THE LISIUEX TRUST NEWSLETTER MARCH 2025 by LisieuxTrust

RESIDENT RECOGNISED

TENANTS AT BEEZEE BODIES

TENANT MEETS LEGEND

TENANT STARTS NEW ROLE

SUSAN’S THOUGHTS RESIDENTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS BIRTHDAYS THUMBS UP FOR THE TRUST WORK FOR US

A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Spring is in the air at the Lisieux Trust and this month’s newsletter is full of new beginnings and new challenges.

Now that Jess is at home with her family, I am sitting in ‘the big chair’ and want to say thank you to everyone who has made me so welcome and especially those who stick their heads round the door to say hello!

I know it feels like we’ve been waiting for a very long time but the first people will soon be moving into our two new homes at 631 Chester Road and 399 Boldmere Road. It will be lovely to see them transform from empty buildings into busy homes and if you are one of the new people joining the trust this month then I’d like to say a huge WELCOME!!

World Book Day this year is on 6 March and in fact the whole of March is National Reading Month!

This year is celebrating the many different ways that people enjoy books, whether its novels, reference books, comics, websites, graphic novels, audio books, story sessions, e-readers, magazines or even newsletters like this one, we invite everyone to #ReadYourWay.

March starts with St David’s Day on the first and of course also has St Patrick’s Day on the 17th so I expect to see daffodils and shamrocks everywhere; which reminds me that later this month we will be announcing the return of the Lisieux Trust Gardening Competition. Watch out for more information in next month’s newsletter and start thinking now about what you can do with the outdoor spaces where you live.

Finally, we’ve got Ramadan starting on 01 March, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday marking the start of Lent on 05 March and the 13/14th March brings both the Holi Hindu spring festival of colour and the equally colourful Purim celebrations in Jewish communities so if you are marking these or any other special days I hope you find peace and joy in fasting, feasting, friends and family.

This newsletter was put together with the help of many of the Residents and Tenants in the Trust. They provided content and assisted in writing and designing it. We thank them all for their incredible work.

NICK GETS RECOGNITION

Lisieux Trust is delighted to share that one of our tenants, Nick, has been recognised for his outstanding long service at Birmingham Settlement’s shop in Boldmere.

Nick has volunteered with the charity for over a decade and was honoured last week by Birmingham Settlement’s CEO, Martin Holcombe, at a special event held at the charity’s Head Office in Kingstanding.

Martin praised Nick’s dedication and impact, describing him as a “tremendous volunteer” whose contributions have greatly benefited the local community.

Nick was accompanied at the event by Andy Thorley, Lisieux Trust’s Marketing and Communications Officer, who expressed pride in Nick’s achievements. Andy said: “We are proud of the contributions our residents and tenants make to their communities, and it was fantastic to see Nick recognised.”

In addition to Nick’s remarkable achievement, we are proud to acknowledge that another of our tenants, Ade, has been volunteering at the same branch for even longer, demonstrating the incredible commitment and community spirit of our residents.

Lisieux Trust extends heartfelt congratulations to Nick and gratitude to Birmingham Settlement for recognising his valuable service. We are proud to support individuals to make a positive difference in their communities every day.

ROTARY CLUB DONATES TO TRUST

We are incredibly grateful to the Sutton/Vesey Rotary Club for their generous donation to Lisieux Trust. last month, Mike Harrison from the club visited our Head Office to present a fantastic contribution of £256. The donation was collected through the Rotary Club’s ongoing tradition of requesting contributions at the end of their meetings. This time, they chose to support Lisieux Trust, helping us continue to provide meaningful opportunities for the people we support.

Mike was welcomed by our Head of Operations, Alison O’Meara (pictured).

Susan Hoath, interim CEO for Lisiuex trust, expressed her gratitude, saying, “All this money will help us with activities for the people we support.”

Donations like this make a real difference in the lives of those we support, allowing us to offer enriching experiences and improve their wellbeing.

MARK STARTS NEW ROLE

We are delighted that Mark has now started his new role as a co-trainer on the mandatory government Oliver McGowan training programme.

A few months ago, we shared the news that this community-minded resident had been accepted onto the scheme— which all people who work in care must undertake—as an “Expert by Experience” to inform trainees with his personal challenges.

He has now completed his first session at Perry Tree in Kingstanding and said: “It was good fun. I think everyone listened to what I was saying and learned something.”

HEALTHY EATING

BY AMY AND FRIEND

Tenants from one of our houses are the latest members of the Trust family to attend Beezee Bodies. This diet and well-being programme is designed to educate, inform, and provide the knowledge needed to make healthy choices. The pair share their experiences below.

Every Wednesday, we head to the Elwood Centre with our support worker to take part in Beezee Bodies, a programme that helps us learn about healthy eating. We’ve been talking about portion sizes, food labels, and how to use a food scanner to check what’s really in our meals. One big topic was how much salt is in a Wetherspoon breakfast and how much sugar is in energy drinks and chocolate!

We also learned about the Eat Well Plate, which shows us how to balance different food groups. Another helpful tool is our special portion plates, which have made a big difference in helping us control how much we eat. We’ve even discussed disability friendly excercise for gym and swim sessions, along with sharing recipe ideas.

Yas, Gary, and TJ—for all their hard work. We appreciate everything you do!

Beezee Bodies has been a fantastic experience, and we want to give a huge thank you to Alison O’Meara for organising it. She has done an amazing job helping us understand healthy choices and make real changes in our lives. We also want to say a big thank you to our incredible support workers—Tori,

The Trust family had a fantastic February doing all sorts of things.

