After two and a half years we say goodbye to Barry and thank him for all his hard work here at Welcome and throughout SIAS.
As volunteers go, you can’t get much better than Barry, always happy to help no matter what the task and his big smile proved a welcome tonic on many occasions.
He has now managed to find paid employment in a field he enjoys and has already given so much too, so we wish him all the luck in the world!
For sometime time Warwickshire wildlife trust has been helping to redesign the garden and create a space that can be enjoyed by staff and clients. With the help of the gardening group and volunteers a small transformation has taken place and the garden area is really something to be proud of.
We held an opening event on Thursday 6th so to see the developments and recognise the great work that has been undertaken. In addition it gave us the opportunity to remember Peter Herson whose family kindly donated some money towards to new gate.
Friday 3rd October saw the Changes and Welcomes “Shoot for Recovery” football tournament take place and more importantly a day for networking and making new friends.
The sun sparkled as 10 teams from drug and alcohol services as well as service user groups kicked off the day literally. Two groups of 5 teams battled it out on the pitch and
eventually a winner from each group were able to contest the semi finals. A big thank you goes to all who helped out especially the referees who did a sterling job .
The final was well contested however Park House proved worthy winners and were able to receive the esteemed trophy!
After three years of planning, we were thrilled to be able to throw open the doors of our new Cafe and Community Centre in Shard End on Friday 6th December and welcome people in. We had an activity-packed launch weekend, themed to Christmas on Friday, Parties on Saturday and Leisure on the Sunday – providing a taste of what the Centre and Cafe will be offering. Hundreds of people came to sample the food, see Santa, buy from our stalls, try out dance and exercise classes, play bingo and take afternoon tea. Our chef’s cakes are a must!
Look out for a packed programme of activities in the New Year.
If you are interested in volunteering you can drop in and find out more or visit our website and download an application form. www.welcome-change.org.uk
Hope to see you soon…
Friday 22nd November saw a SIAS team brave the cold and hit the streets of Solihull giving out information about services and harm reduction advice to local revellers.
Nearly 100 individuals engaged with the team and numerous pubs and clubs were visited with the team delivering the message of ‘Chillax’ and be safe!
The group was made up of a true partnership including Charlotte and three young volunteers from Moo Moo Youth marketing, staff from the Bridge and Welcome and of course our very own volunteer and project manager Barry!
A big thank you goes out to all those involved and I’m sure this event will pave the way forward for further SIAS events within the town centre.
Please see attachments for some photos of the event.
Staff and their families enjoyed the Solihull together sponsered walk again this year. The weather was beautiful and the route at Blythe Valley was as pretty as a picture. Kiran Khan Marketing lead made a new friend and Jo Mackinnon CEO and her 10 year old son Max proudly held up their certificates at the end of the walk. Money from the work will go towards a small worthwhile project.
Welcome would like to thank the VERY BRAVE individuals who threw themselves out of an aeroplane, September 23rd, in order to raise money for the Charity. Darren, Louise, Selina and Gina all managed to get down to earth safely to the applause and loud praise of spectators, including Jo Mackinnon the CEO and Fundraiser David Wootten who kept their feet firmly on the ground!!
The 5th UK recovery Walk took place in Birmingham yesterday, 22nd September 2013 in Calthorpe Park.
This walk is for people celebrating recovery as well as those who have started their journey into recovery. People traveled from all around the UK to participate in this event.
Entertainment on the day included performances from the Well Being Choir and many others who joined the line up to share their road to recovery experiences.
Our SIAS partner, Changes UK served tea, coffee and smoothies on the day, which they had stock donated from retailers such as Co-operative and Tesco.
The park was filled with a great atmosphere and overall was a lovely day.
Next years Recovery Walk is looking as if it will take place in Manchester, so if you missed out this year, make sure you get involved next year.
On Thursday 12th September, Welcome held a service user celebration in the garden.
It was a great success with over 50 attendees. The celebration enabled users to talk to one another over a BBQ. There was also some music and we were fortunate to have great weather on the day.
A number of people signed up to become involved in the production of the service user newsletter, so hopefully this event will serve as a springboard to greater service user involvement within SIAS in the future.
The next forum is on October 1st at 12.30 at Welcome.
