Ealing Mencap 2013-14 Annual Report

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irstly I’d like to thank the staff and trustee board for their hard work, continued dedication and support this year. We knew it would be a testing time, especially as we needed to invest money in certain areas such as our infrastructure. Finding funds for our housing advice and advocacy support was a priority, as the grant for this much needed provision had come to end. The difficult decision to spend on something that was not initially funded has paid off, as we’ve only sustained a very small deficit, which we’re confident we can make up in the next financial year. Equally, we think the small shortfall is easily justified as the people using our services have had some great outcomes this year, as you will see as you read on in this report. As well as celebrating just some of our customers’ achievements, it also clearly demonstrates the impact Ealing Mencap has when we work together with our customers, partners and any other participants. We all know that to be heard, you

have to have someone who will listen and we’ve worked really hard this year at listening and undertaking what our customers are saying to us. After all, they’re the ones that know best about the support they want. It’s not always easy to hear what the people who use our services can contribute or act upon themselves to lead happy and successful lives; we often think only about what they ‘need.’ We recognise that we have lots of hard work and similar issues to face in the next few years if we’re to continue delivering the services we provide and have the same successful impact. However, we have thought about this together, and we will be launching our 2014-17 Business Strategy which will support us and give us a clear direction for the next few years. Yes, there are ups and down in the economy, changes in health and social care, new local council grant funding uncertainties around the corner in 2015, not to mention constant reminders of the issues facing the care

sector in the news on a weekly basis. But it isn’t all doom and gloom. We’ve supported over 1000 people this year and the stories in our annual report demonstrate that good things happen, despite uncertainty in certain key areas and diminished resources throughout. I’m confident that Ealing Mencap continues to survive and thrive because we’re adaptable, flexible and we do listen and work collaboratively with everyone we come into contact with. We’ve been around for a long time, in fact we have a big birthday coming up next year when we’ll be celebrating 50 years of supporting people with learning disabilities and their families and carers. I am sure we’ll be around for a lot longer.

Lesley Dodd Chief Executive


“Good things happen, even with diminished resources throughout... We will continue to survive and thrive.” Lesley Dodd

Chief Executive’s Report


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Top: Rosalind in a job skills workshop Middle: Pauline, Paulina and Dawn cooking Bottom: A creative arts session in full flow

RealMe

ealMe has not stopped growing over the course of the year. More than 130 people are now customers of the service, with activities running during the day, evening and at weekends. Although the service is based at Enterprise Lodge, much of what happens takes place out and about. Customers are supported daily to engage in their local community and to use the amenities that are out there, developing their lifeskills. Jelica and Lubna (pictured opposite) are getting ready for their lifeskills session at a nearby centre in Perivale, learning about different jobs and what you need to learn for a

particular career. Lubna said “I come to RealMe five days a week. I love it here. “I like going out and going to different places and learning new things. Like seeing pictures in museums and things. I’d like a job working with children. Like in a nursery. Being here is fun though. The staff are wicked! They’re friendly and make me laugh. “I get to see friends here and you get to talk about how you are. It’s good here.” The activities back at the Lodge all have a focus on personal development as well, with sessions designed to encourage creativity, growth and social skills. The Friday cookery sessions

are a great example of this, where a team of budding chefs are supported to prepare lunch that day. It always proves to be a popular event with customers and staff all paying for the food and leaving clean plates afterwards! “I like doing the cooking,” said Jelica. “I can do some cooking at home for myself. “It’s good coming here, you’re mixing with other people all the time and you can make friends. “And the choices are good. You can take part in what activities you like. There’s music and cooking and outings. You can do crafts if you want, I enjoy doing that when I come here.”


