Oakleaf Newsletter: Spring/Summer 2023

Sp ring / Sum m er 2023

NEWS As w e p rog ress throug h 2023, w e a re c ontinuing to offer w ellb eing a c tivities a nd sup p ort g roup s, w ork-rela ted tra ining a nd em p loym ent g uid a nc e a s w ell a s c ounselling a nd one-to-one em otiona l sup p ort.

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Oa klea f New s

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Fund ra ising Events

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Testim onia ls

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Client Stories

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Our Im p a c t

Our a c tivities ta ke p la c e online a nd in p erson, so tha t every one of our c lients ha s a c c ess to the sup p ort they need . We a re p roud to b e sup p orting hund red s of c lients a t a ny one tim e.

We ha ve exp a nd ed our c lient a c tivities a nd w orkshop s, p a rtic ula rly those ta king p la c e in p erson. Rec ent a c tivities inc lud e our Hop e Dra m a w orkshop , Sp a nish Lessons, Wom en's Group , Qig ong , Big Brea kfa sts, our Wellb eing Ca fe, our 12-w eek Kic ksta rt Fitness a nd Nutrition p rog ra m m e, Sea sona l Yog a a nd m a ny m ore. You c a n view our full c lient c a lend a r of a c tivities on our w eb site.

Moreover, our 'Pa thw a ys to Work' Em p loym ent Projec t ha s b een inc red ib ly suc c essful, w ith 85 c lients returning to p a rt-tim e or full-tim e em p loym ent, 56 ta king up volunteering roles, a nd 90 g a ining a c ertific a te or q ua lific a tion sinc e the p rojec t b eg a n.

We a re d elig hted to a nnounc e tha t the Young Ad ult Sa fe Ha ven p ilot ha s b een extend ed for a further yea r until Ma rc h 2024 a nd w ill c ontinue sup p orting 18-25 yea r old s w ith their m enta l hea lth a nd w ellb eing . This is in a d d ition to the Guild ford Sa fe Ha ven, w hic h is op en a t Oa klea f 365 d a ys a yea r to a nyone exp erienc ing or c lose to a m enta l hea lth c risis.

To find out m ore, visit: w w w .oa klea f-enterp rise.org or if you ha ve a ny q ueries or c om m ents a b out our servic es, p lea se d o g et in touc h: info@oa klea f-enterp rise.org .

NEW OAKLEAF PATRON

ADDITIONS TO OAKLEAF STAFF We w ere extrem ely p lea sed to w elc om e our new Hea d of Client Servic es Ra kula n to the Oa klea f tea m in the new yea r.

LORENA CEBRIAN

DAVE CHAWNER We a re d elig hted to a nnounc e tha t a w a rd -w inning sta nd up c om ed ia n a nd a uthor, Da ve Cha w ner ha s joined Oa klea f a s a new p a tron of the c ha rity a nd w e a re very m uc h looking forw a rd to w orking a long sid e him .

Da ve Cha w ner is a num b er one b est-selling a uthor, a w a rd -w inning sta nd up , p resenter a nd m enta l hea lth c a m p a ig ner w ho sensitively uses hum our to exp lore a va riety of top ic s inc lud ing m enta l hea lth.

"I'm so proud to join Oakleaf as a patron for numerous reasons. As someone who has had mental health problems, I needed help getting back on track; building personal and professional skills as well as equipping myself with everything i needed to become responsible for my own recovery. Oakleaf does all this and so much more at a time where it's never been so important."

Ra kula n Jeeva c ha nd ra n "Hello everyone! My name is Rakulan, Rak for short. I'm starting my role as Head of Client Services and working with the lovely staff and clients at Oakleaf. I look forward to working in my role and meeting as many people as I can, providing support and being a friendly face."

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA) TRAINING MHFA a re interna tiona lly rec og nised tra ining c ourses w hic h help you m a na g e w ellb eing a nd m inim ise the im p a c t of m enta l ill-hea lth on w ork a nd life. The tra ining c ourses tea c h p eop le to sp ot the sym p tom s of m enta l hea lth issues, offer initia l help a nd g uid e a p erson tow a rd s sup p ort.

