Foundation Newsletter January to March 2015

Foundation Highlights

Quarter Four - January to March 2015

The Foundation is the Charitable arm of Town and Country Housing Group and works towards making a positive difference to individual, family and community life.

It was established in January 2007 and has a team of six officers and freelance staff. The team focuses on identifying and responding to social needs.

Many projects and initiatives are incubated by the Foundation which has already created a legacy of sustainable projects across Kent.

“To make a positive difference to

Learning skills, employment and enterprise

individual, family and community life by creating places where people prosper

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Social Regeneration

Improving employability, progression from welfare benefits into paid employment and progression from low paid to economic security for individuals and families.

Working with communities and partners over the long term to transform local areas into vibrant neighbourhoods where residents are proud to live.

Health and Wellbeing

Major Projects

Reducing social isolation and promoting inclusivity, particularly amongst the older population, vunerable residents and wider community; building resiliance and new solutions to long standing social issues.

Lantern Parade The 2015 Winter Lantern Parade lit up Tunbridge Wells and brought over 1,500 people together. Samba band Bloco Fogo led the parade, crowds lined the streets and members of the community carried the handmade lanterns. The lanterns were created in over 20 workshops throughout Tunbridge Wells in the lead up to the event itself. The parade walked through Tunbridge Wells Town Centre from Civic Way through Monson Road, Camden Road then to St Barnabus School where food stands and entertainment awaited. The event was organised by CREATE, sponsored by the Housing Group and supported by the Foundation.

Lantern Parade

Energy Awareness Pop Ups

We included a ‘late night’ ‘drop in’ on one of the days, to ensure the service was accessible to all our residents. A total of 120 visitors attended the Pop Up and 56 energy bills were checked. The advisors delivered independent practical advice on saving money on energy bills, through switching suppliers or making their home more energy efficient. Everyone who attended saved money and the highest amount saved was £470 by one of our residents. South East Water attended the sessions who gave money saving advice. Winter Warmth invited For a week in

customers who were in need to be assessed for

February, energy

blankets, hats, gloves and gave advice on heating to

experts were

elderly people.

available for ‘drop in’

A similar event was run at various locations in East Kent.

advice at Café Bliss, Southborough. These ‘drop in’ sessions were free and attendees could receive a free hot drink if they brought their energy bills with them.

DAVSS CONFERENCE The DAVSS ‘Men Standing Up Against Domestic Abuse’ Conference took place in February at Trinity Arts Centre in Tunbridge Wells.

The conference was aimed at heads of service, agencies and local businesses to give a better understanding of domestic abuse as a men’s issue.

The morning comprised of a key note speech from Baroness Newlove, Victims Commissioner, presentations from Nazir Afzal OBE & Chief Prosecuting Solicitor NW England, Dr Suzanne Martin, interviews with male survivors of domestic abuse and panel discussions with Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, Councillor Nick Chard and Bob Heapy to name a few.

The morning was hosted

by Jan Berry QPM BA, Chair of DAVSS.

Two videos were shown, one was made in association with ex Dr Who stars Louise Jameson and Tom Baker, designed to help recruit DAVSS volunteers. The other was made to raise awareness and understanding of domestic abuse from the male victim’s perspective and was conceived and sponsored by the Foundation. The filmmaker, Adipat Virdi also filmed the conference to create a follow up video.

The conference drew the media attention of KMFM, Meridian News, BBC South East, which featured

at various times during the day. This resulted in excess of ÂŁ4,000 of media coverage. DAVSS, Town and Country Foundation, Town and Country Housing and Adipat the filmmaker were live tweeting throughout the conference with support on Twitter from Baroness Newlove, local businesses, agencies, supporters and volunteers. Davina McCall, TV presenter and charity fundraiser and Steven Fry re tweeted DAVSS, helping us achieve the 6th most popular hash tag globally for 3 hours on the day.

Job fairs

Dover and Deal, Tunbridge Wells Tunbridge Wells Job Centre Plus hosted a ‘Health Day’ aimed at supporting jobseekers to live healthier

and expressed an interest in

lives. This was attended

our training programmes.

information about upcoming

by local people with

Around 750 people attended

events and activities,

disabilities and mental health

the Dover and Deal Job Fair

including ICT training,

issues. The events were

on 23rd February, which

employability skills and

a success with more than

was held in the Town Hall

opportunities to volunteer.

