Welcome to the Summer Newsletter
A Date for your Diary -
Relatives Forum Monday 1st November 2010
We will be joined at the November Relatives Forum by Dr Dai Lloyd, Welsh Assembly Member for Plaid Cymru. Dr Lloyd is the spokesperson for Social Justice with an interest in Health and Local Government. He is also a Trustee and Management Committee member at Swansea People First and works part time as a local G.P.
We’re on the Web!
www.communitylives.co.uk
Words from Chris & Rick
Welcome to our Summer Newsletter
Once again the newsletter is packed full of interesting information and topics so we hope you enjoy the read.
It is great to see so many parts of our community being so actively working together to create valued lives and new opportunities for people.
The work the Relatives Forum is doing together with Swansea Peoples First on the support people receive in hospital is excellent and much needed.
The new Tenant’s Assembly was also a great night, it was great to see so many tenants having their say as well as having a good-time.
However it was very sad that three of the tenants died over the summer, my thoughts go to all of their friends and families and my thanks go to all those who supported them to live the lives they chose in the community for so long.
Thanks Chris & Rick
Chris and Rick
Relatives’ Forum Update
Relatives’ Forum – Held 3rd March 2010
Over the past 18 months, in response to a request from a relative, we have invited various guest speakers to our Forum so that we could discuss problems in health care generally for adults with a learning disability and in particular the care and support they receive in hospital.
18th March 2009 – The topic was ‘Health Issues – A Way Forward for Adults with Learning Disabilities’ and our guest speakers were Joanne Lane, Head of Corporate Services for Swansea Local Health Board, Moira Griffiths, Patient Experience Manager and Lynn Coleman, Project Co-ordinator for Swansea People First Peer Health Advocacy Project which is entitled ‘Good Health for All’.
Following the Forum, a Working Party Looking into the Care of Adults with Learning Disabilities in Secondary Care was set up.
2nd December 2009 – Moira Griffiths (now POVA Coordinator) and Lynn Coleman attended the Forum together with Chris Griffiths, Consultant Nurse for Learning Disability Services. Chris is the only Consultant Nurse in Wales for Learning Disability Services, and works very closely with the Welsh Assembly Government on services and strategic development for Service Users in Wales.
7th June 2010 - Our guest speaker was Lynn Coleman and she showed us a presentation by Dr David Felce, Co Chair of Learning Disability Implementation Advisory Group (LDIAG) about current expenditure in Wales on Learning Disabilities Health and Social Care and the response from the WAG Deputy Minister to the proposed action plan put forward by the LDIAG.
We want to continue these discussions at the next forum on Monday, 1st November. We also hope to get some feedback on the response of the Welsh Assembly to a Research Project undertaken by the Association for Real Change Cymru into ‘The Nature of support provided by social care organisations upon the admission of people with learning disabilities into hospital’.
We will be joined at the Forum by Dr Dai Lloyd, Welsh Assembly Member for Plaid Cymru. Dr Lloyd is the spokesperson for Social Justice with an interest in Health and Local Government. He is also a Trustee and Management Committee member at Swansea People First and works part time as a local G.P.
Carol Rae, Principle Officer for Care Management in Swansea will be joining the discussion and Steve Garland from Neath and Port Talbot has also been invited.
This is an issue close to all of us and so we look forward to a good turnout on that date. See you there
Don’t forget that if you want to raise any issues with the Relative Representatives on The Board, or if there are any topics you would like us to discuss at future meetings, please ring Janice Connick, on 01639 701040 or Cliff Alden on 01792 323295 or you can ring Wendy or Chris at the Consortium office on 01792 646640.
|
 |
 |
 |
Janice Connick Committee Member |
Cliff Alden Committee Member |
Wendy Evans Community Services Officer |
Christine Brian Director of Community Services |
S N A P
Special Needs Amateur Photography
CAMERA CLUB
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY
COME TO SHARE IDEAS AND INFORMATION
£2.00 per session
Join us every 3rd Tuesday of the month
In the Consortium Workshop
At 7pm – 9pm
Location Trips - First Saturday of every month
To be arranged at meetings
Contact: Dave Cox
Mobile 07977175304
Email – davephotographer@hotmail.com
Our first Boat outing from Saint David’s was a great day despite the weather which was choppy on times, we saw dolphins, seals, and a lots of birds on the three islands we visited, this was a trip for the not faint hearted.
