Silver Lining

Volunteer Dennis shares how

he spends retired life on p6

Silence Is Golden:

Tenants make their move on p2

“ We got to hold

the torch and

meet two of the

runners!

”

Bronze-Aged: 11-18

Before school was back

in, they were out! See

what they got up to on

p4

June 25th: Everyone played their part

to make our Olympic Fun day a success

at West Faversham Community Centre

Moving Tenants, Volunteering for EKM, Pond Dipping, Moving Tenants, Volunteering for EKM, Pond Dipping, Moving Tenants, Volunteering for EKM, Pond Dipping,

Setting Sail with Swale, Sleeping over in Sandwich!Setting Sail with Swale, Sleeping over in Sandwich!Setting Sail with Swale, Sleeping over in Sandwich! INSIDE:

East Kent Mencap Newsletter

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | I s s u e 5

EKM’s Olympic Fun Day was a great success on July 25th and we wanted to thank everyone involved! It was

a scorcher of a day at West

Faversham

Community Centre,

& everyone took part

in many of the in & outdoor activities

from Horse Riding, Cricket & Football on the

playing field to Table-Tennis, New-Age

Kurling and Olympic torch-making in the

magnificent new centre raising nearly £300 for

the charity! 19 different organisations &

groups came along on

the day including

Tuck by Truck, Skill-

net & Raising Your

Game (continued

pg 3)

torch

passing

the

Page 2

Page 6

Page 4

P a g e 2

A message from our CEO: Jason Gerlack!

‘Supporting Independence Service (SIS)’

EKM was successful in tendering for SIS and

SIS plus and can, from 1st October 2012, continue to develop Housing services and

also support people in their own homes. This contract will provide a greater degree of stability as it will last for five years. We

decided to tender to cover Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway, Swale and

Thanet. We will be aiming to support other

groups of people in the future.

August 10th, Barton’s Point, Isle of Sheppey: EKM’s Jamie Giddings, Sheppey Matters & The Kent Wildlife Trust were able to hold mini-beast & pond dipping sessions around the Coastal Park. With help of our

Swale group’s members, youngsters were able to use equipment purchased with funding from the Swale

Local Engagement Fund to take a closer look at what was flying, swimming, creeping & crawling about the area! Jamie comments: ‘The day was a huge success

for young people across Sheppey, finding different species, using reference books to name them. Everyone interacted not only with us but their peers and I felt it was a good team building exercise. We’d like to say thank-you to Mandy & the Boathouse Café for all of

their on-going support and BBQ on the day!’

T h eT h eT h e

B i gB i gB i g

M o v e !M o v e !M o v e !

F o l k O n F o l k O n F o l k O n

T h e T h e T h e

Wa t e rWa t e rWa t e r

F a n c y A D i p ?F a n c y A D i p ?F a n c y A D i p ? Between June & September our Thanet group have taken to the

water in Westbere each Thursday &

are building their confidence and skill

each time: ‘Working with the guys over the summer

has been an exciting and worthwhile experience,’

comments support worker Chris Porter, ‘In order to

stay safe we all play our parts in the team and as

each trip depends on the weather,

its always a different adventure

every time!’ We would like to thank

Westbere Sailing Opportunities for

all their help this year.

August 29th, Cliftonville: Tenants John & Pierre made the move from Charlotte House towards independent living in Backler House! ‘Its bigger than the last place, we’re going to have some fun!’

Housing Manager, Mitch Kennington added: ‘Next month we will see a further 2 tenants moving on

from the 24hr support of William house to take their

place. 2 new vacancies will

then be available for supported

living for people with learning

disabilities in Margate’

P a g e 3

Wilderness Hill has

never looked so steep!

As the Olympic Torch

passed EKM on North-

down Road, members

added to the fun by

pitting support workers Ronnie and Emma

in a race to the top of the hill. There was a

carnival feel in the air as everyone in the

community shared a

fantastic day! Please

see Emma Croucher

to find out w h o

won!

The Bronze goes to some

historical moments of

EKM. To celebrate the

Paralympics we have

been posting our

sporting moments each

day throughout the

games on Facebook, so take a look and

re-live the glory! Take a look in our No-

vember issue to read

Peter Baker’s account

of his trip to

the games!

