Reachout - Winter 14 edition

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and new year, from all of us at Family Mosaic

yo u r t w ice y e a r ly m ag a z in e f ro m fa mily mosa ic

w in t er 2014

inside this issue into the garden

What can make you feel happier and help you sleep at night? See pages 4 and 5

summer festivals

Round up of this summer's health and wellbeing festivals.

Were you there? Pages 6 and 7

bronze medallists

A team of Thurrock youngsters have made the grade, winning their first Duke of Edinburgh award. Full story on page 8

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editorial

service in new hands Welcome to the latest edition of Reachout magazine.

My name is Moira Griffiths and I am your new group director for care and support, replacing Yvonne Arrowsmith who left us in September to take up the prestigious position of chief executive to East Thames Housing Association.

Yvonne had been with Family Mosaic for 23 years. I have only been here for about 12 years so I guess I’m still a new girl!

This edition is packed with news stories and pictures about initiatives and activities from right across our services in London, Essex and the south-east.

We are really grateful to the organisers and attendees who make these activities possible. We believe it is so important that all of you get opportunities to be involved in trying new things and being innovative.

I particularly want to congratulate the fantastic achievement of 15 young people from Thurrock who have just completed their bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. Well done!

As I reflect on the summer just gone, I have to say that a highlight was the two customer festivals in Essex and Sussex. We were really lucky with the weather and it was great to see such an amazing turnout. We loved seeing so many of you trying out new ways to help your health and wellbeing and picking up useful information. And we hope you have all stuck by the pledges you made on the day.

We are still a very busy organisation and our services are continuing to grow. If you are one of our new customers we hope you will pick up some ideas from this issue of Reachout and that you will enjoy reading about our other services and the activities that have taken place recently.

Brian's poem, of course, is a timely reminder that Christmas is just around the corner so may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and peaceful holiday season and all the best for the new year.

Moira Griffiths, group care and support director

call us Essex region General enquiries

✆ 01268 498 500

Visiting support services

Thurrock, Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford, and Rayleigh ✆ 0800 288 8883 Southend ✆ 01702 445 870 Havering ✆ 01708 776 770

London region General enquiries

✆ 020 7089 1000

Visiting support services

Hackney, Islington ✆ 020 7241 7940 Hammersmith & Fulham ✆ 0800 123 1991 Redbridge ✆ 0800 970 8401 Kensington & Chelsea ✆ 020 7351 2522

south region General enquiries

✆ 01273 468 010

www.familymosaiccareandsupport.co.uk enquiries@familymosaic.co.uk

Thanks to the Maisie Sheed Trust Many of the activities reported in this issue of Reachout were very kindly funded by the Maisie Sheed Trust Fund.

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful holiday season and all our very best for 2015

making the news

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southend sets sail A group of our Southend floating support customers set sail on a deep sea fishing trip aboard the Dawn Tide.

Fish supper

Our sailors cast their rods while lunch was prepared in the galley, and a fair few caught that night's dinner.

The sun shone and no one was sea sick, apart from the member of staff who had thought to bring pills for it.

‘This has to be the best day ever for me,’ RC told us later.

‘I can still feel the movement of the boat. It’s good!’ said DJ. ‘I feel like I’m in a dream,’ said MH. ‘I never thought I would be able to do any of this since my stroke and today I’ve caught my dinner for tonight, with my own hands.’

The group has been a big

new workers for youth academy team If you're aged 16 to 24, our new youth workers, Craig Lynch (south) and Melissa Vidal (north), can help you enjoy activities like sports or a creative skill that could boost your future career prospects, health and much more.

Taking part in Youth Academy activities can also lead to your gaining the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award (see page 8).

You can contact Craig on q07951 710 693 or craig. lynch@familymosaic.co.uk For Melissa, call q020 7089 1245 or email melissa.vidal@ familymosaic.co.uk

help for members who were socially isolated and whose mental health may have been poor. They have built up trust and a lot of regular members have made friends.

A new tie-up with the probation service is bringing together members with a history of offending with others in the group who have been the victims of crime.

Neither side is told what the other has done, or gone through, but over time they start to talk about things they have had to deal with in the past and how being a victim or offender affected them.

