The Butterfly garden is an educational, therapeutic and recreational scheme, based initially on gardening, but now offering so much more. It offers education, recreation and therapy, in an environment where the indi-vidual can engage at one's own pace, in various pursuits including garden-ing, recycling, crafts, excursions, music etc.It is a project for people of all ages dealing with disablement of any kind.It caters for those looking to escape the world, those looking to re-enter it and some, still just looking.Its doors are open to anyone without obligation.
There was never a plan to set up the project, at least not until the summer of 2002 when six young autistic students were visiting a small commercial Nursery and garden centre at Bamfurlong,
Cheltenham. They came, innocently enough, seeking gardening advice and unwittingly became the pioneer founders of 'The Butterfly Garden'.Invited to return and with guidance they teased life into a small, previously unused patch.... and people heard about it.By November, a quarter of an acre of overgrown, derelict land was fenced off. A development plan was drawn up and as the months advanced the once tired and empty space was transformed. Today the garden extends across more than four acres. It weaves and en-twines with the original business (that still operates) and there is an emula-tion and sharing of daily tasks, that makes the experience very real. Now, over one hundred students attend each week. Many are referred by colleg-es, schools, day centres and NHS support agencies, whilst others are guided by friends and family. There are students on site every day and together they have transformed a wilderness and helped to shape a stimu-lating garden experience, with terrific resources.The Butterfly Garden is no longer just about gardening though. As the project has evolved, people have just turned up offering help and services (amongst them teachers and care workers) and today the provi-sion is both diverse and stimulating. We have volunteers supporting art, music, woodwork and catering as well as the gardening.
The Charity is managed by a team of Trustees led by the founder of the organisation Mr Chris Evans, of Dundry Nurseries, Bamfurlong, whose dedication and enthusiasm has inspired so many to achieve what was hitherto unimagined.
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Sunday, 8 November 2015
November - The Knole and Langley House Trust
LANGLEY HOUSE TRUST
Helping People to Live Crime-Free Lives
T: 01242 526978
E: n.swift@langleyhousetrust.org
W: www.langleyhousetrust.org
Twitter: @LangleyHseTrust
Address: The Knole, 23 Griffiths Avenue, Cheltenham, Glos GL51 7BE
The Knole is a registered care home, providing tailored support and care for men leaving prison and those at risk of offending. At any one time, we support 14 men to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into their communities, as well supporting 2 individuals in their own homes once they have moved on from the project. We have a long track record of success in helping men to turn their lives around after crime and start afresh.
The Knole has been established in Cheltenham as a place of hope for over 50 years. We have gained a good reputation with the community and we are well connected both with the police and probation services and also other service providers such as the NHS and social services. We provide high-quality person-centred care and support to all our residents which includes lots of one-to-one key working sessions and inspirational moments, generating new vision for a preferred future and a genuine hope that life can be better.
Our team of trained and dedicated staff work with residents day-by-day to achieve their goals. There is always someone on hand for a resident to talk to – day or night. We are committed to providing the best possible support and care to help residents in their journey to crime-free living.
The men who come to our project have a range of issues which can include mental health issues, physical health needs, personality disorders and drug and alcohol addictions. Many of our residents have been in prison for a long time and therefore need carefully managed support to adjust to life in the community.
Our aims are to: Reduce reoffending and enable crime-free living
- Help residents gain increased independence and autonomy so that they can successfully live in the community
- Support residents to build positive relationships and networks which support crime-free living
- Encourage residents to manage their medication and take ownership for their care and risk management plans
- Improve physical and mental health and wellbeing
Prayer points: please continue to pray for the staff team – that we may be both professional in assessing and managing risk but equally inspirational in rebuilding broken lives. Please also pray that our residents may understand the love of God as it is authentically demonstrated by the staff team on a daily basis and, as a result, the grace of God may impact their lives in a truly miraculous way.
For further information about our work please visit www.langleyhousetrust.org.
