Cornerstone News

March 2016

At the recent Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust Concert, held in His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen on the 20th of February, hundreds of music lovers were treated to an amazing performance by the

world-famous singer Katherine Jenkins.

We are delighted to announce that the concert raised an amazing £30,000 of which Cornerstone

KATHERINE JENKINS DELIVERS THE HIGH NOTE FOR CORNERSTONE

was the chosen beneficiary. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed, helped and attended on the day. Special thanks in particular to Katherine Jenkins for her heartfelt performance, and The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust and BP for organising and sponsoring such an outstanding event!

On Thursday 4th of February, we launched a new Connects service and opened a brand new office in the heart of Elgin on Commerce Street. Cornerstone Connects aims to work with other local organisations in order to establish community connections to support, sustain and integrate

local people and vulnerable groups within the Moray area. The launch event was well-attended and we were delighted to welcome Councillor Kirsty Reid, who delivered a fantastic speech about the long-established relationship between Cornerstone and the Moray Council.

CELEBRATING CONNECTS ON COMMERCE STREET

Xacquelina Bello, Councillor Kirsty Reid and Jayne Findlay.

Cornerstone’s CEO Edel Harris, Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Katherine Jenkins and BP’s Wendy Slimane.

Our Cornerstone Connects service in North Lanarkshire ran its first Annual Connects Awards Night at the end of last year. Carers, friends and relatives crowded into the Four Aces Pub in Coatbridge to celebrate the Connects service, and the people who attend it. Award categories included Speed Dancer Award, Contagious Laugh Award and Witty Dresser Award. The trophies were presented by our

Depute Chief Executive John Grant, Board Members Andrew Lockhart and Helen Murno, Regional Director Hazel Brown and Operational Manager Shona Murray.

Since then, the Connects team has celebrated another proud achievement. As a result of several fundraisers, which included a race night and bag packs in their local supermarket, the group received their very own Connects mini-bus! The bus, which features bespoke artwork by Team Leader Patrick

ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

Strickland, was officially unveiled by Lesley Mitchell, who was the first person to attend Connects over four years ago.

Our Canalside Connections service was recently awarded a ‘Golden Ticket’ by Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh. The ticket gives unlimited access to this highly rated visitor attraction for one year, allowing up to 12 people to enter at one time.

Billy Gillespie from Canalside Connections commented: “Everyone who uses the

Connections service has loved their day out at Dynamic Earth. It has brought back memories for some, created new ones for others, and resulted in a whole lot of laughter and lots

DYNAMIC DAYS OUT

of stimulating conversations. A brilliant day out!”

Thank you to Dynamic Earth for this generous donation.

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Top: The Cornerstone Connects bus being unveiled by Lesley Mitchell. Below: Board member Andrew Lockhart and Elizabeth.

Joanne Elliott, who works within our Moving On Transitions and Growing Together services, recently helped the mother of one of the children we support to gain employment. Joanne shares her story below.

“Just before Christmas, I went to visit a mother who is part of our Growing Together service. She was telling me how she was feeling lonely. She really wanted a part-time job, but was nervous about this as she had been a full-time carer for her son since he was born 9 years ago. She had convinced herself that no-one would hire her as she had been out of work for so long.

“We talked about it over the next couple of weeks, during which she became more confident. Then one day, she asked me to help her write a CV. I took out my laptop as she didn’t have access to a computer. I showed her ‘My World of Work’ website

which has a template for a CV. I then sat with her and listened to all of her previous work experience, and helped her to put it into words on her CV. I took this back to the office and printed her out a few copies to get her started.

“Ten days later, she called me to let me know that she had been for an interview, and was offered a Christmas job in Tesco. She was absolutely delighted and could not believe it. Since then, she has had her contract extended. She seems much happier and is enjoying the social aspect of working in a shop. She has more confidence in herself and having a job has made a huge difference to her life.”

SUPPORT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

At our Victoria Street service in Dundee, staff have been busy helping the people we support to plan their holidays for the upcoming year. The team is encouraging people to discover historical and beautiful locations within the UK.

Every individual we support at Victoria Street is eagerly planning their holidays, and many have picked up and brought back leaflets and brochures for different destinations. To support the planning process, the team has bought a large map of the UK, so every time a place is mentioned it is also highlighted on the map. This is the first time the people we support at this service are fully organising and booking the holiday from start to finish. We hope to have some holiday snaps to share with you in the next newsletter!

