ActivLives Annual Report 2021-22

Our Mission

To

Who are we…….

ActivLives is an independent charity working with individuals and communities, of all ages, but with a particular focus on people 50 plus who live-in hard-pressed areas in Ipswich and across Suffolk.

The organisation provides a wide range of services and programmes that help people Connect; Be Active; Take Notice, Learn and Give (5 Ways to Well-being) including ActivGardens, ActivSports, ActivSinging, Specialist activity – Lunch Clubs, Friday Friends Hub for people living with Dementia & their Carers, Elderflower Carer Hub, Men’s Breakfast Hub and Step by Step (falls prevention) Programme.

All our sessions provide preventative services to support people and keep people active, healthy and connected.

Our Core Values……

We deliver the mission as a team, underpinning our work with a set of agreed core values. These define ActivLives and are as follows:

Honest & Open – Creating trust through taking responsibility, acting ethically and encouraging open debate

Community Focused – Supporting and empowering people to make positive changes to their own lives and the lives of others in their community

Professional & Accountability - Delivering quality, effective, safe and reliable services to our members, partners, the community and stakeholders

Respect and Value – Developing a committed and caring organisation that supports the personal development of volunteers, staff and members, promotes team working and working with partners and key stakeholders

Innovative – Developing services that help reduce health inequalities, enable people to improve their health & well-being, and that are accessible and beneficial

Introduction and reports from the Chair of Trustees and the Chief Executive Officer

Message from the Chair of Trustees

Over the last year I have been very lucky to be able to attend so many of the activities and services ActivLives has to offer, which was something I was unable to do when I first started as a Trustee during the ongoing pandemic but have been very much looking forward too. From these visits I have been able to meet so many wonderful members, learn about your lives and the impact the organisation has on your world. Hearing how valued ActivLives is and the impact the staff and volunteers has on our members really puts into perspective the need for our organisation and why it’s so important as a board of trustees that we commit our time and effort to developing and sustaining our position as an organisation in the local area.

I was able to see first-hand the great work the staff and volunteers of ActivLives do each and every day; it’s been an absolute pleasure to spend time with each and every one of you, hear your stories, thoughts and ideas, and get involved in your activities, conversations and cake eating! - I hope to be able to attend many more events in the year to come.

Over the last year the board of Trustees has continued to focus on ensuring the sustainability of ActivLives and looking at how we can maintain our position in an ever-changing environment after the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We took time to review our strategy and refresh this for the next two years, in this document we outline our plans to sustain our services, continue to develop our resources, refresh our communication and marketing strategy and ensure we provide high quality services to the local community. Continuing to explore new ways of working and generating income to ensure we are able to sustain the ever-changing context in the not for profit sector.

Over the next year we wish to continue developing our business plan, exploring new ways to resource the organisation to secure our income streams as pressures develop in the sector and look at the future sustainability of ActivLives over the next three to five years. We will also be recruiting new trustees to the board, looking for skills and abilities that can support the organisation in achieving the aims and objectives of our strategy.

In this last year we said goodbye to a longstanding trustee and supporter of ActivLives, who started with ActivLives in the earlier years of the Town and Bridge project in 2006 when he joined the initial steering group at the start of the journey – Mr Richard Couldridge. Richard contributed his time, skills and passion to the organisation for many years, helping shape ActivLives into the organisation it is today. Such as helping the organisation secure funding from the People’s Lottery Award so we could develop the People’s Community Garden and contributing support for health, safety and safeguarding topics since joining as a trustee of the board in 2012. Richard stepped down from his trustee role in November 2021 and he will be very much missed. We are truly grateful for his help and support over the years, we hope you enjoy your next chapter and please don’t be a stranger!

The Trustees and I want to take this opportunity to celebrate all of the staff, freelance staff and volunteers for their commitment to and passion for ActivLives. ActivLives has achieved so much in the last 12 months and none of our successes would be possible without you, we value the skills, passion and abilities you bring to the organisation and your commitment to ensuring all our members receive quality services delivered by kind and caring individuals. Well done and thank you so much for all you do! And finally thank you to our members, for continuing to attend

ActivLives, valuing the services we provide and for being a part of the wonderful community that has been created.

I look forward to seeing you soon and working together over the next year.

Rachael Scott - Chair of Trustees

Chief Officers Report 2021-2022

My previous report from April 2020 – March 2021, was entitled our ‘Lockdown Journey’. We did, unfortunately, have to continue on that journey for a couple of months, following the Government’s Covid-19 Road Map. In May 2021, we were able to put up the ‘We are Open’ sign again and start face to face sessions and continue our various health projects. It was a slow process and we still had to adapt some of our activities, with our ActivSinging Groups in Ipswich and Woodbridge, having to continue with zoom sessions and singing outdoors in parks and people’s back gardens. We also worked in partnership with other organisations, such as, Suffolk Family Carers and joined their Carer zoom socials, demonstrating seated exercise, gardening - hints and tips and promoting our activities.

Covid-19 and the lockdowns had a devastating impact on people’s mental and physical health, through loneliness, loss of social contact and routine, anxiety and lack of physical activity. Our main focus during 2021-2022 was to get as many of our activities up and running, as quickly as possible, and support our members and volunteers to return. Some venues had to be changed, as others remained closed, some members were anxious about using public transport, so we worked with Cab Smart Taxis to organise transport to enable our more frail and anxious members to attend their activities.

In May we welcomed our first visit to the People’s Community Garden. The new High Sheriff –Edward Creasy and his wife came down to meet staff, volunteers and service users and awarded the organisation an Award for Outstanding Service to the Community in Suffolk, during the Covid19 Pandemic. I also received an Award which I am very proud of and wear it with pride. The two gardens in Ipswich continued to operate all through the lockdowns and a big thank you goes to the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly in their ‘bubbles’ to maintain the sites, grow fresh vegetables for the local community, deliver our lovely plants to people’s homes with our on-line sales initiative, to cheer people up and keep them active in their gardens. ActivSheds was also able to open again, enabling the shedders to return on Fridays, with supported sessions starting on Thursdays.

In July the Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Elizabeth Hughes, Ipswich Borough Councillors, Trustees, Staff and volunteers attended Chantry Walled Garden’s 10th Anniversary and it was lovely to see people coming together again, to enjoy the beautiful garden and site.

The Step by Step (Falls Prevention) Programme funded by Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning group (now the Integrated Care Board - ICB) jumped into action to get the face to face sessions started again, so that for those members who couldn’t join us on zoom, we were able to start working on their confidence, strength, balance and co-ordination to try and prevent falls and fractures after people had been in lockdown or shielding for so long. In June we were pleased to start two new groups for men and women, working in partnership with the Bangladeshi

Support Centre – Multicultural Services and their Carers group, as part of the Step by Step Programme.

Thank you to the staff, freelance staff and volunteers for getting the sessions organised so quickly and finding new venues. In particular, the Kingfisher Public House in Chantry for opening their doors to us, until we could return to Goldcrest Sheltered Housing Scheme.

By July our Specialist Hubs, Friday Friends Dementia Café in NW Ipswich and Elderflower Carers Hub in Maidenhall were welcoming back members and volunteers, ActivSport sessions across Ipswich and Felixstowe were starting to re-open, as the Out and About Project funded by Active Suffolk wound down and new projects like the Men’s Breakfast Hub, were being established.

In August we were awarded funding from Realising Ambitions East, through Suffolk Community Foundation, to continue our successful Bridging the Gap2 project working with Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust and the Woodlands Unit at Ipswich Hospital, to support their service users in accessing community services during their stay on the wards and after discharge. This included inreach ActivSport, Boccia sessions, ActivGardens table top gardening and outreach sessions at ActivGardens. Although this project has been impacted greatly by Covid-19, both organisations have endeavoured to keep the project going and a valuable partnership between the two organisations has been established. Feedback from service users has been very positive and that the sessions and information has really helped them on their recovery journey.

