Dudley CVS Echo March / April 2017

the echo march/april 2017

FEATURING DO FEST

Inviting local people to create, make, share and learn.

Community Information Point Information Champions helping local people to avoid crisis situations.

Seniors Luncheon Club A place to make friends and socialise.

news

IN THIS ISSUE New starters ................................................. 2 Integrated Plus celebrate award............... 2 Local carers put a spring in their step....... 3 Community Information Point Network.. 4 Do Fest Dudley............................................. 5 Coseley Station in bloom ........................... 9 Senior Luncheons Club .............................. 10 Volunteering FAQs....................................... 11 A year of DY1-stop shop.............................. 12

AVAILABLE IN LARGE PRINT ON REQUEST

New starters Dudley CVS is pleased to welcome Anthony to the team.

Anthony has a background in supporting people through recovery from dependence to independence through developing and managing Residential Drug and Alcohol Detox Facilities, training and development of staff and volunteers and the delivery of training to peer mentors and volunteers.

Anthony, currently supports the PSIAMS team on professional development, expansion of services and lead on work across Children and Young People's projects. Read more about Anthony - ‘A new chapter..’ www.tinyurl.com/dcvsblog Anthony Cokeley, PSIAMS Interim Manager Tel: 01384 217055. Email: anthony@PSIAMS.com

Integrated Plus celebrate award On 28th February 2017, Dudley CVS’s Integrated Plus service won a West Midlands Leadership Academy Recognition Award 2016/17.

The NHS Leadership Recognition Awards celebrate leaders at all levels and across all professions. Those who

have ultimately improved people’s health and the public’s experience of the NHS. Integrated Plus received the award for the non-clinical support provided to residents of Dudley borough.

“It was fantastic and a great surprise to win this award. Winning this award is not only down to the hard work and dedication of the Integrated Plus staff but to all services and activities that we have connected people into.

Without these valuable preventative services, residents of Dudley borough would not be supported to help maintain their independence, become more active and involved in their communities and better able to self-manage long term conditions”.

Kate Green, Manager of Integrated Plus service

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news

Local carers put a spring in their step Did you know that Healthwatch Dudley bring together local unpaid carers with organisations offering help and support, for monthly carers walks at a local beauty spot?

It all started with an offer from Saltwells Nature Reserve for free guided nature walks with local groups.

Chris Barron from Healthwatch Dudley said, “A group of carers had told us how they would value informally meeting other carers and organisations, to share experiences and get support, this led to us organising monthly events.”

The Carers Amble takes place on the 2nd Thursday of every month from the Saltwells Lane car park at 12.30pm. People who attend are invited to enjoy the accessible woodland trails and fresh air while finding out about local support for unpaid carers.

People who help relatives and friends to complete every day tasks and are looking for a little time out, either by themselves or with the person who they care for, are invited to attend. i For more information contact Chris Barron on 03000 111 001 or email chris@healthwatchdudley.co.uk Often people who provide this kind of support do not recognise themselves as being a carer, you might be helping with cooking, cleaning and running errands, or assisting with washing, dressing or taking medication

and feel that you need some mutual support or practical help.

There are various ways to meet other carers and access information in Dudley borough including: DY1 Carers Tea and Chat Drop In - Takes place on the first and third Friday of every month between 9:30am and 12:30pm. No need to book, just drop in, refreshments are available at a small cost.

Carers Cafe at Queens Cross - A new carers cafe launched in November at Dudley Council’s Queens Cross Centre, Wellington Road, Dudley. The cafe will run from 10:30am until 1:30pm on the third Thursday of each month. All carers are welcome, along with the person that they care for.

Me, Myself and I - A support group for carers of people living with dementia meet at the Black Country Living Museum every month. The next meetings will take place on Monday 8th May and Monday 5th June.

Dudley Carers Forum - First Wednesday of each month. Meetings are usually between 11:00am and 2:00pm. www.dudleycarersforum.wordpress.com i For more information about any of the above contact Dudley Carers Network on 01384 818723 carers.network@dudley.gov.uk www.dudley.gov.uk/carers

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local charity news news

Have you joined the Community Information Point Network?

Did you know there are now over 200 Information Champions helping local people to avoid crisis situations in Dudley borough?

Information points are located in lots of different easily accessible places including libraries, cafes and community pharmacies. Lloyds bank has recently signed up and very soon Dudley borough GP receptionists will also become Information Champions.

But you don’t have to operate an information point to get involved; you just need to be in contact with local people through your work or your volunteering activities and have access to the Internet.

