Summer 2012

OUR NEW IMAGE TAKES FLIGHT A warm welcome to the Summer

edition of the Friary Newsletter and

we hope you enjoy our new format

and logo.

As we begin to celebrate our 25th

year of service to the community

one of the changes that the Trustees

have agreed after much thought is

that in future our project will be

known simply as ‘the Friary’. This

follows the convention many use

already. You will also notice our But-

terfly is retained in the eye-catching

logo and may wonder what it repre-

sents. Its significance is at the heart

of what the Friary is about in

providing new life to the thousands

of people who seek help and advice

each year.

Improved marketing of the Friary

organisation and its services has

moved up the agenda and in tandem

with the new format Newsletter we

have taken the opportunity to

introduce www.the-friary.org.uk

as our new website. This attractive

site will provide you with more

information about the Friary as well

as keeping you up to date with the

latest news.

If any organisation would like a

presentation about the Friary,

how it operates and its future

plans please contact us and we

will supply a speaker.

It is an unfortunate fact of life in the

voluntary sector that uncertainty

about future funding remains and our

first priority is to be proactive in

raising by various means a minimum

of £250,000 annually so that Friary

can remain open. With this in mind

during the anniversary year we will

launch an ambitious ’Butterfly

Campaign’ that aims to raise

£50,000 through new corporate

sponsorship as well as requesting

existing supporting organisations and

Church groups to organise an extra

event or adopt the Friary as their

charity for a year. You can read

more about the campaign across the

page .

Whenever funding is mentioned

Trustees are extremely mindful of the

valued contribution that volunteers

continue to make and it would not be

out of place to thank them and our

Volunteer Coordinator who continue to

make Friary tick.

Without their dedication life would not

be the same at the Friary. Many thanks

and may it long continue.

Robin Lund:

Chair of Trustees

‘the Friary’ is celebrating its 25th year of

voluntary service to the community and

to commemorate this we are inviting busi-

nesses to share in this magnificent Not-

tingham success story.

How can you help?

Each year the Friary have to raise

£250,000 to continue to deliver the

services.

150 devoted volunteers ‘contribute’ an

equivalent amount through their

dedication.

However overcoming present funding

pressures has become a priority so that

the Friary can remain operational and

continue to deliver core support

services that change and save lives.

That is why in our anniversary year we

are launching our Butterfly Campaign

to bring new life to the Friary with a

target of £50000. Your support for the

Friary can bring benefits.

You may wish to involve your employees

and organise a fundraising event that will

hone team skills whilst also benefitting the

wider community; adopt the Friary as

your Charity for the year; support the

Friary brand as sound Corporate Social

Responsibility; support in kind.

More information is on our website

www.the-friary.org.uk where you can also

donate. Alternatively please ring

01159825448 for more information.

All supporters will be acknowledged on

our website and in our newsletter/

publications.

BUTTERFLY CORPORATE SUPPORT CAMPAIGN

THE RICHARD CLARKE MEMORIAL POOL TROPHY

The Richard Clarke Trophy has been a

much converted accolade by our service

users since 1997. Richard Clarke was a

service user of the Friary until 1996 when

he tragically died. His family live locally in

Keyworth and the decision was taken to

commemorate his life by holding an annual

pool competition in his name. The

competition is a well subscribed and much

anticipated event. This years winner

was Michael Stanley, who becomes

our youngest ever winner at 20 years

of age. The Richard Clarke Trophy is a

fitting way to develop positive interaction

between our current service users whilst

also remembering those who have gone

before.

ALEX RAE—Trustee

I have been a trustee since October 2011.

I first became aware of Friary on its

creation in 1988 following the closure of

the Musters Hotel. I retired from the

Government Legal Service at the end of

2010, having over 30-plus years been a

legal adviser in several government

departments, including the Health and

Safety Executive, the Ministry of

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the

Food Standards Agency.

I spent 18 months on secondment to the

European Commission Legal Service in the

mid-1980s. My role as a trustee of Friary

dovetails with my role as a trustee of the

Nottingham International Students Trust,

which aims to provide support to

overseas students in the further and

higher education sectors in the greater

Nottingham area. I worship at St

Andrew's with Castle United Reformed

Church in the city centre. My hobbies are

reading detective fiction, singing, cricket

and local history.

On a scorching hot May afternoon the

Bishop of Southwell came to visit the

Friary as part of his week long pilgrimage

walk around the West Bingham

Deanery. Once here the Bishop and his

team were given a tour of the Friary

and enjoyed mingling with the service

users. We were privileged to have

the Bishop visit the Friary and

thoroughly enjoyed the

opportunity to showcase all the

good work we do here. His visit

proved to be a welcome reminder that

The Church really takes supporting the

poor seriously and is committed to

assisting those living in poverty.