They wanted to tell you all about it, so let these Residents and Tenants tell you their stories.

IN THEIR RESIDENTS AND

Loads more next month!

WEST

BROM - BY NICK

OMI I went to West Brom and watched the game against Sheffield Wednesday from a suite. It was also Old Players’ Day.

I had the chance to meet several former players, including Jayson Molumby, who scored the winning goal that day (pictured).

Everyone was very friendly, and it was a fantastic day. The food was also really good.

I went to Aylesbury with Louise, one of our Support Workers, to see Jason Donovan. I am a big fan, and he played all of my favourite songs, like “Especially For You” and “Too Many Broken Hearts.”

It was a fantastic concert, with amazing lights and a great atmosphere.

Everyone really enjoyed themselves.

It was probably the best concert I’ve ever seen, and we had a nice breakfast at the hotel.

GOING TO IKEA -BY ROSA

“I went to Ikea to look at some things for when I move into my new house. I’ll be getting some new rugs (pictured) and a wardrobe.”

JASON DONOVAN - BY MARK

THEIR OWN WORDS AND TENANTS

There was a Michael Jackson tribute show at Sutton Town Hall. I went, and it was brilliant! The performer was an incredible dancer and sang a lot of Michael Jackson’s best songs. I especially liked ‘Smooth Criminal,’ but all of the songs were great.

Me and Nat [one of the Trust Support Workers] went to the cinema to see the new Stephen King film “The Monkey.”

It was a great film, we really enjoyed it.

The cinema in Sutton is really nice, the seats are like proper armchairs.

I really enjoy horror films, they don’t scare me at all.

We went to the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield. Elizabeth came too, and Helen [one of the Trust’s Support Workers].

It was brilliant. Everyone was singing the songs. but especially “Tomorrow”.

There was also a little dog running about on stage. He was funny!

ANNIE BY KAREN AND ZENA

MICHAEL JACKSON - BY SUMMER

THE CINEMA - BY ADE

AMII’S BISCUIT UPDATE

We’ve been doing a lot of the same things this month, as Biscuit keeps building on what she’s been doing. We’ve all been enjoying Pony Club and helping all the children. They’re aged 6 to 15, and it’s great.

They’ve all been doing really well and improving.

Another thing we’ve been doing is Hacking Out—riding on the trails—and we’ve been really enjoying that too.

Biscuit’s been getting on so well with all the other horses, especially Barnaby, her boyfriend.

Belle—my old horse—is there too. They all go up to the top field and spend their time up there.

She’s shedding her winter coat now, and I’ve given her a new plait (pictured).

Later in the summer, we’re really looking forward to doing some shows together.

47 YEARS AT EBROOK - BY MAURA

I went to Ebrook Centre on 31 August 1978.

When I was first there we did our work and we were paid for it.

Every morning about 10 we went to hall for a drink.

I was also in the Sports Team we trained at the Alexander Stadium and then by the time we got back it was lunchtime. There were only people in the centre.

I lived with my parents, I miss them

a great deal but I’ve still got my sister, Vaughn, Luke and Martha.

FEBRUARY AT THE TRUST - BY AMY

February was a lively month for the Lisieux Trust family, filled with activities that brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Some of our residents enjoyed fresh haircuts and had their nails painted, adding a bit of sparkle to the winter days. There was also a special celebration as we hosted a lovely baby shower for Jess, our CEO, making it a heartwarming occasion for all.

Our tenants embraced the opportunity for adventure with day trips to exciting places like museums, where they explored new things, and some even enjoyed the magic of a pantomime, sharing laughs and unforgettable moments.

With spring just around the corner, we’re excited about the many opportunities for even more activities. The longer days and warmer weather will surely bring new chances to create wonderful memories together. Stay tuned for more updates as we step into spring!

Trust News and more

WORK

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR US FUN

DEPUTY ROAMING MANAGER MANAGER

We are recruiting for a new Deputy Manager to join our management team, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism.

As the Roaming Service manager you will support the managers of the individual services where extra support is needed in addition to working at home manager’s level for short periods of time where a home is without a manager.

Contact Denise Johnson for all roles on Denisejohnson@lisieuxtrust.org.uk

Loads of birthdays in the Trust family this month including these:

So please wish Richard on the second, Jack on the 3rd, Amy on the 9th, Peter on the 17th, Daniel on the 18th, Tom on the 24th the most brilliant of days.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

We were delighted to welcome plenty of new staff this month as we expand ahead of the opening of the brand new properties.

That included these four: Meg (top left), Kenneth (top right), Rachel (bottom left) and Sophie (bottom right)

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Kevin Nagle (Chair), Pauline Lucas, Gary Harris, Elizabeth Fruer, Sarah Ann Moore, Asma Nafees, Nigel Downs, Gareth Chandler.

TRAINING

Face to face training got underway for 2025 this month.

In conjuction with our partners, Curve Learning, courses included:

Safeguarding, which 12 people attended.

There will be plenty more next month.

JO MEETS SKIING LEGEND

SNOW

WHITE ADE’S RAP CORNER

Snow White was a lovely and honest cutie. The Evil stepmother was jealous of her beauty. When the workmen got back from the mine, Snow White cleaned their house making everything shine. The evil queen disguised herself as an old lady, visited Snow White. gave her a poisoned apple and took a bite. Snow White slept because of the spell she got a kiss from a Prince that made her well. The workmen danced around full of laughter, married the Prince and lived happy ever after.

You’ll have seen Irina on the front cover of the newsletter, well the brilliant picture is of her holiday to Bolivia where she is on holiday with her mum. She’s having a brilliant time, and we’ll have loads more when she’s back.