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. What young person would consider it a holiday to be accommodated with elderly frail people? 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. Money is also made available for people with MS who want to access further education.
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. Coffee mornings for carers are usually at garden centres, and the next one will be at the Fosseway Garden Centre, Moreton in Marsh on Thursday 24th March. They also organise art classes at St Marks Methodist Church, hydrotherapy sessions at the Leonard Cheshire home, an exercise class for the less disabled, and have become involved with Conductive Therapy which a number of members find very beneficial.
The main source of revenue for the local branch is the annual street collection which will be in Cheltenham on Thursday 12th May. They would be very grateful for offers of help with this please. Another way that that you may be able to help would be to serve on the committee, anyone is welcome to the AGM that will be held at Season Conference Centre, Swindon Village at 2.30pm on Saturday 12th March.
If anyone would like to help on a voluntary basis please ring the Branch Contact, Avril Hastings ( 01452 862822 )
To find out more about the local MS Society click here.
To find out more about the national MS Society click here
Please let us support this cause generously this month.
Mary Michael
For
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Friday, 4 February 2011
February - St Vincent's and St George's Assocation
This local charity is coming to the end of celebrating its 125th anniversary year, so it is timely that it should be Highbury’s chosen charity for February.
The following information has been taken from the charity’s annual review 2009 / 2010 and copies are available at Highbury if you would like more information, or have a look at the website; www.stvsandstgs.co.uk
St Vincent’s and St George’s joined into one organisation in 2009.
St George’s has a long history starting in London in 1885 as a mission to support homeless women and orphans. It was run by the sisters of St Peters and included a training school for household and employment skills. The school was evacuated in the 1940s to Gloucestershire, still being run by nuns.
In 1985 our present centre, Well Close House in Cheltenham, was purchased and this became a residential care home for women with moderate learning difficulties. We have since been able to add independent living units in the grounds, which consist of four single bedsits and a two bedroomed bungalow. Two additional supported living houses have been established, one in Hatherley and the other in Brockworth. Each of these properties can take four tenants.
Today St George’s is a secular organisation offering both residential and supported living to people with learning difficulties.
There are a number of other services which have been developed. Domiciliary Care and Support is provided for people in their own homes. Day activities are provided at a day centre in Bennington Street by St George’s Windows. A wide range of activities can be enjoyed including jewellery, needlework and other crafts. At the same site we run a Café ‘George’s Organics’ which offers work experience opportunities in the kitchen and in the café itself. ‘George’s Organics’ also offers catering for your special event.
St Vincent’s has offered Therapeutic Day-care for over fifty years in Cheltenham. The centre in Central Cross Drive, works with people with profound multiple disabilities, a consequence of cerebral palsy. Activities include a large multi-sensory room, Jacuzzi Hydrotherapy Tub, specialised computer suite, Music Therapy including Sound Beam, a vibrant craft room and a professionally designed Sensory Garden giving opportunities for therapeutic gardening. Some fifty members attend each week on a day basis, and a similar number come for shorter sessions mid afternoon or evening. Members of our trained staff carry out a range of medical and therapeutic interactions, in partnership with Gloucestershire NHS professionals.
In all, the charity supports over 140 people in the county.
Our vision is to offer opportunities for all the people we work with to achieve their full potential, thus leading to richer and more fulfilling lives.
Our golden rule is to put the individual at the heart of all our efforts and empower them to achieve their aspirations.
The charity is very grateful for Highbury’s support. Thank you.
Jean Gregory
The following information has been taken from the charity’s annual review 2009 / 2010 and copies are available at Highbury if you would like more information, or have a look at the website; www.stvsandstgs.co.uk
St Vincent’s and St George’s joined into one organisation in 2009.
St George’s has a long history starting in London in 1885 as a mission to support homeless women and orphans. It was run by the sisters of St Peters and included a training school for household and employment skills. The school was evacuated in the 1940s to Gloucestershire, still being run by nuns.
In 1985 our present centre, Well Close House in Cheltenham, was purchased and this became a residential care home for women with moderate learning difficulties. We have since been able to add independent living units in the grounds, which consist of four single bedsits and a two bedroomed bungalow. Two additional supported living houses have been established, one in Hatherley and the other in Brockworth. Each of these properties can take four tenants.