PLANNING SUMMER FUN

Charlotte Poynter, who we support at our Victoria Street service. Charlotte recently received a First Aid Certificate at her work placement!

Charlotte has had a placement at a local children’s play group for a few years now, something which she really enjoys.

WELL DONE TO…

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Cornerstone’s Growing Together service recently ran a 6-week social group for the siblings of children who have support needs. Many parents had raised concerns for the siblings in their family, and expressed the need for sibling support. The social group allowed the siblings to spend time with their peers and exchange experiences. The group’s activities were geared towards self-expression, so they could gain confidence and self-esteem, feel supported and better understand their feelings.

Throughout these sessions, the siblings could freely discuss their experiences of having a brother or a sister with a support need. During their final session, the group made a trip to Ryze Trampoline Park, an activity

they chose at the start of the programme.

At the end of the 6-week programme, the siblings had gained confidence, made new friends and learned about different support needs. The Growing Together team received great feedback from the parents and are looking to run similar initiatives in the future.

SIBLING SUPPORT

Organised by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scottish Apprenticeship week ran from the 29th of February to the 4th of March, and highlighted the commitment of Scottish organisations that have

decided to invest in the skills of their workforce.

At Cornerstone, we wanted to take this opportunity to showcases the successes of our Modern Apprentices.

Nikita Stewart, who is a Support Assistant and a Modern Apprentice at Bob Cooney Court, first came across Cornerstone after studying Health and Social

SCOTTISH APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

Care in college. She had always been a caring person, and after college she decided that she wanted to gain experience and work her way up instead of continuing full-time study.

Nikita commented: “Since doing my SVQ, I have expanded my knowledge on National Care Standards, Cornerstone’s Procedures, SSSC Codes of Practice and different legislations. With this knowledge, I am confident that the care I am providing is of a high standard.

“I am grateful for the experience and knowledge I have gained by being a Modern Apprentice. My confidence has grown exponentially, and I feel this will help me in the future.”

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The 7-2-9 Club launched in January 2015 thanks to the funding raised by staff at Baker Hughes. This social club for adults with learning disabilities is held at The New Greentrees every Thursday, and as its name suggests, the club runs from 7pm to 9pm.

The club was initiated when two Cornerstone employees, Angi Wood and Anne-Marie Woodside, felt there was a need for a social club in the local area, as the majority of existing clubs and activities required people to travel elsewhere. Ever since, they’ve been running the club on a voluntary basis, and it now has around 25 active members.

The £2 entry fee to the club includes a free raffle and bingo.

The club has a small pool and Foosball table, cards, dominos, jenga, draughts and a karaoke machine. They also play two games of bingo every week, which is the highlight of the evening. In 2015, the club hosted a variety of events, including a shorts and shades disco, a Halloween disco and a Christmas party.

During its first year, the 7-2-9 Club has received generous donations from local individuals. A club member’s neighbour ran a sponsored 10k, raising a whopping £500 for the club.

Sadly, one club member passed

ONE YEAR ON… away at the end of 2015. A few weeks prior, he had celebrated his 40th birthday with a party which raised £360 for the club. Everyone misses him dearly, and the club is grateful to his sister Nicola, who continues to attend and help at the club.

Our Moving On Transitions service in West Dunbartonshire recently held a special tribute event in memory of Alison, who attended the service for nearly two years and sadly passed away before Christmas.

Shortly after Alison passed away, staff members decided to ask the young people who attend the service if they would like to host a tribute event for Alison. Everyone was very supportive, so staff arranged to have this at the local college which Alison attended, and where our Transitions service has a base.

To plan the event, the young people brought in photographs of Alison taking part in different activities with her friends. One young person made a film with

EVENT TO REMEMBER ALISONclips of fellow students sharing memories of their friend.

At the tribute event, the young people showed the film they had created to Alison’s parents, friends and college staff. They had also organised to give Alison’s parents a copy of the film in a presentation box, and a large frame full of photographs of Alison with her friends from school and college. A student from the college sang Alison’s favourite song to complete the event.

The young people who attend our Moving On Transitions service found the tribute event emotional, but knew they were doing something positive for their late friend. Alison’s parents were very grateful for the event

and the thoughtful gifts they received on the day.

Clare Scott from the service commented: “It was devastating to lose Alison but by creating a tribute it gave her friends time to be together, share feelings and focus on making something positive for her parents to cherish forever. It was the last thing we did for her and it felt right to focus on the good times she shared with her friends.”

