LEAP INTO LEISURE

A generous Big Lottery grant provided us with a much needed Sports and Leisure Co-ordinator. Nichola Dickinson leapt into action (sorry couldn’t resist the pun!) back in August 06 and the LEAP (Leisurelyand Energising Activities Project) officially started in October after ourmove into The Corner House.

LEAP delivers twice daily activities for service users of the CornerHouse, with activities ranging for the more energetic like indoorclimbing, off-road mountain biking, gym sessions and tennis to the more leisurely and relaxing activities like yoga, tai chi, walks, board games and cards; there is always something for everyone.

Nic has also recently received a grant from Adur District Council’ Health Inequalities Fund to improve the current GP referral scheme at the local leisure centres, and improve mental health awareness in Adur.

So watch this space as Nic is planning on offering a range of sporting and leisurely activities to the general public alongside service users in local community centres and venues.

If you’re interested in volunteering and training opportunities then leap to
your computer and e-mail Nic at leapcoordinator@thecornerhouse45.org
or ring The Corner House Resource Centre. You will find our contact
details on the back page.

If you would like to see the full range of activities on offer then log onto
our website www.sdmha.co.uk and follow the link to LEAP.

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Bushcraft

Have you ever thought about taking a break from the hectic pace of modern life and getting back to nature in our beautiful woodlands with the guidance and support of a qualified bushcraft instructor?

This is what we did on two occasions; the first session was
on a cold, wet and windy day in March; the second was two weeks later on a beautifully warm, sunny day in April!

Bushcraft skills are promoted as being empowering, practical and great fun… we can’t disagree with that! Whether you are going independently to acquire new woodland crafts, survival training or wildlife tracking or as a group in a corporate event or in social team building day out you will not be disappointed.

We felt inspired and recharged following the whole experience, coming away with lots of fun memories and anecdotes.

On a wet and cold day, fingers numb, waterproofs dripping over an outdoor fire that took like forever to light, nothing tastes nicer than a mug of hot chocolate and a fried savoury bannock. Our first session saw us making carved charcoal pencils which did work and now take pride of place amongst our shop bought colouring crayons! We also made very practical mallets which we can still use around the home and garden – one of our group took her hand made mallet to fix the tent pegs when she went camping.

Our second session, with the usual British extreme change of climate within two weeks, saw us trouping into the warm shaded woodland brimming with our newly acquired Bushcraft skills, excited to know what other green woodworking and survival skills we would be taught. Having a warm sunny day meant that we were going to learn how to light a fire without matches, cotton wool or vaseline!! This was trickier and more frustrating than expected and soon built up a thirst for a brew. To our delight we then had the opportunity to carve our own whistles or an Australian bull-roarer followed by well earned jam pastry cones made fresh on the open fire.

What really struck us during this experience was the peace and calm in the woodland, the fun and camaraderie in the group and the gradual learning and appreciation of specific trees, bark and general woodland conservation knowledge.

Our sincere thanks to Mike Murphy (01323 871328) and Mike Russell of Sussex Wildlife Trust for making these workshops so rewarding and fun. Well worth a try.

Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9SD.
Phone: 01273 492630. Fax: 01273 494500
www.sussexwt.org.uk

Stressbuster Ration 10/10

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Adur Homefront Project

Adur Homefront is a voluntary organisation which offers a basic home maintenance and gardening service for older people and people with disabilities in the Adur district who are on a low income. The tasks are carried out with the help of volunteers.

Peter Upton and Keri Pettitt co-ordinate the project and have generously helped out with tools and equipment during the school gardening project managed by The Corner House over the May bank holiday weekend.

Peter has also supervised a power tool workshop for members at The Corner House when the organisation`s grounds needed a good tidy and trim. This year has been quite busy with volunteer referrals from both the general public and from the West Sussex Pathways to Work project which is contracted to help and support people into vocational placements.

Keri presented a colourful display of photos showing the work of the Adur Homefront Project at the National Volunteers Week which was officially launched by the Adur Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) in Tarmount Lane, Shoreham. The event was designed to promote volunteering and illustrate what it offers to both those taking part and those it helps. To find out more, or to volunteer, please call 01273 461004.

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ADUR ARTTRAIL 2007

The Corner House Resource Centre, Southwick, opened its doors to the public at weekends during the Adur Art Trail 2007 allowing many people to explore the creative work done by service users.

This unique invitation allows everyone to be involved in Adur’s visual arts celebration and to travel on an exclusive artistic journey around the district.

This event has grown from the Open House Exhibitions of the past three years and now includes a rich variety of visual arts produced by over 30 artists living or working in the district.

Comments in the Corner House visitor’s book have been very encouraging:

• “Very impressive and moving”
• “Excellent work. Extremely impressive and inspirational”
• “Some outstanding work of art and craft”
• “Superb place, amazing art work and lovely atmosphere”
• “So much – and so much that’s wonderful and full of energy”

One of our local artists, Chris West, has exhibited work in the festival and also entered a local competition to redesign the footbridge across Shoreham harbour.

He entered his design into the ‘Fantasy’ category and was notified in June 2007 that he had won… congratulations to Chris.

Although the bridge will not be built this was a great opportunity to think of ways to design the bridge with all the features necessary to protect pedestrians from the weather.