Funding from Mrs L.D. Rope Charitable Trust has enabled us to develop a new Green Care Support Worker post, to work with and support service users from the Woodlands Unit and other people with mental ill health to connect with nature, build their confidence, learn / share skills and improve their physical and mental health.

In March 2022 we had some fantastic news, that we had been shortlisted for a High Sheriff Award, which we later went on to jointly win with Suffolk Libraries. The High Sheriff – Edward Creasy visited the gardens to present ActivLives with the award and a certificate.

Our action plan for next year is to:

1. Continue to develop our Strategy and Business Plan to ensure that ActivLives can continue to expand and provide value for money and high-quality services to people living in Suffolk.

2. Secure funding, commissions and to generate income, to ensure the organisation becomes sustainable, is financially sound and reserves increase as required by the Charity Commission.

3. Continue to develop our preventative and inclusive services to reach and engage more people to help them improve their health and well-being, reduce loneliness and social isolation, remain independent and build stronger more resilient communities.

Susannah Robirosa, Cynthia Glinos, Alison Pearson and I continue to seek funding that will help develop new and existing projects and ensure that our services are sustainable, can attract commissions and generate income.

You can see from our list of funders and supporters, who invested in our activities and services over the year. A big thank you goes to every one of them, as their funds enabled us to support many people living in Suffolk. I would particularly like to thank Suffolk Community Foundation and the National Lottery for their on-going support and Suffolk Family Carers who fund our Elderflower

Hub, located at the CRESS Pavilion and initiatives that support carers and the North West Ipswich Big Local Trust for supporting Friday Friends Dementia Café.

A big thank you also goes to our members, their families and supporters who generously donate funds to ActivLives including £391.31 in memory of Mike Spalding; £400 from Clarke and Simpson; Archant tokens collection - £154.86; ASDA Foundation - £900; £2,038.62 from Ipswich & District Stroke Club; £1000 - Felixstowe Port Users Association; £1000 from the Murphy-Neumann Charity and Perrywoods – account card for £1000.

This year we have had to say goodbye to a number of staff, including Beverly Baker and Lesley Hartley from ActivGardens and Clare Macdonald from the Step by Step Programme. We wish them every success in their new posts.

However, we are very pleased to welcome Ben Willmott - Marketing and Communications Officer, Ian Hirst - ActivGardens Operations Officer, Haidee Stephens - Sudbury Project Co-ordinator, Sam Grainger-Cowles – Green Care Support Worker and Jemma Prentice – Step by Step Coordinator to the ActivLives Team.

Although this year has given us a lot of challenges, it has been fantastic to see our members and volunteers returning and enjoying their activities again and getting back to some ‘normality’. We are not out of the woods yet, and our thoughts go to those members we have lost over the year and their families. We look forward to welcoming lots of new members to ActivLives over the next year and seeing them grow and benefit from ActivLives services and activities.

A big thank you to all the staff, freelance staff, volunteers and Trustees for your support, dedication and commitment to ActivLives and not forgetting the Main Office team Cynthia, Ben and Jean who keep us all in order.

All I can say is watch this space……

Julie Stokes Chief Executive Officer

Office, Finance and Administration Team – Cynthia Glinos & Jean White

Ben Willmott – Marketing & Communications Officer.

Where are our Hubs

Friday Friend’s Dementia Café

The Friday Friends Dementia Café is a fun and stimulating activity session and social lunch that supports people living with Dementia and their carers. Funded by the North West Ipswich Big Local Trust (NWIBLT) the hub is open every Friday for people living in NW Ipswich, including Whitehouse, Whitton and Castle Hill. Volunteers and staff welcome and support people, so they can spend a few hours with others, relax and have a nice lunch, have a chat and participate in various fun activities.

Alison Pearson - Engagement Officer & Specialist Hub Facilitator

Friday Friends offers a fun filled, safe environment, with plenty of socialising, entertainment and scrumptious home cooked meals.

It has been a busy year for Friday Friends, with lots of laughter along the way, singing, dancing, bowling, craftwork, reminiscence, seated dance and so much more.

Over the last 5 years, Friday Friends has had a core of 6 dedicated volunteers, who come along, whatever the weather. We have had storms and heatwaves and yet we always manage to deliver Friday Friends. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Friday Friends and to say thank you doesn’t feel enough, for the dedication that they all give to the project.

They support the needs of our members in many ways, they listen, they provide useful information for carers, they make them laugh and they build friendships over the years, which helps to build stronger and resilient communities in Ipswich.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all my volunteers - Pat, Bob, Sandra, Barbara, Gloria and Jackie. And also, Betty, who was with us for many years and gave us such valuable support and a lot of laughs along the way. Not forgetting Sandra’s husband, who helps at the end of the session, putting all the furniture away.

We started with smaller groups after the COVID-19 lockdowns and shorter sessions, so that we were able to offer a more relaxed and safer environment. However, that limited the usual activity we could offer, but generally people were just glad to be back and socialising again.

Because we are a small and more intimate group, it allows us the time to engage and listen to our members and their carer’s, so that any issues relating to health, money worries or personal life issues, can be identified quickly and support and information offered as early as possible to prevent a crisis situation arising. Even outside of the Friday sessions we offer that support.

As Friday Friends has been running since 2017 we know this has made a huge difference to the members, carers and volunteers who look forward to coming along each week.

The benefits of the Friday Friends Service:

Carer Support Advice and Information

Stimulating & fun activity for all Reminiscence and music Movement & inclusive sport activity

Friendship in and outside of the activity

Improving people’s emotional health and well-being Reducing social isolation and loneliness Building stronger resilient communities

While our busy bee team is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, other volunteers are supporting our members with regular refreshments, answering questions, helping with activities or just having a social conversation. The delicious meals are prepared and cooked on site and volunteers help with food preparation, cooking, serving, clearing / washing up, serving tea/ coffees and chatting to members. Birthdays are always celebrated, as well as, special days and seasons to help members remember and share memories. The Easter Bonnet Competition is always a favourite.

Feedback from carers:

“I don’t know how my Dad would be if we didn’t come to Friday Friends, it gives him something to look forward to every week, with the socialising and the activities he has a lot of mental stimulation and really enjoys meeting and talking with the other members, taking part in all the activities and of course Pats lovely meals. I think my Dads dementia would have progressed more quickly if he hadn’t attended Friday Friends, for the last 5 years.”

“I regularly bring my mum to Friday Friends, it really helps me with feeling isolated, as I am the main carer for Mum, and I have made lots of friends in the group and we all socialise outside of Friday Friends as well. We both join in all the activities and my mum has many friends in the group and she enjoys chatting with all the members and volunteers. Even if she has been feeling low in the week with her other health issues, she soon perks up as soon as we go in the door, and any worries or sadness disappear at the door”

Music is very important for people living with Dementia, as well as their Carers, and they certainly enjoyed the fabulous Elvis AKA Andy Ottley, who sang his heart out at the Christmas Party, with glittery outfits, wonderful songs and a whole lotta love…. It was a really fabulous Christmas to remember, after such unprecedented times and challenges. They enjoyed a fantastic meal with roast turkey and beef with all the trimmings, more mince pies than you could shake a stick at and everyone got a Christmas present and the Mayor, Elizabeth Hughes joined in all the fun as well.

We also work in partnership with other organisations and individuals who deliver fun movement to music activity such as DanceEast, we had the lovely Georgina Cristallino singing her 60’s song collection, the accordion trio, The Old Codgers had everyone’s feet tapping and Ruth Gillan with holiday and schooldays reminiscence sessions.

We have had to say goodbye to some friends and members this year with the passing of Paul Pettit, and the indomitable Pedro Thurlow. They will both be sorely missed and we continue to support one of the carers in transition, who still comes regularly to our Friday Friends sessions.

