New Faces in the Community Involvement Team …

I’m Alison Poole the new Community Involvement Officer. During my employment history I have had several jobs working in the community from Community Arts Development Officer, Health and Wellbeing Team leader and Workshop Coordinator, I have also taught Textiles at Lichfield College.  My previous role as Health and Wellbeing Team Leader at Stafford Borough Council delivered projects addressing local Health and Wellbeing issues working with the Housing Team.  I have a degree in Fine Art Textiles and a passion for anything creative; I have exhibited some of my work and sold some pieces too.  In my free time I love being with my family and friends, going out to different places exploring.  I also enjoy cooking, sewing, crafts, interiors and visiting art galleries. I look forward to working on the wide range of projects with the rest of the team.

Hi my name is Kate Chester and I am the Community Nutrition Project Worker. I will be working on the ‘Feel Good Food’ project to recruit and train volunteers to deliver healthy eating and cooking skills in the local community. I have just finished university and graduate in September, I studied the BSC Health Wellbeing and Nutrition Science degree at Birmingham City University. I have previously worked on nutrition projects in children’s centres and schools and I am a level 3 qualified personal trainer. I describe myself as a fitness freak as I do weight training, running and kickboxing in my spare time. I am looking forward to applying my nutrition skills to this new project and also getting to know Stafford!

4 Free Fun Fridays

Summer 2015

Come and have fun with Stafford and Rural Homes and Partners.  Our Fit for the Future theme for 2015 is all about making the most of free local services available to you…

• ·        Face Painting
• ·        Balloon Modelling
• ·        Crafts
• ·        Inflatable Bouncy Castle, Gladiator Pit and Giant Sumo suits
• ·        Money Advice
• ·        Health and wellbeing
• ·        Universal Credit information
• ·        I’m Online
• ·        Beat the Cold
• ·        Neighbourhood Service Updates

A great afternoon out for all the family:

Friday 31^st July,1-4pm          Playing fields on Barnes Road, Highfields,                                                                                  Stafford, ST17 9QR

Friday 7^th August, 1-4pm      Playing fields off Woodlands Road, North                                                                                   End, Stafford, ST16 1QR (Behind Tillington Hall)

Friday 14^th August, 1-4pm    Green space by Heenan Grove, Moss Pitt, Stafford,                                                                 SY17 9JS

Friday 21^st August, 1-4pm    Green space by Wedgewood Lane, Barlaston,

                                                          ST12 9BB

So What?

Fun Fridays are a great way for people to come together in the community and find out about local services in the Borough of Stafford.  The events are a great showcase for local services to promote themselves and go out to the community rather than waiting for the community to come to them.  A one stop shop for help and advice on the doorstep.

More for your money - By working in partnership with other agencies to give advice and support we can make sure communities are fit for the future by saving £££ and increasing awareness.

Introducing a new project 'Branching Out'

Branching Out gives 1-2-1 support to help parents get back into work after having a family or to those struggling to get their first job and a foot on the career ladder.  Working in partnership with Support Staffordshire the project matches people with a trained volunteer work buddy who helps individuals gain employment and get work ready.  Sessions will help develop IT skills for job searching, identify skills to meet job specifications, build CVs, identify suitable training and volunteering opportunities and match talents to jobs, making those involved be the best they can be.

Where are sessions held?

·     Sessions will be held at venues mutually agreeable between the work buddy and the person being supported, this could be local community rooms and coffee shops

·         1:1 support with the work buddy through the internet

·         Person to person support and advice is available through the closed Facebook group and in job club

·      Job Club at: 
    Stafford and Rural Homes 
    Community Resource Centre,
    56   Greyfriars, Stafford, 
    ST16 2RG

Monday 10-12

Wednesday 10-12

Friday 10-12

Who can Branching Out help?

Anyone living in the borough of Stafford, including Stafford and Rural Homes tenants who meet one of the following criteria:

·         Age 16-19 not in employment, education or training or

·         Unemployed parents

Don’t worry if you are not in those categories we can still give you one to one support at Job Club on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10-12 at the Community Resource Centre (see above).

For more information give us a call or email

0800 111 4554

cp@sarh.co.uk

So What?  

Branching Out works one to one with people in environments familiar to them.  Befriending helps those involved gain confidence to access other services and improve their employability.

More for your money- by taking part in Branching Out and working 1-2-1 with a work buddy people can truly get support and advice tailored to them as an individual, giving people the best possible chance of getting the right job.  Funding was secured from Building Stafford and Surrounds Healthy Future to deliver the project.

