Eastleigh Borough and Romsey Mencap Society
Our aim is to protect and enhance the life chances of children and adults with learning disabilities living in Eastleigh and Romsey.
On this webpage, you can see News, Upcoming Events, For Your Information and What's Been Happening, plus links to our Projects and Services webpages for much
more information about what we do...
- ETC – Exploring Theatre Craft
- Mayflower Panto Trail Project – Robin Hood
- Chinese Festival
- Active Citizens
- Flagship Art Club
- Eastleigh Hot Shots (Basketball Club)
- Chill Out Club
- Gardening Club
News...
Thinking about a new home?
Want to live independently or to change your living arrangements? This event could be for you.
Housing Options Event for People Living with a Learning Disability and/or Autism, Tuesday 19 September, 10am-2pm at the Performance Hall, Discovery Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB.
There will be a presentation at 10.00am and again at 12noon. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. This is a drop in event with information stands on housing including:
- Keeping Safe
- Local councils
- Health.
Hampshire Parent Carer Network will be there with advice for parent carers of older children, those transitioning to adulthood and young people.
If you have any questions please contact Louise Osborne, email WHCCG.SHIPTCP@nhs.net or telephone 02380 627890.
Grantham Green Hand-over
On August 11, we officially took over the maintenance of the ornamental shrub beds at Grantham Green. We have a small number of people who are going to learn about this work, getting some hands on
experience and expert tuition from Maria, our horticultural co-ordinator. More people can be involved – if this sounds like you, just call our office to learn more!
Our stalls at Grantham Green Open day
Maria Dowding and Mark Ellison looking at the planting plans for Grantham Green
Bulb Planting event at Grantham Green
Grantham Green news – Bulb Planting event
Please vote at TESCOs Eastleigh!
One of our partners at Grantham Green, Groundwork South have applied to Tesco Bags of Help funding scheme for money to hold a Community Bulb Planting event at Grantham Green. We will be involved in this too!
They are looking for votes in store at Eastleigh to make this happen. You can vote between 1 September and 31 October.
If you are shopping in Tesco’s at Eastleigh, look out for the voting booth and make sure you get a dark blue token from the staff and vote for Groundwork South Bulb planting in the booth on the back
wall of the store, beyond the tills.
The event should take place in November and provide swathes of colourful crocus and narcissus in the spring.
Lauren
Eastleigh Borough & Romsey MENCAP Walkers News
Sponsored Walk - 16 miles on The Test Way
More members of the society are joining us to walk the Test Way on Sunday October 8, with the Rotary Club of Romsey to benefit our society. We will all be walking the sixteen mile route from Wherwell to Romsey.
- Lauren, Claire and Andrew are powering ahead with their training and fundraising. The link to Lauren's fundraising page is:
-
Beverley, Maria and Michelle are undertaking individual walks with family or friends. The link to their fundraising page is
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eastleighboroughandromseymencapwalkers
Please tell your friends about us! Thank you.
You can also sponsor us with cash donations, if online giving is not your thing – we all have paper sponsorship forms to use. Sixteen miles is quite an undertaking. Just saying…..!
The view from one of our training walks
Grow Your Tenner - October 17 2017- Matching starts at 10.00am
Grow your tenner returns for another year.
If you wish to make a donation to the society, then go to the Local Giving website after 10.00am on October 17, search for Eastleigh Borough & Romsey MENCAP and donate JUST £10. We will receive double the amount you donated, less the admin fee. If you are a tax payer please use the Gift Aid button and we will receive more!
After our experience earlier in the year (June 22) when all the match funding money was gone in the first hour, we would urge you to act early on October 17! Please do not donate if all the match funding money has gone, as we will receive less than £10.
If you wish to donate more than ten pounds, be aware that only the first tenner will be matched. You can spread the donation amongst family and friends and ask each to donate ten pounds, this way (through different donors) the total amount can be matched.
For ardent supporters there is the chance to make monthly donations of £10 for a year and six of these will be match funded. So a £120 donation becomes £180.
Details of the Campaign can be found at https://localgiving.org/what-we-do/campaigns/grow-your-tenner
Flagship Art Club Exhibition
Centenary Hall, Chamberlayne Road, Eastleigh
Thursday, 19 October 2017 1015to 1445
Competition- My Favourite Thing
This is a date for your diary but also a call for action!
We are holding an art exhibition of postcard pictures on the theme of “My Favourite thing”. This is open to members, non members, carers, staff, just about anyone who has anything to do with Eastleigh Borough & Romsey MENCAP.
- Art Workshops at 10.30 – 11.30 and 13.00 to 14.30
- Café with home-made cakes
- Art Market – an excellent chance to buy unique Christmas gifts
- Postcard picture Exhibition
Everyone welcome – please come and join us!
