Livin’ it up Autumn 2014
Welcome to the YCP Autumn 2014 Newsletter! What a summer we’ve had! It’s been a fantastic 6 weeks of action-packed fun and we’ve loved every minute! We’re getting our woolly hats out now ready for Autumn. Take a look inside for news, updates and info about what’s coming up!
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Inside this issue:
Teen Zone
News and Updates
Zany Zone
Dates for your Diary
Recent Activities
Contact Us!
Parents’ Page
Kingston Carers’ Network, Noble Centre, 109a Blagdon Road, New Malden, KT3 4BD, 020 3031 2757 Registered Charity No. 1151456 Company No. 8376060
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO! SUMMER HOLIDAYS! We took part in the Dragon Boat Race again this year. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Police Cadets who stepped in to give us a hand with rowing! Well done to everyone who participated.
Battersea Park Adventure Playground is always great fun. While the young carers played, the staff and volunteers were starstruck because ADELE was there! We couldn’t believe it!
Thanks to Help a Capital Child we were able to go on a fantastic day trip to London. We went on the London Eye, the Duck Tours and had a delicious lunch at Pizza Express.
Fishing was a real blast at the Royal Berkshire Fishery! We caught so many fish and can’t wait to go back again soon! Those who came along got to keep their fishing rods and got a fishing license for the year!
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Autumn 2014
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We learnt loads at our Victorian Pharmacy Workshop. Thanks to all the staff at Holly Lodge in Richmond Park for teaching us about pills and potions!
The four day drama workshop was a hit as
Six of our young carers went along to Hampton Court for a day’s experience of being Horse Rangers! They got to go for a ride in Bushey Park in the morning followed by an afternoon of grooming their horses!
always. Our YCs did a brill job of remembering their lines. Thank you to Paul for working with us and writing our play for us. ‘Planet Graveyard’ was a real box office hit! What a day we had on our family trip to Littlehampton. We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather and the sea was lovely and warm (ish). Josh and Estelle managed to find a whole bucket full of crabs!
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Kingston Carers’ Network
RESIDENTIAL TRIPS! Our two camping trips at Walton Firs were amazing. Crate building, climbing, fires, marshmallows, the Ice Bucket Challenge and not enough sleep made for BRILLIANT trips. We can’t wait until next year for more of the same!
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
020 3031 2757
Autumn 2014
Ten of our young carers were lucky enough to be invited on a four day YMCA residential trip in Newgale, Wales. We cannot thank the YMCA staff enough for this fantastic experience. Newgale is a beautiful setting and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Find out more about the work of the YMCA on Twitter @ymcalsw @space_ymcalsw
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
THE HARMONY PROJECT! The introductory workshop involved YCs making kaleidoscopes and taking pictures of beautiful floral reflections. Such a simple idea but the results were stunning! A visit to the V&A included learning about Christopher Dresser and discussing what designs our YCs did and didn’t like. The final workshop saw our YCs stuffing and sewing cushions and juggling balls that they had designed themselves. It was fantastic to see the printed results of designs that started out just on paper! The final results were stunning. The exhibition of the Harmony Project work is on at the Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham until 26th October for those who wish to see it. We are also looking forward to bringing the exhibition to us here at the Noble Centre on the 6th November when we will have a viewing for families as well as something tasty to eat!
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Autumn 2014
GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!
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YCP Focus Group Would you like to represent the views of young carers in Kingston and help guide the work we do at the YCP? The focus groups meet every 8 weeks or so. This is a perfect opportunity for you to develop your confidence within a small group, meet new friends and make a difference to the lives of young carers in Kingston. Thanks to those who completed the summer surveys. There’s still time to finish them off and post them in so please do. Chocolatey prize for anyone who returns them on time! Your feedback about the project means a lot to us and helps us to secure funding for future trips and activities. Feedback is welcomed any time, any place so please don’t hesitate to contact us! Focus Group with Rob Henderson (Deputy Chief Executive of Achieving for Children) This is an excellent opportunity to share your opinions with Rob Henderson who is an important decision-maker when it comes to services for children and young people. The focus group workshop will involve discussions about the following: Any barriers and gaps in services working with young people The quality of the services provided Whether you feel your voice is/was heard in service planning and delivery Your ideas for future engagement mechanisms for involving young people If you are interested in getting involved in this focus group please do let us know. The workshop will be held on November 4th!
