Livability news May 2009

Summer 2009

Issue 4

news

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Getting the most out of life

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A winning team

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Come dancing

Livability is the new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society

Message from Mary Welcome to another edition of Livability News. I’d like to start by thanking you for your invaluable support for our work. We are grateful for the interest of every supporter because you underpin what we do and without you, it simply couldn’t happen.

In this edition of Livability News, we are telling stories about the people that make us special. As Chief Executive, I’m so aware that I have a fantastic team of staff, and I’m proud to say that they often go far above and beyond what’s expected of them. My only sadness is that with limited space, we can’t tell more stories of the very special people who work here.

A great team is only part of the Livability story. We are also blessed with a committed group of supporters.

Some, like media personality and Livability Vice President Roger Royle, are well known, but others, like Joan Pacheco, who we sadly lost earlier this year, are no less significant. And if you are one of the hundreds who sent in your favourite recipe, then thank you, too. However you support us, by giving your time, your money or your prayers, we are very grateful to you.

Thank you again for your support,

Mary Bishop, Chief Executive

Livability 50 Scrutton Street, London EC2A 4XQ Tel: 020 7452 2000 Fax: 020 7452 2100 info@livability.org.uk www.livability.org.uk Registered charity no: 1116530 Registered in England no: 5967078 Livability is the operating name of GroomsShaftesbury, a company limited by guarantee.

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Enthusiastic Livabilty supporters ready to run the London Marathon

Why I support Livability “I remember the first time I heard of John Grooms,” says May Cooper, a Livability supporter. “It was back in 1991. My friend, who was disabled, stayed in a John Grooms holiday home and had a great time.” Eighteen years is a long time, but for some of Livability’s loyal supporters, the reason why they decided to support us is still a fond memory.

May Cooper, from Burton on Trent, became a supporter because she wanted to be part of a charity that creates choices for disabled people. Mrs Cooper says: “It’s in my nature to care and I do enjoy helping people. I shall keep showing my support for charities I’m most fond of, like Livability. I am retired, but I do my best.”

As we work with disabled and marginalised people, it is a real honour to know that, for many years, thousands of supporters have been taking this journey of passion and commitment alongside us. Mrs Butterworth, from Surrey, has supported Livability since 1994. She feels strongly that young disabled people deserve the right to live in suitable accommodation. Mrs Butterworth says: “I feel it is very hard for these young people. I am very keen that disabled people should live independent lives!”

What does Livability mean to you? We would love to hear your thoughts about the charity, and why you decided to support us.

Please contact Julia Hunton via email at: jhunton@livability.org.uk.

A history lesson The Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury was the first president of both the Shaftesbury Society and John Grooms, the two charities that formed Livability. He led a remarkable life and his character still inspires us today. Here’s how a contemporary writer described his later life: His life was full of activity, and of the kind which seemed best employed when devoted to carrying out some beneficent purpose. Even when far advanced in life, and therefore having reached a time when most people are expected to take things easy, he might be seen going from the House of Lords to the Commons with the briskness of a young man. Few men seemed to bear more lightly such a load of years. He never set himself up to be a man of intellect or power, nor did he pretend or try to be a statesman. He was content with being good and doing good, and in this has set an example within the reach of those who have the humblest talents or the fewest opportunities.

John W Kirton

Getting the most out of life

Easter Service

At Livability, we work hard to give the disabled people we support the most fulfilling life possible. It’s often the small, everyday things that help people enjoy the day and bring a sense of achievement. Staff at Anvil House, one of our residential centres in Essex, make sure the seven residents, none of whom communicate verbally, get the most out of life at home and in the community.

Several of the residents are out during the day at local day services and other activities. Back at home, they enjoy dinner together in the dining room, or, if they choose, they can take their meal in their own room. Later on, a trip to the pub down the road is a popular way to spend the evening and staff try to make sure residents can do this twice a week if they wish. Other local evenings out include playing snooker and going ten-pin bowling.

One of the highlights of the week at Anvil is “pamper night”, when everyone gets a chance to relax and emerge a little bit more glamorous than when they arrived. One of the staff, a trained beauty therapist, offers manicures and pedicures, or hand and foot massages. With music in the background, the evening is a great source of enjoyment for the residents, even for some of the men who like sitting with their feet in a warm, bubbly foot spa!

The residents’ spiritual needs are considered important at Anvil and a range of different activities are organised which the residents can choose to attend. Many of the residents like to go to “Anvil Alpha” once a week, where they hear a Bible story and can make some craft based around the story. Everyone can use musical instruments to join in the worship time. The local vicar is a good friend of Anvil House and often pops in. He has a hidden talent which delights the residents – he does a great impersonation of Elvis Presley. Heather, a resident who is a huge Elvis fan and has her room decorated with Elvis memorabilia, was thrilled when the vicar found her an Elvis mug as a gift.

One of the resident’s parents summed up the importance of a place like Anvil House: “David gets opportunities to do things here that he wouldn’t get if he were living at home.” Comments like that encourage staff across our services to carry on giving new opportunities to everyone they work with, even when that can be difficult and timeconsuming, because at Livability we don’t want anyone to settle for less.