Anyone can draw or paint a picture and submit it as long as it is on a plain postcard or on card the size of a traditional postcard. All submissions will be exhibited on the day of our exhibition.
Butterfly by Trevor Freeman
Trevor Freeman
We were sad to hear of the death of Trevor Freeman, a member who had enjoyed participating in our Art Courses in the past. Trevor was delighted to learn how to use a computer mouse and make colourful designs without lifting a pencil. He was a lovely man and will be missed.
Chandlers Ford Christmas Charity Market
Saturday morning - 11th November at the Chandlers Ford Dovetail Centre
We always have a stall at the market and we welcome members who come to buy from us! As it is Remembrance Day the Market will mark the 2 minutes silence at 11am.
Ann Bailey
It was with great sadness that we heard of the recent death of Ann Bailey who volunteered year after year to run our stall at the CF Charities Fayre with Jacqui Rowley. We are grateful for her long dedication in raising funds for our society.
Hinton Ampner Day Trip
We visited a National Trust property, Hinton Ampner near Alresford on 14 July. The weather was warm but not too hot.
We went for a two mile walk across the estate, allowing us to look back at the house and see it in the landscape. Nearly all of our walkers climbed two stiles on the walk as well as climbing hills and avoiding sheep.
We also split into smaller groups to visit the house, the walled vegetable garden and the formal gardens as well as the café and plant stall. It was a lovely, relaxing day.
We held a photographic scavenger hunt, so everyone took photos of items on our list and ended up with an album of images on their phones to remember the day.
A short walk up over the hill to look back at the house
Climbing one of the stiles
Summer Barbeque - Saturday, 8 July 2017
As usual we had fabulous weather for our barbecue. We enjoyed the novelty of a new barbecue site and activities, as well as the home cooked food and barbecued meat.
We had a short walk around Royal Victoria Country Park and enjoyed the cool breeze coming off the water. Some people even found the energy to play volleyball.
West End Carnival - What a Community!
On June 17 some of our members took part in the West End Carnival procession. A good time was had by all. Hagrid, Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and co have all vowed to return again next year in a different guise, depending on the theme of course. Come and join us, it is an unforgettable experience. The people of West End are generous and know how to throw a party.
Achievements and Congratulations!
We are delighted to offer congratulations to several people you may know, who have completed something exceptional this month.
To Khristen for having completed his Cubs leader training which has taken many months. It has been a great deal of hard work and fun! He has proved his commitment to the Cubs and should be very proud of this achievement.
To Gary and Kelly who both performed in the Community company at the Nuffield Theatre in the show “The Grapes of Wrath”. They auditioned for the play and attended a long series of rehearsals from early January through to three weeks of performances in March. They gave up evenings and weekends to rehearse. It was great to see them both on stage in this show.
To Will, who ran in the Eastleigh 10km run on Sunday March 19 in spite of only taking up running in January this year! He has raised a significant amount of money for Eastleigh Borough & Romsey MENCAP. Thank you Will!
Will raises a cool thousand!
We are delighted to report after all the cash donations, online sponsorship and gift aid have been collected that Will Wheeler raised £1,019 by completing the Eastleigh 5km run in March on behalf of Eastleigh Borough & Romsey MENCAP.
Here is Will looking fresh and confident at the start of his run on March 19.
"A huge thank you to Will, and to Terry and Michelle for helping him complete the challenge, for the magnificent sum of money raised."
Elaine Fish, Chairman
Will and his Dad, Terry, who ran alongside him, completed the Eastleigh 10km Run in good form on Sunday, 19 March. Huge congratulations to them both and thanks to everyone who has supported them. The donations raised are wonderful to have but are as nothing to Will’s achievement in running the course and finishing before so many other people (and the chicken).
William Wheeler, when he accepted the challenge to complete the Eastleigh 10k, decided that he would like to complete the run to benefit our society.
Will only started running in January this year but he is a fit and active person and has taken to the sport really well. We are delighted that he raised funds for us and proved his athletic ability!
Saints Pennant - Sealed Bid Auction!
Saints Football Club have generously given the society a Club Pennant to use for fundraising. The Pennant has been signed by all the 2016-7 team, it also has a Certificate of Authenticity.
We are offering this to members or supporters who are interested and wish to offer a sealed bid.
Just post us your bid price on a sheet of paper with your name and contact details.
All bids must be received by 15 June.
Vacancy for Chill Out Club Co-ordinator!
Do you have experience of supporting people with learning disabilities? Do you have a desire to support adults with LD to have some social time with their friends?
Our Chill Out Club gives members have the chance to get together with their friends independently of carers in a warm and friendly atmosphere in the centre of Eastleigh. They meet for two hours every Monday evening (except Bank Holidays) to chat, have a drink and share a joke with their friends and our volunteers.
John and Mark
Small Faces Exhibition
Some of our members submitted portraits to the Solent University Small Faces Open Exhibition in February.