Thanet Leisure Force, dance group

Confidance, Kent Cricket Board, Kent Golf

Partnership, KCFN, The Rare Breeds

Centre & Graham Nelson Riding Centre

(to name a few) were there throughout

our fun day providing something for

everyone! About 300 people came

along & it was great to see people from

the local community get involved! Our

bank, Lloyds TSB, brought along a team

of 8 volunteers, spending the day at the

event & a Sainsbury's group

also helping at the start. As

well as 11 EKM volunteers

and 15 staff, we thank

guests: Mayor of

Faversham, David

Simmons and

Olympic torch bearers:

Ronnie Treston

& Natalie King

for making the

day extra

special.

Olympic Scorcher!

We’re giving Bronze, Silver & Gold to some EKM sporting snaps!

...continued from page 3

had a fa

Children & Youth Community Co

Broadstairs

13-17 August 2012

East Kent Mencap’s

Summer Youth Club!

Luke loved the Summer Club, getting to mix with his peers & staff, some of

whom were young people. This scheme has helped him towards his

personal development, creative skills and achieving his goals socially.

–Jason, Parent

SchSchSch

“

”

AUGUST 13

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

EKM received funding from KCC for

our Children & Youth Summer

Holiday Club based at the Foreland

School, Broadstairs. Here’s our day by day account:

We started off by getting to

know each other and began

to make our folders, to keep

a record of what we were going to do and put

photo’s in of our weeks activities. ‘We played some games and

had loads of fun meeting each other!’

We went Bowling at the AMF in Margate,

had a picnic in the park and then went to ‘Pick n Paint A

Pot’ on Northdown Road, Cliftonville (thanks to owner

Teresa) who helped us with our

pottery masterpieces!

We had lots of fun at ‘Strokes

Adventure Golf’ and afterwards enjoyed a picnic &

played badminton and much fun was had on the beach.

We spent the whole day at Wildwood animal park and got to see all of

the different kinds of animals, the

weather was so good to us all week, so it

was good for us all to spend so much time outdoors!

We finished our folders & stuck in the hundreds of photos we had all taken, got sporty

on the Wii, cranked the music up & then

had a fab time outside, using the great facilities in The

Foreland School.

Children & Youth Community Co-ordinator, Angela Brown

said: ‘thanks to all

the Young People

that attended,

Parents, Carers,

staff & volunteers,

we had a fab time! Special thanks also to Christine Laming, School

Business Manager & David Ward, Site Manager, of the School, plus

Thanet Community Transport who were great and put-up with all

our dodgy singing on the bus! It was a really really great week. We

have all made new friends and enjoyed ourselves.

Let’s hope we can do it again!’

Schoo l ’ s Ou t !Schoo l ’ s Ou t !Schoo l ’ s Ou t ! AUGUST 13-17th:

TUESDAY:

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

MONDAY:

Blue Velvet’s Steve and Beverley Dent deserve another big thank-you after raising a further £83.83 after

playing The Lookout, Ramsgate on 27th August!

Bugsy’s Bowling were also able to give £36.67 this time through just one collection tin! If you know somewhere

that would be happy to receive one of our collection

tins, please contact the details on the back.

Have you seen our Virgin Moneygiving page? It is a way for

people to create their own fundraising

page for EKM, use photos, create a

blog and advertise their sponsored

activity. People can then donate

safely online, leave comments and of

course, we make sure everyone hears

about your success! Go to:

www.virginmoneygiving.com

(As we go to print, Claire McDonald is raising money online for her Bupa

Great North Run. Best Of Luck!)

EKM join the 21st Century with the

incredible donation of an iPad from

The Scavengers. Seen here presenting it at our Gateway Club

are Michelle & Adrian along with a

cuddly toy, we look forward to making it

available in out IT suite as its

touch-screen will benefit those in

particular who have difficulty using a

mouse or keyboard.

We would also like to recognise the on-going donations

of Gateway Club member: Linda

Simpson. For years Linda has

remembered our raffles & tombolas,

bringing in bits and bobs each week,

contributing to the success of our fund-

raising events; thanks Linda!

P a g e 6

August 22nd: Kent Police Maritime Unit, based in Sheerness welcomed the EKM

Swale group on board their vessel at the

Queenborough Harbour. Taking a trip up

the river Medway, we appreciated the time the unit

were able to spend with us between their involvement

with the Olympic & Paralympics.

There were 23 of us with Captain Reece at the helm.