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On 17 April Livability supporters and friends gathered at Wesley’s Chapel in central London for our first Easter service. With soprano Mary Plazas and the Pure Gospel Choir providing wonderful music, it was a great time of celebration.

Eileen from one of our Lifestyles Choices projects gave an insight into what Livability means in her life. The service was lead by one of our stalwart supporters, BBC Radio’s Canon Roger Royle. It was a lovely service and raised around £13,000 for our work.

Watch out for details of next year’s service.

Holidays With more and more people planning on taking their holidays in the UK this year, here’s an opportunity you won’t want to miss. Livability Holidays are pleased to offer a 5% discount to all our supporters. We have holiday accommodation in some of the country’s most popular destinations, including Ambleside, Minehead and Llandudno. Our holiday centres are designed with disability access in mind, so may be ideal for taking an older relative on a break. To find out more, why not visit www.livabilityholidays.org.uk 3

A winning team They say that an organisation is only as good as its people. Here at Livability, we’re proud to have a really great team of staff. They are a group of people who are truly committed to changing lives. They give so much of themselves – the work can be physically demanding, requiring large amounts of effort and energy. Perhaps more significantly, the work is often emotionally demanding. Working with people with long term or life-shortening conditions can call for staff to draw on deep reserves of patience and compassion.

February’s heavy snow-fall placed great demands on our staff, who responded with incredible resilience.

While many businesses up and down the country simply closed for a few days, that was never an option for us. Some staff at one project worked a 72-hour shift when their colleagues were unable to get in. Yet they remained very positive: “We all just pulled together!”

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Teachers and support workers usually enjoy the quiet rural location of Hinwick Hall College, but the snow turned it into a real challenge. Local roads were not gritted and the heavy snow turned to ice on the road, leaving the college cut off for three days. But staff put in a huge effort. “Many staff came to work with changes of clothing and bedding because they knew they would be staying for a few days,” recalls principal Tansi Harper. “And my vice principal, Liz Auchincloss, became a sous chef, helping to prepare the meals!”

Spirits were high for these three days even though students were not able to access all the college buildings could have become very bored, morale was high. A sing-a-long led by the Head of Education created a great distraction as students and staff joined together to keep warm and have fun.

Sometimes staff go the extra mile to enable service users to make choices and get involved in their community. Jill Lammond, who works in Brackley, volunteered for a night shift extraordinaire when she supported service user Nigel to take part in an Extreme Sleep Out event. Nigel really wanted to get involved, to raise money for a YMCA homelessness project, so Jill went along to support him.

Nigel, Jill and a small group slept outside the local Baptist church on a cold January night, and together raised nearly £2,000!

They had fuelled up earlier on fish and chips, and coffee at a local café. Jill reports that the first thing she did when she got home the next morning was have a hot bath and crawl into bed. In so many other organisations, Nigel would have just been told he couldn’t take part – that it was too difficult to organise. But thanks to staff like Jill, we are able to offer people real choices – and the chance to live life to the full.

Our staff are often unsung heroes.

Their work may rarely be glamorous, rarely be in the public eye. Instead it is day-in, day-out, calling for levels of commitment that few can match. We try to recognise staff who go beyond the call of duty – our “Star Performers”. Here’s what a few of them have to say:

The best thing about my job is solving challenges – I work with people who sometimes have challenging behaviour, but I always try and get brilliant outcomes – I love seeing people doing things on their own.

Tracy Mutsinze, East Sussex Supported Living, who just started a management course

I love all aspects of my job, and couldn’t think of being anywhere else really Tracy Longcluse, third generation of her family to work at Brookside

Why do I work here? To enable service users to have day-to-day fulfilment in life.

Irene Richmond, 30 years at York House

The best thing is when we see a service user achieve a goal they have been working towards – there’s nothing better than that.

Louis Chan Kee, Dolphin Court manager

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Come dancing “Plié! Tendue! Plié! Tendue! Bend! Stretch!” Ballet instructions echoed through the hall. Children in wheelchairs threw themselves at the challenge wholeheartedly, steering themselves around the space with surprising grace. And even slightly selfconscious support workers found themselves joining in with enthusiasm.

Victoria Education Centre recently had an amazing opportunity to work with the English National Ballet during their performing arts week. Following generous funding from the Scotshill Trust, the ballet company spent three days running workshops with all the students. The dancers taught them new techniques and encouraged them to devise and choreograph their own work.

The last day culminated in a fantastic performance.