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Jacqueline Reid, Support Assistant at Huxterstone Drive, Aberdeen.

Tell us about your role. What’s a typical day like?I support the ladies in Huxterstone Drive with daily tasks such as medications, preparing meals and housework. But apart from that, every day is different. We can be out at a disco or coffee morning, or at home doing baking and crafts. We’re always active and on the go.

Can you tell us about any highlights over your Cornerstone career?I supported a lady to undergo a life-changing procedure under general anaesthetic that allowed her to have hearing aids made. But even the little things like someone trying new food and loving it make my day!

What do you enjoy most about your role?Making a difference, what you do really matters to the people we support!

What do you do in your free time?I love reading and spending time with my pets. All of my pets are either rescued or adopted – I have two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, a chinchilla and a degu. I also organise alternative life drawing sessions and cabaret shows. In February, I hosted a burlesque and cabaret night in Aberdeen, raising funds for my Dad’s London to Paris cycle in aid of Cornerstone. It was a great evening, and the show raised £1,500!

What advice would you give to people who are thinking about a career in care?If you are unsure, volunteer first. However, I can definitely say I’ve never looked back since I started working in care - I’ve worked in management, retail, hospitality and office administration, but I really love what I do now!

Richard, Jacqueline’s father, is taking on his sponsored cycle in June. You can visit his Just Giving page here: http://bit.ly/1mC6Uvf

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Brad, aged 11, has ring chromosome 15 syndrome and scoliosis which meant that for a long time, he was unable to sit with his family at the dining table during meal times.

At the end of last year, Brad received a specially adapted chair through Cornerstone’s Quality of Life programme.

The chair enables Brad to sit comfortably at the dining table. The difference it has made is remarkable, as Brad can now enjoy meal times with his parents and elder bothers.

ENJOYING DINNER TOGETHER

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Jacqueline with her father Richard at the Burlesque and Cabaret fundraiser.

Congratulations to Andrew, who we support in his own home in Ayrshire. In late 2015, Andrew was supported in Arrol Park for a few months before moving into his own accommodation, a process which kick-started his transition to healthier living. At Arrol Park he received a new support plan, which included various activities and a diet plan. Upon moving into his new home, Andrew weighed 20st and 9lbs. Since then, he has come down to 16st 7lbs!

Andrew’s support team and his parents are thrilled with this outstanding achievement, and the team will continue to encourage Andrew and others to aspire healthier living.

INSPIRATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

FESTIVE SNAPS

If you have an old digital camera which is going unused, why not consider donating it to Cornerstone?!

We’ll put it to good use, capturing many more great moments that take place in Cornerstone’s services across Scotland. Any digital camera in working order can be handed into our regional offices. Please remember to include the charger and any other cables too! You can also post your digital camera to our Glasgow office:

CornerstoneKirkhaven Business Centre120 Sydney StreetG31 1JFGlasgow

APPEAL: CORNERSTONE CAMERA CALL!

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Frankie Monaghan dancing along to Swing Band.

Linda Ellis with volunteers from Clydesdale Bank.

MARVELLOUS MINI-BUS DONATION

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Children and young adults supported by us in the West of Scotland will now have access to even more activities, days out and trips thanks to the donation of a mini-bus by Children’s Aid.

Cornerstone initially applied to Children’s Aid for part-funding for a new bus after parents had identified transport as one of the main barriers to their children accessing the services. However, Children’s Aid decided to cover the entire cost!

Susan Lorimer, Cornerstone’s Children’s Services Manager, said: “This is an incredibly generous donation by Children’s Aid and will allow us to support more children in harder to reach areas and co-ordinate our activities around the needs of the children and families we support.

“This will make a huge difference to their lives, as they will be able to take part in weekly activities, see their friends, enjoy days out

and be a valued part of their community.”

On Saturday 12th of March, David Jaffe, Joint Chairman at Children’s Aid, visited the Cornerstone Rhu office to meet some of the Children supported by Jigsaw Cornerstone who are already benefiting from the mini-bus. Thank you Children’s Aid for this generous donation!

www.cornerstone.org.ukScottish Charity No.SC004780

If you fancy a challenge closer to home take a look at our website: www.cornerstone.org.uk/support or email our team at fundraising@cornerstone.org.uk.

2nd—9th October 2016

WALK THE CAMINOFOR CORNERSTONE

Take on this life-changing challenge, fundraise for Cornerstone and make friends with people from all over the world!

Top: The Cornerstone team with the Jigsaw Saturday club and David Jaffe from Children’s Aid (centre).