“Being here is fun... The staff are wicked! They’re friendly and make me laugh.” Lubna Khalil

Like all the activities that take place at RealMe, arts and crafts sessions are designed to have an outcome as well. Recently customers have been hand-crafting fridge magnets and clock faces to sell as souvenirs at the Brent Lodge Park Butterfly House, which has once again been staffed by RealMe customers who have gained real work experience in a supported way. Looking ahead, RealMe will be offering more a more diverse range of support, with a person-centred, Care Quality Commission registered Personal Assistant service, and opportunities for short-break respite holidays too. 4


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hanks to a grant from the Read family in memory of Pauline Read, the Gateway Award has come to Ealing Mencap. Pauline Anne Read grew up locally in Southall and later spent much of her life offering love and support to people with learning disabilities and their families. Her sons - Tony, Gary and Nick - have sponsored the Gateway Award in Ealing in honour of their mother’s zest for life. The aim of the Gateway Award is to improve all participants’ health and wellbeing, by enabling them to set their own challenges, try new things and develop their skills and confidence. Sixteen people - mostly from our evening Gateway Clubs and RealMe service - have taken the chance to participate in the award and taken on a range of challenges and new experiences in fitness, hobbies, lifestyle and volunteering. Crystal Pastides - pictured opposite with Robbie Stanton who coordinates

the award - is one of the people who has taken part this year. Crystal said “I’ve been helping people and doing new things, and improving on things that I’ve tried before. “I’ve been working on reception at Enterprise Lodge for the Gateway Club on Tuesday. I enjoyed meeting people and talking to people when they came in. It gave me a new opportunity to volunteer. I like admin work and would like to do more in future.” Crystal has also written a food blog, worked at the Brent Lodge Park Butterfly House and has been learning to ride a bike. “I’ve never tried riding a bike before,” she said. “I wanted to use a bike to get more strength in my legs and with the two-seater I can do that. I don’t think I could balance on a normal bike. It feels really good to be exercising and being outside like that.” Participants have made the award their own, choosing targets for themselves that they can aspire to at their own pace.

Gateway Award

Robbie said “It’s been great to watch people take part in the award and develop over time. “There’s been so many different ways people have been involved. I’ve seen all kinds of arts and crafts happening, from fantastic collages to graffiti-style works. Some people have been peermentoring, giving lessons in how to play pool to their friends at the Gateway Clubs. “Seeing people with different interests come together to share skills and gain new ones along the way is excellent.” Crystal offered the final word about her experience overall of the Gateway Award. “I just wanted to say thank you to Robbie. I think he’s been a fantastic coordinator and I’m glad he suggested the Gateway Award to me,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d have got the chance to do these things so I’m pleased and very happy that it’s been happening. “Other people should definitely give it a try, take part, and see what they can achieve.”


“I’ve never tried riding a bike before... Other people should give the award a try, take part and see what they can achieve.”

Crystal Pastides

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Photos from top: Filippo on the canal boat; Cian performs some poetry in Ealing; Deen displays his artwork at the Tate; the Synergy men’s group cross a river at Box Hill

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ey themes for the Transition Team this year have been person-centred planning, supporting young people to speak up and influence services, working with parents and trying to find and develop real opportunities for young people. The Transition Team has staff to work with young people in school and college and within the Connexions youth service. To make a plan with a young person that reflects their actual needs, spending time with them is vital. Not just at home or in school, but many different situations to really understand them.

Transition

On the right is Josh Harris, relaxing at Westside and enjoying some free time in the sensory room. Rosina visited Josh at school to work alongside his teachers, and got to know his mum Annette to learn about the family’s hopes and dreams for him. She accompanied the family on visits to different education providers to work out the most suitable option for him when he turned 16. Rosina also wrote Josh’s Learning Disability Assessment outlining his needs and the strategies and provision that would work for best him. Annette said; “We got support from Rosina, she came to meetings at the school but went to different settings as well to see how Josh was getting on and get to know him

better, going to places like Heller House.” Building up this picture of Josh was vital in making sure that a specific placement was found for him that could support his needs. “I didn’t realise it would be as hard as it has been,” said Annette. “He’s been in the same school since he was four and he had to move where nobody knew him so it must have been really hard for him. “Since then Rosina has been involved with a lot of things, not just supporting Josh, but supporting me too. She’s a really good person to have on your side and you can trust her because it feels like she’s independent of the school or wherever. She’s not involved in the politics of a situation, she just looks out for Josh.”