Today St George’s is a secular organisation offering both residential and supported living to people with learning difficulties.
There are a number of other services which have been developed. Domiciliary Care and Support is provided for people in their own homes. Day activities are provided at a day centre in Bennington Street by St George’s Windows. A wide range of activities can be enjoyed including jewellery, needlework and other crafts. At the same site we run a Café ‘George’s Organics’ which offers work experience opportunities in the kitchen and in the café itself. ‘George’s Organics’ also offers catering for your special event.
St Vincent’s has offered Therapeutic Day-care for over fifty years in Cheltenham. The centre in Central Cross Drive, works with people with profound multiple disabilities, a consequence of cerebral palsy. Activities include a large multi-sensory room, Jacuzzi Hydrotherapy Tub, specialised computer suite, Music Therapy including Sound Beam, a vibrant craft room and a professionally designed Sensory Garden giving opportunities for therapeutic gardening. Some fifty members attend each week on a day basis, and a similar number come for shorter sessions mid afternoon or evening. Members of our trained staff carry out a range of medical and therapeutic interactions, in partnership with Gloucestershire NHS professionals.
In all, the charity supports over 140 people in the county.
Our vision is to offer opportunities for all the people we work with to achieve their full potential, thus leading to richer and more fulfilling lives.
Our golden rule is to put the individual at the heart of all our efforts and empower them to achieve their aspirations.
The charity is very grateful for Highbury’s support. Thank you.
Jean Gregory
Friday, 7 January 2011
January: Cheltenham Street Pastors
"Street Pastors" was founded in 2003 by the Ascension Trust and has grown rapidly, with more than 180 teams established around the UK. The teams have seen a decrease in crime in some areas and a great deal of good will generated between church, the police, local authority, and consumers of the night time economy.
A local committee runs each project with support from Ascension Trust, local churches, local government, and other groups. A Street Pastor is a church member willing to engage, often in very practical ways, with those (especially the young) using town centre bars, pubs, and clubs. To be a Street Pastor you need to be 18 or over (no upper age limit and many teams consist exclusively of over 50’s), a church member, and able to commit to the training programme.
The Cheltenham Street Pastors scheme currently consists of fifty trained volunteers from twenty different churches who, as a team of six, go out one Friday and Saturday night a month between 10pm and 4am. Prayer backup is provided at "team base" throughout the night. The first anniversary was celebrated in December and good relationships have been established with police, pub and club staff, medics and taxi marshals. Teams are now out every Friday and Saturday night and on other occasions such as Cheltenham races and University Freshers’ week.
We are asked to pray for:
A local committee runs each project with support from Ascension Trust, local churches, local government, and other groups. A Street Pastor is a church member willing to engage, often in very practical ways, with those (especially the young) using town centre bars, pubs, and clubs. To be a Street Pastor you need to be 18 or over (no upper age limit and many teams consist exclusively of over 50’s), a church member, and able to commit to the training programme.
The Cheltenham Street Pastors scheme currently consists of fifty trained volunteers from twenty different churches who, as a team of six, go out one Friday and Saturday night a month between 10pm and 4am. Prayer backup is provided at "team base" throughout the night. The first anniversary was celebrated in December and good relationships have been established with police, pub and club staff, medics and taxi marshals. Teams are now out every Friday and Saturday night and on other occasions such as Cheltenham races and University Freshers’ week.
We are asked to pray for:
- Encouragement, stamina and wisdom for the teams on the streets at night
The on-going training programme for more Street Pastors in our town
More people to hear of the Street Pastors’ work in Cheltenham
More Prayer Pastors to support and encourage their work
Understanding that all is done in Jesus’ name to offer him glory
If you would like more information you can make contact in any of these ways:
www.streetpastors.co.uk(current location, South, Cheltenham)
cheltenham@streetpastors.org.uk
01242 231644
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Christmas Collection for CHIKS Children's Homes in Kerala Statte
Chiks was created in 1999 as a charitable trust as a result of personal connections between a Christian Indian woman and a caring English gentleman.
Sister Mary Mathew had worked for many years as a nun with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. She later moved to take sole charge of a home for fifty disabled people in a poor community south of Madras.