The trip was organised by Southend floating support service with the help of the integrated offender management project and Basildon probation service.

Fishy: Chris sizes up his dinner

Sea legs: a group shot before the Dawn Tide set sail

Trained to check In September we launched a brand new scheme training customer volunteers to help us measure service quality by working alongside our staff.

Aspects of our work the scheme will cover includes recruiting and training staff, and carrying out inspections.

The scheme kicked off in Pitsea, Essex, with a oneday course on recruitment.

Customers who took the course learnt the basics of recruitment law, studied genuine job applications and tested their interviewing skills on our own staff.

Karen from Pitsea, who

worked for a local council in Essex for many years, said: 'I haven’t attended an Fresher: Karen interview since the from Pitsea 1980s. I was surprised at how much things have changed and thought the course was very good.’

There will be courses on other areas of our work over autumn. We are also working on a peer support worker training course. This will be for people who have learnt how to manage their own mental health problems and feel able to support and guide others experiencing similar problems.

For more about training or volunteering, call Chris Barker on q 07535 340 921 or email chris.barker@familymosaic.co.uk

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pleasure garden

work therapy

garden of delights

problem solved

Not so long ago, Colin was at risk of losing his home. A job with JC&S, who helped create the Coach House garden has proved the answer

A specialist nursing home in Grays, Essex, now has a garden designed to tickle every sense, from scent and sight to touch In just five weeks, the Coach House's garden was turned into a garden of delights, with sweet-scented and colourful plants, special features to attract birds and butterflies and a soothing water feature.

The ground and paths have also been levelled to make it easy to move about in a wheelchair and, with raised beds, everyone can see, smell and touch the plants.

‘The garden is beyond dreams. It's absolutely marvellous.’ Kay Beaman, mother of resident Nicky

The Coach House is home to 13 people with a serious condition caused by illness or an accident. All need round the clock care. Some residents have been left with no or very little sense of taste or smell, or they have lost their ability to talk or move or recognise certain things around them.

The new ‘sensory’ garden is designed to stimulate lost or numbed senses, and give

maximum pleasure from any still 'working' senses.

‘This garden will give our customers time outside with beautiful flowers, gorgeous smells and relaxing sounds,’ said acting director of care and support Moira Griffiths.

'It will make a fantastic difference and has been on the Coach House wish list for years. Thank you to everyone who has made it happen.’

Kay Beaman, whose daughter Nicky lives here, said the garden was ‘beyond dreams’. ‘It’s absolutely marvellous,’ she said.

‘From start to finish, the workers have been amazing,’ said Paul Rimmer, a family member of another resident.

The garden, he added, was ‘absolutely brilliant’.

Resident Sally, meanwhile, is planning to get a butterfly chart to tick off those that are attracted by flowers or the special butterfly box, which will encourage them to breed.

Plants like lavender and star jasmine have been chosen for their strong scent while others like red robin, which stays a bright red all year round, have been picked for their colour.

Both residents and staff helped to plan the garden.

The work was done by Family Mosaic, helped by grounds maintenance firm JC&S and part funded by two large donations, from the nearby Lakeside shopping centre and from former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

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‘We saw Colin's confidence grow every day, he rose to every challenge and his work ethic hit new highs' JC&S boss Kevin Stock

Fragrant: come next summer the strawberry plants in this pot should be lush with sweet fruit

Colin has Tourette’s and was finding it hard to sleep at night. The more he struggled, the worse his Tourette’s would get. And through the walls of his flat he could hear his neighbour taking the micky and shouting at him.

Desperate to avoid an argument Colin often ended up driving to an empty supermarket car park in the early hours. It was risky trying to sleep in the car and freezing in winter, but at least no one could hear him.

At other times he would drive to his mother's flat in a sheltered housing scheme, to try to sleep on her floor.

Colin was referred to us for help by Basildon Council’s homeless service because, as a vulnerable person, the council had a duty by law to rehouse him.

Colin began using our floating support and signed up to some of our training People with Tourette’s syndrome will often have involuntary spoken tics, like a repeated grunt or cough, or shouting what sounds like random words. They can also have physical tics, like jerking their head or jumping.