“Rosina is a really good person to have on your side... She’s not involved in the politics of a situation, she just looks out for Josh.” The Synergy project, funded by City Bridges Trust, entered its final year this year, and has continued delivering workshops, job clubs and multimedia sessions to support young people who are ‘NEET’ - that is not in education, employment or training. The men’s group provided new opportunities for male bonding and trying out new experiences together. Those attending came up with ideas for things they might like to do, or were prompted to try something new. The group have built friendships and gained confidence, visiting places of interest both far and near, including a workshop at the Tate, treks up Box Hill in Surrey, a visit to Brighton and a trip on a canal boat. There are pictures from some of these outings on the opposite page... Looks like they had great fun!

Annette Harris

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“It’s about caring. I just wanted someone to see my child as an individual, not a statistic.”

Lisa Gibbs

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Travel Training

his year the Travel Training service has continued to offer their skills in making public transport an option for young people with learning disabilities. The service has also expanded out into Hounslow and Hillingdon, offering the same person-centred support and training as it has delivered in Ealing since 2004. Owen Gibbs (sitting on the left with mum Lisa) was one of the first young people in Hounslow to benefit from the service. He had been using minibuses and taxis to get to school, but getting that support was a battle. “He’d been on transport since primary school, but it was always hard to get that,” Lisa said.


“There was a process of writing letter after letter and going to appeal after appeal to the borough every year.” “It just felt like there was a demand to get Owen off the borough-provided transport because at the time he was 12 and we understood that there was a great need amongst everyone for it. But nobody was seeing his needs. “We felt even though travel training was suggested that it was impossible for us as parents or for the school to give him enough time to meet his needs. We needed some other kind of intervention to help him adjust and that’s when we were put in touch with Ealing Mencap.

“From day one we were reassured and Owen built a good relationship with his Travel Trainer, Kalina. “We were really happy with the process and we felt that reassurance because the communication was superb from start to finish.” “I felt really comfortable,” said Owen. “That gave me the confidence to be independent. It feels good because I’ve never done that before and now I like going places on my own. I feel strong and more grown up. I’ve got a phone now as well.” “We didn’t think he was responsible enough before to have one” Lisa added. “But we saw he was gaining

in confidence as the weeks progressed. “In the past when we’ve been on holiday, he’d be very reserved and not make friends easily. This year we went away and there were loads of kids in our caravan from the friends he’d made, which has never happened before. “It was fantastic, like he’d actually found his voice. He’s opened up so much and really come out of his shell. “It’s like the last kick he needed to be able to say “This is who I am, I can do this, I can do that.” If I run out of something in the kitchen he’s the first to say “I’ll get that for you” and shoots down to the shops on his bike.

“And we know he’s being safe because of the shadowing he got from other Travel Trainers after his training was finished, they said that he was doing all the right things. “I can confidently say that he is adhering to the rules and remembering the things he’s been taught. “I think by next Summer he’ll be wanting to do more and more on his own, using the bus to get around and visit friends and do things that any teenager would. “We’re so glad Travel Training came to Hounslow. If any other parent can benefit from this the way we have, that’d be my key goal, it’s just invaluable.”


“There’s no giving up when you’ve got someone like Tony at your side.” Jerome Gomez

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Disability Advice Bureau

he Disability Advice Bureau offers advocacy and advice to people with disabilities, as well as support for families and carers. Delivered in partnership with Ealing Centre for Independent Living, DAB has offered support in a wide range of areas including challenging local authority decisions, application form filling and specialist advice in debt, support planning and housing. Housing in particular has been a key area and it’s clear there’s still a massive need for specialist housing advice workers in Ealing. Although the service is stretched, there have been successes along the way. Jerome Gomez (sitting here on the right in his new flat) has benefited from DAB this year, and shares his story with his advocate Tony Minnott.