NSFT Winter Pressures Pilot Project

ActivLives was approached by the Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) to enable a 3-month pilot project working in partnership with the Suffolk Coastal NSFT Older Adults team. The purpose of the project was to offer support and guidance to older people in East Suffolk. People whose mental and physical health had improved to a point that they could be gradually introduced, with support, to attend gentle exercise and socially beneficial activities.

During the 3-month project some 14 individuals were contacted and met with Alison Pearson, our Community Engagement Officer. Alison was able to introduce them to activities offered through ActivLives and also carried out extensive research into other activities on offer in their local area. The project was based from Ipswich, Woodbridge, Leiston, Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, which assisted in identifying, additional community services on offer in those areas.

Service Users said that their feeling of wellbeing improved, over the 3-month pilot and there is now the opportunity to extend the project further into Suffolk.

Men’s Breakfast Hub

The Men’s Breakfast Hub was funded by Suffolk Public Health and is held at our Cress Pavilion. A taster session was held in March 2022, attended by members, trustees and other staff members.

The group was set up as a relaxed welcoming space for men to talk about daily life, different interests and to make new friends. This has most definitely happened and the conversations at the sessions continue non-stop.

To kick off each session, we have some lovely freshly cooked egg and bacon baps, with lots of tea and coffee. Everyone has the opportunity to chat and discuss and raise questions and we always look for new and interesting things to talk about.

One of the first sessions we had, was from our local police community officer, Richard Smith, who is one of only 12 Community Police Officers in Suffolk; the group had great discussions about policing in Ipswich and the challenges that the police face.

Here are some of the comments from the members who have been attending the sessions regularly:

“The challenge to get up and to attend the group has increased my overall motivation to socialise with others. As I am retired the group has brought me into contact with a different circle of friends.

“Coming to the sessions has made me feel much happier about life in general and I look forward to coming to the group every week, to exchange ideas and meet new friends.”

“It is great to meet new people and have a chat. This group has given me a purpose to get out and see other people now and I enjoy discussing what we talked about at the session. It is something to look forward to every week.”

We are a very friendly social group, there is plenty of time and opportunity to discover and investigate all sorts of things happening in Ipswich at the moment.

The group welcome new members and offers support, information, a time to talk and to be with others in a safe and friendly environment.

ActivSinging – Ipswich & Woodbridge

The impact of the pandemic, the lockdowns and restrictions with singing indoors still lingered on at the beginning of 2021. Contact and singing with members was still happening from home via telephone calls, zoom sessions and singing in parks or back gardens.

We continued to provide weekly singing sessions via zoom and also added in a weekend quiz, which the members requested and enjoyed. Members were totally involved and each week, prepared the questions and even took on the role of quiz master, with a different member leading the quiz each session.

Gina Cristallino, ActivSinging music facilitator, also made weekly singing videos to post on the WhatsApp group and ActivLives website. These videos consisted of songs from the choir’s song books. The videos were very popular, as members could revisit them at their own leisure and have a sing song.

As the weather improved, we decided it would be a lovely idea to sing outside.

We initially started meeting in member gardens in Woodbridge, which was suggested by the members themselves. Sitting 2 metres apart of course, we began to connect once again as a group and were able to sing together.

We also provided a space and time to meet in a local area. We chose the Melton Fields playing fields in Woodbridge, as it was easy to get to and it had a large space to sing in a safe environment.

In September 2021, both singing groups returned to their inside venues. They were the last of all of the ActivLives groups to return. Some members had not seen each for nearly two years, so it was a wonderful reunion.

The Woodbridge group returned to the Woodbridge Quay Church and our Ipswich group started back at a new venue, as Stratford Court Sheltered Housing was still closed to outside groups. The Ipswich singing group temporarily moved to Tuesday afternoons after the Lunch Club at St Mary at Stoke Church Hall. A few members even enjoyed a nice lunch before they sang, and they flew through the session, revisiting old songs and catching up with old friends, and welcoming some new members.

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Unfortunately, in October 2021 Gina became unwell and so Mark Coburn and Jill Jennings stepped in to keep the groups running.

A big thank you to Mark and Jill for taking on the challenge and covering for 5 months.

In February 22, Gina returned back, in full swing, feeling healthy and raring to go! The groups started by revisiting the songs that they had learnt and learning new ones, to add to their repertoire.

12 Reasons Singing is Good for You:

Singing makes you feel better. ... Singing strengthens the immune system….

Singing is a natural anti-depressant Singing enhances lung function.... Singing improves your posture Singing helps with sleep Singing helps you beat stress and relax. ... Singing helps improve memory.....

Singing builds a sense of community…

Singing lets you express yourself. ... Singing can help with pain relief. ... Singing boosts your confidence.

Elderflower Hub for Carers and cared for

The Elderflower Hub is funded through a partnership with Suffolk Family Carers.

After a very long Christmas break, the Elderflower Carers Hub returned with less restrictions in place. Still cautious, due to the vulnerability of our group, we offered masks and social distancing, however the group decided as a whole that they would like to sit back together as one and enjoy the session.

We came back with a bang celebrating one of our members 100th birthday! Members celebrated a 1950’s style party with the wonderful Mr Andy Otley the Elvis tribute, and we indulged in a delicious cake made by one of our volunteers.

Members enjoyed the summer by getting out and about around the People’s Community Garden and CRESS Pavilion and participated in various activities such as flower arranging, quizzes, reminiscence sessions, nature workshops, visits from the Brainy dog and enjoyed music from our live entertainers.

Cristallino Elderflower Co-ordinator & Izzy

Gina

In September 2021 Gina Cristallino, the Elderflower Co-ordinator had to step down for a few months, due to illness and handed the reigns over to Ruth Gillan, who the group knew from previous reminiscence sessions, and with the help of the two lovely Elderflower volunteers Mary and Carol continued to organise the weekly sessions.

Ruth Gillan – Elderflower’s Co-ordinator’s Cover Story

We begin with tea or coffee (plus a biscuit of course) and conclude with a light lunch provided by volunteers Mary and Carol.

In between comes the activity, which it was my role to provide (although I couldn’t have managed without Mary and Carol pausing kitchen duties to help). Given that I am not really able to sing, and standing in for Gina is a hard act to follow, I shamelessly used the opportunity to experiment with some things I thought would be fun. So, we painted pebbles, tried a simple (but sticky) form of decoupage, flew planes (paper ones), quizzed, played the occasional parlour game and reminisced over anything and everything. Luckily everyone went along with me, more or less willingly!

Occasionally, the entertainment was provided, like the Christmas visit from Elvis and a sing-along session with Eric’s sea-shanty friends. And it didn’t take a lot of persuading to get other members to occasionally contribute their own performances, e.g. of a favourite poem or song, often accompanied by their own props.

We usually managed to incorporate a bit of gentle exercise, with seated bowls bringing out the competitive spirit. We even had a go at staging our very own sports day, but that’s for next year’s report! Yes, some people have issues with their mobility, their vision or their hearing. But no-one lets that get in the way!

And all the while we were learning things about each other. It is amazing what a few memory prompts, including objects and old photographs. will unleash. We looked at where (in the world) we came from, what we had done in our lives, and what we like doing. Which of us, we tried to guess, had sailed the North Sea, enjoyed scuba diving, had a go at sand yachting, done weight-lifting, been a beauty queen or piloted a (real) plane?

While the majority of members have, or have had, the experience of caring for someone else, I like to think that our sessions helped to highlight how much more than this we have in common.

“What do you come to the Hub for?” I once asked. Responses included: for friendship, laughter, and happy chatter. But I reckon Mary’s scones probably enter the equation somewhere.

Ruth Gillan Elderflower Co-ordinator (Cover)

St Mary at Stoke Lunch Club

The Lunch Club opened and closed during the year, as we followed the Government’s Covid-19 Guidelines and also monitored the rise in Covid-19 cases in Ipswich over the winter period. Reopening in February, members slowly returned to enjoy their homemade two course meal cooked by Tina, the paid cook, and with the support of the partnership with ActivLives and Cab Smart, we were able to encourage anxious members back, who didn’t want to use public transport.