Meet Charlotte, a remote working local authority officer with Dudley Home Improvement Service.

“In my case worker role I meet local people to assess their home, health and independence needs. Through our conversations I find out where people need a little bit of extra help and this is where my Information Champion training comes in.

No situation is the same and the people I meet have a wide range of experiences, from needing help with adaptations in the home and keeping warm and well, to

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people who might be lonely and are interested in getting more involved with their community.

Using the knowledge I gained from my Information Champion training and the useful website resources I learned how to use, I know that I am making a big difference.

In my role I use websites including Dudley Community Information Directory (www.dudleyci.co.uk) and NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk), which gives me confidence to know that the information that I provide comes from trusted sources and is up to date and relevant.

Being an Information Champion changes how you think about situations, you are always listening and assessing to get a better understanding of how to stop people from spiraling into crisis.”

Community Information Champion training is free and is delivered by Healthwatch Dudley. Training dates have now been set for the year and can be booked at: www.infochamp.eventbrite.co.uk . i Contact Deb from Healthwatch Dudley on 03000 111 001 or email hello@healthwatchdudley.co.uk for more information.

news news

do fest FOR THE DOERS, THE ENCOURAGERS AND THE CURIOUS Do Fest was a 3 day festival in Dudley inviting local people of all ages and backgrounds to create enjoyable ways of making, sharing and learning together. It provided a taste of what’s possible in our towns and neighbourhoods, and insights into ways we can nurture it.

Increasing participation in practical everyday activities (such as making, cooking, growing, and learning) could help to transform our lives and the places in which we live. Studies suggest that everyday activities and practices can account for 40% of the differences between people’s wellbeing.

Dudley CVS has been sharing inspiring ideas from around the world of simple, easy to sustain practical hands-on projects. Many of these have caught the imagination of people who live in Dudley. Do Fest brought together over 200 people eager to make, share and learn together.” the echo | 5

local charity news DO FEST

“I wanted to see for myself the processes of collaboration and changing behaviours.”

“I’m inspired by the collaborative buzz.”

Do Fest doers

Collaboration Inviting and nurturing collaborative behaviours is a distinctive characteristic of the projects which Do Fest brought together. This was reflected in the design of Do Fest, such that Do Fest itself was a co-creation brought to life by over 70 people with a vast array of skills, talents, interests, roles and passions. These included design, hosting, crafts, research, communications, art, growing, leading, building, photography, cooking, upcycling, curating, network weaving, storytelling, connecting, and coffee making.

During Do Fest 21 people worked together to build a mini wikihouse (www.wikihouse.cc) and were inspired by this simple, low cost, sustainable building idea which is open to anyone to use.

There was more hands on doing, connecting and collaborating during Crafternoon and Trade School classes in breadmaking, textile art, sign language, poster art, machine embroidery and seed bomb making. And over 50 people came together to support local people with project ideas through a SOUP micro-granting dinner.

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news DO FEST

Changing perceptions of Dudley Throughout Do Fest people commented on how inspired they felt, and that their thoughts about Dudley were changing - they were feeling much more positive about Dudley as a place.

Sometimes this was in response to the welcome and hand crafted, up-cycled environs of gather coffee shop, and the co-created Inspiration Lab, Workshop and emerging garden in the High Street premises. It was also a running theme in reaction to Lightning Talks given by local people about projects they are involved in, from growing in Wrens Nest and Coseley, Dudley SOUP and Trade School, to a monthly Tea Party in Wollaston and a Skittles League which brings together over 100 people from Coseley’s clubs and community groups.

The Do Fest Summit featured inspiration from a town in Yorkshire called Todmorden where people have been growing fruit and vegetables in public places for 10 years. Already wildflower seed bombs have been made and thrown (to attract bees), vegetable seeds from the Summit have made their way to Brockmoor Primary School, and people have started sharing ideas, photos and videos of unloved bits of land in Dudley which could be transformed into gardens for everyone.

“Although I am here for work, I am also here because I live just down the road and I love that this is happening here.”

Do Fest doer the echo | 7

local charity news do fest

Do Fest in numbers 1 Crafternoon 1 Art Exhibition 1 mini wikihouse built 1 raised bed built in gather garden 1 Living Room conversation 1 Summit 2 Design Labs 2 Create Days (before Do Fest) 4 projects pitched at SOUP 6 Learning Labs 7 Trade School classes 10 Lightning Talks 12 Serendipitea encounters 71 co-creators 220+ people (of all ages, from 1 to 72) the echo | 8

“I saw lots of smiling and sharing, people supporting each other and having a go. A bunch of us put together a wiki wendy house, a fun, exhilarating (and noisy!) activity that demonstrated how open source design can help provide solutions to housing (www.demodev.org). We quickly organised ourselves and shared hammering duties to create a cosy little space in Gather Dudley.”