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
TEENS PAGE
THE GIVER FILM REVIEW— HAVE YOU SEEN IT? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU RATE IT! IN A PERFECT WORLD WITHOUT RACISM, CONFLICT OR SICKNESS, 12 YEAR OLD JONAS IS CHOSEN BY THE RECEIVER OF MEMORIES, AND IS TAUGHT HOW TO USE HIS GIFT BY “THE GIVER”. HE LEARNS THAT, MANY YEARS AGO, HIS ANCESTORS GAVE UP THEIR HUMANITY TO CREATE A MORE STABLE SOCIETY. HOWEVER, AS HE UNCOVERS THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS WORLD’S PAST, HE BEGINS TO SUSPECT IT IS NOT AS UTOPIAN AS IT SEEMS. More than 850,000 children and young people in the UK have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. If you’re worried about something check out: www.youngminds.org.uk It’s full of useful advice, support and info.
‘Know Your Rights’ Pack (Young Carers in Focus)
“This pack aims to make you aware of your rights – your human rights, your legal rights, and your rights to access things like benefits, support and advice. Need to know where to find things out in a hurry? The pack has lots of links to useful and interesting resources that can help you – and help raise awareness about young carers’ issues!” This pack is really, really useful and has sections on human rights, health and social care, education, bullying, skills and advice, work, money, the law, and influencing change. Let us know if you would like to have a look at the pack and we can email it to you or print one off and post it.
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Autumn 2014
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!!!
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Dear YCP,
Christmas is coming up and I’m really worried that I won’t be able to buy anything for my mum! I’ve got no money and neither does she but she’s had a hard few months and really deserves something! Being strapped for cash can be really difficult but when it comes to gifts it’s important to remember that it’s the thought that counts. Have you thought about exchanging handmade present at Christmas this year? Or maybe you could raise a bit of money by doing some work for your neighbours? What about walking next door’s dog? Your family love you for who you are and wouldn’t want to see you worrying over Christmas gifts!
Songwriter/Rap Competition Are you great at writing songs like Adele? Or maybe you think of yourself as the next Eminem? If this sounds like you, then email or facebook us a song or rap that you have created and you may be in with a chance of winning a prize!
Recommended Reading for Autumn 2014 ‘Skink - No Surrender’ by Carl Hiaasen Typical Malley - to avoid being shipped off to boarding school, she takes off with some guy she met online. Poor Richard - he knows his cousin's in trouble before she does. Wild Skink - he's a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, the unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets and giant gators. With Skink at the wheel, the search for a missing girl is both nail-bitingly tense and laugh-out-loud funny!
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
ZANY ZONE Lift Lady Riddle
JOKE BOX!
A lady who lives on the tenth floor takes the lift down to the Q: How do you make a tissue first floor every dance? morning and goes to work. A: Put a little boogey in it! When she gets back, if it is raining, or if there are people Q: What did Bacon say to with her, she will take the lift all Tomato? the way to the tenth floor. A: Lettuce get together! If it is not raining, and people aren’t with her, she takes the lift to the fifth floor and then takes the stairs the rest of the way. Why? Answer: She is too short to reach the tenth floor button. If there are people in the lift with her she can ask them to push the button for her. If it is raining she uses her umbrella to push the button.
Autumn is the perfect time to gather materials and get creative! Try painting leaves and using them as stamps on paper. The results can be gorgeous!
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ZANY ZONE
COLOUR BY NUMBERS!
3=blue
6=black
1=red
4=green
7=orange
2=yellow
5=brown
8=purple
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
BARNFIELD DROP IN (12+ Years)
WHEN? EVERY We’ve really missed our regular WEDNESDAY Barnfield Youth Group sessions (TERM TIME) over the summer holidays but WHERE?BARNFIELD are diving back into it all with YOUTH CENTRE plenty planned for this term. If WHO? YOUNG CARERS you’d like a copy of the AGED 12+ timetable let us know! YEARS We would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the Youth Service for their ongoing help and support. We couldn't carry on with Barnfield without you and appreciate all you do. We were sorry to say goodbye to David recently but are looking forward to meeting the new Youth Service staff member!