Our rig went up and down trying to focus was a bit of a job but we all enjoyed our great adventure trip which we all agreed to visit again in the near future.
If you are interested in joining us contact Dave Cox at the workshop for more information on trips and camera workshops 07977175304
Andy Wright from the Workshop is asking for donations of any kind of gardening tools that you don’t use as the Workshop are starting an allotment on a piece of land at Gwynfe. Please see article below.
Gardening Project
The aim is to support our service users in growing their own vegetables on a small allotment within one of our schemes based at Gwynfe Road, Loughor
The Proposal:
- Four areas of 3 metres by 3 metres would be planted
- All types of productive vegetables would be grown through the year (*please see pie chart for more details)
- One small greenhouse to start germination of seeds
- One small shed to store tools
- Compost area for all office and house waste (office waste we are now recycling)
Benefits:
- Our service users to gain experience and knowledge of maintaining a small allotment and to encourage service users to develop skills in gardening and to encourage service users to start developing a small patch within their own gardens.
*Please contact the Workshop to view the Pie Chart regarding productive
vegetables
If you have anything to donate or any questions please contact Andy on 07977175322.
Also, they are putting together another greenhouse out of recycled clear pop bottles and recycled timber so if you have any pop
bottles could you bring them in to the Workshop and watch the greenhouse grow!
Keep an eye on the newsletter to see how we are doing and look at the photographs of our crops!
Membership Drive
Here is an update on the Membership Drive. We currently have 146 members, which includes a mixture of 36 service users, 15 relatives, 54 staff, 5 related professional agencies and 36 miscellaneous people.
Members can vote to help make decisions and also elect members of the Management Committee.
Are you interested in becoming a Member?
If you are, you will need to fill in an application form, these are available from Debbie Chegwen at the Consortium office, this will cost £1 and you will be sent a Share Certificate in the post.
Tenant’s Holidays
We have received Holiday Feedback forms from some Tenants, giving us their opinion on a holiday they have taken. Here is a brief summary of their comments:
A couple of Tenants spent a lovely weekend at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in London in May this year. It took about 5 hours to get there, parking was good and the hotel was lovely. The Hotel was easy to get into and move around. The rooms were really nice and the people at the hotel were friendly and helpful. Bathroom facilities were good and there were shops, pubs and cafes close to the Hotel. There were plenty of things to do and see in London. The Tenants recommend this holiday.
If you would like more information on this holiday please contact Jonathan Thomas the Contract Manager for Network 5.
NVQ Update
"Congratulations to the following staff who have achieved NVQ awards
since the Spring Newsletter":
A1 Assessor
Amanda Rees
Level 2 Care
Gwen Williams
Julie Thomas
Diane Griffiths
Jane Louise Evans
Level 3 Care
Debbie Saunders
Christopher Jenkins
Alison Kneath
Ian Hinder
Lisa Davies
Martin Hinton
Michael Waters
David Martin
Congratulations to the Team Co’s for passing their Level 4 in Care. Here is a great photo:
(from left to right)
Marina Burrows
Sheree Lewis-Jones
Judith Hall
Lynn Morgan
Catherine Winkworth
Well done and thank you to their assessors who worked hard to help them gain these qualifications!
Sue Cole
Tenant Participation - Information and Stories 
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying the summer.
The highlight of the last couple of months for me has been seeing Paul McCartney in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in June. It was a fabulous concert.
Huw Gethin from Neath also went. He said that it was a night to remember.
Tenants Assembly
The first Tenant’s Assembly was held on
June 15th at the Manor Park Hotel. There were lots of stands giving information. We had a tasty buffet, lots of raffle prizes and a disco to round off the evening.
Here are some of the prizes that people won:
Cerys Williams – Bird table
Phil Carsley – Remote Control Socket Kit
Craig Roberts – Money box
William Jones – Calculator
Avril Hill – Tickets to see the Ospreys
Chris Bate – Gardening Kit
Rebecca Evans – Celebrity Day Voucher
Elizabeth Brown – Jumpdrive Firefly memory stick and PC cd-rom Clip Art Images disc
We are already planning the next one and have some great ideas. If you have any suggestions give us a ring.