Langley House Trust
Registered Office: Buttercross House, 16 Langdale Gate, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 6RL. Registered in England and Wales as a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 7888191.
Langley House Trust is registered as a Charity with the Charity Commission No. 1146304 and as a Social Housing Provider with the Homes and Communities Agency No. 4693.
www.langleyhousetrust.org
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
October 2015 - Open the Book
OPEN the BOOK, now part of the Bible Society who write……
Children love stories – especially Bible stories when they’re interactive, engaging and fun.
Open the Book began in 1999 and since then thousands of school children have discovered Bible stories, during assembly and collective worship. Today, so many children could miss out on the great classic stories from the Bible – Noah, Daniel and the life of Jesus could be closed chapters if youngsters don’t get an opportunity to engage with the Bible.
That’s why Open the Book is so important. It’s a three-year rolling programme of themed and dramatised storytelling at no charge to primary schools. Teams of volunteers throughout the country use drama, mime, props, costume – and even the children and staff themselves – to present the Bible stories in lively and informative ways.
Open the Book volunteers are invited into thousands of primary schools – that’s amazing. There’s so much more we could do though – in England and Wales there are over 18,000 primary schools and Open the Book visits just over 10%.
In order to find more volunteers we have to promote the work through DVDs, flyers and sample handbooks, as well as personally meeting people at conferences, events and churches.
Along with promotion, there are training costs for new and existing teams, as well as telephone support, the website and newsletters. We have translated our materials and some of our promotional literature into Welsh but there is more that still needs to be translated.
If you can kindly make a donation, your money will go a long way to help us for fill our vision of enabling every child to hear the story of the Bible at school in their primary years.
If you are passionate about children hearing Bible stories and you want to ensure that it continues for future generations then please consider leaving Open the Book a legacy. Prayer support is also an important part of our work - please pray for our team, for the children and for the teachers that we interact with.
Open the Book needs your help to provide essential support to schools, churches and volunteer storytellers. There are still millions of primary school children who do not have the opportunity to encounter the Bible. Your valuable support will help us reach them all.
Please support Open the Book - thank you
For more information please see the website www.thebiblesociety/openthebook.com.
Or ask the Highbury church volunteers who are part of the Open the Book team who go into Oakwood School every week – Mary Michael, Jean Gregory and Elaine Schonbeck.
We would welcome new volunteers too!
Children love stories – especially Bible stories when they’re interactive, engaging and fun.
Open the Book began in 1999 and since then thousands of school children have discovered Bible stories, during assembly and collective worship. Today, so many children could miss out on the great classic stories from the Bible – Noah, Daniel and the life of Jesus could be closed chapters if youngsters don’t get an opportunity to engage with the Bible.
That’s why Open the Book is so important. It’s a three-year rolling programme of themed and dramatised storytelling at no charge to primary schools. Teams of volunteers throughout the country use drama, mime, props, costume – and even the children and staff themselves – to present the Bible stories in lively and informative ways.
Open the Book volunteers are invited into thousands of primary schools – that’s amazing. There’s so much more we could do though – in England and Wales there are over 18,000 primary schools and Open the Book visits just over 10%.
In order to find more volunteers we have to promote the work through DVDs, flyers and sample handbooks, as well as personally meeting people at conferences, events and churches.
Along with promotion, there are training costs for new and existing teams, as well as telephone support, the website and newsletters. We have translated our materials and some of our promotional literature into Welsh but there is more that still needs to be translated.
If you can kindly make a donation, your money will go a long way to help us for fill our vision of enabling every child to hear the story of the Bible at school in their primary years.
If you are passionate about children hearing Bible stories and you want to ensure that it continues for future generations then please consider leaving Open the Book a legacy. Prayer support is also an important part of our work - please pray for our team, for the children and for the teachers that we interact with.
Open the Book needs your help to provide essential support to schools, churches and volunteer storytellers. There are still millions of primary school children who do not have the opportunity to encounter the Bible. Your valuable support will help us reach them all.