They have very little control over what they say or do. They may also find it very embarrassing so often end up avoiding people, which can mean they end up feeling very lonely.

courses and programmes.

But we felt we could do more. Colin told us he had once worked as a gardener, and had really enjoyed it.

He said he liked being outdoors and doing physical work during the day helped him to sleep better at night.

So we contacted our gardening contractor, JC&S. Bosses Richard and Kevin often take on Family Mosaic residents as volunteers or even full-time workers.

They were able to offer a voluntary role for Colin, for two days a week. ‘Colin came to us back in January,' said JC&S boss Kevin Stock.

'We saw his confidence grow with every day. He rose to every challenge and his work ethic hit new highs.

Colin quickly proved to be a real asset to our team.’

Colin did so well that JC&S went on to offer him a full-time job and the keys to a company van.

‘Colin is now a respected and valued member of our team here at JC&S,’ Kevin says. ‘We hope to continue to work hard together.’

Colin loves his new job. He is happily doing a wide variety of tasks and is working at some of our supported schemes and on our more traditional housing estates.

We’ve had excellent feedback from our staff and customers but, best of all, Colin is finding it much easier to sleep at night so his Tourette's is much improved.

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social whirl

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summer festivals: happy days out

Bringing up baby: happy outdoors at Orsett Hall Whirlygig: hula hoop action

Were you one of over 2,500 guests who joined us at Orsett Hall in Essex or Butlins in Bognor Regis back in June? You might just spot yourself in one of these pics

Flexible: colourful exercise

Memory Lane: with vocalist Diane Moore

High note: tinkling the ivories

Pets one: hand in paw with the Pets as Therapy great dane

Smoothie: a special guest sips a healthy fruit smoothie

Pets two: Lorraine meets the Pets as Therapy collie

Pets three: a pat from Thomas for the Pets as Therapy weimaraner

Mix and match: young people from our Essex schemes swap notes

Forwardly mobile: fun on the Segways Snap shots: these are just a few of the hundreds of pics taken at our summer health and wellbeing festivals. Both rounded off with an awards ceremony to celebrate the many amazing people among you, including those who serve your local community or do voluntary work and our ‘unsung heroes’.

The social inclusion team has been flooded with applications for funding for health and wellbeing activities since our festivals in Essex and West Sussex. You’ve had all sorts of ideas, from a fishing group to a Go Ape trip, and some schemes are now into tai chi.

At the forums we have been talking about safeguarding and the customer consultants programme. Some members have volunteered for a few of these interesting roles.

Greening Communities has been helping gardeners in both regions, and our Southampton allotment gardeners even grew the tomatoes and herbs served at the West Sussex festival.

Get Connected has run very popular computer courses and Becky Mansfield has just qualified as a trainer.

For younger readers wanting to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award, we have new youth workers. Find out more about Craig and Melissa on page 3.

Ann Maree Purnell Social inclusion officer

Juicy kebab: sampling the wares on the fruit stand

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aiming high

careering

bronze medallists Fifteen young people from Thurrock in Essex have clocked up their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award after three months of hard work, with one even looking set for a budding career as a chef after discovering a hidden talent for cooking Brook House tenant Shaun’s talent was revealed at Eat Club, a group cooking, dining and healthy eating course.

After 12 weeks of cooking three-course meals, the group went on an outreach programme run by Jamie Oliver restaurant Fifteen.

At Fifteen they were taught how to make pasta, mayonnaise and ricotta cheese, and to butcher a chicken. They learnt about food quality and heard inspiring tales from the chefs, including one who began without a single qualification.

Shaun proved to be our stand-out star, particularly impressing Fifteen chef Jimmy (pictured below, second right).

Circuit training at Blackshots leisure centre was the second group course. Those taking part were encouraged to take

health-improving steps like quitting smoking. Shaun and Ray took the fitness challenge even further by taking up weight training.

Not all Duke of Edinburgh Award course work has to be done in groups - individual efforts also count.

Brooke started guitar lessons, taught by one of our staff, and for her volunteering activity she helped out at a riding school for disabled people.

Tara joined a netball team and completed her college course. Joy mixed volunteering as a youth worker with learning some professional skills on the job.