Archdeacon John Bentham said this

about the Bishop’s visit: ‘every bit as

important as his trip to County

Hall was the warm welcome the

Bishop received from service users

at the Friary’.

BISHOP OF SOUTHWELL VISITS FRIARY

A Life Reclaimed

I was born in the Sneinton district of

Nottingham and grew up there; my

childhood was no different to anyone else

in the 1960’s and early 70’s. My parents

divorced when I was thirteen, and this

was just about the time when I

discovered girls, football matches and

drinking. Drinking was a key part of the

social life of our family and also many

other working class families across

Britain.

My first job allowed me financially to

drink and go out at weekends, but there

never seemed to be enough money to

supply the drink needed to amplify the

fun. So I found myself eventually drifting

into crime and people who were like

minded. The alcohol always used to

comfort me when my plans and get rich

quick schemes began to go wrong. This

was usually when I got caught be the

police and woke in the cells with

withdrawals, shaking and feeling pretty

damn rough, but I knew that another few

drinks would fix that for a while and so

the downward spiral began.

The behaviour and addiction to alcohol

began to grow worse, and after spending

twenty years in and out of detox units,

prisons and sleeping rough on the streets

of Nottingham I was given the chance of

rehab in South Yorkshire. When I made

the admission of having a problem with

drink and other substances, I was left to

deal with me and my behaviour and

attitude towards the world and everyone

in it. It was me who had to change, and

not the world.

I eventually got a few years of sobriety

behind me, and I then needed a goal in life

so I turned to education and this has

given me a purpose and something to

focus on. I achieved a diploma in

Humanities at College and recently

completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in

British and European Economic, Social,

Cultural and Political History at Sheffield

University. My life is not perfect but

who’s is?

I will be forever grateful to the Friary, for

being there when I was in need of

somewhere warm or just needed to rest

up for a while. There is a life after the

misery of addiction and problems that life

throws at you.

Friary Service User

SERVICE USER STORIES

TRENT BRIDGE TO TOWER BRIDGE CYCLE RIDE

At Midday on Saturday 9th June 5

local cyclists set out on their bikes to

undertake the gruelling journey from

Trent Bridge to Tower bridge in

less than 24 hours. This epic

journey was all for a good cause as the

group sought to raise as much funding

for the Friary as possible. In the end

their 155 mile journey was

completed in 23 hours and for

their efforts they raised over £1500

for the Friary. A big thank you to all

those who came to see the cyclist off,

those who supported the cyclists and

indeed to the cyclists themselves for

their efforts.

FRIARY BARGAIN SALES

A massive thank you to everyone who

volunteered or attended our last Bargain

Sale on the 5th May which made a

massive £3769. These funds are vital to

ensuring that we can continue to

support those in need, so thank you.

UPCOMING SALES: July 7th

September 1st

November 3rd

January 12th

Come and grab some bargains and

support the work of the Friary.

THANK YOU’S

The Friary would like to thank County

Council Counsellor Gordon

Wheeler and Rushcliffe Borough

Council Counsellors Alistair

MacInnes and Rod Jones for their

financial support and generosity to the

Friary.

FRIENDS OF THE FRIARY

Dates for the diary

Concert by Serenata & Dolce

Musica

Saturday 30th June 7.30pm

St Giles Church West Bridgford

Tickets £5 (On door or from the Friary

in advance)

Barn Dance

Saturday 17th November

West Bridgford Baptist Church

Previous Friends Events

Signature Lunch and Fashion

Show

Raised over £1000

Sainsburys Pack-a-Bag

Raised £1005.61

A big thank you to all those who

helped, your support is greatly

appreciated.

WHAT IS THE FRIARY WHERE TO FIND US

FACILITIES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE • Access to health services,

including GP and drugs counsellor

• Confidential information and advice

• Practical welfare provision

• Shower and laundry

• Hairdressing / Barber

• Cafe offering soups and snacks

• Outreach services

• Tenancy support

• Sunday Evening Fellowship

Registered Charity Number 1056825

Company registered in England and Wales

Number 3190740

46 Musters Road

Nottingham NG2 7PR

Phone 0115 982 5448

Fax 0115 982 7228

admin@the-friary.org.uk

General Manager; Ann Bremner

Business Manager; Sam Crawford

FRIARY OPENING TIMES Monday, Wednesday, Friday

9.00 am - 1.00 pm

Sunday Evening Fellowship

8.00 pm - 9.00 pm

www.the-friary.org.uk

The Friary exists to assist local disadvantaged people who are homeless, living in temporary accommodation or vulnerable from long-term unemployment.

The Friary offers free support services such as advice, access to health services, tenancy support and employment skills. Recreational, educational and leisure time pursuits, along with essential social welfare provision all add to our visitors’ quality of life.

The Friary is a faith based organization receiving substantial support from local churches and the community. The Friary is open to people of all faiths or none.