Please support Open the Book - thank you
For more information please see the website www.thebiblesociety/openthebook.com.
Or ask the Highbury church volunteers who are part of the Open the Book team who go into Oakwood School every week – Mary Michael, Jean Gregory and Elaine Schonbeck.
We would welcome new volunteers too!
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Sunday, 29 March 2015
April - Cheltenham Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ (YFC) is a national Christian charity that was founded by Billy Graham in 1946. Working with over 250,000 young people each month, they draw alongside teens from every background and culture in Britain. Our 400+ full-time staff and countless local volunteers specialise in working with unchurched youth: communicating and demonstrating the Christian faith.
Cheltenham YFC was founded in 1974 and works to take Good News rele-vantly to every young person in Cheltenham. This is achieved through a variety of approaches. A majority of this work is carried out in schools, both primary and secondary, where the Cheltenham YFC team are involved in detached work, after school clubs, lessons, mentoring and group work. Using the teams wide ranging skills of music, media and sport they are able to work with young people with diverse interests.
Cheltenham YFC also run a prayer evangelism initiative that enables young people to develop the confidence to share their faith with their friends. This is one aspect of how Cheltenham YFC resource local churches to sup-port young people more effectively. They also support churches by getting practically involved by working alongside them and supporting and re-sourcing their volunteers.
Throughout YFC's history there has been an unwavering commitment to youth evangelism and biblical Christianity. One of YFC's slogans over the past fifty years has been "Anchored to the Rock, Geared to the Times.” YFC strives to both demonstrate and communicate this message of hope, grace and love in a variety of different cultural settings, and always pursu-ing teens in personal relationships. Your prayers and financial support continue to help change the lives of young people… one at a time.
Sunday, 22 February 2015
March - our local Multiple Sclerosis Society branch
The Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system. The severity of the disease varies markedly among sufferers and is characterised by a multiple, patchy pattern of disabilities. These may vary in site and time with unpredictable episodes of disease activity and remission. It often starts in early adult life and the type of long-term damage it causes will depend on which part of the nervous system has been affected
Our local group aims to be self-supporting although allied to the national society and are very appreciative of our help. They are very clear that any money raised locally is used locally. There is a very strong emphasis on welfare and they provide respite care or holidays that benefit both the person with MS and their families. The reduction of funding to Social Services makes this a particular problem as they rarely have suitable respite provision for young sufferers. Help can be given towards adaptations, appliances or aids that are not supplied by statutory bodies and again more people will be looking to charities as Social Services provides less. With the awareness that suffers of MS may have young families there is concern for the needs of these young carers and they have a specific Young Carers’ Fund.
The Society wishes to be accessible for anyone affected by MS and can be easily contacted. A monthly Newsletter is produced and they are very active and hold regular meetings for members. The next meeting for carers will be on Tuesday 17th March at 12mid-day at The Bell Inn Shurdington. The Annual Meeting of the Branch will take place on Saturday 11th April at 2:30pm at St Mark's Methodist Church Hall, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham. After the meeting there will be a short talk by a member of the local branch of REMAP, a group of volunteer engineers who do modifications to equipment for disabled people, so this should be an interesting talk. There will also be tea and cakes.
MS week is from Monday 27th April to Sunday 3rd May. On Sunday 26th April the local branch is organising the inaugural Severn Bridge Walk - a super way to start MS Week! The accessible 6 mile route will start and finish near the services giving some spectacular views. There will also be face painting, games for children and refreshments to make it a fun family friendly event. Registration fee is just £10 and children are free. Why not register today to show your commitment to beating MS and raising funds for the branch?
The main source of revenue for the local branch is the annual street collection and the branch would be very grateful for offers of help with this, please.
If anyone would like to help on a voluntary basis, to do whatever is needed to help people affected by MS, whether that’s driving minibuses, running support groups, raising money, editing websites, volunteering on the helpline or writing newsletters, etc ... contact Cheltenham branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society
Please let us support this very worthwhile cause generously.