All three were given bursaries to help them pay their way.

At the end, youth worker Fraser hosted a ceremony to congratulate our group on their achievements.

 career plan: grooming for success

Shaun, Ray, Fr aser, Tara, Jo y

Shaun: ‘Thank you for all the activities and help. This has been a big part of my life for the last few months.’

Ray: ‘Thank you for keeping me in order and making me the best person I can be.’

The nationally-recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award, is a great way to boost your chance of getting a job or a place at college or university.

To find out more call Craig Lynch (south) on q07951 710 693 or Melissa Vidal (north) on q020 7089 1245

My name is Esmée. I’m 18 and live in Brighton with my 10-month old baby, Teddy. I’ve always loved animals, dogs in particular, and ever since I was eight, have wanted my own dog grooming business.

Next February I start studying dog grooming for one day a week at Plumpton College in Brighton.

The course is on a Saturday so childcare isn’t an issue.

The staff are friendly and they have a new building built just for the course.

I’ve also been in touch with a lady who will help me learn about dog grooming, which is fabulous, and what to expect at college.

Getting the qualifications to start my own small business means so much to me. One day I’ll be able to provide for my son without having to rely on anyone else.

I am so excited to be starting something new and having something to work for feels brilliant.

Photoshoot: our DofE award contestants with youth worker Fraser, chef Jimmy and their support workers

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dreaming spires After two years at Anne Knight House, tenant Georgia is about to start a degree in fine art and education at Chester University. Georgia tells us how she got there 'I had to leave home because I struggled with my family situation. Since moving here, my relationship with my mum and family has improved.

‘The staff here have helped me come to terms with the many difficult situations I have encountered and encouraged me to start counselling.

'I also returned to sixth form, gained three A-levels and have been accepted by Chester University to study fine art and education. After I complete my degree I will train as a teacher, which was always my goal.

'There have been ups and downs at Anne Knight House but I have learnt to budget and understand that paying

Going places: university student Georgia

the rent and other bills need to be prioritised over socialising.

‘My experience of the benefits system has made me determined to never have to rely on them again.

'I would like to thank all the support workers who came and went during my time at Anne Knight House. They have all helped me in some way to achieve my dreams.'

Hargood Graffiti Art Young people at Hargood Close spent Saturdays learning graffiti art in March. The project came about at the suggestion of one of our tenants and rapidly proved popular. Graffiti artist Scott Irving from Brave Arts led the lessons. On day one he gave us a brilliant introduction, talking about the history of graffiti but also making sure everyone knew the legal limits. Our pupils then tried their own hand, first sketching their ideas then creating some stunning artworks, all under Scott’s professional eye. Everyone had a great time and learnt a lot about creative, imaginative design. Despite our artists being hailed on mid-course, the work is now complete and on display in our shared areas for all to see and appreciate.

Colourful display: some of our Hargood Close artists seated in front of their section of the wall

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around the houses

the eyes have it what joys wait beyond the doors at southwold?

Tenants at Southwold Road in Hackney have been designing individual plaques for their own front doors.

The supported living scheme has just been refurbished and has a new sensory room so we thought it was time to add a personal flourish.

Some of our residents went minimalist, putting just their door number on the plaque for their front door.

But others went all out, adding their national flag, a self-portrait ororpictures a self-portraits pictures of their favourite things.

Not surprisingly maybe, one door plaque even features Shirley Bassey!

Return visit: Doreen's visitors can expect a jokey welcome

don't stand for it

by Stephen Dobell

Hate crime can have a devastating effect on your life. I have suffered it so I understand this only too well.

Hateful attitude

Hate crime was what a police community support officer came to talk about to our group recently.

People have a right to express their views but there is a line no one should cross – where a view becomes intimidating, threatening or offensive to other people.

Everyone has the right to live without being victimised, so long as they obey the law.

People might express

hatred about another person's sexuality, skin colour, religion, disability or another matter that they find upsetting or offensive.

There are many ways to victimise people, like graffiti on walls, offensive flyers or letters or being unpleasant on social networking sites.

My view is that educating people so they understand how different people live will make them less likely to behave hatefully to others.

If you fall victim to someone's ill manner, report it to someone who can help you straightaway.

