets of the Ringwood but our service users were having a great time and did really well on such a hot, humid afternoon. Everyone who took part is still talking about it and word is out that next year they want to be on a big float! Well, anything is possible at the SFHT so watch this space!

A fond farewell

to David Rule

Sadly we have had to say ‘goodbye’ to David Rule who has served on our Board as a Trustee for 20 years. He has seen many changes through the years and in recent times has been very involved in supporting us with Capital Developments, Fundraising and sensitive operational issues.

He has been a prominent Board member whose incisive and well thought-out comments have added a professional and business perspective on discussions around strategic development. David doesn’t waste words and when he speaks people listen. He appreciates irony and has a very dry sense of humour which I have really enjoyed. Whenever he has challenged an action or a plan it is because he is passionate about the Stable Family Home Trust and wants to ensure we are doing the right thing for individuals and the Trust as a whole.

He attended his last Trust Board meeting in September. We had a buffet before the meeting and this was attended by managers and some senior staff. David gave a very moving speech in which he gave recognition for the passion that managers and staff at the SFHT have for the work they do and said how much he respected them all. David was presented with cards, flowers and a cake and a beautiful pottery tortoise, (made by Jonathan Mills), as a gift from all at the SFHT. His fellow Trustees gave him a case of wine and he praised their work over the years, their commitment to the Trust and wide range of skills and experience that they bring.

Hallam Mills gave a speech in which he spoke of David’s hard work and commitment on behalf of the Trust over the last 20 years.

David has retired from the SFHT as he is Chairman of another Charity and has led a successful bid for £2m for that Charity. We wish David all the best for the future and know that we will remain in touch with him as he has played such an important role in the Trust for so long.

Jan Mills, CEO

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THE STABLES Newsletter Autumn 2014

t: 01425 478043 www.sfht.org.uk

NEWS FROM PINEHAVEN...

Ben entered the Special Olympi cs and spent a weekend in Cardiff playing badminton in September he proudly showed me a Gold med 2014 and al that he had won, on his return.

Well done Ben! He also has complet sponsored walk raising funds for ed a the charity ‘Shelter’.

We welcome Laura Shuttlwood who joined Pinehaven as Team lead er on Monday 10 September. Lau a degree in nursing, specialising ra has in epilepsy and was supporting vuln erable adults in a supported livin service. Laura will be taking the lead g in supporting residents at Pinehav en with regard to health and welf are.

We also welcome Grant Batema n who has moved into Pinehaven.

He is a very friendly and positive young man who enjoys an active social life and accessing the com munity.

There are long term plans for a maj or refurbishment at Pinehaven, ada pting and upgrading all of the bathrooms, the communal kitchen being moved and dining room exte nded and the addition of a new ground floor bedroom… all are exci ted about this and already thinking about their individual colour scheme s.

It has been a very busy summer with people going to see the Lion King at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, holidays, a visit to the heavy horse park, the celebrat ion of six birthdays throughout May and June, BBQ’s and meals out.

Cathy Townsend’s 40th birthday was celebrated with an afternoon buffet for family and friends at Pine haven. In September Beverly and Ben, with other service users, took part in Ringwood Carnival as Car nival Peacocks.

+ 2 pics!!

Homes Improvements Projects We are continuing our improvements on the residential homes – it is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge – you never actually get to the end! We have a commitment to maintain and develop the homes to a very high standard.

We have new Capital projects at Pinehaven and Abbotsford.

PINEHAVEN - we are going to undertake some refurbishment in two stages. The first stage will be to have an individual bathroom for every person living there, either as an en-suite or as a separate room close by. The second stage will be to change the rooms around on the ground floor – remove the current extension and erect a slightly larger brick and glass extension. This will create more communal space and a new ground floor bedroom.

ABBOTSFORD - we are going to build an extension to the lounge and at the side of the kitchen. This will give us a bigger lounge for everyone to enjoy and will make an office on the ground floor.

These are exciting projects and people are looking forward to the improvements. We are currently fund-raising for both projects and Marion is leading on various activities to raise the funds.

If you would like to support one of these projects please contact

Marion Davies on: 01425 485090 Supporting people with a learning disability to lead ordinary lives with some extraordinary moments

11

THE SFHT OPENS A NEW SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY difield recently opened a The Mayor of Ringwood, Cllr. Barbara Woo ning disability now being new Skillsbase Centre for people with a lear t from their satellite at provided by The Stable Family Home Trus Cornerways in Ringwood.

New Forest District Council, Cllr. Maureen The event was also attended by the Chair of organisations. In her opening remarks Holding and guests representing other local build links in the heart of the Ringwood Cllr. Woodifield noted the charity’s wish to e environment for people with a learning community, which provides a safe and secur endent supported living. disability to explore the possibility of indep dited learning opportunities for people with The charity is offering a choice of 60 accre ssfully make the transition to independent a learning disability to enable some to succe skills, Literacy/Numeracy and supported living including - Independent living nal Development.

Computer skills, Employability skills and Perso rtunities that are available please For more information on the learning oppo

01425 475633 contact Susan Lewis or Cath Nutburn on

C MUsStiIval Ne

w Fore st Spec trum

fe Put these dates in your diary now!

Friday 10th July – Sunday 12th July 2015

The Stables Family Home Trust and Minstead Training Trust are holding a Music Festival for people with learning disabilities, their families, friends and carers. This will be a three day camping event held in the heart of the New Forest. There is some accommodation in shared rooms and these will be booked on a first come, first served basis.

This is going to be a BIG EVENT and we are expecting up to 2,000 people. We have some really good acts booked and there will be workshops, outdoor activities, stalls and everything you would expect at a music festival. It promises to be really exciting and tickets will be on sale soon.

To see what is planned, take a look at our ever-evolving website: www.newforestspectrum.org If you are interested in helping out beforehand or at the Festival or have any ideas and contacts for stalls, workshops or acts, please get in touch with: Hal Kennard or Hugh Calder at newforestspectrum@gmail.com Newsletter designed & produced by:

The Impressive Group 01202 568561

The Stable Family Home Trust The Stables, Bisterne, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3BN tel: 01425 478043 fax: 01425 461076 email: reception@sfht.org.uk

www.sfht.org.uk

Private company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England & Wales No. 4421606 Reg. Charity No. 1093672

01425 478043lives www.sfht.org.uk Supporting people with a learning disability to t:lead ordinary with some extraordinary moments