Mary’s health was suffering severely when, in the early 1990s, it was decided to move the residents to a new, large, well-staffed home. This freed Mary to pursue a lifetime dream to rescue and care for the neediest children.
Through her friendship with Robin Radley, who offered support and fundraising opportunities, Chiks was founded
A cheap two-roomed stonecutters house was found near Chalakudy, Kerala. Work was undertaken to convert and extend it, and the first six children were welcomed in 1998.
The home was called Karunanilayam, meaning ‘Home of Mercy’ in the local language, Malayalam.
Over the years further extension with new buildings and purchasing an adjacent plot mean that now over fifty children are given shelter, are fed, clothed and educated in local schools.
Some are orphans, some from homes where parents are too poor or too ill to provide for them. All are victims of poverty.
A history of sadness, loss, deprivation may be behind a child’s arrival, but the fulfilment of their physical needs with loving care and compassion bring comfort, and then happiness.
Now, another two homes, in the hills of Kerala, have become dependent on the Chiks charity.
‘Little Flower Mercy Home’ near Chengulum, and ‘Carmel Matha Santhi Bavan’ in Wyanad district, both offer refuge to children permanently or temporarily.
The permanence will only depend on the goodwill and charitable donations raised by Robin Radley and his unstinting efforts.
Ambitious projects toward self-sufficiency had been an object, but the current economic situation has curtailed so many plans. Life has become very much ‘hand-to-mouth’ recently.
I am certain that, of any funds raised, every penny counts and not one rupee is wasted!
Any questions will be welcomed by Robin Radley when he visits Highbury for the morning
service on Sunday 5th December, or go to
http://www.chikschildrenshomes.org/
Sue Cole
Sister Mary Mathew had worked for many years as a nun with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. She later moved to take sole charge of a home for fifty disabled people in a poor community south of Madras.
Mary’s health was suffering severely when, in the early 1990s, it was decided to move the residents to a new, large, well-staffed home. This freed Mary to pursue a lifetime dream to rescue and care for the neediest children.
Through her friendship with Robin Radley, who offered support and fundraising opportunities, Chiks was founded
A cheap two-roomed stonecutters house was found near Chalakudy, Kerala. Work was undertaken to convert and extend it, and the first six children were welcomed in 1998.
The home was called Karunanilayam, meaning ‘Home of Mercy’ in the local language, Malayalam.
Over the years further extension with new buildings and purchasing an adjacent plot mean that now over fifty children are given shelter, are fed, clothed and educated in local schools.
Some are orphans, some from homes where parents are too poor or too ill to provide for them. All are victims of poverty.
A history of sadness, loss, deprivation may be behind a child’s arrival, but the fulfilment of their physical needs with loving care and compassion bring comfort, and then happiness.
Now, another two homes, in the hills of Kerala, have become dependent on the Chiks charity.
‘Little Flower Mercy Home’ near Chengulum, and ‘Carmel Matha Santhi Bavan’ in Wyanad district, both offer refuge to children permanently or temporarily.
The permanence will only depend on the goodwill and charitable donations raised by Robin Radley and his unstinting efforts.
Ambitious projects toward self-sufficiency had been an object, but the current economic situation has curtailed so many plans. Life has become very much ‘hand-to-mouth’ recently.
I am certain that, of any funds raised, every penny counts and not one rupee is wasted!
Any questions will be welcomed by Robin Radley when he visits Highbury for the morning
service on Sunday 5th December, or go to
http://www.chikschildrenshomes.org/
Sue Cole
Friday, 12 November 2010
November - Open the Book at Oakwood School
Not to be confused with our Thursday Bible Study, ‘Open the Book’ is a national charity that provides school friendly materials to enable members of local churches to go into primary schools and share the story of the Bible with the children. Open The Book offers primary school children an opportunity to hear the major Bible stories, presented chronologically, during one school year. It is a free service given to each school by a team of Christians from local churches, who present a series of stories. Each presentation takes a maximum of ten minutes and can be incorporated into a wider school assembly, or can stand alone.