His design can be viewed at the Marlipins Museum, Shoreham High Street.

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Good news

It is always heart-warming to read good news stories when people take the
plunge to start their own business and build on community contacts from volunteering roles. Matthew Brown one of the West Sussex County Council Pathways to Work clients had a plan to start his own gardening business and set about acquiring qualifications and gaining practical experience through volunteering. He played an invaluable role in the Corner House community school project, helping us prepare the wooden boat and joining the weekend make-over of the two garden areas. He has developed excellent links with Adur Homefront Project taking on work at very competitive rates for people who do not meet the eligibility criteria of the voluntary organisation.

Good luck with your business, Matthew.

The Corner House gardening group has been allowed help tend an allotment plot and there are plans to grow seasonal veggies with the help of Matthew Brown from
Browns Gardens (Matthew offers his gardening services to the elderly for very reasonable prices, you can contact him on 07774 540350).

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Televised garden make-over programmes beware… you have competition!

Shoreham School Community Garden Project

Pupils and staff of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School in Shoreham are now basking in the summer sunshine and enjoying two redesigned reflective garden areas thanks to the volunteer workforce co-ordinated by SDMHAs Pathways to Work project.

The invitation to design a calm and learner-friendly garden area came after discussions in the school PTA meeting which allowed Jill Harris, a parent from the school and Centre
Support Worker at The Corner House Resource Centre to suggest that our very own vocational project could handle this community venture.

As early as March 2007, Julie Bose, Project Worker at The Corner House, Southwick met several times with the Head, Mrs Catherine Walker to identify appropriate themes around the school boat logo with the school’s requirements and preferences.

This would allow a couple of month’s preparation off site so that the actual transformation could take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Pupils would break up for half term on Friday 25 May and return to find the gardens completed on Tuesday 5 June.

From the start, a marine theme was the centre point of the design with conservation, recycling and use of natural materials as priority considerations.

Julie recruited the Art Department at the Corner House as both Alice Watts and Angie Pantall (Therapeutic Art Workers) had extensive experience increative and artistic outdoor design.

They both spent many hours motivating and encouraging others to create copper insect and animal designs, clay fish, mosaic logos and glass chimes.

Nic Dickinson, the Sports and Leisure Worker, was Julie’s partner in crime cajoling local businesses and organisations to donate and contribute to the project and rustling up teams of enthusiastic volunteers to play a role in this massive community venture.

Up to 28 service users from the Corner House gave their time and skill helping to create decorative copper butterflies, paint tree log stools kindly donated by Nymans Gardens following our second Bushcraft workshop, moulding clay fish for the water feature and piecing intricate mosaic tiles and mirror segments to make up a stunning wall hung dragonfly and the St Peter boat logo which was set into the beach themed garden.

The May Bank Holiday weekend weather was, as predicted, awful but the workforce were high in spirits and camaraderie and everyone was determined to complete the make over however wet, windy and cold! Julie, Nic, Angie, Alice and Jill want to
thank the volunteers who worked alongside them over the weekend – Ian, Matthew, Tony and Michael. Skilled, hardworking and great team workers!

During the opening ceremony, which was officially unveiled by our local MPTim Loughton. Credit was paid to the volunteers and local businesses and organisations for working in
partnership to make the venture so successful. We want to thank the following for their community spirited support, advice and encouragement: Sussex Yacht Club, Shoreham (Bob, Frank and all the great club members based there), Hewden Hire, Shoreham (Joe, Mark and Noel), Adur Homefront Project, Shoreham (Peter Upton) and Browns Gardens, Shoreham (Matthew Brown).

As Head teacher, Catherine Walker is quoted as saying to the Shoreham Herald: “A lot of people have given their time and love to the school so that we could have this wonderful garden, and we are really grateful”.

We couldn’t agree more and would like to add that this community project has been one of the most rewarding experiences for all concerned and should you be reading this article and wondering whether to volunteer in your spare time… go ahead!

There is so much to be gained from volunteering such as:

• a sense of purpose and value; helping others;
• using skills for a good cause;
• gaining new skills in a fun,
• worthwhile and satisfying way;
• meeting new people;
• learning and training opportunities; and
• widening horizons and career options.

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: Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle is an independent, user-led publication, produced quarterly, and aims to reflect interesting views of society health and well-being, and to raise the profile of mental health issues and the profile of The Corner House Resource Centre in Southwick, which produces this publication. Whilst we aim only to publish articles that do not upset, discriminate or violate in any way other people, we hold the right to change submitted articles slightly to achieve this, and views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Shoreham and District Mental Health Association (SDMHA), the Trustee Board of The Corner House Resource
Centre, the Day Centre nor the Editorial Team. We do not undertake any responsibility for contributions and any products or advertisements mentioned do not imply endorsement by SDMHA.

If you need the newsletter in an alternative format, contact:

SDMHA, (AAW Newsletter)
The Corner House Resource Centre
45 Southwick Street,
Southwick
West Sussex
BN42 4TH

Email:aawnewsletter@thecornerhouse45.org
Phone: 01273 871575
www.sdmha.co.uk

THE EDITORIAL TEAM: Vocational and Employment Worker: Julie Bose /
Chair of SDMHA: Denise Carroll

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