In Hampshire, you can go to Safe Place to do this or just phone the police. They should be able to help you.

logo win buys a new outfit Hello! My name is Nigel and I live in Wivenhoe with two other people. We all entered the logo competition for the customer festival, and I was lucky to get second place.

Proud: Nigel's winning entry

As you can see, I am very proud of my entry, which is now in a frame in our lounge.

I received £75 in gift vouchers which I spent on some nice new clothes.

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day trip to leeds castle

by Alan James Winstanley

In August my friends from the Old Dairy and I went to Leeds Castle in Kent with Bernie Forshaw, my support worker, and Emma Reeves from Greening Communities.

Inside the main castle we saw paintings of Henry VIII and the castle’s last owner, Lady Baillie. We saw a chapel, bathroom, bedrooms, armour, a fountain and a conference room. While we were there a couple got married in a side hall.

We had fish and chips for lunch, eating and drinking outside the café.

Then we went through the sweet-scented gardens to see a falconry display.

We saw owls, a harrier hawk and other birds of prey in their aviary. There were peacocks wandering freely through the grounds.

I saw armour and dog collars in an exhibition centre. There was also a maze but we didn't go in as we didn't want to get lost!

I recommend Leeds Castle to visitors. Many people think it is in the Yorkshire city. It is actually in a small village near Maidstone.

Al fresco: fish and c hips

Bridge: ov er the

moat

read my lips Lip reading lessons have made life a lot more lively for hard of hearing residents at Coventina House in Kent.

New skill needed

The lessons came about after sharp-eyed housing support worker Rosemary Randall noticed that some residents seemed isolated. Rosemary rightly put this down to their inability to lip read.

Rosemary set about getting funding from Family Mosaic for expert tuition in lip reading and found an instructor to run a 25-week course for 12 residents.

Alison, who is a qualified hearing aid consultant and lip reading instructor, put the 12 through a one-hour session

once every week, from February to September.

Each session started with Alison reading an article but silently mouthing certain words that our group then had to identify.

They also had to answer questions silently, with the others watching their lips to work out what they said, and learnt British Sign Language and how to use a hearing aid.

The results have been amazing. All 12 residents seem much more confident.

They have made friends, go shopping or meet for lunch and are now joining in with scheme activities and events. In a nutshell, the course has exceeded all our expectations.

Harvest time at Castleshaw

Brian's poem

by Brian Harrington Christmas time is here again Carols are sung with a happy refrain, Tunes that we’ve come to know over the years, Though times of laughter and sometimes tears.

Santa’s in his grotto with a Yo ho ho ho!

Stolen kisses under the mistletoe, Different coloured lights on the Christmas tree, Surprise presents for you and hopefully for me.

Beet that: Martyn and Terry

Bunny ears: Paul and Terry

Our Castleshaw allotment group has had a very productive summer, growing squash, potatoes, courgettes and chard.

This week we had the joy of cooking our own fresh corn cobs.

They were so sweet!

I am looking for more shared spaces to help you green up in 2015.

Call Pippa Grey, Greening Communities project worker, with any suggestions on q07508 875 200.

Knitted out: we spotted Daniel from Ilford knitting at the Orsett health and wellbeing festival, wearing a huge grin on his face.

Daniel tells us he learnt how to knit at college.

He has now knitted a whole square. He may need some encouragement to keep at his knitting.

Or maybe there'll be a happy surprise for someone this Christmas.

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There’s nothing like the band of the Sally Army, Playing carols and whose goodness knows no bounds, Contrasting with the silence of the night Creating holy magical musical sounds.

It’s probably the greatest story ever told, The giving of frankincense, myrrh and gold, Given by three wise men from the East wearing bling, Following a heavenly star to a saviour - a king.

It should be more than presents, crackers and mince pies, It should be a time that opens everyone’s eyes, I think of the present, the future, the past, An end to all wars and peace that will last.

Thoughts may reflect on those who have passed, Knowing the feeling from the heart that will last, However on my soapbox with a megaphone I will call, A merry Christmas and a happy new year to one and all.

PS Let’s also remember the lonely, the meek and the poor, Who will not have friends and loved ones knocking on their door.