Jerome: I’d lived in children’s homes when I was younger and didn’t get anywhere after leaving there. I lived with my mum but we argued. There was one guy at the children’s home who was a keyworker but he became more than that and was a friend. My mum got in contact with him to see if he could sort something out but he worked somewhere else now, but he said there was a place called Ealing Mencap. She made a phone call and from there it all happened for me. Tony: It’s been about three years since Jerome turned up at our door. He was very angry and didn’t trust easily because the system hadn’t been supportive to him when he was young so a lot of what we tried to do was just keeping his head above water, keeping positive, staying in the game. J: There were times I just wanted to give up and move out of the area but Tony always said “No, no, no, stay here, keep trying, we’ll get there in the end.” I’d say “I can’t be bothered to stay here” and there were times that the only thing I could do to let off steam was to go to the office and tell Tony how I was feeling.

T: Yeah, and a lot of it was trying to keep you positive after those bad experiences. There was the stay in the self-contained units which were supposed to help you become independent but your social worker left and nobody picked up your support. After that there was a period where you were on park benches, sofa surfing, an unfair eviction from one place... J: There was a lot of confusing stuff to deal with. T: Yeah, so we helped with letters and changes in benefits. Like what happens if one benefit stops, or there’s a letter to say that a housing benefit hasn’t kicked in yet. And what they’re doing in terms of forms and applications is happening online now, which puts up a huge barrier, making being independent really, really difficult. J: Tony helped with the letters. Or if I needed to make a phone call for anything he’d help. On the phone sometimes I didn’t know what to say to if things had gone badly, so Tony would sometimes like, tell them off…

T: Well, speak up for you I think I’d say… J: Yeah, speak up, that’s better. And we’d look at places to rent on Locata on and Verena [EM’s housing worker] helped with that too. We kept going and it was just recently that I was offered a place. Tony was on holiday when it happened. He came back and called me to say it was time to come in and look for places and I said I didn’t have to any more. He goes “you’re joking!” when I told him the news. T: It was a long old struggle but we got there in the end. And that’s down to you.. J: No no no, it was all you… T: I always said to you, we can support and give you the advice, help you out. But at the end of the day we’re not living your life or going through these experiences. So as much as we support you it’s about having that toughness to keep going. You deserve the credit. The overall message is one of hope and never giving up. J: There’s no giving up when you’ve got someone like Tony at your side. If you need help, I would say just go see them.


“@EalingHELP Oh that’s good. Clever developer you’ve got there :)” tweeted by @DiscoverEaling

EalingHELP

“@EalingHELP Lovely website!” tweeted by @DramatizeTC


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alingHELP has grown from strength to strength this year and is proving to be more popular than ever. It provides a comprehensive online portal to a wealth of information, relevant to any parent or carer of a child with a disability living in Ealing. This could be info about statutory and voluntary services within the borough, news and events locally and nationally, leisure activities or legal services, alongside regular newsletters and blogs. EalingHELP also uses social media, to directly link parents and carers not just to the information on the site, but to each other through a Facebook group and Twitter. This means information can be updated and instantly delivered right to the people that need it most. This year the website has seen a huge increase in the number of people logging on. There were over 130,000 recorded visits to the site last year, up a staggering 35% on the previous year. It just goes

to show how popular and well-used EalingHELP is as a resource. There’s been no resting on any laurels though despite this year’s success. In fact, the entire website has been redesigned and relaunched to make it even more accessible. “We are delighted to finally go live with our mobile-friendly site,” said Nick Radclyffe, the ‘clever developer’ that @DiscoverEaling referred to in their tweet! He manages every aspect of the EalingHELP as the site administrator. Nick said: “Many parents and carers are using mobile devices more and more to access their social networks and search for information. “The web is a very different place to what it was when EalingHELP was launched in 2006. One of the problems we face now is how we actually filter the information out there! “We are using Twitter and Facebook increasingly to get information that we post on the site out to as many people as

we can. Now people can follow that link on their phones... And they can actually read the page comfortably thanks to the redesigned site! “We’ve also been collaborating with Ealing Council and the publication of their Local Offer. This is something which should help parents and carers see more clearly what services are available in their area. “EalingHELP’s events calendar has played an important part in keeping parents updated on what is going on in and around the borough, as do our directories on Life and Leisure and Local Support Groups. “We’re looking forward to some new bloggers and already have some lined up. We welcome contributions from everyone involved in our community - the site belongs to all of us.” Have a look at the redesigned site at www.ealinghelp.org.uk and feel free to get involved... Nick would love to hear your comments!


