the abbey centre newsletter summer&spring 2014

8/12/2019 The Abbey Centre Newsletter Summer&Spring 2014

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Abbey News

Inside this issueP-p-p penguins........... 1

Age UK Westminster.. 1

Leeds Castle Trip........ 1

Member Spotlight...... 2

Abbeys Got Talent..... 2

Family Celebraons.... 2

Giving from the Heart. 2

SW Time Bank............ 2

Out & About ............... 3

LG Orchestra.............. 3

Hot Meal Service........ 3

Childrens Success...... 4

Mental Wellbeing....... 4

A&E Visits.................. 4

Up & Coming.............. 4

Spring/Summer 2014

4 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU 0207 222 0303 email: [email protected] website: www.theabbeycentre.org.uk(If you would prefer to receive this newsleer via email, please contact us using the address above to join our mailing list)

65 years supporng healthy & cohesive communies in South Westminster

Bringing the Generaons Together On Our Leeds Castle TripOn a lovely spring day in April our members enjoyed a coach trip to Leeds

Castle, Kent.The mul-generaonal trip of Silver members and families

enjoyed exploring the 11th Century Jacobean castle and its magnicent

gardens.

The group were stunned by the beauty of the rooms. They found

the best part geng lost in the maze. The fun trip wouldnt have been

possible without the support of St James Councillors through their Ward

Budget Funding Programme.

We are delighted to welcome two very special new Abbey members

to the Abbey Centre. As one of John Lewis favoured local charies we

were oered 2 penguin sculptures featured in their Christmas 2013

Window Display in Oxford Street. The display was of animals made

out of household objects . Be sure to look out for them over the

coming months as they help us with our fundraising eorts starng

with a naming compeon!

P-P-P Pick Up a Penguin!

Welcome to Age UK Westminster Advice SurgeriesWe are pleased to be working with Age UK Westminster who are

providing Informaon & Advice Surgeries for those aged

50+. The surgeries are run by Tim Mougenot (pictured), who has extensive experience in

supporng older people and helping to resolve nancial, benet, housing and other

issues. Wednesday aernoons, between 2pm and 4pm each week at the Abbey Centre


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Member Spotlight!

Welcome to a new column

in Abbey News featuring

our members stories. First

to feature is our very own

WW2 Veteran Sergeant

Gerry Chester.

Gerry, 91, recently shared

his WW2 experiences

serving with the North Irish

Horse regiment. He is also

founder of the Cognive

Acon Scrabble Society,

following scienc studies

that demonstrate twice

weekly scrabble sessions

can ward o demena and

Alzheimers. We are hoping

to commence Scrabble

sessions Monday and

Thursday 3-4pm in the

Wash House Caf.


Abbeys Got Talent!

We are going to raise

the roof with a new

group led by one of our

volunteersThe AbbeyCommunity Singers for

people of all ages and

standards who have

always fancied them-

selves as a Frank

Sinatra or Beyonc!

Anyone interested in

taking part should sign

up at recepon -

Lets get some music inour Centre!

South Westminster Time Bank

A big thank you to Timebank member Laurent Bodin for his

painng skills, adding colour to the Parker Morris Hall ready

for the springme and earning over 20 hours of me credits

in the process.

A lile reminder that you may now spend

your accumulated Time Credits across local

acvies within SW1; from gym classes, yoga

sessions to arts and cras workshops. The SW

Timebank Computer Drop-in Classes are sll

running and are available to anyone here at

The Abbey Centre every Wednesday between10am 12pm. No booking required. To nd

out more or to join please contact Ian Corpuz

on 0207 222 0303 or via email

[email protected]

Giving from the Heart -Volunteering 2013/14The Abbey Centre has beneted from the generous donaons of

skills and me by amazing 100 individuals who have donated a

total of 4,053 hours! We have welcomed 18 new regular

volunteers and have worked with nine corporate partner

organisaons via the corporate social responsibility (CSR) iniave. Our CSR

partners treated our members to fun pares, events and the charity to improve-

ments at the Centre.

Wed also like to welcome some new volunteers that have recently joined ourAbbey family. Maria (Recepon), Bianca (Caf), Selam (Caf), Raquel

(Timebank), Judy (Art class), and Sandra (Community Team) whom some of you

may remember from the trip to Leeds Castle, Terry (Graphic Design), Katherine

(SPOG Spanish Portuguese Older Group), Saniye (Acvity Worker) and Liliya

(Pianist & Abbey Singers).

To ALLour volunteers, Thank you -we couldnt do it without you!

