4 Fun Fridays!

Coming to a location near you this August - 4 FREE fun events - scroll down for more info!

‘Behind Closed Doors’ DVD

 

Some of the participants of the project watching their
DVD for the first time!

Interact Arts and Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) Community Involvement Team have recently been working alongside Independent Living Scheme Customers  to film a DVD! The DVD is entitled ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and covers the topics of Safety in the Homes and Isolation.  In next months Blog we will be able to give you the link so that you can enjoy ‘Behind Closed Doors’ for yourself!  Some of the customers who have been involved since the start of the project are having training this week so that they can deliver workshops to other groups based on what they have produced.  

Frank Conlan, Interact Arts Creative Director, said “It has been marvellous to see this group of people step out of their comfort zones, try something new and really enjoy themselves.  Friendships have started and once the project ends the group still want to meet up on a regular basis”.

If you want to know more please contact the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or email cp@sarh.co.uk.

So What?

By giving customers the opportunity to get involved in something new it empowers people to try something different whilst also producing a piece of work that will help others.

More for your Money:

By working in partnership funding has been available for a project which will have a positive impact on SARH Customers' lives.

Milwich Community Allotment Update

Milwich Allotments still growing strong!

This month we have visited the Milwich Community Allotment.  The allotment was launched in May 2012 after the Pre-School approached us to help transform a piece of land into an allotment garden for the children and community to enjoy. Since the Pre-School re-located last year the plot has been taken over by local residents to grow a variety of healthy food and veg.  All the produce that is grown is shared among the local community.  It is great to see residents in a rural area enthusiastic about working together to create a pleasant space for everyone to enjoy.

If you want to know more please contact the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or email cp@sarh.co.uk.

So What?

The allotment garden has given the residents of Milwich a great sense of community pride.  The produce that is grown is shared among local people including the elderly, who may otherwise feel isolated, struggle to use the allotments themselves or even get to the shops.

More for your Money:

Creating an allotment has made best use of an unused strip of land at low cost that now saves local residents money on fresh produce and helps improve diets.

Sign Language Taster Session

On Monday 16 June SARH’s Community Involvement Team held a Sign Language taster session course atCommunity Learning Programme.

Getting 'hands on' with BSL

the Thirlmere Way Day Centre as part of our

10 customers came and joined in and all really enjoyed the course. By the end of the session everyone could use sign language to spell their name and could also sign the alphabet, as well as learning some day to day gestures. 

Feedback received from customers was fantastic as they all felt they could communicate better with people who use BSL (British Sign Language). Some of our customers run sessions to support people with hearing difficulties and found it useful to know they are using the correct method of communication.

A big thank you to Mike Tyler from Assist Specialist Support Service for running the course and making it fun for everyone to join in. We hope to work together again in the future!

If you want to know more please contact the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or email cp@sarh.co.uk.

So What?

By running this course we have given customers the opportunity to learn new skills allowing them to gain confidence and knowledge on such an important means of communication.

More for your Money:

There is a massive social value to people being able to understand British Sign Language, it can help alleviate isolation and breaks down barriers to communication for those living with hearing loss.

Customer Inspectors

The Customer Inspectors (CIs) are busy getting out and about this summer! They are inspecting 10% of all the empty properties on an ongoing fortnightly rota.  They check to ensure that the standard of these properties is fit for a new customer to move into.  SARH do have a member of staff to carry out these checks but it is really beneficial to get a customer perspective on this sort of issue as well.

The CI work can help SARH staff to understand why a property isn't getting let as quickly as they would like.  The CIs make suggestions on what could be altered or improved in order to make the property more attractive to potential tenants.

The CIs have got other exciting inspections in the pipeline and are always looking for new recruits to this project – if you think you might be interested please get in touch with the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or email cp@sarh.co.uk.

 

So What?

The Customer Inspectors are empowered to help guide SARH to deliver an improved service to all customers. 

More for your Money:

Customer Inspectors are volunteers and the hours they give up freely to projects like this are incredibly valuable to as they are always seeking out ways to improve things for the all SARH customers.

Best Practice Visit

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group

Laura (Community Involvement Officer) recently visited Wythenshawe Community Housing Group to see how their Resident Involvement Team engages with their communities. 

“I spent the day learning about what community involvement means to them, how the team dealt with their new group structure and the processes they use to ensure they work as effectively and efficiently as possible.  It was useful to see another Involvement team in action and learn what processes work well for them”.

So What?

It important for Stafford and Rural Homes to work with other Housing Associations to share best practice and learn ways to develop our own Community Involvement Team.

More for your Money: 

Sharing experiences and ideas with other Housing Associations allows us to deliver and develop projects that are beneficial and have a positive impact on local communites.

E-Learning

E-Learners at SARH Community Resource Centre

With increased numbers of people getting themselves online, Stafford and Rural Homes have added variety to the 2014 Community Learning Programme.  E-learning gives customers the opportunity to study at a time and place that suits them. There are 18 e-learning courses in total, ranging from Starting Out on the Internet to Feeding a Family on a Budget.  SARH also offer an IT Skills Suite (ECDL Accredited) e-learning course which allows customers to develop a variety of IT skills through various modules. 

of e-learning courses to the 2014

If you want to know more please contact the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or email cp@sarh.co.uk.

So What?

Stafford and Rural Homes are passionate about empowering customers to learn and develop their skills in a variety of ways.  E-learning is a great way to study, often being more convenient and flexible to individuals that are not able to attend scheduled courses.

More for your Money: 

Offering online courses gives customers a low cost way to study and saves money on transport costs getting to and from venues.

Paediatric (Children’s) First Aid

As part of our Community Learning Programme SARH held a 2 day Paediatric First Aid course at The Grosvenor Centre in Gnosall.

The walking wounded being patched up on our First Aid Course

Rob Wallace from Salop Medical Services came and ran the accredited course for 6 SARH customers. Those on the course had the chance to carry out practical lifesaving techniques such as Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation and mouth to mouth on a ‘Resusci Anne’ and also how to correctly bandage a wound / injury. Everyone felt confident after carrying out these exercises and felt they would be prepared if they were ever to find themselves in such a situation that required first aid.

There was also a theory section of the course in which the customers watched video clips of real life situations so they could think about how they should respond. At the end of the course the customers were tested on their knowledge and we’re happy to announce they all passed the course and have gained an accredited qualification which will be recognised by employers.

Thank you to Rob Wallace for running this course for us and we look forward to the Emergency First Aid course in September.

So What?

Customers who attended this session all feel confident that they would react positively to a medical emergency and provide support to the injured parties until professional help arrived.   

More for your Money:

Attending a course like this can be very expensive. By offering our customers courses like this we are saving them money, allowing them to gain confidence and new skills that will benefit the community as a whole and increase employment opportunities.

**COMING SOON!**

4 Fun Fridays – get you fit for the future!

SARH Community Involvement Team are working alongside partner organisations and other teams at SARH to bring you 4 free days of fun throughout August!  Come along and get involved more details are available from the Community Involvement Team on 0800 111 4554 or cp@sarh.co.uk

Stuck for things to do over the Summer Holidays?
Why not register for one of the sessions below and come along with them?

If you want any more information about any of the events that have already happened or that are coming up in the future please do not hesitate to contact us on:

cp@sarh.co.uk or call us on

0800 111 4554