Julie Davies
Tenant Participation Officer
Rebecca Evans is “Celebrity For A Day” with her Tenant’s Assembly Raffle Prize.
The first part of her prize was a makeover
Before:
After:
Rebecca went out for a meal at a restaurant, and enjoyed answering questions about herself.
I like swimming, puzzle books and listening to music.
My favourite foods are pizza and Tagliatelli.
My favourite drink is J2O, any flavour, I don’t mind.
If I was on a desert island I would like to be there with Tom Cruise!
My favourite film is Mama Mia, and I love all the soaps, X Factor and Dancing on Ice.
I love the theatre and have seen Mama Mia, Starlight Express and Cats in London.
I am so excited to be going on holiday soon with my sister Lucy. We are going to Salou in Spain for two weeks and we are staying in a nice Hotel.
I have enjoyed having my hair and make-up done, the best bit was having my eyebrows plucked and being out!
Hi Everyone!
The SPICT team would like to thank all the staff that came to our SPICT Showcase Event on the 10th of June. We all appreciate you sharing your ideas !
A special thank-you to Andrew who works at Gabalfa. He is
turning into an Oscar winning actor! His multimedia support plans are inspirational !
This is what staff said was working for them.
The next Showcase meeting will be on Friday 1st October.
Everyone Welcome
Learning Disability Week
Learning Disability Week ran from Monday, 21st June to Sunday, 27th June. There were many events going on in the Neath/Port Talbot area.
There was a photograph exhibition in Pontardawe Arts Centre showing positive images of people in the community. Pampering sessions were held in the Old Neath Town Hall.
There was a rambling group walking from Cwm Clydach Nature Reserve to Herbert Street, Pontardawe. The week ended in a disco which was held at the Towers Hotel.
First Choice Housing Association Tenants Conference - 22nd June 2010 - All Nations Centre, Cardiff
The Tenants Lives Group members – Christopher Edwards, Victor Reiker, Brian and Nicola Roberts, Monica Keeble and myself accompanied by Karin Phillips did a workshop at the conference. The conference was about health and well being.
You might remember the work the Lives Group did on a project called ‘Unkind People and what to do about them’
We held 2 workshops for people attending talking about the project and their experiences of unkind people. It was a brilliant day.
Health Fair
Swansea People First (Peer Health Advocacy Project) held 
their 6th Annual Health Fair 2010 - 'Fit for Living' at the Liberty Stadium on Friday 18th June.
As usual the day was a success with lots of activities like a fashion show, armchair aerobics, line dancing and a scrumptious lunch.
Karin and I had stands there. Karin encouraged people to grow their own vegetables and fruit and talked to them about healthy eating and recycling. I talked to people about Direct Payments.
Linda Evans was presented with a number of certificates for the work she has done about women’s health issues.
A Meaningful Day - Peter Staples
My name is Peter and I live in Loughor. One of the things I do during the week is to attend Consortium Workshop. I really enjoy going there. 
Here are some photos of me making a bird house which is now hanging in my garden.
Away Days
Christopher Hughes has had away days through the summer holidays. Chris went to the Millennium Stadium for tour. He also went to the Bath Show and had a refreshing pint on the way home. He had a lovely time and the weather was fabulous.
Pleasure Flight
Michael Thomas went on a pleasure flight at Swansea Airport. Michael flew over Belgrave Road and all over Gower. Michael enjoyed the experience as he has never flown before.
Pemberton Premier Inn
John Mort, accompanied by Brian Churchill had a break at the Pemberton Premier Inn. John really enjoyed his break.
Network 6 Party
Network 6 have a party every three months in the Four Winds, Aberavon. It is an opportunity for everyone to get together and have a good time!! Here are some photos.
On this occasion Bongo Clive came along to entertain us. 
He also had a variety of musical instruments that everyone could play!! A good night was had by all and we will definitely be having Bongo Clive along again!!
Holiday in Weymouth – Irene Slee, Pontardawe
On 26th July, I set off with Heather and Gwyneth on a Majestic coach holiday to Weymouth. It was quite a journey because of all the pick ups. We arrived just after lunch and settled into our rooms in the Russell Hotel. They were nice and clean and I had a sea view .It was a hot day so that was a good start. After unpacking we took to the seafront and walked all along the front and had a look at the 
shops.
