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Launch Event – Empowering People:Unlocking Innovation to be held on 31st January 2012 at Snibston Discovery Centre, Coalville from 9.45am -3.30pm.
This participative and interactive event will enable you to:
* learn more about the Innovation programme and ask questions
* find out about the Bursary application process
* hear about examples of personalised and co productive approaches from around the country
* participate in workshops and networking opportunities
* learn more about the Innovation Network and how you can get involved
* get thinking about an innovative idea for your service developme
Places are going fast so book on as soon as possible via the following link: http://unlockinginnovation.eventbrite.co.uk/
On 4th of January 2012 one of the Community Catalysts’ team Amy Timmins will be flying to Tanzania and embarking on a quest to stand on top of the roof of Africa. She writes: ‘We have been in training for this for over a year and want to use this opportunity to hopefully inspire some of you to support some of the charities we would like to rais money for.
We decided to pay for the climb so that every single penny we raise goes directly to the charities we are raising money for and not to pay for the expedition. We are travelling with the company Exodus who have run expeditions like this for several years and run the Porter Assistance Project to support the porters who work on the climb throughout the year.
The two charities we would like to raise money for mean a lot to me and I hope you value as equally worthy causes:
Breast Cancer Campaign: This national charity works by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure. Like so many, my family has been affected by this disease, I was fortunate enough that my grandma survived breast cancer and I would love to use this opportunity to help raise money to enable the reasearch to be done to help create more happy endings.
Birmingham Dogs’ Home: The charity has bases in Birmingham and Wolverhampton and does amazing work to ensure these wonderful and adorable animals can have a second chance at life and be brought back to good health after some have been brought to the home after experience awful cruelty. I have two rescue dogs and would advocate that people give these wonderful animals a wonderful life.
If you could spare 50p, £5 or even £50 you would be making a fantastic difference to the work these wonderful charities do. Ideally if you could split your donation between these causes, that would be fantastic, or if you’d rather donate to one particular cause, that’s also brilliant, as they say, every penny helps!
I am raising money through the website justgiving.com, and it is possible to donate money securely to either charity through these pages; see the link http://www.justgiving.com/teams/amyclimbskilimanjaro for more information.’
Pulp Friction and Break Barriers are two exciting micro-enterprises working in Nottinghamshire. They are supported by Rebecca Stanley, the Community Catalysts micro-enterprise support co-ordinator in that area – and it was Rebecca who broke the news that these two enterprises had won three of the four top awards at the very first Nottinghamshire Social Enterprise Awards ceremony held on November 17th
Jill and Jess from Pulp Friction and Andrea from Break Barriers were up against providers working in areas that included education, the building industry, work opportunities, accommodation and mentoring services. It was fantastic then that Break Barriers won new start-up social enterprise of the year, Jill Carter from Pulp Friction won social entrepreneur of the year and her daughter Jess was awarded young social entrepreneur of the year!
Liam Black from Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen (http://www.guardian.co.uk/prius/partthree/story/0,,1322048,00.html ) was there to talk about social enterprise and to award the prizes – Jill’s prize is a day with Liam for support and mentoring!!
Jill, Jess and Andrea were all overwhelmed by having won their awards – but despite the surprise Jill and Andrea both gave eloquent and inspiring acceptance speeches.
Jill talked about how Pulp Friction was born out of necessity as there was nothing else for Jess who has learning disabilities and had wanted to work in a ‘posh’ restaurant. She described the opportunities that Pulp Friction has provided for the people who work there, as paid staff and as volunteers. Pulp Friction has provided work experience and training for a number of young people with learning disabilities – but it has as importantly provided people with a really rich social life. Jill passionately believes that young people with learning disabilities need opportunities in their lives to make friends without having to pay someone to make this possible – Pulp Friction provides a great way for people to meet and make friends and have fun together.
Andrene thanked the people who believed in her and especially the people who use her service for allowing her to treat them as guinea pigs because it was all so new and developing! She thanked her husband and family for putting up with her whilst she was developing Break Barriers and for the time she has spent away from them. Andrene says there is no reverse gear in the Break Barriers car ‘it’s been taken out – we only go in a forward movement!!!’
As Rebecca said when she broke the news: It was a great afternoon and so great to see these new micro enterprises win an award…WELL DONE!!! I did a lot of cheering!!!!
Written by Tracy Turner
All of us at Community Catalysts believe that the availability of local micro care and support services are essential if people who need support are to have real choice.
We know from our experiences that many micro-providers face difficulties and challenges and that they often feel very isolated. To try and tackle these issues, we have been asked by Devon County Council to help support the development of a peer support network for local micro-providers, which will enable micro providers to be a resource and support for one another.
A rainy morning somewhere in the depths of rural Devon last Thursday saw the first meeting of this peer support network when 8 micro-providers met one another for the first time. A further 18 micro-providers have asked for feedback, so the early signs are that there is a lot of interest in this new initiative.
The 8 micro-providers at the meeting delivered or were planning to deliver a diverse range of services. From residential care, personal care at home, shopping and other practical support, escorted transport, community enabling and support, and support to people with osteoporosis on maintaining independence with good bone health and avoiding trips and falls.
It was during the introductions around the room that the magic started, with shared experiences, tips and ideas spilling from every quarter.
It very quickly became clear that while the services delivered by the people there were different from one another, there was a wealth of common ground in terms of shared experiences and shared values, as well as a real appetite for creative and innovative new ways of working to offer the best service that they could.
Community Catalysts has learned that the basic things that a group like this needs are mutual trust and respect, generosity and collaboration – and all of these things were in great abundance that morning.
We went on to explore what the group might be able to do together, sharing the experience of a similar group in Oldham and this generated a real buzz around the room, as people started to realise what could be possible. One of the micro providers there was an avid tweeter, giving Twitter- followers a running commentary of how things were going.
Later on in the meeting, we were joined by someone from Devon County Council who was very happy to take part in a question and answer session and who left the meeting feeling very engaged and enthused.
I was totally blown away and inspired by the wonderful things that each of the providers there are doing or have planned and by how very quickly they gelled together as a group. Let’s wish them well in their journey – from the energy and enthusiasm in the room that morning, they will achieve a lot together!
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