Becky, Dudley CVS Read more reflections from Becky www.tinyurl.com/dofestreflections Couldn’t make it to Do Fest? Don’t worry, you can find out more about joining or starting practical projects at www.colabdudley.net

In Kind Direct

news

Coseley Railway Station Flower Beds

Coseley Railway Station in bloom Commuters and shoppers may have noticed a new plaque erected at Coseley station to recognise the voluntary work carried out in recent years to maintain the flower bed on the North bound platform.

Since the flower bed has been created with plants funded by East Coseley Big Local and further donations

by Bramford Hardware store, there has been less litter dropped in the area, and vandalism has reduced. There are now plans to widen the scope of the work to include the South bound platform later in the year.

The volunteers, including members of the Bayer Street Allotment Association, assisted by Big Local workers, have now been given the opportunity to join a new scheme set up by London Midland. The “adopt a station” scheme will allow better access to the station, and improve ties with the railway authorities who are pleased to assist in improving the environment.

There are now plans to create flower displays on the two islands on Green St in Roseville, and as part of the canal towpath improvements which are currently being discussed with British Waterways Trust.

To support these and other projects, East Coseley Big Local has provided funding for a polytunnel, which will be used to grow more plants for the flower beds, and provide a location for other community activities. Anyone who’d like to lend a hand with these, and any other gardening projects in the green spaces in the Coseley area would be very welcome to do so. i For more information on how to get involved contact hello@eastcoseleybiglocal.net

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local charity news news

Volunteers at the Senior Luncheons Club

Seniors Luncheon Club Revisited It has been 8 years since the beginning of the Stourbridge Seniors Luncheon Club. Today we revisit the club to find it still going strong, providing hot meals to many older people who may not otherwise get the opportunity to get out of the house and socialise.

In 2006, inspired by helping out at Stroke Club, May Sweeney sought out to see if older people in and around Stourbridge wanted to get together for a regular lunch to make friends and socialise.

May's local church hall, ‘Our Lady of All Saints’ in Stourbridge was happy to help, offering space to make the lunches happen, it wasn’t long before other volunteers offered help cook and serve food.

Things really took off. From a first lunch that had around 15 participants, the club quickly attracted 30 regulars and a list of more than 40 people that had been to at least one lunch.

Connections with the local primary school brought children to the club to help serve lunch and join in with singing songs.

It wasn’t long before conversations started around the kinds of activities they could do on top of their monthly lunch and in 2009, the group decided to apply to Dudley Council for a small grant to start more activities.

It was then that the group were referred to Dudley CVS to help them to formalise their plans. Dudley CVS offered continued support finding entertainers for activities as well as accounting and finance, keeping people safe and making grant applications.

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The club soon grew to new heights generating more ideas of activities, including film afternoon.

“I look forward to dressing up to see my friends.”

The regulars say that the Seniors Luncheon Club is a great place to make friends. One member was glad to come with her friend who gave her a lift each month, another looked forward to dressing up to come and see her friends. For some people who are less active, it’s the only time they get out of the house.

Becky Pickin, Dudley CVS, who has supported the group throughout the years said, “The club members decided that the reason they wanted to exist was to address loneliness and isolation by getting older people involved in social activities.”

Over the years, Becky helped the club to make successful applications for funding from Dudley MBC small grants, Grassroots Grants and Awards for All. In total, Dudley CVS has helped the group to bring in at least £23,281 over the last 8 years from various different funders.

Without the funding, the club is sustainable. The club charges a nominal fee for meals to help cover the cost of ingredients together with fundraising through raffles.

The funding helps to cover the costs of extra activities and to support people that may find it hard to pay. i If you would like more information contact Becky Pickin, Small Groups Development Officer smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk

news Volunteering FAQs Q. What is the difference between volunteering, work experience and unpaid work?

A. Volunteering: • activities must be complementary, not directly replacing a paid person • mutually beneficial (to individual and organisation) • independently chosen and time is freely given • flexible wherever possible to suit the volunteer • has community or social benefit • is offered to not-for-profit organisations

Work experience: • with a wide range of organisations – business, statutory or voluntary/community • short period spent in a workplace, to gain experience of a work environment – usually every day for a week or two • fixed days and times • benefits an individual rather than the organisation Unpaid Work • with a business • often a paid person’s role • fixed days and times • may not be optional, an individual may be obliged to undertake it • benefits the organisation rather than the individual • no guarantee of employment Q. Do I get paid for volunteering?