We came back in time for our evening meal which was really nice and was for the rest of the week with lots of choices!
After breakfast on Tuesday we went to Poole and Bournemouth for the day I enjoyed the shops and buying gifts for my friends.
On Wednesday we went to Dorchester and the weekly market was on. It was lovely with lots of flowers and local farmers produce as well as all the clothes and lots of other things. We had a look around the Town and there we found Wellworths, the old Woolworths store that one of the staff has taken over (it was just like Woolworths).
On Thursday there was a trip to Lyme Regis but we gave that a miss as its very steep. We shopped and dined out on fish and chips on the sea front in Weymouth it was lovely.
It was fantastic to see that the traditional British seaside holiday is alive and well and happening in Weymouth.The beaches were packed with families enjoying Ice cream, candy floss, toffee apples, dinky doughnuts and even a Punch and Judy Show with a crowd of children avidly engrossed. WONDERFUL! We all had a good time. It was lovely. We would recommend it to anybody.
Bikeability
Here are some photos of Richard Evans and Robert Crimp from Loughor with Matthew Gorman at Bikeability.
Sad News ................
Royston Thomas
Sadly on 1st June after a short illness Roy Thomas from Dulais Rd passed away at the age of 82 years. Roy joined the Consortium on September 11th 1989; he was well know throughout the organisation and was a dear gentleman.
Roy will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Edward Gareth Davies
It’s with great regret we have to announce the passing of Edward Gareth Davies from Sketty Park Drive, he was 59 years old and had lived at Sketty Park since 2001.
Gareth was a true character and brought happiness to the people in his life, he will be sorely missed by everyone.
Brian Willsher 
The Service Users and Staff at Tir Morfa are very sad to announce the sad loss of a lovely gentleman, Mr Brian Willsher. Brian had recently celebrated his 75th birthday with a small tea at his home. Brian is pictured here on holiday with his keyworker Pamela Watts. Brian will be remembered with fond memories by his many friends and acquaintances. R.I.P Brian.
Hi! My name is Sarah Bonell, you might recognise me from the last news letter. I am the Swansea People Support Officer and my job is to help anyone who would like to use the website.
Swansea People is a safe and fun way for people to meet on-line, share photos and videos, meet new friends and stay in touch with old ones.
It is a great way to see what is going on in your area with lots to do, all in the activity planner. Most of the social and sports clubs are on there but if you know of any clubs that you go to and enjoy, let me know!
To start using the site go to www.swansea-people.co.uk and type in your username and password below and away you go!
If you have not got an account, register at www.swansea-people.co.uk or drop an email to sarah.bonell@communitylives.co.uk
Green News Flash! 
Since June 2009 The Consortium has recycled 2131.82kg of paper – that is the weight of a SMALL CAR!!
In the months to come we will continue to recycle as much as possible and if you have any ideas about ways to recycle then let us know!
Here are some ideas to help you go green:
- Reuse plastic bags or buy some ‘bags for
life’ for your shopping.
- Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth
– you don’t need the tap on the whole
time.
- Boil less in your kettle – if you are only
making one cup of tea then only boil enough
water for one cup.
- Buy local food and buy food with less
packaging
Also if you have any queries or any articles you would like to add to the next Newsletter please contact me on the office number below or email me at debbie.chegwen@communitylives.co.uk
Plus I would be grateful for any comments or feedback about this Newsletter.
Thank you to everyone who passed me the articles for this issue.
Debbie Chegwen
Dates for your diary:
Dates for Your Diary |
Venue |
Date |
Time |
Management Committee Meeting |
Board Room |
19/10/2010 | 2.00 pm |
Service Coordinators FORUM |
Training Suite |
19/10/2010 | 10.00 am |
Staff Sub Group Meeting(not forum) |
Board Room |
10/11/2010 | 10.00 am |
Tenant Lives Group Meeting |
Training Suite |
25/11/2010 | 10.00 am |
Staff FORUM |
Training Suite |
27/09/2010 | 10.00 am |
| Team Coordinators Forum | Training Suite | 27/10/2010 | 2.00 pm |
| Housing Support Coordinators Meeting | Board Room | 24/09/2010 | 10.00 am |