“It’s really rewarding... It’s good to know you’ve achieved something and you’ve helped someone.” Manvir Gill

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Supported Employment

etting a job is a common goal for lots of our customers, many of whom want the chance to learn new skills, earn their own money and contribute to their community. The Synergy transition project supported a total of 17 young people to add to their CVs; seven of those individuals moved into paid work and one found a place on the Project Search internship scheme. Project Search funding was confirmed at the end of 2013. It is being run in partnership with Ealing Council, Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College, and Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal Five. Twelve people with disabilities will begin internships at the hotel in September 2014, working alongside the staff team in every department to get a genuine taste of hotel operations from top to bottom. There have been other places where we


have offered support for people to build up their employability skills and engage in meaningful work experience. Green & Clean continued to operate as a social enterprise offering a route to supported employment in gardening and cleaning and employs a number of people with learning disabilities. For those looking for a first step towards employment, close support for job preparation, CV building, and interview practice has taken place through the RealMe service. The Gateway Award has encouraged some of our customers to become volunteers at the evening clubs and try customer service roles at places like Brent Lodge Park Butterfly House. Some people have also been employed to deliver disability awareness training to organisations on behalf of the Transition service. At Enterprise Lodge a team of six people have been paid under permitted earnings to assist with administration, reception duties and cleaning of the building. Karen Brown, one of the reception team members, said “I like answering the phones and making sure clients are signed in. I like working hard, I think I’d be bored indoors with nothing to do if I didn’t go to work.”

The Travel Buddy service also employs six people with learning disabilities. They are trained and supported so they can, in turn, support people who cannot use public transport independently. Manvir Gill, (pictured opposite on the right) has become Mary Kendall’s Travel Buddy this year, helping her to get to RealMe day activities twice a week. Manvir said “I’ve been a Travel Buddy for nearly a year now. I went for an interview and did six weeks training before I started the job. “I felt really good because I was looking for paid work. I’ve done work experience at college before, but it’s really rewarding to get paid for something that you’re doing. “Even if it’s something simple as dropping someone off or picking someone up, it’s really rewarding to help someone who can’t travel alone, and take them to where they need to be, get them home safely. “It’s good to know you’ve achieved something and you’ve helped someone. I’ve always wanted to help people and not be stuck in a job that might be the same every day.” “Manvir looks after me very well,” Mary said. “She helps me get to the Lodge. I like having someone to help me.”

Above: Karen and Jonathan manning reception at the Lodge Right: Cleaning team member Ronnie Below: Fiona takes a message

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olunteers are the reason Ealing Mencap exists today. It’s been almost 50 years since a committed group of local parents and carers came together to form the foundations of the organisation. Today, volunteers still give their skills, time and energy freely to support, run and organise things at every level. We can’t thank you enough for what you give, and we couldn’t do it without you. Special thanks once again go to Gary Bowman and Mick and Kath Davies for keeping our Gateway Clubs running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings this year. Your continued dedication - along with the club volunteers - keeps the spirit of Ealing Mencap alive. Here three people share their own experiences of volunteering with us.

Mason Duncan .

Harsharan Matharu

Richard Melmoth .

Mick & Kath Davies .