Planning A Family Celebraon Event We have Great Venues!We have a range of spaces/catering to accommodate weddings, birthdays, in fact

any family event you want to celebrate in style. Just give us a call to discuss your

needs and budget! 0207 222 0303 or [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Geng Out & About with the Abbey Centre Walking GroupIf you enjoy gentle exercise and geng out in the fresh air,

then the Abbey Centres free walking sessions each Monday

morning are for you! Everybody is welcome. We meet at

9:45 am with a professional walking leader who sets dierent

interesng walking routes, seng o at 10am and returning at

11am. A brisk hour walk brings the benets of keeping your

heart healthy, controlling weight, promong good mental

health and reducing risks of a whole range of health condions

such as diabetes and stroke. Its also a great opportunity to

make friends andsee places of interest in the local area such

as St James Park. To join the group just turn up!

For more informaon please contact Marufa Chowdhury,

[email protected]

I like volunteering at The Abbey Centre as it's a lovely atmosphere, the people are

welcoming and the visitors are friendly. I mostly enjoy helping in the kitchen and

serving food as I love cooking and the food here is always freshly prepared too, every-

one is super nice... Bianca (volunteer)

Hot Meal and Support Service For Local PeopleThe Abbey Centre is working with the Good SamariaNetwork to provide a hot meal and support service for

local people without permanent accommodaon, aer

the current venue King George Hostel on St Peters

Street ended. Guests enjoy a freshly cooked healthy

meal with ingredients, desserts and fruit donated from

local businesses and stall holders, Sunday and Monday

evenings. The aim is to provide vulnerable people with

a dignied environment to eat rather, than on the

street, and provide them with informaon to take stepstowards a beer quality of life.

If you are interested in volunteering for this service

please contact Caroline Richardson

[email protected]

London Graduate Orchestra Makes MusicThe Abbey Centre has welcomed the new London

Graduate Orchestra, providing them with rehearsalspace. The orchestra was founded by conductor

Claire Lampon and composer Kemal Yusuf in 2013. It

oers emerging music and non-musicgraduatesthe

opportunity to perform in a high standard orchestra

and a plaorm forsome of the nest young musicians

in London to showcase their talent and capabilies.

Young composers also have the opportunity to

workshop their music; and experience it performed

by the LGO. Open rehearsals are also held for young

conductors to lead the orchestra in a construcve andwelcoming environment.

The Orchestra can be hired for events in full, ensem-

ble or by individuals.

For further informaon pleasecontact Kemal Yusuf [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Do I Really Need Accident & Emergency ?

The BME Health Forum

commissioned

the Abbey Centre to

nd out why some

people use Accident &

Emergency Hospitalservices rather than their GP for non-emergency

health care. Such visits are expensive to the NHS and

make the A&E services less able to address

emergency cases..

Key ndings showed that most people interviewed

valued their GP pracces. However, they were

concerned about delays to see them and the quality

of equipment available in the surgeries. The studys

recommendaon included that out of hours access to

GPs is expanded including weekends; informaonregarding exisng out of hours services is made

more readily available; and people with chronic

condions are supported to manage their health

more eecvely to avoid crisis.

If you want to read the full report, please contact

Phayza Fudlalla at:

[email protected].

Celebrang our Childrens Success!

FB/theabbeycentre

@theabbeycentre


Excel Tutors have been running aordable tuion classes for

local children aged 6-16 years old at Abbey Centre on Sundays

since September 2013. Thirty ve children aend the classes to

improve maths, science and English language skills. Parents

have fed back that their childrens performance at school has

improved since they joined the classes. A compeon to test

mental maths, creave & handwring was recently undertaken

and a Prize Ceremony held in April to encourage students.

Membership of the Abbey

Centre is FREE!!!

Join us and enjoy being part of

your local community. Lots of

fun acvies & friendly cafe.

Up & Coming Events/Course

Healthy Eang/Cook & Eat

Exploring impact of mental

illness through Art

ESOL (English as a second Language)

SouthWestFest 2014 27th June-14th July

For more informaon please contact:

[email protected]

New Approach to Support Mental Wellbeing

The Abbey Centre successfully completed a pilot

exploring ways to support people experiencing

challenging personal circumstances that cause them

stress, anxiety or depression.

Volunteers speaking Arabic, French and Bengali were

trained to provide support in the community to 59individuals in over 200 one to one sessions. The

parcipants beneted from emoonal support,

advocacy; and referrals to help cope with their

concerns. A parcipant explained: as a single mother

who experienced domesc violence, has health issues

and languages barriers the volunteer has given me

atremendous emoonal support that enables me copewith my life. For more informaon please contact:

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

the abbey centre newsletter summer&spring 2014

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