The St Mary at Stoke Lunch Club started in November 2007, as part of the ‘Town & Bridge Project’ and in partnership with the St Mary at Stoke Church. It started with 8 members and now we cater for up to 30 people every Tuesday. It is run by a fantastic team of volunteers, led by Anita and Linda, who are dedicated in supporting marginalised older adults in Ipswich and making sure they have an enjoyable experience together, a healthy meal, support and friendship. What they do goes beyond just volunteering at a weekly lunch club.

The day in the life of a Lunch Club Volunteer: The day consists of volunteers arriving at 8.45am to set up the hall and the cook and kitchen volunteers start preparing the meal. At 10am members for the Better Balance session led by instructor Halstead Ottley, start arriving for their falls prevention exercise session at 10.30am –11.30am. The room is then set for the Lunch Club with the meal being served at 12 noon followed by tea / coffee and closing at about 1.30pm. The volunteers and Church Volunteers who help wash-up, clear away and tidy the hall, with the aim to finish by 2 – 2.30pm.

A big thank you goes to all the Lunch Club Volunteers, Tina the cook and the Church Volunteers for their continued support and dedication each week, giving over 5 hours of their time – we couldn’t do it without you.

I was invited by Julie Stokes to spend some time with her to see the work of ActivLives. We visited their gardens to start with, the staff were very friendly and I could see what benefits this would bring to people as I know that this sort of activity is very good for mental health etc.

We then visited a centre for older people and as with my other visit the difference it made to these people was very noticeable. In the morning there were exercises for them all sitting on chairs, everyone joined in with everything asked of them. When I spoke to them they all agreed it was really great for them to see other people and have a chat as lockdown had left several of them very lonely.

Many of them stayed for lunch, some left and others arrived for an afternoon session which was singing. It was quite unbelievable how they all seem to come to life when they were singing, fortunately for them I had to leave before I could be asked to join in as apparently, I cannot sing in tune! Sometimes, it is quite small things, which make a huge difference.

Councillor Mary Rudd Gunton & St Margaret’s Ward Cabinet Member for Community Health East Suffolk Council

ActivSport enables people aged 50 plus to get out and about, meet others and participate in fun inclusive sport activity. We work with people of all abilities, community groups, care homes, day centres and sheltered housing, particularly people who are not currently involved in or provide regular sport and/or physical activity.

Inclusive sport involves New Age Kurling, Boccia, Walking Football, Indoor & Outdoor Bowls, Ping Pong, Badminton and seated Yoga. We also provide a Health Walk in Christchurch Park in Ipswich.

McCarthy –ActivSport Development Officer

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 we had to close all the inclusive sport indoor activities and our large outdoor health walk. However, working with the various changes in the Covid-19 restrictions around outdoor exercise, we developed the Out & About project funded by Sport England / Active Suffolk, as part of their Tackling Inequalities Fund. The principle behind the Out & About project was that whilst people couldn’t meet in large groups indoors, we were able to work with individuals and small groups outdoors in a variety of different ways. The Out & About Project focussed on members who we knew had a greater level of support need. This may have been because they were living alone, elderly, had a disability, and/or living with a long-term physical and/or mental health condition.

The Out and About project continued until June 2021 resulting in over 115 individual participants providing over 554 individual active attendances at the end of the project.

Feedback from participants of the Out & About Project:

“I feel so fortunate to have these walks to help me cope. They feel like a real battery re-charge”

“These exercise sessions (walk/jog), are really benefitting me. I feel as though as my physical fitness improves so does my mental strength and confidence. I have a much better understanding of what I am capable of, physically and mentally”

“There used to be a time that I would be bent over double trying to breathe – I think that these walks are really doing me good!”

ActivSport activities took slightly longer to open, mainly due to Government Guidelines around sport activities and venues re-opening after the lockdowns. In April 2021 our sessions for people with a disability returned, where we continued to lead regular inclusive boccia sessions, with adults who have a learning disability, in Ipswich and Stowmarket. The enthusiasm, and increasing skill levels of the groups, is brilliant to see, so our sessions with the great people at Avenues East continue to flourish. We were also able to re-start our Inclusive Badminton session at Suffolk New College. This group continued to develop throughout 2021/22 with a great tournament taking place in the November.

In May our new Walking Football group started at Gainsborough Sport Centre. This is a new session for ActivLives and our first regular outdoor slot. We had to go outdoors, due Gainsborough

Mike

Sport Centre being used as a Vaccination Centre, but things have gone so well that we have continued to play outside. We regularly have 17 participants each week, including women.

A big thank you to Kesgrave Community Centre and Kesgrave Bowls Club for supporting the return to our weekly Lawn Bowls sessions between May-September 2021.

From June other activities started to re-start including, Boccia, Badminton, ActivYoga and our Saturday group at Walton, Felixstowe. The Bridging the Gap2 project was also able to start again at the Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust, (NSFT) Woodlands Unit at Ipswich NHS Hospital with Boccia session being held in the MUGA area.

In September we asked participants to ‘Bring a Friend’ to our Inclusive Badminton session for people to ‘have a go’ and we were very pleased that ten players from the group went to Cambridge to play in the Disability Badminton Festival.

To enable groups to become more sustainable and to help build people’s knowledge, confidence and skills we can provide a Boccia Leaders Course, which Avenues East took part in. 16 members of staff and service users attended the course, several of which are now leading, and assisting to lead, boccia sessions for others.

Boccia Festival at Whitton (National Boccia Day)

36 participants, from across Suffolk, came together to take part in the ActivLives Boccia Festival in Ipswich, in celebration of National Boccia Day 2021.

The event was supported by players from a variety of partner organisations including Avenues East Ipswich and Stowmarket, Wots Up, Papworth Trust and Mid-Suffolk Axis.

The day also had star quality as Ipswich-based, Evie Edwards, recently returned from representing Paralympics GB in Tokyo, was on hand throughout the event to meet players and to present the awards.

A big ‘thank you’ must go to all of our great volunteers who gave their time, skills and energy to make it all happen. Thanks also to Special Olympics Suffolk, Active Suffolk, SCC and IBC, for their support with this event.

Inclusive Badminton Tournament at Whitton Sports Centre

The ActivLives Inclusive Badminton Tournament was a great success with 18 players, from our Inclusive sessions, competing in the Singles competition. All of the players then combined to form two teams to contest the Team Relay – first team to 54 points!

Mike McCarthy, ActivSport Development Officer said, “It was great to see our Inclusive Badminton players competing again. The quality of the rallies was exceptional and the scoring was really close, there was a real buzz of excitement throughout the day”.

Many thanks to all of the great volunteers who made it happen, and to all of the partner organisations who support ActivLives in promoting Inclusive Badminton in the Ipswich area including, Special Olympics Suffolk, Suffolk Community Foundation, Active Suffolk, Suffolk County Council and our hosts, Ipswich Borough Council.

GB Paralympic Boccia Player, Evie Edwards, has been a friend of ActivLives for some time now. In August 2021 Evie competed for GB in her second Paralympics in Tokyo.

In January 2022, Evie began to volunteer with us on a weekly basis supporting our ActivBoccia sessions at Whitton Sport Centre. Our players get to play and learn from a top international player – what a treat!

ActivLives were delighted to be selected by Boccia England as a case study of good practice in encouraging new people to get involved with the sport of boccia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PccS4XOyQ_c

It has been another challenging year, with the Coronavirus pandemic forever looming over us and cases rising and falling. During this time, being outside in our inspiring community gardens and green spaces has continued to help people keep active and connected in a safe way. In particular, we have been able to respond to the rise in mental health issues among young people by creating initiatives specifically aimed at reaching out and providing opportunities for them.