(pictured right)

“I found out about Ealing Mencap through the YPI project at school at the end of 2013 (see p25 for more info). We were looking for local charities to support and when we found here it was so exciting. I live nearby and always thought the Lodge was an office. We came in and saw people smiling and laughing. “The atmosphere was amazing, so friendly. We were welcomed with open arms and we had a lot of fun that day and I just wanted to keep on coming after that, so I started volunteering at the Thursday Gateway Club in

Volunteering

February this year. “People think charities are about money. They’re much more about helping people and being part of the community. I can have the worst day at school or a horrible week but this place lifts me up. Every week I look forward to Thursday because I know I’m going to come here. If I hadn’t found out about it I’d have missed a great opportunity.”

Richard Melmoth “I went to the volunteer centre in West Ealing. I’d been made redundant and after a little holiday decided that I wanted to volunteer. I’ve found it very rewarding, I really enjoy it. I like

the different characters. “When I was at work you’d get the Monday morning syndrome, saying ‘good morning’ to your colleagues when you go in and getting a bored ‘morning’ back without anyone looking up. “It’s not like that here. Even though I come in for one day a week people are genuinely pleased to see you. Everyone shakes my hand and asks me how I am, and that’s really nice. “I would certainly recommend volunteering to anyone, and in fact I do. I’ve got friends coming up to retirement age and have said to them it’s worth finding out about. I’ve got the time now so I can, in some small way, give something back.”


“People think charities are about money... They’re much more about helping people and being part of the community.” Harsharan Matharu Mason Duncan “I came to Ealing Mencap first on the Work Foundations project a couple of years ago. I was quite quiet and had no confidence in myself. “It was good because I got a work placement and started doing more, my mum had been worried because I was getting depressed and doing nothing at home. “But that project finished and then I lived in Spain for a while but when I came back I came here to Ealing Mencap again to see if there was something I could do. “I got the chance to volunteer with RealMe and helped the staff out in the

different sessions. “I found I really enjoy helping others and learned a lot. I applied for a job here and though I didn’t get it, the staff supported me to apply for an apprenticeship in RealMe instead which I’ll start soon. I’ll complete an NVQ Level 2 in Health & Social Care along the way as well. “When I left school I didn’t think I’d do anything. But now I feel good because I’ve made a lot of progress. Looking back there’s a big, big difference in me. I feel confident and I think I’m helping to make a difference which makes me very proud.”

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t the 2015 General Election we will decide who will run our country for the next five years. There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK - and millions more connected to them. But despite affecting the lives of millions, these issues - and many more - are rarely, if ever, debated during elections. Most politicians do not understand the challenges people with a learning disability and their

Hear My Voice

families face. We want to change this. Now is our chance to speak up together and tell politicians about the things that matter, to make sure that our voices, questions and concerns are being listened to. The Hear My Voice campaign is being headed by national Mencap and is all about giving people with a learning disability and their families the chance to speak to their political candidates, to make sure they are truly heard. So we are asking you to share your story and ask your future MP, “Are you listening?� Together, we hope that this will help future MPs understand the issues that matter to people with a learning disability. Not just during the General Election, but for the length of their time in government and beyond. Ealing Mencap whole-heartedly supports this campaign and pledges to commit our support to anyone who wants to add their voice.


There are lots of ways that you can join the movement and add your own support to Hear My Voice. There are ways that you can do this online or in person, or both! Here are just a couple of things that you could try... visiting the website www. hear-my-voice.org.uk and asking your local candidates if they are listening. taking part in a local Hear My Voice event. sharing your story with us to get your voice heard. The Power Group (pictured here on the right) will be partnering with national Mencap to deliver some information events locally. Details of all the Hear My Voice campaign events will be published soon in our newsletter, on our website and our social media

pages so please keep an eye out for announcements from us if you would like to be involved. If you’d like some support to be involved then you can get in touch with us. You could share your story online, in a video or just have your experiences written down for the campaign. We can help to make sure that you get your stories, your questions and your voices heard by the decision makers. For more information about Hear My Voice you can contact national Mencap using the details on this page.

Who to contact Royal Mencap Society 123 Golden Lane London EC1Y 0RT 020 7454 0454 www.mencap.org.uk/hearmyvoice

For general information and advice about the campaign.