We even made the ’Times Guardian’ (see below). After

seeing the boat from Sheerness beach, I wrote asking

if we could photograph the quarters and thank the

crew for their patience and kindness in giving us an

even greater experience!

Now, retired, I’m able to get involved

with EKM in a range of sessions.

Allowing me time in the afternoon to

run outdoor activities, I devote time to

the group’s future plans within the

community. With contacts &

knowledge of local areas & businesses, I can intro-

duce the group to new things. Now good friends with

everyone, I am part of a demanding, help-

ful, but above all great team. I believe my

time is the best gift I can give to the Group.

To me, volunteering is about mutual

respect & the staff here always welcome

new ideas, events & visits that in the future

may become regular things.

I would recommend volunteering to any-

one with spare time, the desire to pass on

skills & pick up new ones. Volunteers make

a difference. I’ve learnt more about myself, what I

can do, & have helped others to learn in the process.

-Dennis Smith, Volunteer for EKM at Delacey Hall,

Sheerness

District Partnership Groups (DPG’s) bring together people with a Learning Disability, their families, carers, professionals & the local community to help make sure that the Valuing People Now strategy is happening in Kent. The group meets 4-6 times a year with sub-groups meeting monthly. We need Volunteers to work with experienced staff, to help make drinks, set up rooms for meetings, take minutes & actively support people to have a voice & be heard as well as ensuring people get information in an easy way. It’s a chance to get involved in your local community, to find out what’s happening & make a difference to the lives of people with a learning disability. There are DPG’s in each District so whether you live in Thanet, Dover, Ashford, Swale, Canterbury or Folkestone, contact Suz via details on the back page.

A l l A b o a r d !A l l A b o a r d !A l l A b o a r d !

V o l u n t e e r F o r D P G sV o l u n t e e r F o r D P G sV o l u n t e e r F o r D P G s

C omm u n i t yC omm u n i t yC omm u n i t y

F u n d r a i s i n gF u n d r a i s i n gF u n d r a i s i n g

You can now donate by text

Message. A fast & easy way

To donate to East Kent Mencap

Did you know: In the last year over 3000 hours have been volunteered to EKM. (That’s over 1

working day, every day of the year!) Thanks to all of our volunteers for their ongoing support!

Youth Bowling Group

Ages: 11-25 Every Wednesday 6pm-8pm. AMF

Bowling, Margate. Parent/carer must stay on premises. £2.75 each

Photography Exhibition

East Kent Mencap will be showcasing recent work of

members at their photography exhibition at the

Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory throughout the month of October from the 2nd. Prints of work will be

available to order on request for £20. Entry is free

Halloween Dance

Friday October 26 The Red Arrow Club, 8 Newington

Road, Ramsgate, CT11 OQX From 7:30-10:30pm. For more info contact details below

DPGs in November

Shepway: 3rd, Ashford: 7th, Thanet: 26th, Canterbury: 27th, Swale: 29th, Dover: 30th. Contact Sue Bates via back page

for more info.

Puss In Boots!

There will be an exclusive

panto performance of

Puss In Boots for EKM on

19Dec at 6:30pm at the

Sarah Thorne Theatre,

Broadstairs Tickets: £12 each, £8 for members.

P a g e 7

East Kent Mencap’s Photography group enjoyed a sleepover session at the Sandwich

Bay Bird Observatory on August 11th. Visiting the secret gardens in Sandwich, focusing on close up camera work and gathering some fantastic images of the plants and flowers there, the group then moved on to Deal Pier for lunch and some seaside snapshots. Catching up with the staff at the observatory, they continued towards finding that perfect picture. At the bird hide, the group were able to develop their skills in a peaceful and flourishing environment of birds and wildlife. Support Worker Russell Miles commented:

‘most of us have the freedom to go out and do these kind of things whenever we want to, go out, stay up late and have fun with our friends, but that might not always be the case with some of our members. There’s a great sense of making a difference on trips like this as you can see first hand the sense of enjoyment over just a short period of time.’ EKM are looking forward to our next photography exhibition at the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory throughout October!

D a t e s F o r Yo u r D i a r yD a t e s F o r Yo u r D i a r yD a t e s F o r Yo u r D i a r y

H i d e & S l e e pH i d e & S l e e pH i d e & S l e e p

The Canterbury Club

Ages:18+ 7pm-9pm. Wed: 17Oct, 14Nov,

5Dec. Thanington Resource Centre,

Thanington Rd Canterbury, CT1 3XE. £2.50 Entry

The Gateway Club

Ages 18+ 6.45pm-8.45pm.