All entrants were invited to the Preview Night. This picture was taken on this night and shows John and Mark standing near Mark’s portrait of John, which he drew at The Chill Out Club. Rebecca, Maria and Michelle all had portraits displayed.
Newsflash!
Our Newsletter, Newsflash!,
contains information about local and national initiatives and about our activities. Click on the newsletter tab to read previous newsletters.
Please visit the website regularly to read our
latest news. If you have any comments on the content, or would like us to include something on the website, please do get in touch with Elaine Fish (Chair).
Newsflash 108 Sep 2017.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [939.7 KB]
Events...
You can see a selection of last year's events on the 2016 Activities page!
Dates for your diary...
- Safer Places Scheme revisited
Jenny Bunyan, a volunteer from One Community has been visiting all the Safer Places that our Active Citizens group set up in 2010/11. Members of the Active Citizens took part in a briefing to the Community Safety Partnership about the scheme in December and we are hoping for the scheme to be revitalised in 2017. Watch this space!
and more...
-
9 September
Eastleigh Shot Hots – regular basketball sessions re-start at 10.00 -
21 September
Flagship Art Club restarts for members, old and new -
*17 October
GROW YOUR TENNER – after 10.00am *
- 19 October
Flagship Art Club Annual Exhibition, Centenary Hall - 8 October
Sponsored Walk - 16 miles on The Test Way - 19 October 2017
Flagship Art Club Competition - 27 October 2017
Chinese Cultural Festival Friends from China – Pavilion on the Park. Tell your friends about this great event! More information and poster... - 11 November
Chandlers Ford Xmas Charity Market – Morning
Party & AGM – Cranbury Centre, Cranbury Road
To find out more about any of these events call the office, if there is no answer leave your name and number and we will call you back with all the details!
For your information...
Hampshire County Consultation
Hampshire County Council’s planned Serving Hampshire – Balancing the Budget consultation is open.
The County Council expects a budget shortfall of £140 million by April 2019, on top of the £340 million savings already delivered over the last nine years. This is due to ongoing national
austerity measures; demographic changes reflecting increases in demand for some services; and inflationary pressures.
The County Council is seeking residents’ and stakeholders’ views on a range of options for balancing its budget. These include:
- reducing and changing services;
- introducing and increasing charges for some services;
- lobbying central Government for legislative change;
- generating additional income;
- using the County Council’s reserves;
- increasing Council Tax; and
- changing local government arrangements in Hampshire.
An Information Pack, providing background information to the consultation, is available on the County Council’s website. Residents and stakeholders are invited to respond online.
Alternatively, paper copies of the Information Pack and Response Form can be requested by emailing insight@hants.gov.uk, and will be available from Hampshire libraries.
SCAMS Warning!
Hampshire County Council’sTrading Standards have asked us to warn people about some current tricks which are being used on vulnerable people.
- Caller claims to be assisting the Police and Ambulance Service.
They offer to visit the property to carry out a security check, and to see if medical assistance is required. Suspicions are that the callers may be trying to sell home security devices, such as burglar alarms, and may make exaggerated claims about their effectiveness.
- Caller claims to be calling from the Citizens Advice Bureau, and offers to help clear outstanding debts.
The caller may claim that they have been asked to contact the resident by a concerned person. Citizens Advice will not contact residents in this way.
Trading Standards urge any residents receiving such calls not to respond, and not to give out any personal information to unknown persons over the telephone.
Connect to Support Hampshire
https://connectsupport.hants.gov.uk/
Connect to Support Hampshire is a new countywide online information and advice guide and directory of local services for adults with care and support needs. It provides a one stop shop for adults in Hampshire looking for information, community support and care options.
Usable by anyone; 600+ listings of services near you; directory of care homes and home care agencies; Information and advice regarding care and support
Contacting Adult Services
Tell us what you think...
In our last edition in 2016 we asked you for feedback on using the Contact Centre, HANTS DIRECT. We reported that a specialist group within Contact Centre staff were being trained to assist you with a wider range of issues and that you would not necessarily have immediate or direct access with The Learning Disabilities Team any more. The next stage of the plan is that all members of the Contact Centre are to receive the specialist training so anyone who answers your call will be able to assist you.
We are interested to know if you have called the contact centre, what your experience was - did you have to wait for a long time for the call to answered? Was the query dealt with to your satisfaction? Did your call have to be diverted to the Learning Disabilities Team after all?
Please let us know by email or phone so that we can pass on this feedback to the managers who have planned this change. It is important for us all that feedback is provided.
Contact Us / Membership
Our members receive a Newsflash nine times a year, either by email or post, and news of all new projects and opportunities. More about becoming a member...
Contact Us:
- Phone: 02380 483471
- Email: ebr.mencap@ntlworld.com
- Post: 56 Oaktree Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton, SO18 1PH
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