New Allotment Sees Growth of Award Winning Health Project

On Friday 4^th March Stafford and Rural Homes and Stafford Borough Council attended the regional Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) awards in Birmingham. The Growing Health Allotment Project was shortlisted for the Community Action Award, along with 7 other finalists from the Central Region. Laura MacPhee (SARH Community Involvement Officer), Sam Logan (SBC Health and Wellbeing Coordinator) and Jane Meyrick from the WhyCH Youth Group (involved in the Priory Road site) attended the awards.

Everyone enjoyed a glamourous afternoon of entertainment and delicious food. We are very proud to say that we came home as WINNERS and will be attending the national final in July!!

Winning awards such as the TPAS Community Action Award is fantastic acknowledgement for SARH and SBC.  It is great to see the hard work, commitment and dedication from staff and customers being recognised at regional and national level.

The project has been a great success and had a positive impact on all those involved. We are confident that we can make it as national winners for 2016, so watch this space!!

So What? 
At SARH we aim to empower our customers in a wide variety of ways. Allowing communities to manage their own allotment site gives them the tools to make healthier lifestyle choices, while improving their skills and abilities.

More for your Money:
Winning awards and being recognised for the success of  projects such as the Growing Health Project, increases chances of securing future funding.

Allotments Officially Opened

An award-winning scheme that’s transforming neighbourhoods in Staffordshire by converting derelict plots of land into thriving community allotments has just expanded.

Volunteers, community leaders and local families turned out in force last week to officially open a new allotment in Blythe Bridge as part of the Growing Health project – led by Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) in partnership with Stafford Borough Council.

Karen Armitage, SARH Chief Executive, officially opened the allotment and said: “This scheme has helped to bring communities together and has provided local residents with a sense of connection as they pull together to work on their plots. Planting and growing their own crops encourages families to eat healthily whilst getting out and about in the fresh air.“Improving urban environments helps to create an atmosphere of engagement and pride which helps local residents to take control of their own neighbourhood.”

The launch event was kindly sponsored by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, which provided stalls, games and activities whilst a team of ‘Community Champions’ from a nearby Tesco superstore were also praised for their help in clearing the site of rubbish and recycling discarded items by turning them into interesting allotment features.

Laura MacPhee, Community Involvement Officer at SARH, added: “The launch event proved a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone who rolled up their sleeves to get stuck in to turn a local eyesore into a valuable community resource.

The opening of the allotment in Adamthwaite Drive follows the success of similar Growing Health projects in Meadow Road, Stafford, Priory Road, Stone and Brookhouse Drive, Barlaston.

   

So What?
The Growing Health Project will give local residents the opportunity to spend time outdoors, increase levels of physical activity, develop their knowledge and learn new skills. The site will provided opportunities for people of all ages and increase community cohesion!

More for your Money:
Allotment sites provide local communities with a cheap, sustainable source of fruit and vegetables, therefore leading to healthier diets and improved quality of life.

Free Seeds at Tool Bank Opening

It’s that time of year again when our gardens are starting to grow. Pop along for expert advice during our open day on 6th May 2-4pm and pick up some free seeds. If your grass needs cutting, borders need digging and hedges need trimming the tools are there to make light work of the task, you never know you might love the results and want to enter the garden competition (coming soon).



Come along for advice and find out how to hire all the equipment needed to maintain your outdoor spaces for just £1. Toolbank is now open to all SARH customers
.

So What?

Moving into a new home can be very costly especially if it is your first tenancy.  Toolbank offers SARH tenants the opportunity to hire equipment at an affordable cost.

More for your money:

By providing this service for our customers we can help customers maintain their green spaces, creating great places to live work and grow.

National Apprenticeship Week 14^th-18^th March

The Community Involvement team and Human Resources joined forces to attend an event at Stafford job Centre to promote Apprenticeship opportunities at Stafford and rural Homes.  Customers and Job Coaches at the Job Centre were able to learn about the wide offer Stafford and Rural homes have in supporting local communities and people into employment.

There are currently two Business Administration Apprenticeships on offer with SARH.

Keep an eye out on our website for vacancies across the business.

Community Learning Programme - Being Launched in May the programme will deliver a range of free to attend courses that will improve employability whether its confidence building, improving IT skills, or writing your CV there is something for everyone to help you be the best you can be.  For more details of the Community learning programme go to http://www.sarh.co.uk/contact-us/events/ or contact cp@sarh.co.uk or call 0800 111 4554

If you are looking for further support to become work ready or improve your employability why not attend our Work Clubs - Based in three community locations across Stafford work clubs give you free access to a computer to search for jobs.  Support from an officer to tailor your CV, identify your skills and strengths, help with you prepare for interviews.  No appointment necessary, just turn up to join this friendly group.