Mondays except Bank

Holidays. New Gateway

House, Northdown Road,

Cliftonville, CT9 2RB. £2.50 entry

The Crypt Club

Ages: 11-25

7.30pm-9.30pm Thurs:

17Oct 8Nov, 13Dec.

Windchimes, Reynolds

Close, Herne Bay, CT6 6DS. £2.50 entry

Annual General Meeting

East Kent Mencap’s 52nd AGM will be held on

Thursday 18th October from 7-9pm at New Gateway

House, Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2RB. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments provided

Youth Group

Ages: 11-25, 6pm-8pm. Tues: 16Oct, 13Nov, 11Dec.

Held at New Gateway House Cliftonville. Parent/carer must stay on premises. £2.50 entry

For more details on our clubs & events, please call 01843-224482 or visit www.eastkentmencap.co.uk

“On the way back we were excited to

spot a hare and take its picture, a rare sight for us!”

We say congratulations to Carrie Ann Gibbons & partner Clay who gave birth to baby boy Thomas in

August. We wish

them the best of luck!

Congratulations also to Tom Wilmshurst & his partner Jodie on the birth of Isabella on

September 3rd. (The winner of

our competition to guess the

baby’s weight was none other than Jason

Gerlack at 6lb 1oz!)

Saying goodbye to

Accounts Assistant Teresa Ince, who is looking forward to a French teaching course, we wish to

say a big thank-you for all of her hard work and

dedication towards the organisation. Teresa

said: ‘Working here is addictive! I have had a

lovely time working with you

all. Thankyou for all being

lovely people. I have already

signed up to volunteer for

EKM when I can, so look

forward to getting involved in

other areas! Vous me

manquez!’

www.eastkentmencap.co.uk

info@eastkentmencap.co.uk

01843 224482

Registered Charity Number:

220798

East Kent Mencap supports people with learning disabilities in East Kent to live full and valued lives with the same choices and opportunities as everyone else.

East Kent Mencap

New Gateway House

132 Northdown

Road

Cliftonville

Kent CT9 2RB

Find us on

Facebook &

Twitter under:

East Kent

Mencap

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our next issue

in November!

Newsletter designed and edited by Paul Wrynne

S t a f f S t u f fS t a f f S t u f fS t a f f S t u f f

Ea s t K e n t M e n c a pEa s t K e n t M e n c a pEa s t K e n t M e n c a p

Two full time support workers required to provide sessional work in our busy resource centre as well as supporting individuals within the communities of Thanet, Canterbury and Dover. Drivers with own vehicles essential. Flexible working contracts to work within our training house at Herne Bay, supporting tenants within their home as well as accessing activities & local groups within the community. Will involve evening, weekends and occasional sleep ins.

***

Two full time enablement support workers to deliver the

provision of a service supporting people with a learning

disability to learn the skills required to enable them to be

as independent as possible, working with individuals &

groups to gain knowledge, confidence and self-esteem to

become empowered members of their community,

working towards them influencing any decision making

processes. Applications by Friday 5th October.

Previous experience preferred for all posts.

Please contact Alison in HR on 01843 224482 for an application pack.

Pass this newsletter on if you are finished with it!

EKM are launching their new &

improved website! Accessible &

packed with info about what’s on as

well as a forum for discussion, make

sure you check us out on

www.eastkentmencap.co.uk or scan

our QR code!

Thanks to you we now have 841

friends & 627 followers on Facebook

& Twitter. You can find this

newsletter online & leave us your

comments & suggestions!

EKM have uploaded via YouTube their 2011 film:

Amorous Feelings of Beach & a

short clip collection of our

archives featuring pantos, our

jubilee show, some of our weekly

activities around Thanet & our

Fun Days. Soundtrack to ‘East

Kent Mencap; Introduction’ was

created & Performed by Paul Wood & Mitch

Kennington. Just head on to www.youtube.com search ‘East Kent Mencap’ and look out for more in

future!

We b N e w sWe b N e w sWe b N e w s

E s p e c i a l l y F o r Y o uE s p e c i a l l y F o r Y o uE s p e c i a l l y F o r Y o u --- T u b eT u b eT u b e

A d i e u !A d i e u !A d i e u !

Va c a n c i e sVa c a n c i e sVa c a n c i e s