ActivGardens activities and projects are delivered at the People’s Community Garden in Maidenhall and Chantry Walled Garden in Chantry Park in Ipswich and Belle Vue Park in Sudbury.

ActivGardens created a new Operations Officer post as our services continue to grow. In August, we welcomed Ian Hirst to this new role. Ian joined us from Westbourne Academy, where he set up a school garden working with young people with additional needs. Haidee Stephens took up the post of Project Co-ordinator in Sudbury and Beverley Baker and Lesley Hartley left ActivLives during the period. We thank them for their dedicated work and contribution to ActivGardens projects.

Our volunteer teams have been key to the maintenance and smooth running of both our community gardens in Ipswich, while the team in Sudbury has enjoyed coming together to help maintain the town’s park. Between them, they have grown fresh fruit and vegetables, harvested honey from our bees, and kept Ipswich and Sudbury planted for the benefit of all. During the period of the grant, 127 people volunteered for ActivGardens, of whom 47 were new to the organisation.

Through our Employer Supported Volunteering programme, we welcomed 14 volunteers from Suffolk County Council and local business.

Our team of beekeepers continued to care for our bees in a safe, socially distanced way – under the guidance of our mentors from Ipswich and East Suffolk Beekeeping Association.

A diverse team of six people has met every Monday to tend the hives – we try to encourage those who may not have regular access to nature or the means to set up their own hives a chance to get involved – including people with additional needs, people living with mental ill health, older people and younger people. We have introduced local families to the project and enabled many people to view the hives at close quarters from the safety of our hide.

Susannah Robirosa Fundraising & Development Manager

Ian Hirst Operations Officer

Haidee Stevens Project Co-ordinator Sudbury

Our ActivSheds project continued to provide a positive, social environment for men experiencing a variety of challenges in their lives every Friday. On Thursdays, our mixed gender sessions have helped people of all ages and abilities to learn basic woodworking techniques and make items from wood or work on their own projects.

12 older men, 8 younger men and 5 women benefited, including seven people new to the project. 16 participants are living with long-term physical/ mental health conditions, including autism, Dementia, PTSD, depression, anxiety, partial sight and deafness. A further two participants are family carers. Three young people with complex barriers to learning took up a traineeship or placement with us.

Skills and Learning programmes: Grow Your Future’ and ‘Roots to Work’

We ran two European Social Fund projects during the period, in Ipswich and Sudbury, to help people of all ages and abilities to learn skills, gain confidence, and move towards further learning, training and employment.

19 adults with a range of issues – for example, long-term unemployed, people with mental ill health, learning disability, autism, illness, physical disability, people in recovery from addiction, including gambling, drugs or alcohol, or with a criminal record - benefited. An additional five people from a previous employability course continued to volunteer with us to develop their skills and move closer to employment. A total of three people progressed to employment, two people gained an accredited qualification, one person joined our beekeeping team, one person joined ActivSheds, and eight people joined as regular volunteers.

Young People’s Learning Programmes

Grow Your Future young people’s project worked successfully with four young people, with two gaining part-time employment.

We provided placements for 15 young people with complex barriers to learning – including learning and or physical disability, mental ill health, physical ill health, addiction, living in care - both independently and in partnership with local colleges and training organisations.

One young person gained an apprenticeship with Ipswich Borough Council, another gained an internship with Sudbury Town Council wardens, and two young people joined accredited college courses.

We ran ‘Community Life Skills Volunteering’ over five days for young people (18-25) with additional needs from Suffolk Rural (part of Suffolk New College). Young people tried out gardening, wildlife habitat management and working in our plant nursery.

Unfortunately, due to the lockdowns we have not been able to work with older adults in care homes but, when possible, residents have enjoyed our accessible sensory gardens and we provided a safe venue for a singing group – Music in Our Bones - for people living with significant life challenges.

We were able to run a fun, engaging horticulture course ‘Grow to Learn’ for people with additional needs. Participants enjoyed activities - improving their skills and levels of physical activity, and most of all being part of a great community project, meeting other people and making friends.

Feedback:

We had a fantastic time at ActivLives Community Gardens this year. We worked on the wildlife area, met a resident Stag Beetle larva and built a huge bug hotel. The learners had to work together, following instructions and using their initiative to make the hotel and it looked fantastic when we had finished. We also learned how to use tools and equipment safely and got to plant up seedlings and make cuttings to create new plants. We learned about environmental responsibility and how we can make a difference to our planet.

The staff and volunteers were all really helpful and gave us loads of information and clear explanations on the reasons and purpose behind our activities.

Bridging the Gap2 Project

The Bridging the Gap2 Project was funded by Suffolk Community Foundation – Realising Ambitions East. The project was aimed at ‘Bridging the Gap’ for service users being discharged from NSFT Woodlands Unit at NHS Ipswich Hospital and reintegrating into the community. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 we were not able to continue in-reach activity on the wards. But as restrictions eased we were able to deliver therapeutic gardening sessions for small groups at both our gardens, as well as walks on the heath around the hospital site to help people feel better through connecting with nature, sketching and making art with natural materials.

We also provided tours of the garden and film clips of gardening activities on our website, so people could enjoy a virtual walk through our green spaces; and engage in gardening in their own time on the wards, with resources we delivered.

19 men and 18 women ranging in age from 19 to 70+ took part in sessions, with three people going on to join other projects and services at ActivGardens.

Lecturer, Inclusive Learning, Suffolk New College Suffolk Rural

We would like to thank all the staff from the Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) Woodlands Unit who have been involved in the project. It has certainly had its challenges, but we persevered and from it, many services users benefited from both the inclusive sport and gardening sessions and a robust partnership has developed between ActivLives, the Woodlands Unit staff and NSFT.

Evaluation of the Bridging the Gap2 Project produced by the Assistant Psychologist, NSFT Woodlands Unit showed that:

Individuals who are close to discharge, who are engaging well in their recovery and are looking to establish positive routines in the community, typically benefit from access to ActivLives. However, people with longer admissions or even those early on in their recovery, if suitable, have shown positive responses from attending.

Participants reported psychological well-being scores improved on average from 3.2 to 4.1, with the greatest improvement shown in how active the participants felt (3 to 4.3). This showed that accessing ActivLives appears to have a positive effect on psychological wellbeing. (UCL public engagement measure 2013 with sample of 44 people.)

Over the same sample, reported knowledge of ActivLives was shown to be improved from 1.9 to 3.9 and both confidence and intention to access ActivLives after discharge were reported as much higher after participating.

Feedback from Service Users:

“E said this was the first time her head had been clear for months. E was very smiley and bouncy for the rest of the day – she was so happy.”

“It helps me relax and gives me a feeling of freedom. It makes me smile to come here."

"It's non-threatening, relaxed and calm. When turmoil is going on in someone's mind, they need a relaxed environment."

“A spectacular day out, I enjoyed gathering, smelling and touching plants. Also weeding and planting was so satisfying.”

“Really helped to come get stuck in and really enjoyed the chats!”

“Very good experience, the plants are amazing.”

Grow Your Community – Sudbury

In this rural market town, our project has enabled local people to volunteer, learn skills, form social networks, and help build their community. The project has developed a strong volunteer team who enjoy sharing their skills and knowledge in improving their local park.

Three young people joined ‘Grow Your Future’ in Sudbury. We provided work experience placements for three young people with complex needs from ‘The Ryes’ Education and Care provider. One young person with learning disabilities joined our volunteer team. We ran an activity day for three young police cadets.

Up to 15 people including local residents, adults with learning disabilities, young people with learning disabilities and/ or complex needs, older people experiencing social isolation, older people new to the town who want to integrate and contribute to the community, participated.

One young person with complex needs went on to gain an internship with Sudbury Town Council community wardens, with the prospect of paid employment in the parks sector.