200 attending. Town and

in Dover. Charlie Elphicke

Over 50 people said they

Country Foundation had a

MP opened the event, which

would be interested in

stand to promote free training

saw numerous employers

hearing about more training

opportunities including

providing information about

opportunities. Our partners

‘Access All Areas’, ‘Work in

their job opportunities and

the Dover Volunteer Centre

Progress’ and the ‘New Year,

support to make applications.

gave a lunchtime seminar on

New You’ event at Sherwood.

Town and Country

CV writing, which was also

50 people gave their details

Foundation had a display of

well attended.

Work in Progress Local people have been getting ‘back to work’ with our innovative training. ‘Work In Progress’ has been tailor made for Town and Country Foundation by Working Futures. It is designed to help long term unemployed people who feel ‘stuck’ in their job searching, or those returning to work after having a child or long term sickness.

The course of workshops help improve confidence, CV building, identifying skills, where to find ‘hidden jobs’ and any other issues as they come up during the course of the year. In February the last course was run in Showfields and was attended by 9 residents.

Connect Through our CONNECT project we have

‘Jive Party’ event in Dementia Awareness

attended two local Dementia Friendly

week which is now running its second event

Communities events to link with agencies and

this year due to the success of our 2014

services users. At the West Kent Dementia

event. This links to our Dementia Awareness

Action Alliance and Dementia Action Awareness training, being delivered in June, which aims event, we connected with agencies and service to train frontline staff and local businesses users to promote and enhance the service we

in being more dementia friendly. So far over

deliver. We work closely with local dementia

200 people have been trained through us

friendly community programmes, including the

delivering this programme.

Broadwater Urban Garden Giving Scheme launched in February.

This project helps people manage their outdoor spaces in the Broadwater area, including the Showfields and Ramslye estates. The scheme is designed to help local residents maintain their front gardens and help those who may have difficultly moving around or who are unable to manage the workload.

The butterfly garden at Willow Tree Road which was created by residents in 2012 is also being maintained through this scheme.

The Foundation have commissioned Kent High Weald Partnership to deliver this project.

Dover Allotment A new initiative has started to try to gain more users for the Dover Community Allotment. The allotment was created by the Foundation and includes a polytunnel and raised beds.

Local residents have been maintaining the plot, growing fruit and vegetables and learning about horticulture. The allotment is located behind the Old Park Community Centre, which is at the heart of one of our housing estates.

Introduction to Volunteering Old Park Community Centre in Dover has been host to a course helping residents into volunteering. They looked at volunteer placements, what skills individuals had and what skills they could gain. 8 attended the first pilot course, 1 trainee said ”I enjoyed finding out what opportunities are out there” another trainee told us ”I enjoyed the day, thank you”.

The Foundation has supported Take Off with their

We have also supported “Unravel and

recent re launch from Canterbury and District

Unwind” based in Medway. Their aim is

Mental Health Forum. The project will support

to create a friendly open environment,

The Crisis Café based in Canterbury. This is a referral only service for people who are in a

“A crafting home from home” (comment from one of our fans), where local crafters

mental health crisis. It provides an opportunity

& families can practice, learn, teach and

to meet with peer support workers who can help

sell their crafts. A place where skills can

to manage a current crisis and look at how to reduce the risk of future crises. The Foundation will be working with Take Off on a number of initiatives with residents in the future.

Youth Engagement activities in February took place in Old Park with 15-20 young people consulted on what they would like to see within Dover. A bid has been submitted to ensure that young people are engaged in positive activities and their voices can be heard within TCHG.

be shared and new ideas encouraging community engagement, increasing social well-being, removing isolation and possibly mentoring transitions into employment.

27 March - Grays Tea Rooms 1st Birthday Party, Brenchley Memorial Hall.

What’s coming up next quarter?

9 & 16 April - Mini Beast Safari Old Park Centre 16 April - Ramslye Play opening event.

17 April Sherwood Community Herb Garden Join us at the Spring spruce up event.

4 May - Grosvenor and Hilbert Park – Family Fun Day Loads of great activities for all the family, learn about our Doctor Dolittle project, launching on the day.

20 May - During Dementia Awareness Week The Dementia Friendly Communities Jive Party, Camden Centre, Tunbridge Wells Fun and dancing for local people living with dementia, their carers and the groups involved in co-ordinating their care, linking services users, groups and projects.

3 June - Val Joy Community Celebration, High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells Val Joy is our yearly celebration and thank you to our volunteers involved in all our projects across Kent.

26 June - Foundation Corporate Partners Breakfast Launch, Trinity Centre, Tunbridge Wells Also delivering Town & Country Pop Up events across the county, see www.tchg.org.uk for details.