involve active · involve is a not for profit organisation that supports young people and adults...
TRANSCRIPT
INVOLVE ACTIVE
THE INVOLVE WORKSHOP WILL GIVE AN INSIGHT INTO THE ETHOS OF INVOLVE AND HOW OUR SERVICE PROVISION BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, ISOLATION AND LONELINESS.
W H A T I S I N V O L V E ’ S S E R V I C E O F F E R , H O W W E A R E L E D B Y T H E V O I C E O F O U R S E R V I C E U S E R S A N D W H A T W O R K S , T H E F U T U R E A N D B E Y O N D ! ! !
SO THE BEGINNING!
• BACKGROUND In December 2011 I
was made redundant from a project
that I had developed over five years
and the doors closed to the young
people of Lowestoft.
I felt that those young people did not
need to lose a service, so with over
30years of experience I took a gamble
and put a new service back on the
shelf!
And so.... Involve was born.
Involve started in April 2012 in response to a
questionnaire sent to parent/carers from the
Warren School in Lowestoft. The results
identified a demand for services for young
people with additional needs. Families
identified the following key services which they
felt were needed to support their young people.
Respite activities during school holidays
Afterschool activities
Support through the transition into world of
work
Services that developed independent living
skills
Social events for the whole family and social
opportunities for their young people
INVOLVE IS A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATION THAT SUPPORTS YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES, AGED 5YRS UPWARDS ( AT PRESENT OUR OLDEST SERVICE USER IS 84). WE HAVE A PURPOSE BUILT INVOLVE CENTRE, BASED IN LOWESTOFT WHICH IS BEING USED BY OVER 70 SERVICE USERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE SUPPORTED BY 12 STAFF, A BOARD OF 6 TRUSTEES AND TWO GUINEA PIGS!!! WE OFFER ACTIVITIES AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMES WHICH DEVELOP LIFE SKILLS, PREPARE FOR THE WORLD OF WORK AND INCREASE SOCIAL AND COMMUNIT Y ENGAGEMENT.
We welcome people of all abilities
and offer support for daily needs
including personal care and
communication. Due to their
disabilities, including ADHD, Autism,
Global Delay, Sight / Hearing
impairment, Anxiety issues, limited
mobility and mild to moderate
learning disabilities, young people
often have limited access to services
that support social interaction and
independence, and their families find
it hard to maximise such
opportunities without help.
We encourage everyone to get
involved with INVOLVE, either by
volunteering, or accessing our
service as a service user or as a
young carer or sibling having time
out, or as a local community
member to help fund raise, as a
work experience student, or on a
work placement gaining new skills
and confidence.
Everyone is welcome to join our
INVOLVE family.
THE EARLY
DAYS
Involve started by delivering
respite activities in the summer
holidays, in church halls by myself
and a volunteer. After the success
of the first sessions, funding was
found from Activities unlimited to
run a pilot project called
STREETZALOUD.
Feedback was used to develop this
project and respite activities now
run 3 days a week for 5-25yr old.
T H E I N VO LV E
C E N T R E
After the first year it was soon
recognised that we needed a
base to grow INVOLVE from. It
was difficult to find a building
that was fit for purpose in an
area that suited our needs. So I
set about designing and
sourcing a modular build. Land
was secured and a company
found to build our centre.
Funded by Activities Unlimited
and Suffolk County Council
through a capital grant, the
INVOLVE Centre arrived.
O U R S E RV I C E
O F F E R
Aims to break down
barriers to participation,
isolation and loneliness.
All our activities and
programmes are service
user led, they are asked to
help develop new activity
ideas and funding is sourced
to develop their ideas and
aspirations.
MINDING THE GAP Minding The Gap is lottery and ESF funded
project that supports young people aged 16-
25yrs who are NEET or risk of NEET, to
develop employability skills and confidence
to enable increased understanding of the
world of work.
The café club funded by
Suffolk Community
Funding’s rural fund tackles
isolation and loneliness.
Each session brings
together volunteers and
service users through
sharing hobbies and crafts,
in a relaxed friendly
environment
Inspire is a full day of
activities for adults that
includes art and crafts
keeping active, cooking,
singing, gardening and
games. These sessions bring
people together increasing
social opportunities and
breaking down Isolation
and loneliness. Lots of
laughter and fun is had by
all.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
After School Activities are offered so parent carers can have a full day at work. We pick up from schools and offer a wide selection of activities for young people to take part in. A healthy tea is available and the group all help and eat together. They get picked up at 6pm each evening.
Gameability, footability, bowlability bounceability and chillaxability.
THE VOICE OF OUR SERVICE USERS • The afterschool activities are all based around their
interests.
• Minding the Gap is tailored to individual aspirations building on interests and ideas for the future for the young people. One young girl wants to be a beautician so we set up a nail bar at Involve. One young man enjoys woodwork has built a bird table and now the group are making them to sell.
• They wanted to know how to mend and maintain a bike so they could have a safe means of transport. A mentor is now working with them on this.
• Learning to cook and life skills are embedded in all our sessions. A young man moving into independent living wanted to know how to wash his clothes and cook a meal for his family.
• Travel training and community engagement. We offer one to one in the community through Community buddies programme and young people and adults explore their community and local amenities, such as the gym, cinema local walks and cafes.
THE INVOLVE FAMILY EVERYONE IS WELCOME
We encourage everyone to get
involved with INVOLVE, either by
volunteering, or accessing our
service as a service user or as a
young carer or sibling having time
out, or as a local community member
to help fund raise, as a work
experience student, or on a work
placement gaining new skills and
confidence.
Everyone is welcome to join our
INVOLVE family
Volunteering and giving people the chance to be active
members of society and to be feel valued is key to what
makes INVOLVE work.
Our Volunteers have come from a wide range of referral
organisation. People who are feeling isolated and lonely
due to bereavement, mental illness, unemployment lack of
confidence and skills have all benefited from volunteering
with us, some have gone onto jobs and training. We have
also employed several people from our volunteers.
Aaron is one volunteer. This is his story.
THE PRESENT Involve has grown considerably since 2012, we now have 12 part time staff 10 volunteers, 6 Trustees and over 75 service uses.
• We offer sessions every day 10-6pm
• We have several community groups using our centre
• We are now delivering ASDAN courses to enable career progression
• We have regular social events, discos, quiz nights.
• We have developed the centre and have a vegetable plot, greenhouse and grassed area.
• We have a sensory garden and decking area with decking furniture that the young people have made from pallets.
• We have a workshop for woodwork and bike maintenance, a storage container that has been clad from pallets for all our resources.
• We have expanded our office space and now have a porta cabin with two offices.
• We have working partnerships with many organisations and are developing opportunities for our service users to be more active in the community.
• We recognise that the needs and aspirations of our service users are important. They want to be active members of their communities. They want to be able to work. They want to be included and part of a social network.
www.involve-active.co.uk