A. No you won’t receive payment for volunteering, although you should receive out-of-pocket expenses such as travel if the organisation can afford to reimburse them.

Q. Will volunteering get me a job?

A. Undertaking volunteering will not guarantee you a job, HOWEVER, you will gain lots of transferable skills which will make you more employable and you will also get a reference when you’ve been there for a certain period, so it’s a brilliant CV booster!

Q. Can I choose where I volunteer?

A. Definitely. Volunteering is all about choice and deciding what you want to do and where you want to do it. It may be that there are no roles in the area you wish to volunteer, but hopefully there will be other options you would like to try.

Q. How many hours do I need to volunteer for? I want to go every day.

A. Many potential volunteers think they will be volunteering every day, but this is usually not the case.

Not-for-profit groups often have several volunteers, so you may end up only volunteering for half a day or even a day a week in most cases.

Q. Is there an age limit for volunteering?

A. There are no restrictions to children and young people volunteering, however it is sensible to comply with the local authority restrictions on paid employment for children and young people under the age of 13. Upper age limits for volunteering are normally set by insurance policies eg minibus drivers may not be covered after 70.

Q. How do I get started?

A. Get in touch! For more information on how to get started call 01384 573381 or email volunteer@dudleycvs.org.uk. Visit the website: www.volunteeringcounts.org.uk

Subscribe Would you like to hear more about news and events from Dudley CVS? Why not subscribe to our e-bulletin www.interests.me/org/dudleycvs If you would like to share your good news stories, successful collaborations or upcoming activities, we would love to hear from you, please contact our Communications Officer at comms@dudleycvs.org.uk

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And finally....

A year of DY1-stop shop It’s been a year since the team launched ‘DY1-stop shop‘, a monthly drop-in for anyone with questions about community groups, charities, social enterprises, getting involved in community activities or volunteering.

“I’ve really enjoyed working in this way. It’s a non-threatening way for people to make their first contact with us and it’s quite fun not knowing what to expect from one month to the next!”

Becky, Dudley CVS

Most recently, the team helped Cllr Steve Waltho and his wife, Jayne, who are part of a new group being set up to keep alive the legacy of Dudley mountain climber and peace campaigner Bert Bissell. The team helped with a constitution to help formalise the Bert Bissell Memorial Society together with ideas for connections the new group could make.

Bert Bissell (1902-1998) was a mountain climber and peace campaigner. Born in Dudley, he lived at Selborne Road and worked as a probation officer. Bert climbed Ben Nevis on VJ Day in 1945 and constructed a ‘Peace Cairn’ at its summit. He repeated the expedition annually, a tradition which continued for 50 years. Bert died in November 1998 aged 96. There is a monument to him at Coronation Gardens opposite the Council House in Dudley town centre.

At April’s DY1-stop shop the team will be joined by our Funding Officer, Martin and Inderjit Nijjer who’s the External Funding and Community Grants Manager on the ESF Programme at Walsall Council. Inderjit will be available to answer any questions you may have about the ESF grants programme. i Read more on our blog: tinyurl.com/dy1stopshop DY1-stop shop is open on the first Wednesday of every month, 10am-1pm in the coffee shop of DY1, Stafford Street, Dudley.

This echo was brought to you by...

Dudley CVS TEAM MEMBERS: Dudley CVS Office: Helena Norman, Communications Officer 7 Albion Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 3EE Becky Pickin, Small Groups Development Officer T: 01384 573381 W: www.dudleycvs.org.uk Lorna Prescott, Senior Development Officer @DudleyCVS facebook.com/cvsdudley Kate Green, Integrated Plus Manager Eileen Fielding, Volunteer Centre Development DY1 : Manager Stafford Street, Dudley, DY1 1RT Melissa Guest, Communications Development Officer To hire the venue, call Dale on 01384 573381 Anthony Cokeley, PSIAMS Interim Manager @dy1venue BRIERLEY HILL CIVIC haLL: Bank Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 3DH To hire the venue, call James on 07801 710807 @bhillcivic

Dudley CVS is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee Place of registration: England Company number: 1998105 Charity number: 517766

facebook.com/bhillcivic w: bhillcivic.co.uk

Contact Telephone: 01384 573381 Email: dale@dudleycvs.org.uk