Ealing Mencap hmv-ealing@ealingmencap.org.uk 020 8566 9575

For support enquiries and information about local events.

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Services These are the key contacts for Ealing Mencap service and support staff. If you wish to email a member of staff not listed, follow the format of firstname.lastname@ ealingmencap.org.uk (so John Smith would have an email address of john.smith@ ealingmencap.org.uk). For more information, you can also try our website: www.ealingmencap.org.uk Or email us: info@ealingmencap.org.uk Or tweet us: @ealingmencap

At Enterprise Lodge:

At Disability Advice Bureau:

Head of Services Kathryn White

Access Manager Jennifer Moseley

Leisure & Respite Coordinator Haydn Morris-Leveque

3Cs Counselling Service Lesley Beck

Green & Clean/Sports Coordinator Adrian Ford

At the Lido Centre:

Chief Executive Lesley Dodd

Team Leaders Teresa Begley Larry Oguine Bobby Sidhu Jai Upadhyaya

020 8280 2222

Senior Support Worker Kate Kilty

lesley.dodd@ ealingmencap.org.uk

Customer Liaison Officer Lauren Radford

(based at the Lido Centre)

Business Development At Enterprise Lodge: Business Development Manager Matthew Coulam

Contact Us

Access

For contact regarding donations, general fundraising, legacy funding, partnership opportunities and grants and tenders, please call Matthew on 07837 186 733

Transition Manager Gabriel Jones Travel Training Manager Matt Gamble

Business Support At Enterprise Lodge: Manager Maureen Schofield Customer Referrals & Assessment Coordinator Claudia Omisore Resource & Quality Assurance Manager Maurice Elliott Division encompasses personnel and business administration (HR, IT support and volunteering)


Enterprise Lodge Stockdove Way Greenford Perivale UB6 8TJ

Nearest bus routes E5, 297 Nearest tube station Perivale (Central Line)

020 8566 9575 The Lido Centre 63 Mattock Lane West Ealing London W13 9LA 020 8280 2222 Disability Advice Bureau 44 South Ealing Road Ealing London W5 4QA 020 8840 8573

Nearest bus routes 207, 83, 427, E2, E3, E7, E8, E11 Nearest tube stations Ealing Broadway (Central Line & District Line) Northfields (Piccadilly Line)

Nearest bus route 65 Nearest tube station South Ealing (Piccadilly Line)

Where to find us.


Income April 2013 to March 2014

Our reserves at 31st March 2014

Investment Income

14%

Gateway Clubs

40.1% 56.43%

Unrestricted

Activities for Generating Funds Donations & Gifts

Restricted Income from Charitable Activites

86%

Grants

2.1% 0.06% 0.44% 0.87%

0.28%

0.51% 0.01%

Governance Costs

Expenditure April 2013 to March 2014

Interest & Mortgage Payable Charitable Activities Cost of Generating Funds

99.11%

Our Finances


Where our income was spent 2013-14

End of year figures - 2014 against 2013

2.1%

Income Grants received Income from charitable activities Donations and gifts Investment income Other income Total income

5.4%

11.5%

2014

2013

1,019,666 723,945 38,199 1,004 23,838 1,806,652

952,074 568,462 22,727 1,321 6,346 1,550,930

1,826,795 5,184 9,575 128 1,841,682

1,527,697 16,828 8,646 174 1,553,345

35,030 990,336

2,415 1,025,400

Expenditure

13.7%

45.9%

Charitable expenditure Governance costs Interest paid Other costs Total expenditure Net resources expended Net assets

21.4%

Services for Adults

Support Costs

Services for Children & Young People

Premises Expenses

Advocacy & Advice

Organisational & Management Costs

We are grateful for funding this year from the Big Lottery, John Lyons Trust, City Bridge Trust, BBC Children in Need, London Borough of Ealing, London Borough of Hounslow, Department of Health and numerous generous donations from members and other supporters. Also we would like to thank the customers who chose to spend their individual budgets and direct payments on our support services. Thank you all. Our full audited accounts can be viewed upon request at our registered office or on the website of the Charity Commission.