David Jaffe with Cornerstone Board Member Andrew Lockhart.

What did you want to do when you were growing up?My father was a farmer and there was never an idle moment on the farm. From a young age we (my elder brother, younger sister and I) all mucked in feeding cattle and sheep and particularly at harvest time. We grew early Ayrshire potatoes and a lot of barley so the summer months were very busy. It was a great way to grow up and the minute my feet could reach the pedals I was driving tractors. I didn’t much want to do anything else – it was just a great time and spending it with my Dad in the way we did made me feel sure I would be a farmer. My father had other ideas though and didn’t believe farming was a sustainable career for any of us and so I went to university in Aberdeen and the rest is history.

What was your first job?We were paid for working on the farm which was full-time during schools holidays. So strictly speaking, that was my first job. On graduating from university I spent the summer of 1990 working for an oil service company servicing tools which paid for a month-long trip to the US. On returning, I started my 1st permanent job as a graduate consultant with a recruitment company in Aberdeen.

What or who inspires you?My family.

What does being a Cornerstone Board Member mean to you?Although I have been on the Board of Cornerstone for less than a year, I have had a long relationship with the organisation through work. I am both proud and delighted to be involved and I feel the experience I have gained during my career to date can be of value to Cornerstone. I am also unquestionably gaining a lot in return from the interaction with other Board members and employees of the organisation.

What are your hobbies?My 2 young daughters account for a lot of any spare time my wife and I have but in terms of hobbies, I am a keen golfer and a general sports enthusiast. I like to keep fit which involves all too infrequent trips to the gym and dog walking.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUSTEVE JUDGE, CORNERSTONE BOARD MEMBER

What is the most surprising fact about you?Good question and I fear I don’t have a particularly surprising response. I played golf with Seve Ballesteros when I was a boy – no one was more surprised about that than me!

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?I better be careful what I say here – my 2 kids! Aside from that I would have to say what I have achieved with my business, Space Solutions, which was started in 1997. Today the business operates from 5 locations across Scotland, and employs around 230 staff across 7 trading divisions. It’s a diverse business and it provides me with a great deal of variety in my career. I am very proud of the business and the excellent people that work within it.

CONGRATULATIONS TO…Our Birchview respite unit in Elgin, which was awarded the highest grades possible in the latest Care Inspectorate report. This respite unit in Elgin provides a respite/short break

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care service to a maximum of four adults with a learning disability and aims to deliver quality supportive respite in a relaxed, friendly environment. Those supported by the

service have access to local activities and the opportunity of increased participation in the community. Well done team!

Following the success of last year’s sponsored walk, Cornerstone was invited organise the Tiara Walk Helensburgh in partnership with The Carers Trust and Enable Scotland.

The walk had a great turnout despite some rain. All attendees were treated to a celebratory barbeque and disco at Helensburgh Cricket and Rugby Club afterwards. Well done everyone who took on the challenge for Cornerstone!

SPONSORED WALK

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ROLL OF HONOUR

A massive thank you to The Grill in Aberdeen for choosing us as their charity of the year and raising a generous £1,585.

A huge thank you to Strachans of Peterhead (above) for choosing us as their charity of the year and raising an incredible £3,350.

Exxon Mobil donated £3,350 to our Quality of Life Programme.

Cairn Energy PLC donated £4,600 to support the development of a garden at Canalside, Edinburgh.

John Lewis in Glasgow has chosen Cornerstone as one of three charity partners. Pop in store and vote for us using their green coins!

23rd APRIL 2016Book your place today, call us on 01224 256023

or email: fundraising@cornerstone.org.uk

GRAB YOUR PLACE TODAY, JOIN OUR AMAZING TEAM OF CORNERSTONE RUNNERS

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Cornerstone’s “Community matters” collection at John Lewis

There are lots of ways you can support Cornerstone

To find out more, please contact us at one of our regional offices:

Cornerstone Charity

@CornerstoneScot

Cornerstone Scotland

Cornerstone Scotland

enquiries@cornerstone.org.ukwww.cornerstone.org.uk

Scottish Charity No.SC004780

Aberdeen 01224 256 000Dundee 01382 220 238/248

Glasgow 0141 378 0700

We are always looking for stories for our newsletters and social media channels. If you have something to share, please email

marketing.comms@cornerstone.org.uk or phone 0141 378 0680.

Make a donation

Fundraise for us Become a volunteer

Attend Cornerstone events