Monday 10am-12pm Innovation Suite, Stafford Library, 1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford ST16 2DH

Tuesday 2-4pm Holmcroft Library, Holmcroft road, Stafford ST16 1JG

Thursday 10am-12pm Rising Brook Library, Merrey Rd, Stafford ST16 9LX

Get One to one support if you are a SARH customer who is looking to improve your employability.  Activities in sessions include identifying your strengths and skills,  CV writing, starting to look for work, interview practice.  For a free appointment (home visits available) contact cp@sarh.co.uk or call 0800111 4554

So what? 
By offering apprenticeships we can offer local people training and support at the start of their careers whilst working for a Times top 100 company.

More for your money:  
Apprenticeships are an important part of our business.  As an employee of Stafford and Rural Homes, young people can earn as they learn and gain crucial life skills.

Volunteers Accredited

The Branching Out project provided one to one support through a network of volunteers to support people’s journey to employment.  Training for volunteers was provided through the Open College Network to gain level one in Volunteering qualification.  Volunteers from the project will continue to volunteer at SARH Work Clubs.  Students recruited from Stafford College Health and Social Care courses who took part in the project have had valuable experience supporting those furthest away from the job market and gained qualifications to support their own career progression working in the field of Health and Social Care.

So what?  
By providing accredited training volunteers can enhance their own CV to improve their career choices and employability

More for your money:  
As an organisation by investing in our volunteers we are setting a service standard to support our customers and the wider community in their journey to employment

Changes to the Eatwell Plate... Know Your Portions

The ‘Feel Good Food’ project currently runs successful 6 week courses around 6 areas of nutrition. The first week involves looking at the ‘Eatwell Plate’ and Public Health England have recently published a new updated version of the Eatwell plate.

The new Eatwell Guide is largely based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s 2015 report.

According to the guide, a healthy, balanced diet includes:

• Eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.   
• Basing meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, that are ideally wholegrain.
• Having some dairy, or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) - choosing lower fat and lower sugar options.
• Eating some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including two portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily).
• Choosing unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts.
• Drinking six-eight cups or glasses of fluid per day.

There is a greater focus on fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates, preferably wholegrain, in the new guide, compared to the old Eatwell Plate.

Public Health England recommends consuming 30 grams of fibre per day, the same as eating five portions of fruit and vegetables, two whole-wheat cereal biscuits, two thick slices of wholemeal bread or one large baked potato with the skin on.

Current figures suggest people only consume around 19 grams of fibre per day, less than two thirds of the new recommendation.

Sugary soft drinks have been removed from the image and foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have also been moved to the outskirts of the guide, reflecting advice that they are not an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.

The new guidelines say adults should consume less than six grams of salt and 20 grams of saturated fat for women or 30 grams for men per day.

It also advises limiting the consumption of sugar, for example from sugary drinks and confectionery.

The latest figures suggest adults have twice as much sugar as is recommended and children have over three times. Public Health England advises everyone over the age of 11 to consume less than 30 grams or seven cubes of sugar per day.

The advice that only a 150ml serving of fruit juice counts as one of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is now extended to include smoothies. This is in acknowledgement “of the high sugar content of smoothies”.

The Eatwell Guide now also displays drinks recommendations which clearly state that adults should be aiming to have six to eight glasses of fluids per day ideally from water, lower fat milks, and unsweetened tea or coffee.

Courses are currently running at Hall Close, Rowley Park Academy and Jubilee Court.  Check out our events diary http://www.sarh.co.uk/contact-us/events/ for dates and times and to book a place or contact Kate Chester on 0800 111 4554 or email: cp@sarh.co.uk

So what?  
The course empowers the people of Stafford and also Stafford and Rural Homes customers to make small changes to their diet to lose weight and feel better. Any changes made by families will also influence children and the food choices that they make.

More for your money:  
How people feel about themselves has a direct impact upon lifestyle choices made by individuals and families. In helping people to lose weight and take more exercise this helps people to feel better and lead to improved confidence and self-esteem.

Confidence and self-esteem issues come in when seeking and gaining employment.

Coming Soon...

• 2016 Community Learning Programme

Keep updated with out next Blog to find out more!!!

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