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hat a year for donations! Thank you to everyone who has so kindly given to Ealing Mencap. As government cuts are made to funding and services, donations are increasingly essential for us to continue our work. Helen Bragger and Mike Silver aided by Snowy the bear - ran the London Marathon at the end of April and raised £2900 for us (top picture). They ran in memory of Mike’s younger brother, Aaron, who had sadly passed away the year before. The Silver family have a long connection with Ealing Mencap. Mike’s mother Deborah is a former trustee and was hugely involved in the early stages of planning for the Enterprise Lodge rebuild. Aaron was also a frequent visitor to the old Lodge and took part in many activities while he was there.

How you can help

Three students from Brentside High School in Hanwell Harsharan Matharu, Gowthaman Kantharupan and Ryan Howard - raised £3000 through the Youth Philanthropic Initiative (middle picture on the left). The YPI competition saw the students visit us and take part in RealMe sessions to get a flavour of what we did. They went back and campaigned on our behalf, winning the final prize. A partnership of Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre, MITIE and British Land have donated their efforts this year in helping to move forward with the development of our wildlife area adjacent to Enterprise Lodge. Facilities management company MITIE sent a team to clear the area of the nine-foot tall brambles, swathes of nettles and litter that filled the site, and returned to complete the landscaping thanks to a grant from British

Land. The management team at Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre coordinated this all for us and even came down to lend a hand with the planting. Thanks to everyone who has donated anything at all this year, including our members, volunteers and fundraisers. We really do appreciate every donation large or small. There are lots of ways that you can help Ealing Mencap - donating your time is just as valuable to us as donating money or equipment. We have lots of opportunities to use your skills as a volunteer and offer us something new. We’ll also be launching our fundraising campaign ‘No Change Too Small’ soon, where your old, forgotten jars of coppers and loose change could be put to use and make a real difference to us. Look out for more details over the next year, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you want to lend a hand.


T

hanks to everyone again, all of our managers, staff, volunteers and trustees – Ealing Mencap’s considerable success and achievements as described in our report for this year to 31st March 2014 are the result of all our hard work as a team. We will need to continue to work hard next year again as we approach the general election to make sure that the government and all of the statutory agencies understand the challenges that people with learning disabilities and their families still face; discrimination and hate crime are just two of many examples. For many parents and family members, the right to ensure that everyone is supported in a way that will enable them to have a happy and fulfilled life remains a huge challenge, but one that we remain committed to supporting. In the coming year we will be playing our part in the national Mencap Hear My Voice campaign. We want to ensure that more people with a learning disability are involved as far as possible in the democratic process to choose our political leaders. Every political candidate needs to know

what they should be doing to ensure that people with learning disabilities are well supported in their own extended families and communities. I am particularly interested in seeing an end to all forms of institutional care, including the closure of treatment and assessment units throughout the country. It doesn’t matter what kinds of support someone needs, it is a sign of a civilised society that everyone should be able to have a fulfilling life. Our financial position remains good and Lesley and her team have worked hard to control costs in difficult circumstances. We await the next Ealing health and social care grant round with some trepidation as overall, the council are warning us that they will have much less money to spend next year on social care. Our strong balance sheet and reputation for excellent service delivery should however stand us in good stead.

George Venus Chair

Chair’s Report


Ealing

Ealing Mencap is an independent charity (No. 1054061) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 3039319) Care Quality Commission Registered Service No. 1-131465411

www.ealingmencap.org.uk Chair

George Venus

Trustees Bill Elliott Phil Greenhead Bernice McNaughton MBE Steve Penfold Anne Warner Dave Widdowson Roy Willis

Registered Office: Enterprise Lodge Stockdove Way Perivale Greenford Middlesex UB6 8TJ 020 8566 9575

:

info@ealingmencap.org.uk

@ealingmencap facebook.com/ealingmencap

The voice of learning disability.


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