Feel Good Food

Stafford & Rural Homes has secured funding from Building Stafford and Surrounds' Healthy Future Partnership to deliver a community based project to set up a network of volunteer community nutrition advocates who will enthuse and engage the local community to improve their dietary behaviours through innovative activities.  The aim is to improve knowledge, skills and confidence around cooking on a budget, menu planning as well as cooking healthy and nutritious meals. 

Kate Chester, Feel Good Food Project Worker, is recruiting 30 volunteers who will help to deliver the sessions from drop in events for parents and children, super market visits and training to understand confusing food labelling.

So What? 

By helping families shop smart and menu plan there will be a reduction in food waste.  By encouraging people to grow their own it will reduce food miles of imported produce benefiting the environment while reducing money spent from the family budget

More for your money- With a better understanding of labels, supermarket prices and offers customers will be able to save money from their weekly shop.  Batch cooking and planning meals will help to increase family time and reduce the cost per portion of meals cooked.

Save the Date- Annual Summer Open Day at Meadow Road

The Meadow Road Community Allotment annual Summer Open Day will be taking place this year on Saturday 15 August from 12pm until 3pm. The Open Day is a great, fun way for the community to get together and celebrate the success of the Community Allotment. In 2012 the site was overgrown and derelict. Over a period of 12 months SARH, SBC and the local community transformed the site into a thriving free allotment which is now managed by the local community. There are currently 11 plots on site, plus a community orchard. Plots holders range from 15 plus and include a number of community groups.

In true Meadow Road style there will a variety of fun activates taking place on the day including guess the veg, wood work activities, face painting, scarecrow making and much more! The community will also be able to enjoy an assortment of delicious food and cakes handmade by plot holders.

Everyone is welcome to come along! Whether it's to take part in the fun activities or have a look around the allotment. There will be the opportunity to meet current plot holders and share hints and tips on allotment gardening … or maybe it will inspire you to grow your own!!

So What? 
The Meadow Road Community Allotment is a perfect example of how a common interest can bring a community together. Community members worked towards a common goal of reducing ASB, improving the health and wellbeing, and making the local environment a pleasant place to spend time outdoors. The community are now reaping the benefits of all their hard work and enjoying the great space they created.

More for your money – Growing your own is a great way to save money on food bills! By holding open days such as this we hope to encourage more people to do the same!  The project has resulted in a reduction in anti social behaviour and fly tipping on the site.

Community Get Together for Allotment Clean Up Days

On the 27-29 May, work got under way on 3 sites selected to become allotments under the Growing Health Project.  Growing Health is a project that works with local communities to transform derelict unused land into community allotment plots.  Over a growing season allotment holders are supplied all the tools, seeds needed to get growing.  A local allotment expert is on hand to teach all the skills needed to plan, plant and manage a plot.

SARH and Stafford Borough Council worked with over 25 members of the local community to begin clearing the land. We would like to say a very big well done and thank you to everyone who attended and supported the events.  The day was a huge success and we made a great start in clearing the land ready for the launch of the Allotments in spring 2016.

Upcoming spring/summer activities for Growing Health participants include a practical family cook and eat session, an allotment mentoring session, family scarecrow making, a visit to the successful Meadow Road Community Allotments, more community clean up days … and much more!

So What?
By developing new allotment projects we are giving local families the opportunity to live healthier lifestyles. Removing the threat of Anti Social Behaviour, developing capacity to bring communities together whist providing health and wellbeing opportunities across SARH communities.




More for your money-By participating in the Growing Health Project families will learn how to successfully grow their own fruit and veg which can lead to huge savings on monthly food bills. Partnerships with Stafford Borough Council brings cost savings, duplication reductions and more effective community engagement.

Get out in the garden

The summer weather we are having at the moment is perfect for the grass and plants that love lots of rain and sunshine to grow.  Rapid growth means lawns can need cutting once a week.  The advantages of cutting the lawn regularly are:

·         Reduces pests

·         Reduces the spread of weeds

·         It is easier to do

Remember

·    Cutting grass to the shortest setting can weaken the roots. Use a mid-setting to encourage lush strong growth

·    Always cut grass on a dry day

Highfields residents can hire garden equipment from the Highfields Community Tool Bank where mowers, strimmer's and trimmers re available for £1 to help maintain gardens.

Please take note of our new opening hours Tuesday 10am-12noon and Friday 2-4pm


So What?
Tool bank offers customers a unique local service to rent everything needed to maintain gardens and outdoor spaces.   When setting up home the cost of purchasing garden maintenance equipment is often low priority over items such as fridges, TV's and other expensive household goods.  We are also offering volunteer opportunities to assist in the running this community hire shop (see the section can you make a difference in your community).

