Community Centre Good Vibes, Music, Fun & Friendship

a music-based group for adults who meet at the Southgate Centre every Friday.

Good Vibes was started by Karen Naylor and Laura Sturgeon in October 2021, both of whom having prior experience of running groups for adults with learning disabilities.

They decided to become selfemployed as carers and set up a music-based service. A lot of groups had shut down due to Covid and they saw a need for people to have somewhere to go, particularly during the winter months. They enlisted Nichola Roe, a music therapist and Darnell O’Brien, a pianist, to help them in their venture. They now also have some great volunteers, Will, David and Stuart who are much loved and appreciated by the group.

The Good Vibes group is friendly and fun. Karen and Laura like to make everyone feel welcome and valued. It is a safe space where clients can build good friendships and enjoy different aspects of music. Those who require one-toone support are able to bring their support staff with them free of charge. There has been a noticeable growth in everyone’s knowledge and understanding of music through Nichola’s music therapy sessions, and the afternoon singing sessions, and everyone has grown in confidence. The group perform small concerts in the summer and at Christmas for friends and family and they are now all keen to get up and sing into the microphone and lead a song.

In the morning session (10am-12pm), we offer Music Therapy run by Nichola. There are 10 available places for Music therapy and the morning session which should be booked in advance.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

The afternoon sessions (12.45 –2pm) consist of learning songs and singing, but this varies with some weeks being slightly different - Karaoke, YouTube choices for example. Songs learnt are used to perform two concerts per year (Summer and Christmas) where clients can invite friends and family to come and watch.

Good Vibes, group Music Therapy sessions have very positive results. They benefit a wide range of adults who have different needs. These can include – Learning Disabilities, Autism and Visual and Hearing Impairment. Through shared music making, Music Therapy can help people increase their confidence and self-esteem, attention and listening skills. It is a great success story for a local group working in a centre for the community.

For further information contact Karen Naylor on 07788 413929.

BINGO

SATURDAY 12th May

Saturday October 21st

We are organising a day trip to London, which is open to anyone who is interested in a fun and reasonably priced day out.

Tickets £20

Friday August 11th

Friday September 8th

(with a non refundable £5 deposit required)

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The coach will leave from Home Farm Lane at 9.00am and will arrive on the Embankment at about 11.30am. You will be given free time in London and, to allow you to catch a matinee performance of a show if you would like to, we’ll be leaving London at about 7.00pm. The cost will be £15 per person – much cheaper than petrol and parking or train fares!

Friday October 13th at 7pm

The topic of ‘Community’

Part of the mental health and wellbeing advice series

How do you look after your mental health and wellbeing?

That’s the basis for a new campaign for 2023 which focuses on 12 ‘emotional needs’, one for each month, to bring you practical tips, people’s stories, and support to keep you well.

Be Well, Feel Well: A healthier Suffolk in 2023 is a partnership between Suffolk Mind, Public Health and Communities and a range of community groups teaming up to focus on ways for you to be well throughout the year. Look out for a new article every month with information for how you can keep healthy, get the help you need and even save money.

Jon Neal, Chief Executive, Suffolk Mind

Part of a community

Feeling part of a group or community, whether a sporting activity, social group, online forum or something else, is important for our sense of wellbeing. After all, we are social beings who need to feel like we belong. When we don’t feel this way, our stress and anxiety levels can go up. Being a member of a community is where we can find out about other people’s points of view, which can give us a richer take on the world. This can include sharing a common goal or interest with others such as joining a team to fundraise for an important cause, or finding something in common with others at a men’s shed or by volunteering.

Top tips for building community

l Make a list of activities you have enjoyed in the past and why. This can be a first step to build confidence and motivation.

l Try something new, such as an arts and crafts group, a reading group or the gym. Learning is 1 of your 5 ways to wellbeing - combining it with meeting others has huge mental health benefits.

l If you have a friend who also enjoys a group activity, buddying up to support each other can be a really helpful way of joining a different community and meeting others.

l Try volunteering as a great way to feel you are making a valued contribution. It’s also a good way to make new friends.

l Get inspiration for groups and different communities by searching Suffolk InfoLink: a directory of over 7,000 local organisations.

Find your tribe

This month, we are inviting you to ‘find your tribe’: think about the communities you belong to already (work, school, hobbies with others) and what you enjoy most about them. If you feel you’re not meeting your need to be part of a community, think about what you enjoy doing and take the extra step to find out more. Research conducted by Suffolk Mind into how well people are meeting their emotional needs shows that the need for community declined during the Covid-19 pandemic and hasn’t fully recovered, meaning that many people are not enjoying the benefits of socialising and spending time with others.

Joining groups can be daunting if we are going for the first time. This month’s top tips below are a good starting point if you’re uncertain where to begin.

Home-Start in Suffolk

For people who have moved away from friends and family, don’t know their local community, or have a partner who works long hours, often away from home, it can be a lonely and isolating experience. Nearly two thirds of families who come to Home-Start for support say that isolation is their main reason for needing help. Home-Start volunteers offer vital links into communities, helping families to access playgroups, parks, and specialist support of all kinds, building support networks so parents and children can flourish. One volunteer said: “I like to see the difference I can make to the family I support. Being able to take the boys out, knowing that this helps their dad, makes me feel good about myself.” volunteersuffolk.org.uk

There a variety of volunteer roles available, from our core family support volunteer team providing home-visiting, telephone or virtual support and helping out at one of many groups across Suffolk. Volunteers also support our admin team, fundraising and events as well as our board of trustees. Find out more at homestartinsuffolk.org or by calling (01473) 621104.

Brown Cream Blue Green

“We

” Mr & Mrs P. Stringer

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