Our local group aims to be self-supporting although allied to the national society and are very appreciative of our help. They are very clear that any money raised locally is used locally. There is a very strong emphasis on welfare and they provide respite care or holidays that benefit both the person with MS and their families. The reduction of funding to Social Services makes this a particular problem as they rarely have suitable respite provision for young sufferers. Help can be given towards adaptations, appliances or aids that are not supplied by statutory bodies and again more people will be looking to charities as Social Services provides less. With the awareness that suffers of MS may have young families there is concern for the needs of these young carers and they have a specific Young Carers’ Fund.
The Society wishes to be accessible for anyone affected by MS and can be easily contacted. A monthly Newsletter is produced and they are very active and hold regular meetings for members. The next meeting for carers will be on Tuesday 17th March at 12mid-day at The Bell Inn Shurdington. The Annual Meeting of the Branch will take place on Saturday 11th April at 2:30pm at St Mark's Methodist Church Hall, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham. After the meeting there will be a short talk by a member of the local branch of REMAP, a group of volunteer engineers who do modifications to equipment for disabled people, so this should be an interesting talk. There will also be tea and cakes.
MS week is from Monday 27th April to Sunday 3rd May. On Sunday 26th April the local branch is organising the inaugural Severn Bridge Walk - a super way to start MS Week! The accessible 6 mile route will start and finish near the services giving some spectacular views. There will also be face painting, games for children and refreshments to make it a fun family friendly event. Registration fee is just £10 and children are free. Why not register today to show your commitment to beating MS and raising funds for the branch?
The main source of revenue for the local branch is the annual street collection and the branch would be very grateful for offers of help with this, please.
If anyone would like to help on a voluntary basis, to do whatever is needed to help people affected by MS, whether that’s driving minibuses, running support groups, raising money, editing websites, volunteering on the helpline or writing newsletters, etc ... contact Cheltenham branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society
Please let us support this very worthwhile cause generously.
February - St George's and St Vincent's
‘The care you need for the life you want’
This local charity works with adults with learning disabilities, or with those who
have physical disabilities, or those who are (because of age, ill health or
infirmity) in need of more help and support at home.
St V’s and St G’s have a long established history of providing a high standard of
care and support to the people of Gloucestershire, which is attributed to long
standing relationships within the community that have developed over many
years. It is from this community that the charity has gained a strong and
effective workforce and volunteer base, and benefits from the generosity of
local stakeholders.
They say “We work with the people who use our services to empower them to
give, and gain, from the community in which they live. We believe that a truly
inclusive life is filled with opportunity and engagement with people from all
sectors of society. We seek to enable the people we support to find friendships,
job opportunities, relationships and social interaction, as well as giving back
through volunteering and peer support. We also actively encourage people to
engage in the future planning of the charity through a range of methods, in
order to ensure that the changes and plans we make reflect the needs and
aspirations of all who are involved with, and who are served by the work of the
association”
The charity supports 10 residents at Well Close House, 8 residents in supported
living flats, another 3 in a high dependency bungalow, and 10 more in 2 other
supported living houses. All this accommodation is local.
The Phoenix activity centre in Winchcombe Street is open on week days, and
some evenings and Saturdays, enabling members to enjoy a varied programme,
while socialising and having fun together. The programme is continually
evolving to reflect the needs and aspirations of those who use the service.
Dance and reflexology sessions have recently been added to art and craft,
music, cooking and poetry.
At the end of 2014 the decision was made to begin work on rebuilding the old
day care centre in Central Cross Drive. Plans have been passed to create 4
residential flats for local young people with significant needs, as a first move
towards independence. Fund raising is ongoing for this exciting project.
The charity is delighted to have such a long standing link with Highbury Church
and thanks everyone for their support.
For more information please look at the web site www.stvsandstgs.co.uk
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