NOBLE DROP IN (UNDER 12S) WHEN? EVERY 2ND THURS OF THE MONTH
(TERM
TIME)
WHERE?NOBLE CENTRE WHO? YOUNG CARERS AGED
5-12 YEARS
Come along to the next drop in to carve your very own pumpkin to take home and put outside ready for Halloween!
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PARENTS’ PAGE KCN SUPPORT GROUPS! Parents of children with mental health problems Tolworth Childrens’ Centre Last Monday of each month 9:15am-11:15am Parents of children or young people with ADHD Noble Centre, New Malden Fridays: 10/10/14, 14/11/14 and 12/12/14 10:00am-12:00pm
Are you looking after someone? If you are an adult carer, Kingston Carers’ Network can support YOU! The services provided by Kingston Carers’ Network aim to minimise the consequences of caring by offering practical and emotional support and opportunities to take regular breaks from the responsibilities of caring. Carers can also benefit from a range of complementary therapies and beauty treatments.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY! Kingston Christmas Fair 2014
From 13th November – 16th November 10am – 7pm. Until late on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays Kingston’s All Saints Parish Church will be transformed into a winter wonderland with all the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Christmas market. Enjoy a host of festive treats such as mulled wine, roast chestnuts, carols from local choirs and live bands playing Christmas songs. The market features a huge array of beautifully lit and decorated white wooden chalets offering culinary delights, handmade arts and crafts and creative gifts for all the family. Christmas Lights Switch On th
13 November 2014
Kingston Town Centre provides free family entertainment with choirs, Christmas street entertainers and Father Christmas switching on Kingston Town Centre’s Christmas Lights.
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE YCP Do you live with someone who has a mental health issue? Andora is running a project which aims to provide one -to-one support and age-appropriate information to children and young people about mental ill health. If you would like some support around this, or know someone who would benefit, please get in touch by phone or email: 020 3031 2756 youngcarers4@kingstoncarers.org.uk
If you are between the ages of 15-25 and think you’d like to meet Emma for some support or just a chat give her a call or email: Emma Bell 020 3725 3050 yac@kingstoncarers.org.uk
WE’VE BEEN ‘LOOMING AMAZING’ FOR THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY! Amount raised: £72.84 Thanks to all the young carers who have worked so hard to make these fantastic bands! We’re very pleased to be able to send a cheque to the National Autistic Society which will help them to provide support to people with Autism.
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Welcome to our new staff! Lots of you will already have met our two new members of staff. We’ve got Kat Law (right) who is our Schools’ Link Worker. She will be doing lots of work within schools but also regularly helps out on activities. Chrissie Brouwer (left) is a Young Carers’ Support Worker (like Andora and Liz) and will be doing a bit of just about everything. It’s lovely having them on board! As always, we’d like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers, we really couldn’t do without all your help and support. For anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with the Young Carers’ Project please don’t hesitate to contact Lyndsey on 020 3375 8226. Contribution Corner What starts in e and ends in e and only has one letter? An envelope!! (Thanks for the riddle Callum and Archie!)
The volunteer thank you meal at Zizzi’s was FANTASTIC. The food was delish and it’s always lovely to see our volunteers outside of working hours!
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for plenty more updates, info and support!
www.facebook.com/Kingston.YCP @YCPKingston
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Kingston Carers’ Network
www.kingstoncarers.org.uk
CONTACT US! Diane 07818 878 931 youngcarers1@kingstoncarers.org.uk
Chrissie 07595 540 676 youngcarers2@kingstoncarers.org.uk
Liz 07551 647 448 youngcarers3@kingstoncarers.org.uk
Andora 07824 781 705 youngcarers4@kingstoncarers.org.uk
Kat 07756 593 456 schoolslink@kingstoncarers.org.uk