To find out m ore or b ook your p la c e on a n up c om ing c ourse, em a il Jen: jenc la y@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

We offer the following c ourses: -

MHFA Refresher c ourse (ha lf-d a y)

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2-d a y Ad ult & Youth MHFA 1-d a y Ad ult MHFA 1/ 2-d a y Ad ult MHFA

PATHWAYS TO WORK EMPLOYMENT PROJECT Our 'Pa thw a ys to Work' em p loym ent p rojec t, fund ed b y the Na tiona l Lottery Com m unity Fund , foc uses on tra ining a nd m entoring c lients to m ove forw a rd into the w orkp la c e w ith the help of our Em p loym ent Ad visors Mike a nd Helen, a nd our Lea rning Sup p ort Ad visor Susie.

We ha ve b een running a w eekly 'Job s Club ' a t Oa klea f, w here c lients c a n rec eive c a reers a d vic e a nd lea rn CV a nd interview skills. We ha ve hosted severa l events inc lud ing d rop -in sessions from Citizens Ad vic e, our 'Exp erienc e Ma tters' w orkshop a nd our 'Lea rn, Lunc h, Lea rn' events w here w e offer short, a c c red ited d ig ita l c olleg e c ourses to c lients w ith a c ertific a te on c om p letion. We a re p lea sed p lea sed to sha re this ha s b een a g rea t suc c ess. Ac ross our tw o m ost rec ent sessions, 23 c lients ha ve a ttend ed a nd a c hieved a tota l of 25 a c c red ited c ertific a tes.

Overa ll, 231 c lients ha ve returned to p a rt-tim e or full-tim e em p loym ent, ta ken up volunteering roles or g a ined a c ertific a te or q ua lific a tion.

For m ore d eta ils, p lea se visit our web site or c onta c t Mike: m ikeover@oa klea f-enterp rise.org or Helen: helenlunn@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

MANDY'S STORY ?Oa klea f w a s truly instrum enta l in g iving m e the c onfid enc e to a p p ly for volunta ry w ork a nd p a id em p loym ent. We sa t d ow n a nd ta lked a b out w ha t typ e of w ork I w ould enjoy a nd w e looked a t m y CV a nd c ond ensed it so tha t it rea lly show c a sed m y skills.

A few yea rs d oing a c c ounting a nd b ookkeep ing ta ug ht m e tha t I d id not like sitting a t a d esk. Oa klea f help ed m e up d a te m y IT skills a nd show ed m e how to sea rc h for roles. I sec ured a role a t a loc a l nursery tw ic e a w eek. I love w orking w ith the c hild ren a nd I rec eived flow ers la st w eek. I w a s nom ina ted em p loyee of the m onth b y m y c ollea g ues - the first tim e this a w a rd ha s b een g iven a t our b ra nc h.

It w a s lovely to b e rec og nised for m y c ontrib utions a t the nursery.?

GARDENING VOLUNTEERING Do you enjoy working with na ture? Do you work b est a s p a rt of a tea m ?

Oa klea f is offering ha lf d a y ta ster sessions every Thursd a y w ith our g a rd ening enterp rise. This Sp ring or Sum m er c ould b e the p erfec t tim e to try som ething new a nd b uild up your CV. If you d o enjoy the d a y, the g a rd ening tea m w ould love to ha ve you join one d a y a w eek, w here you w ill lea rn the essentia ls of g a rd en m a intena nc e a nd p la nt id entific a tion.

To a p p ly or find out m ore, em a il Bea : b ea tric ec urtis@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

ASH'S STORY At Oakleaf, we are alw ays encouraging people to share t heir stories and experiences in t he hope it w ill encourage ot hers to do t he same. We a re therefore d elig hted to sha re a story from one of our p a st c lients Ash, w ho ta lks a b out her exp erienc e a t Oa klea f a nd how it help ed her return to w ork.

"I was introduced to Oakleaf by my social worker; having been out of the workplace for a few years due to my mental health. I was looking to prepare to return.

When I started going to Oakleaf, I used the IT suite to refresh my MS Excel skills, completing the guided course. I re-learned those lost skills and added some extra ones, so I felt more confident walking into work. That boost to myself esteem really helped in the first few days.

I'd got into the habit of having a routine. The IT suite was also set out like an office, which helped me prepare for the busy office environment I would be returning to.

I have now been working full time for just over three years. I also made the step up from a data analysis role to a people management role and I believe that Oakleaf's support really made all the difference in so many aspects of my return to the workplace being successful."- Ash We feel it is so im p orta nt to norm a lise those c onversa tions surround ing m enta l hea lth to help red uc e stig m a within our c om m unities. If you or som eone you know is strug g ling with their m enta l hea lth, p lea se d on?t hesita te to rea c h out. Help is a lwa ys a va ila b le.