Feedback from The Ryes College, Assington, Sudbury – Education and care for young people with complex needs - ASDAN Co-ordinator

Our young people usually come to us with low self-esteem, lacking in confidence and have difficulty communicating within the wider community maybe as a result of their past experiences. They may have a range of needs and have been unable to cope with a mainstream environment or have been rejected from previous schools. Since linking up with ActivLives you have embraced our students and they have found a new sense of self-worth.

J started volunteering at Belle Vue Park on Thursday mornings and this was his first experience undertaking an activity outside the school environment. To begin with he displayed quiet and some sometimes bravado behaviour and was very unsure of himself, always requiring guidance. However, with guidance and reassurance he gradually found a new confidence and enjoyed his weekly visits. J attended every week without fail and blossomed, he would offer to help with the heavy tasks and began working as part of a team which enhanced his communication skills. He learned about health and safety - using this he cut down trees, pruned and used a variety of tools safely.

All of these experiences encouraged J to want more and with a reference from ActivGardens and assistance from myself he secured a work experience placement with Sudbury Town Council working with the Community Wardens. J started working one day a week and he now had the confidence and knowledge to undertake a variety of tasks within the wider community. He has removed graffiti, cleaned up community areas, emptied bins, put up speed awareness equipment and undertaken these with enthusiasm and pride. J has built good relationships with everyone on the team and enjoys nothing more than going with them for chips or Greggs to lunch together. J has enjoyed his experience so much he has increased to two days per week and the Community Warden Manager has agreed to continue his placement until he leaves us in July for which the school, J and his family are very appreciative of. There may be a possibility to transfer his placement to Colchester Council (his home town) with a future possibility of an apprenticeship. J has gone from strength to strength and now has a newfound confidence, his behaviour has greatly improved, and his family are happy and impressed with his progress.

Recently the warden manager came to speak at school and J was able to talk in front of an audiencethis is something he would probably have not undertaken previously.

We now have two students volunteering on Thursdays and this placement continues to benefit them in so many ways. Interacting with the wider community, learning new skills, learning about the environment and following instructions all provide the students with the tools to enhance their own skills and behaviours. We thank you for the opportunities and support in helping to lead our students towards an independent and successful future.

Chantry Walled Garden celebrated its 10th year, this year and thanks to everyone who has made it the beautiful, inspiring site it is today, providing opportunities for volunteering and work experience, and working with care homes, supported housing and community groups.

A big thank you also goes to all the volunteers, placements and Corporate Teams who help to maintain the People’s Community Garden, the Apiary, ActivSheds, Chantry Walled Garden and the Sudbury Project. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you.

We are proud that we helped earn two High Sheriff’s awards for our organisation’s work during the pandemic. We were delighted to host the High Sheriff at the People’s Community Garden, where he enjoyed meeting staff and volunteers.

Overall, we have continued our work and improved and developed our services in response to the changing needs of local disadvantaged communities.

Step by Step Programme

The Step by Step (falls prevention) Programme is funded by Ipswich & East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, now the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB). The programme delivers evidenced based exercise called OTAGO and Better Balance Sessions in Community settings such as Church Halls, Sheltered Housing Schemes, Village Halls etc.

This type of activity helps prevent falls and fractures and enables people to live independently for longer, in their own home. We also provide fun inclusive seated and standing ActivSteps and Simply SOSA dance sessions, which also includes some key OTAGO exercises to help people build their strength, balance and coordination. All these sessions enable people to meet others and make new friends and help people to build social support networks in the community.

The beginning of the year we continued to deliver 4 x live zoom sessions each week, with 22 sessions delivered and 157 attendances, until the Government restrictions were lifted on the 17th May 2021. For those that couldn’t access the zoom sessions, there were weekly telephone calls and various activities and videos on the Activ@Home web page.

In addition to the Step by Step sessions 4 x zoom exercise sessions were offered to Suffolk Family Carers, which they enjoyed.

“Better Balance, I always thought it was easy, but I have done it and realised how much it impacts the body. Because of my fall, I’ll carry on with the exercises and I’m going to join a class.”

After the 17th May sessions started to re-open. Those held in Sheltered Housing Schemes had to find alterative venues, as they were still closed to non-residents. By the end of June 2021, we had 9 x sessions up and running.

Two new sessions, started in partnership with BSC Multicultural Services at the Ipswich CAB on a Monday for men and later moving to Ipswich Library on a Wednesday for women, as part of their Carers project.

To reduce the risk of transmitting Covid-19 ActivLives were awarded funding from East Suffolk Council and Felixstowe Council to purchase equipment and a bag to distribute to members, so that equipment didn’t have to be shared. This was really appreciated by members who were still very anxious about returning to groups.

Another new partnership started in July 2021 with Shamrock House, Sanctuary Housing in Ipswich running weekly sessions for tenants. The sessions proved very successful with good feedback from participants and the Scheme Manager.

Clare Macdonald Development Officer

Del Keeble OTAGO Co-ordinator

Feedback from Shamrock House, Sanctuary Housing

Within weeks of the start of Better Balance, I saw clear evidence the sessions were helping the residents in so many ways. Several of them reported a reduction in pain and therefore were able to decrease their pain killers and I saw a marked improvement in their mobility.

One attendee had a nasty fall during the course and said to me, without having attended the course, she would not have been able to get herself up in the street and it also helped her mobilise quicker. This same attendee had a serious accident back in February and both she and I feel if she hadn’t had the exercises from the group to use and the increased strength she had built up her recovery would have looked VERY different.

Apart from the physical benefits which were clear to see, those who attended formed a group who participated in other activities together. When the instructor was unable to attend they would meet and carry out exercises on their own. The little group they had formed was then joined by other tenants for different activities, such as darts and games. So huge benefit to their mental health as well as their physical health.

All round it was a brilliant initiative which benefitted all of those who attended. Sue McNally, Scheme Manager, Sanctuary Housing, Shamrock House

From July - 19 sessions were up and running and the Step by Step Programme started to get back to normal.

A new Better Balance session started in Waldringfield Village Hall after a local resident contacted ActivLives. A Taster Session was held to see if there was a need in the area and 20 people attended. Regular sessions commenced on Mondays the following week.

From July the Step by Step Programme was able to offer 477 sessions; had 4,763 attendances; received 167 new referrals; previous falls reported before attending sessions were 21, reduced to 5 after 12 weeks attending the sessions. The majority of the new referrals were aged 76 years and over

InMarchwewelcomedLindsayBennettback,who verykindlysteppedintocoverourRushmereSt AndrewsessionandintroducedmemberstoSimply SOSAFallsPreventionexercise.

Workinginpartnershipwith LindsayandKatyBarrow founderofSOSAFitness, memberswereabletodo theirOTAGOBetter Balanceexercisesto musicandfunroutines.

‘SimplySOSAFallsPrevention’ hasbeencreated especiallyforthosewhowouldliketoimprovetheir Balance, Strength, StabilityandCo-ordinationthrough thestructureofanauthenticdanceclass.Incorporating motivationalmusicand37dancestylesfromaround theglobe.

It’sanidealprogrammeforthosewhowanttoreduce theirriskoffallingandmayrequireextrasupportora balanceaidduringexercise,suchaswalkingstick, frameorchair.Suitableespeciallyforolderadults, thosewithlong-termhealthconditionsanddisabilities. However,thisalsoincludesanyonerecoveringfrom injuries,recentsurgery,andaspartofaphysiotherapy, rehabilitationprogrammeandrequiringa re-introductiontoexercise.

FeedbackfromourStep byStepmembers:

“Mademerealisethatmy problemswerenotgoingtoget betterwithouttakingany action”

“Ihavetomakemyselfcome,I don’treallywanttocome,butI knowIbenefitfromit.Ifeel goodafterIhavedoneitfor anotherweek.Mykneesgot betterandthenoverCovid theygotworseagain,soI knowitdoesthemgood.”

“I’mreallyenjoyingit,it’sgiven mealotofawareness.I thoughtmybalancewasalot betterthanitwas.I’mtryingto applysomeofmyposturetips athomeandusemycore.It’s excellent.”