Victoria students showed off newly-found ballet and tap-dancing skills. One piece saw older students work with dancers from Poole High School to great effect as the strength and speed of the wheelchair users brought a real dynamic to the stage. Finally, the principal dancers from the English National Ballet put on a beautiful exhibition which left everyone speechless. Our thanks go to everyone involved in organising such an unforgettable week. captions

With sadness It was with real sadness that we learned of the death of one of our most loyal and hard-working supporters, Joan Pacheco. Joan had been a member of the Edgware Friends of John Grooms since it began in 1969, eventually becoming chair for most of the 1990’s. She also sat on the board of John Grooms for many years. We have many committed supporters, but Joan and her husband Jack stood apart in their dedication and perseverance. Those of us who had the pleasure of being there will never forget their tireless work at Edgware’s summer fêtes and golf days. As an organisation, we are privileged to have many loyal supporters, like Joan, who have enabled us to achieve so much in our work with disabled and disadvantaged people.

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Sugar and spice Thank you for sending us your delicious recipes, in response to receiving our “Recipe for independence” letter. You may remember how we explained that fully accessible kitchens are an essential part of leading independent lives for residents David and Lucy. Residents and staff from care homes around the country have been busily sifting, rolling and baking some fantastic recipes. We’re pleased to say that David and Lucy selected a deliciously moist, gooey apple cake as the winning recipe!

Thank you again to everyone who shared their recipes with us.

Update from Hinwick “May God bless you all with every good thing, and supply all your needs now and in the future.” This is just one example of the inspiring words of support sent to Hinwick Hall College recently in response to our Path to Freedom appeal.

You may remember receiving our letter at Christmas, which told you about this special college in Northamptonshire, and our hope to build a purpose-built bicycle path for the students.

We have been simply overwhelmed with your generosity.

Caption We have even had one person send us money specifically to buy a new specially adapted bike.

Nicky Clarke, a physiotherapist at Hinwick, has seen first hand the difference cycling makes to the students. “Cycling improves fitness levels, mobility and it raises self esteem and confidence.” she says.

“It improves students’ coordination and helps them achieve a greater level of independence. They also get to meet new friends and it’s such fun!”

As you are probably aware, there is a great deal going on throughout Livability’s schools and colleges this year. You may have recently had an update about a major refurbishment project at Hinwick, This has become our priority, as it will open the college up to a further 19 students. But we are exploring ways of incorporating the bike path in this exciting redevelopment. We will definitely be keeping you posted over the coming months.

Come into the garden If you are a fan of gardening, then this is an opportunity not to be missed. On Sunday 19 July, Livability would like to invite you to an open garden at Ote Hall, Wivelsfield. This stunning garden, not usually open to the public, includes an ancient yew tree mentioned in the Doomsday Book.

The highlight will be a talk by acclaimed horticulturalist Dr Dean Marston, who will be sharing his knowledge with us in an informative and entertaining way.

Tickets are complimentary however a suggested donation of £10 would be greatly appreciated.

To reserve your tickets please telephone us on 020 7452 2115 or email events@livability.org.uk.

Events Calendar

Livability golf day Buckinghamshire 28 September 2009 Following on from the huge success of last year’s tournament, this year’s event promises to be an exciting day. After 18 holes of golf, there will be a three-course dinner with a raffle and other entertainment.

A night at the musicals Landmark Hotel October 2009 Join us for an enchanting evening at London’s prestigious Landmark Hotel. Guests will enjoy a sumptuous three-course meal as well as an evening of songs from the musicals.

Footsteps of Moses trek Sinai Peninsula, Egypt 6-9 November 2009 Join us for an unforgettable trip to Egypt where you will able to follow the footsteps of Moses visiting St Katherine’s monastery and climbing to the top of the mountain where he received the Ten Commandments. Your last day will be spent relaxing on the beach of Sharm El Sheikh.

For more information on any of these events please call Yvette Gillingham on 020 7452 2115 or visit our website www.livability.org.uk/events 7

Victoria has helped Callie in so many ways. Callie especially loves the stimulation she gets from the sensory facilities. She’s also fascinated with the interactive whiteboard. All these activities help with Callie’s motor skills, dexterity and problem-solving abilities. In addition, she has so much fun having hydrotherapy in the pool, which helps to improve her muscle tone and flexibility.

Food for thought “Victoria School is perfect for Callie, she’s getting everything – and more – that she needs.”

Clair’s five year old daughter Callie is a pupil at Livability’s Victoria Education Centre in Poole, Dorset. Callie has a rare condition called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. She has physical and learning disabilities and her development progresses quite slowly. She is a happy, content little girl and is very curious about the world around her. Like most children, she can also be quite cheeky!

The most dramatic way in which Victoria School has helped Callie is with her eating. She had always needed to be fed through a tube directly into her stomach. So before she came to Victoria, she hadn’t tasted food. But that was something the school’s therapy team were determined to change.

Over the last 2 years Callie has made significant progress. Although she still needs to be tube-fed, she is now able to feed herself small tastes of different foods. Callie’s teachers made the family a special book with pictures of her trying all different kinds of food. “They have been amazing at helping Callie to explore eating.” says Clair. “By giving us the book, they went above and beyond – as they so often do.”

At Livability, we are committed to doing all we can to bring opportunities and choice to those we work with – giving them the chance to experience all that life has to offer. It is your generous support which makes this possible.

Please help Livability continue to change people’s lives.

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Registered charity number 1116530