THE HOPE PROJECT - HONOURING OPPORTUNITY & POSSIBILITY FOR EVERYONE We ha d a g rea t tim e c eleb ra ting The HOPE Projec t Honouring Op p ortunity a nd Possib ility for Everyone - a t Guild ford United Reform Churc h on Thursd a y 30th Ma rc h.

The p rojec t offered a ra ng e of a c tivities for c lients, inc lud ing : vision b oa rd ing , w ellb eing w a lks, p ositivity hour a nd c rea tive w riting w orkshop s.

The event w a s a b rillia nt op p ortunity for Oa klea f c lients to m eet like-m ind ed ind ivid ua ls a s w ell a s som e of our fund ers a nd sta ff, a nd c eleb ra te the p rog ress w e've m a d e tog ether tow a rd s c rea ting a b rig hter future.

OAKLEAF QUIZ NIGHT We ha d a w ond erful evening hosting our 12th a nnua l Oa klea f Quiz Nig ht on Frid a y 31st Ma rc h, w hic h w a s g enerously sp onsored b y Sha nly Found a tion.

With 155 a ttend ees (our b ig g est turnout to d a te), w e m a na g ed to b ring in £6,711 - a n inc red ib le a m ount. Well d one a nd tha nk you to a ll 17 tea m s for ta king p a rt, a nd a sp ec ia l c ong ra tula tions to our w inning tea m , The Vic toria Sp ong es.

We w ould like to tha nk everyone w ho took p a rt in the q uiz a s w ell a s a ll of the loc a l Surrey b usinesses w ho very kind ly d ona ted to our ra ffle.

Also a b ig tha nk you to our a m a zing volunteers w ho w orked inc red ib ly ha rd to m a ke the nig ht a suc c ess. We hop e to w elc om e m ore fa c es next yea r, old a nd new , to b a ttle it out for the top of the sc oreb oa rd !

MENTAL HEALTH

UPCOMING EVENTS - AWARENESS WEEK

THE SHALFORD WALK

Join us for The Sha lford Wa lk on Sund a y 21st Ma y a nd help ra ise m oney for Oa klea f b y c om p leting 1.5k, 5k or 10k routes! Bring the w hole fa m ily if you like, inc lud ing your furry friend s. The event b eg ins a t Sha lford Pa rk, Guild ford a t 9.45a m a nd there is a sug g ested d ona tion of £10 to ta ke p a rt.

SELF-CARE THERAPEUTIC ART FUNDRAISER We a re d elig hted to invite you to the New House Art Sp a c e in Guild ford on Frid a y 19th Ma y to ta ke p a rt in a thera p eutic a rt w orkshop . Pa rtic ip a nts w ill c rea te their ow n uniq ue p iec e of a rt w ith the help of p rofessiona l a rts thera p ist, Helena Ha rp er.

Tic kets a re £30 inc lud ing m a teria ls.

If you would like to reg ister you interest in either of these events, p lea se c onta c t Ja ne: ja nefelton@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

MENTAL LEADERS NETWORK CLIENTHEALTH SATISFACTION SURVEY We c ond uc ted a Client Sa tisfa c tion Survey in Ja nua ry 2023 seeking feed b a c k from our c lients.

It w a s g rea t to see the p ositive im p a c t Oa klea f ha s ha d .

Strong ly Ag ree

"I a ttend the fitness c la sses reg ula rly a nd ha ve found these to b e inva lua b le for m y p hysic a l a nd m enta l hea lth. They've help ed m e feel m ore c onfid ent, a nd the a tm osp here of the g roup is one of kind ness a nd enc oura g em ent."

Ag ree Disa g ree

"Oa klea f ha s b een so im p orta nt in m y rec overy journey. Most sig nific a ntly introd uc ing m e to yog a , b rea th-w ork a nd m ed ita tion. It ha s c ha ng ed m y life."

'Oa klea f ha s help ed m e to feel less isola ted '

4.5% 41.3%

40.9% 56.9%

54.5% 1.7% 'Oa klea f ha s help ed m e im p rove m y m enta l wellb eing '

4.6% 42.1%

34.8% 56.1%

60.4% 1.7%

2.3% 44.1% 42.8% 57.1% 53.4%

'Oa klea f ha s help ed m e to feel m ore c onfid ent'

"I feel a p a rt of a c om m unity a t the g roup sessions I a ttend . I a lw a ys look forw a rd to them , w hic h g ives m e a rea son to g et up in the m orning ."