“Somethingtolookforwardto everyThursdayafterisolating forsolong”

“Improvementinphysical movement,alsomental outlook.Theclassformeisup lifting,animprovementinmy metalhealth,enjoymentofa chat,purposetoinspiremeto keepattending.”

“Enjoyment,makingfriends andfeelingbetter.”

SimplySOSAfeedback:

MrJlikesthefactthattheclassesareverylocaland accessible for them. Healso said that the class is very good valueformoney.MrJconcluded,“Itisgreattogetoutand meet other people, I have really enjoyed the SOSAfalls preventionclasseswithLindsay.Wehavehadsuchagood laugh.Nobodytakesitstooseriouslyandwearealltaught how to work at our own level.Yes, I will definitely continue toattendthesessions.”

“Feelmuchmorepositive abouteverything.Afterthe lockdownsit’sgreattobeout.”

“Iamfindingitverygood.I definitelyfeelmymusclesthe nextday,theinstructorisvery calmingandverygood.”

A Member’s Story

Mrs H – aged 77 - “My muscles get very tired and my previous falls are likely due to MS. Since starting Better Balance my walking has improved and a lot of my friends have commented on it. I used to walk with a stoop and one shoulder higher than the other. I think it makes you conscious of your body and I recommend it to anybody. It’s the posture – I’m very conscious of my walking now and I know a lot of my friends watch me and I say to them I’m aware of things and how I am walking. And the others, they are all very lovely, we’re all in the same position and same age group – it’s all very friendly. I have previously done Tai Chi and yoga and that was a lot more competitive. I feel more relaxed with this group as all of us are in the same category and understand each other and support each other. It’s doing me good.”

In April 2021 we had to say goodbye to Clare McDonald, Step by Step Development Officer and thank her for all her hard work, in keeping the Step by Step Programme going through a very challenging time. We all wish Clare our best wishes and good luck in her new post at the Wedgewood Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

However, when one-person leaves, another person joins us and we welcome Jemma Prentice, Step by Step Co-ordinator to the team.

ActivLives would like to say a big thank you to all our volunteers, we couldn’t run our sessions or maintain our gardens without you. You are key to the services we provide and are very important to us as a local Charity, our members & Carers and the support you give each other.

Slowly, but surely, our services and activities started to re-open and we are extremely grateful for the volunteers that returned after the impact of the lockdowns and the pandemic. We would also like to welcome all our new volunteers, who joined us when the restrictions eased in July 21. We really wanted to celebrate the dedication and commitment of our amazing volunteers at the AGM in 2021, but due to the rise in cases of a new Covid-19 variant, we have had to postpone this celebration until the next AGM in 2022. We certainly did miss you.

Thank you to all our volunteers from everyone at ActivLives

AVolunteer'sStory- PS Beforeretiringin2019, I spent afair amount of timetryingtodecidewhat I neededto ensureahappyandfulfillingretirement andconcludedthat movingwasessential: amore sustainablelifestylemeant that downsizingandnot beingdependent onthecar made sensebut, moreimportantly, I waslookingfor thistobeanexcitingnewphaseof liferather thantheendof everythingthat hadgonebefore.

Withthisinmind, I thenhadtodecideonthe'where'andsettledonIpswich. WhyIpswich? For meit'sperfect: I liveontheMarinaandwalkalmost everywhere; thetransport linksare fantasticbut most of all it wasthenumber of interestingthingstodothat wasthedecider. Thefact that sincegettinghereI'vediscoveredhowfriendlythepeopleare, hasbeena hugebonus!

Intheend, I didn't moveuntil September 2021(for obviousreasons!) and, oncehere, wastednotimeinlookingfor volunteeringopportunities, bothasawaytomeet newpeople andalsoto'feel useful'.Tomydelight, I happenedtonoticethat therewastobea Volunteer Fair atTheHoldsowent alongandspoketoahugenumber of passionateand dedicatedpeopleall of whomwereworkingtirelesslyfor goodcauses. I went homearmed withahandful of leaflets, but intheendtherewasonewhichreallystoodout for meand that wasActivLives.TheCEOhadcertainlydoneamagnificent jobof outliningthemany disparateschemesbeingrunand, morethananyoneelse, hadmademefeel that I really couldbeagoodhelptothem. SoI joined…At myrequest, shekindlyfoundan opportunitythat I couldwalkto(navigatingtheone-waysystemwasstill rather dauntingat thetime!) andintroducedmetothewonderful teamof people, ledbyAnita, at St. Maryat Stoke, whomakeeveryonefeel trulywelcome, volunteersandmembersalike. ThereisanexerciseclassandalunchclubeveryTuesdayandRoseandI helpour talentedchef,Tina, provideatastyandnutritiouslunch. I canvouchfor thefoodasI'm luckyenoughtoenjoytheendproduct everyweekwiththediners! If youthinkthat choppingfreshvegetablesor washingupwouldbeboring, thenyouhaven't heardthe laughter fromthekitchenthat oftenthreatenstointerrupt theexerciseclass! Or if youwant amoment of quiet contemplationinabusyenvironment, I highlyrecommendstirring enoughcustardfor 30people… Thelunchclubhasalsoprovidedother 'opportunities'. WhenI joined, I certainlynever thought RoseandI wouldprovidedinner for all oneweek, or that I wouldattempt tostandin for thesuper organisedLindadoingthefinances. Neither, for that matter, didI thinkI would writeacasestudyfor theAnnual Report!

Finance Review – April 2021 – March 2022

Treasurer’s Financial Review – Mark Ledger

As we reported last year we received various Covid related grants that provided cover for loss of income and has provided us with a foundation for 2021/22 and into 2022/23. Activities gradually started to come back to pre Covid times although with a few more restrictions. As I reported last year, due to the exceptional circumstances of the last 2 years and the longer time period for lockdown than was anticipated when we received Covid related support funding, we created a special restricted reserve fund called “Covid Recovery Fund” in order to spread the income from these grants over the period for which lockdown was effective. This funding has now been released into unrestricted reserves in 2021/22 to help fund events during that year and 2022/23. At the start of this current year we have less grants confirmed than the same time last year so, as usual, there is the ongoing challenge to apply for grants as they become available in the year to fill the shortfall.

We are continuously grateful to our funders in supporting the valuable work we do. The organisations that helped provide this key funding in the current year were;

National Lottery Community Fund

Ipswich Borough Council

Suffolk County Council

East Suffolk Council

Babergh District Council

Suffolk Community Foundation – Frank Jackson Foundation Fund; RJB Fund; David and Jill Simpson Fund; Realising Ambitions East; Pargiter Trust Fund; Port Community Fund; I Will Grant; Martineau fund; Davies Family Fund; East Suffolk Community Fund; Suffolk Carers Fund; Coronavirus Community Fund; Suffolk Sports Fund; Connect for Health; Anglian Water Fund; Birketts Fund; J A Private Fund; George Earl Fund; Men’s Mental Health Fund; Co-op Community Fund; High High Sherriff’s Award.

Groundwork UK/Tesco I&ESCCG

Sport England East Coast College

North West Ipswich Big Local Trust

Mrs L D Rope Third Charitable Settlement

Special Olympics Suffolk Masonic Charitable Foundation

Lift Community Grant

Leading Lives Community Benefit Fund

Suffolk Family Carers

Lord Belstead Charitable Trust

Perrywood Garden Centre

Cheshire Community Foundation

Garfield Weston

Ransomes Jacobsen Sanctuary Housing

In addition to this there has been hard work from all the staff within the organisation, looking after the gardens and promoting the cause of ActivLives, for which all the Trustees are very appreciative.

Going Concern

The charity is in a strong position and considers there to be no going concern issues.