More for your money- By hiring such equipment customers can try a range of tools and make an informed choice as to what is fit for purpose before incurring the expense of buying their own.  In addition there are savings to Housing Management function as gardens are well maintained reducing Neighbourhood Services Officer interventions for tenancy breaches.

Creative Crafts

On Friday 29 May, as part of the Community Learning Programme, customers attended an enjoyable, relaxed afternoon making their own personalised keepsake boxes. Customers used their imaginations to create individual boxes using a variety of fun materials which they could keep for themselves or take home as gifts. We had great feedback from the people who attended the course.

So What?
Our Hobbies and Interests courses on the Community Learning Programme are a fantastic way to help reduce social isolation. By bringing members of the local community together for informal and relaxed sessions, customers are given the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

More for your Money:
Community Learning Programme courses are delivered at low cost in local community venues reducing transport costs.

Introduction to the Wonders of the Internet

On Wednesday 20 May customers came along to our Community Learning Programme Course which was focussed around learning the basics of using the internet. Customers learnt how to use search engines to find information, as well as using a variety of different websites. The course was delivered in the SARH Learning Academy which was a great place for the customers to learn in a relaxed environment. We received really positive feedback from the course stating that customers have increased their understanding which will allow them to use their devices more efficiently at home.

So What?
The World Wide Web is an amazing place which comes with countless benefits. Many opportunities can be accessed through the internet and SARH like to encourage customers can take advantage of what the internet has to offer.

More for your Money:
Courses such as the above help to ensure that customers are ‘financially fit’. Being able to use the internet allows customers to access on-line services for example online banking and shopping.

Can you make a difference in your community?

Volunteering is a great way to give something back to your community.  Sharing and learning new skills and helping others can give you a great sense of achievement, be added to your CV and give you a reference for future jobs.

Stafford and Rural Homes are currently looking for volunteers for the following roles:

Tool Bank Assistant – to assist in the running of the Tool Bank hire shop on Highfields.  Duties include signing up members, managing hire agreements and cash handling, all great skills to get you into customer service and retail jobs. For more details see  role description

Branching Out – Volunteer as a work buddy, giving 1:1 support with CV writing, job searching, job applications, interview skills and support for those looking to get their first job or returning to work after having a family.  For more details see role description.

Feel Good Food – Pass on your cookery, budgeting and nutrition skills to help families plan, shop and cook meals from scratch.  For more details see role description.

Full training and support will be given in order to carry out the role.

If you are interested in any of the above volunteering opportunities please complete the application form and email to cp@sarh.co.uk or send to Community Involvement, The Rurals, 1 Parker Court, Staffordshire Technology Park, Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0WP.

If you would like any help completing the form or have any question please call 0800 111 4554

Closing Date for applications 7^th August

So What?
Volunteering can improve confidence and mental wellbeing and give skills and experience to improve employability whilst giving something back to the local community.

More for your money-By volunteering on one of the above projects you will be able to access accredited training to add to your CV and improve your employability.

Health and Safety Week

SARH joined forces to create a health and safety awareness event with IOSH ( Institution of Occupational Safety and Health ), this partnership has been forged over a period of 5 years through their in-house RoSPA ( Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) award winning  ‘Guardian Angel’ Health and Safety Officer, Kathryn Ing, who also sits on the Midlands Board of IOSH as their Treasurer and more recently Vice Chair.

The event, co-ordinated by the SARH organisational development team pulled together a wide range of organisations to help local businesses and their employees protect the health of workers. SARH have been awarded with 4 Gold Awards and 3 Gold Medals for their dedication to health and safety in the workplace and wished to celebrate their success during ‘National Health and Safety Week’ with a safety awareness event.

As part of Health and Safety Week (June 15-19), Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) is hosted the free ‘drop in’ event at its headquarters in Parker Court, Staffordshire Technology Park on Thursday, June 18.

The British Red Cross, Nuffield Health , BPA Services Ltd and a number of other organisations took part in the event, which was delivered in partnership with IOSH.

From 12.00 noon to 4.30pm representatives from a wide range of agencies were on hand to offer free help and legal advice on a range of health and safety issues for both businesses and their employees.

Kathryn Ing commented: “At SARH we’re committed to making a positive difference to the safety and health of our people ; offering safety advice , information and support is just one of the key features within our health and safety management framework.

So What? The event helped to raise awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace, and offered plenty of practical advice on how to improve the working environment to employees, partners and local businesses .

More for your money- Kathryn Ing says "I am proud to work for SARH,  a caring organisation who places the health and safety of their people as a priority , I am happy to support SARH promote the strong health and safety culture we have built up by staging partner events with organisations such as IOSH."

Further information about the event is available at twitter.com/SARHomes.

Upcoming Community Learning Courses... 

Book your place today!

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