OAKLEAF'S IMPACT IN 2022

909

20,020

92

Ind ivid ua ls used our servic es

Intera c tions

Clients p rog ressed into p a id or volunta ry em p loym ent

WELLBEING CAFE & BIG BREAKFASTS We a re very g ra teful to ha ve rec eived fund ing from The Na tiona l Lottery Com m unity Fund for our Frid a y Wellb eing Ca fé a nd our Big Brea kfa sts, w hic h help p rovid e Oa klea f c lients w ith sa fe sp a c es to m eet new p eop le a nd rec eive w ellb eing sup p ort a long sid e refreshm ents.

SUPPORTING OAKLEAF'S FUTURE Our hop e is tha t every sing le c lient w ho c om es to Oa klea f is em p ow ered to m a na g e their m enta l hea lth a nd w ellb eing , a nd is sup p orted to a c hieve their g oa ls.

As w e look a hea d , w e know tha t the need for exp erienc ed m enta l hea lth sup p ort loc a lly w ill only g row .

Oa klea f ha s p ositively im p a c ted thousa nd s of p eop le's lives over the yea rs. Ha s the c ha rity m a d e a d ifferenc e to you or a loved one?

If so, one w a y you c a n help sup p ort Oa klea f's future is throug h lea ving us a g ift in your w ill.

Gifts to c ha rity a re free from inherita nc e ta x, a nd a lthoug h w e c a nnot p rovid e leg a l a d vic e, for a ny q uestions p lea se d o not hesita te to c onta c t Jen:

SME SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS We w ere thrilled to ha ve w on the Gold Aw a rd in the Com m unity Business of the Yea r c a teg ory a s p a rt of the SME Surrey Business Aw a rd s for 2022!

We a re so a p p rec ia tive of the sup p ort, a nd of our a m a zing sta ff for w orking tirelessly every d a y to sup p ort p eop le?s m enta l hea lth a nd w ellb eing loc a lly.

MENTAL HEALTH LEADERS NETWORK Our Menta l Hea lth Lea d ers Netw ork a im s to b ring tog ether a w id e va riety of Surrey b usinesses c om m itted to a d d ressing w orkp la c e m enta l w ellb eing . It p rovid es events, tra ining a nd sup p ort a round w orkp la c e m enta l hea lth for loc a l b usinesses a nd their sta ff - a ll w hilst help ing m a ke a d ifferenc e for loc a l p eop le m a na g ing m enta l ill-hea lth.

jenc la y@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

Our m ost rec ent q ua rterly m eeting w a s hosted b y the w ond erful Boileroom in Guild ford , w here w e enjoyed in-d ep th d isc ussions a round the roles, resp onsib ilities a nd b ound a ries w ithin w orkp la c e m enta l hea lth.

To lea rn m ore a b out the netw ork, or if your b usiness is interested in joining , em a il Jen Cla y: jenc la y@oa klea f-enterp rise.org - m em b ership fees help fund Oa klea f's c ha rita b le a c tivities.

We a re tha nkful for a ll our sup p orters a nd will c ontinue to d o a ll we c a n to look a fter the m enta l hea lth a nd wellb eing of the Oa klea f c om m unity.

If you a re a b le to m a ke a d ona tion to Oa klea f a nd help fund vita l m enta l hea lth, em p loym ent a nd w ellb eing

OUR

sup p ort, w e w ould b e m ost g ra teful. If you a re interested in sup p orting Oa klea f in a ny w a y, p lea se g et in touc h b y

COM P A N Y HISTORY

em a iling : jenc la y@oa klea f-enterp rise.org or p honing : 01483 303 649

For up d a tes on Oa klea f a nd a ll thing s m enta l hea lth, b e sure to follow us on soc ia l m ed ia :

@_Oa klea f @Oa klea f_Enterp rise Oa klea f Enterp rise Oa klea f

Web site: www.oa klea f-enterp rise.org Em a il: info@oa klea f-enterp rise.org

Oa klea f Enterp rise 101 Wa lnut Tree Close Guild ford GU1 4UQ 01483 303 649

Reg istered Cha rity no: 1064524 Reg istered Com p a ny no: 3388671

NEWS