Income and Expenditure

Income for the year was £429,730 Expenditure for the year was £394,612 For further detailed information please see the Annual Accounts

Mark Ledger Accounts Examined by: Trustee / Treasurer Colin Bartram – Independent Examiner Bankers

National Westminster Bank, Tavern Street, Ipswich

ActivLives Participation & Monitoring Data

We collect data to enable ActivLives to monitor overall participation levels, client profiles and to ensure that we are meeting the requirements of our funders and commissioners and the needs of the people who live in Suffolk. The following data includes our wide range of services – Step by Step Programme, ActivSinging Groups, ActivSport, Elderflower Hub & Friday Friends Hub. ActivGardens data is separate.

We currently have over 1,198 people registered on our new database, the majority of them are active or members slowly returning to their activities due to ill health or anxiety due to the pandemic and the number of positive Covid-19 cases currently in Ipswich and Suffolk. 70% of our members are aged 60 plus; 4% are 90 years and over. 55% of people state they have long-term health conditions – 32% physical; 7% mental ill health; 7% sensory; 6% Intellectual Disability and 3% Life Limiting Illness. We currently have 40 volunteers registered with the organisation.

Ethnicity

We delivered 857 sessions throughout the year, with 10,117 attendances and over 3,500 hrs of volunteering supporting the various sessions, Hubs and Lunch Club.

White White / Irish White European White nonEuropean Mixed White Black Caribbean Mixed White Asian Asian Indian Asian Bangladeshi Asian Chinese Asian Any Other Black Caribbean Black African Black Any Other Any Other Ethnic Group

ActivGardens Data

This data includes people attending the People’s Community Garden, Chantry Walled Garden and the Sudbury Project. As the restrictions lifted we were able to increase the numbers of volunteers again at all three sites. With the general volunteers, ActivSheds and the volunteers who monitor and look after the bees the hours volunteered totalled approximately 10,796. The Sudbury volunteer team who attend Belle Vue Park provided a total of 1,400 volunteering hours – Total 12,196 volunteering hours.

Volunteering - The number of hours people volunteer varies considerably from 1 hour to over 10 hours a week. During 2021- 22 volunteers across the organisation contributed 15,696 hours, which equates to a volunteer values of £149,112,00 if calculated against the minimum wage, which is currently £9.50 an hour for people over 23 years of age.

Ethnicity

White White / Irish White European White NonEuropean Mixed White Black Caribbean Mixed White Asian Asian Indian Asian Bangladeshi Asian Chinese Asian Any Other Black Caribbean Black African Black Any Other Any Other Ethnic Group

Social Value

‘Social value’ is a way of thinking about how scarce resources are allocated and used. It prompts us to ask the question “If £1 is spent on delivery of services, can that same £1 be used to also produce a wider benefit to the community?” As well as focusing on price, it helps us to consider the collective benefit to the community and wider social, economic and environmental outcomes (e.g. stronger communities, improved health, improved environment) that can be procured over and above the direct purchasing of services, goods and outcomes.’ Suffolk County CouncilSocial Value and Sustainable Procurement Policy

How does ActivLives deliver Social Value?

Some examples:

Economic

ActivLives provides volunteering and work experience opportunities for people in disadvantaged communities and/ or living with disadvantage, such as mental ill health, a disability, or learning disability. We provide a wide range of diverse and inclusive programmes, that are well-placed to attract people from different spheres of life/ diverse cultural backgrounds.

We develop local people through working with training organisations and local business, opening new opportunities and breaking down barriers between employed and unemployed. We increase employability skills and raise aspirations.

ActivLives is an excellent employer and cares about its staff and volunteers, we are flexible in our approach and work with people to support them in their roles, provide training to improve their skills and knowledge of their post, build their confidence in their abilities and help people progress within the organisation, as well as, furthering their career with other organisations.

Environmental

ActivGardens’ core aims are to create a safe, healthy and cohesive and diverse community, within the ethos of sustainability and caring for the environment. Our projects enable people to grow food or obtain food literally on their doorstep, reducing food miles to zero. The projects incorporate sustainable practices and growing methods. Our gardens have wildlife areas to promote green education and environmental conservation. We promote recycling, reuse and repair as part of our project and in the local community. Our plants are grown in peat-free compost and we encourage our clients and members of the public to return our pots to us, discouraging the use of plastic bags.

We encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport to access our sites. We influence personal behaviour and showcase sustainable methods to councils, schools, allotments, housing and community groups, at a regional, national and international level.

We work with local councils and groups to improve local biodiversity and enhance wildlife corridors through creating and maintaining habitat and encouraging people to use sustainable gardening methods and grow nature friendly plants in their gardens.

Social

ActivLives projects are delivered at the heart of local communities and are community led. We access funding to offer a range of opportunities and projects for marginalised groups and disadvantaged people - including men with long-term health conditions, disadvantaged women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, young people including care leavers, and over the years have helped create more integrated communities.

We provide a variety of inclusive activities for people with a disability, but we also enable them to access inclusive sport festivals, tournaments and competitive pathways through Special Olympics Suffolk across the Country. We offer volunteering opportunities to the local community and support intergenerational skills share in all aspects of what we do.

We help people on their recovery journeys before and after discharge and we support people and their families on end of life journeys through ill health. We support our staff, members and volunteers through life changes, illness, family issues, financial and social issues, far beyond our remit as an employer or delivery agent.

The CRESS Pavilion in Maidenhall, Ipswich is a community venue which can be hired by members of the local community and other organisations enhancing programmes at ActivGardens and also provides a community venue for other ActivLives Hubs for carers and cared for and men and women’s well-being groups.

We collaborate with local community partners, including schools, community groups, libraries, churches, health and social care, the voluntary sector and residents’ associations. We improve skills for the most disadvantaged and those furthest from the labour market, proactively encouraging people to take part.

We create cohesive and diverse communities with a positive sense of openness, tolerance, understanding and interdependence. We share our good practice with other organisations and help them develop and we support County, Borough and District Councils to achieve their priorities in these three areas.

Value for Money

Over the last 10 years as a Charity we have supported over 3,000 people in Ipswich and East Suffolk. We currently have 1,325 people registered on our new database, many of them active and attending our sessions. If we prevent just 100 of our members from unnecessary contact with their GP, or attending A & E, having a fall resulting in a hip fracture, having hospital care, calling an ambulance, the need for Social Care, the savings to health & social care services is immense.

100 reduced GP contacts £3,923 100 reduced Ambulance call outs £25,800 100 reduced visits to A & E £16,000 100 reduced Hospital Admission per person £35,900 100 prevented hip fractures £1,540,000 100 Complications following a fracture £420,200 7 - days reduced Hospital Care per 100 people £253,200 1 month reduced need for Social Care in the community per 100 people £420,000

Total savings per 100 people £2,715,023

Our Action Plan for 2023 - 24

To review our Three-Year Strategy and to implement our Succession & Organisational Development Plan to ensure the organisation is able to grow, expand and increase the high-quality services we deliver and gain a recognised quality standard.

Secure funding, commissions, tenders and increase our generated income to ensure the organisation is sustainable, financially sound and we have the amount of reserves needed, as required by the Charity Commission.

Recruit / induct ActivLives Trustees, staff and volunteers, building their capacity, leadership skills and confidence to carryout their roles and tasks. Upskilling and empowering the team in decision making, planning and implementation, will ensure more effective and smarter ways of working.

Continue to develop preventative services that bring people together to improve health and well-being, reduce loneliness and social isolation and building stronger, more resilient communities.

To reach, engage and support people to remain independent, active and connected with their communities.

A Big Thank You to all our Supporters

ActivLives

would like to thank:

All our funders, sponsors, local business and supporters that have enabled us to continue delivering, developing and expanding our projects and services

Our members and volunteers for their time, support, commitment, ideas and feedback

All our partner organisations that we have worked with over the year and for supporting our services and projects

Local media and radio stations for promoting our initiatives

All our supporters for their gifts and donations

Tuddenham Press and other local companies that help promote the work we do