All the Year One stories are taken from The Lion Storyteller Bible written by Bob Hartman, and give an overview of the Bible from Creation to the Ascension. There is a further two years of themed material for those schools (and teams) that wish to continue. Open The Book fulfils both OFSTED and SIAS (Church School Inspection) requirements for Collective Worship, and has been successfully used in a multi-faith context.
Open The Book started in Bedford in 1999 where a group of Christians first started presenting Bible stories in school assemblies. Word reached other schools and areas and so grew from a local initiative into a national enterprise. In Gloucestershire Open The Book has grown from six teams in 2001 to over 160 teams in 2009 – that’s more than 1000 local volunteers. Phil Arnold, Jean Gregory and I became involved as part of Hope ’09 as a way of working together with St Michael’s.
Money raised helps to buy the books we use and to help with props and costumes. We also need funding to train other teams. As well as this month’s collections you are warmly invited to spend money on coffee and goodies at the URC in Prestbury from 10 – 12 on Saturday 20th November. If you really want to know what Open The Book is like come to church on the morning of 21st November.
Open the Book is a registered charity, number 1120425
Mary Michael
All the Year One stories are taken from The Lion Storyteller Bible written by Bob Hartman, and give an overview of the Bible from Creation to the Ascension. There is a further two years of themed material for those schools (and teams) that wish to continue. Open The Book fulfils both OFSTED and SIAS (Church School Inspection) requirements for Collective Worship, and has been successfully used in a multi-faith context.
Open The Book started in Bedford in 1999 where a group of Christians first started presenting Bible stories in school assemblies. Word reached other schools and areas and so grew from a local initiative into a national enterprise. In Gloucestershire Open The Book has grown from six teams in 2001 to over 160 teams in 2009 – that’s more than 1000 local volunteers. Phil Arnold, Jean Gregory and I became involved as part of Hope ’09 as a way of working together with St Michael’s.
Money raised helps to buy the books we use and to help with props and costumes. We also need funding to train other teams. As well as this month’s collections you are warmly invited to spend money on coffee and goodies at the URC in Prestbury from 10 – 12 on Saturday 20th November. If you really want to know what Open The Book is like come to church on the morning of 21st November.
Open the Book is a registered charity, number 1120425
Mary Michael
Sunday, 3 October 2010
October - Listening Post, Counselling Service
Listening Post is a Christian Counselling Service, which is available to anyone over 18 living in Gloucestershire, regardless of their religion, race, gender or sexual orientation.
Many people go through a time when they unable to resolve their difficulties themselves. Sharing concerns with a counsellor can help to get them into perspective. The work aims to help the client gain a perspective that will enable them to move towards a solution to their problems that they find acceptable.
The service relies on donations and there are no fixed charges. There is an expectation that a realistic contribution will be made but no one is refused help because they cannot afford to make a donation. The recession has meant a huge increase in clients who are affected by financial problems which runs alongside a decrease in client and other donations.
All Listening Post counsellors have trained for at least two years on a nationally recognised course. Training is on-going and experienced, trained supervisors regularly supervise all counsellors.
Anyone seeking counselling can telephone Gloucester, Cheltenham or Stroud. A trained receptionist will take brief details and offer an initial assessment appointment with an experienced counsellor. If the person decides to attend regular counselling sessions a counsellor will make contact in a few weeks.
Listening Post invite individuals and churches to join them in their work. While trained volunteers do most of their work, they do need a regular income to pay for salaries, rent, heat, light and administration costs. Listening Post runs counselling courses which meet nationally recognised standards. Credits are currently awarded by the Open College Network. They also hold seminars throughout the year on a wide range of topics.
Financial generosity is essential to enable the good work of this local charity to continue. Listening Post also welcomes our individual and church prayer support both for it’s organisation and it’s clients.
Registered charity no: 1013442
Contact details: Tel 01242 256060 or 01452 383820
Email: lpostcounselling@tesco.net
Internet: http://www.listeningpost.org.uk/
Many people go through a time when they unable to resolve their difficulties themselves. Sharing concerns with a counsellor can help to get them into perspective. The work aims to help the client gain a perspective that will enable them to move towards a solution to their problems that they find acceptable.
The service relies on donations and there are no fixed charges. There is an expectation that a realistic contribution will be made but no one is refused help because they cannot afford to make a donation. The recession has meant a huge increase in clients who are affected by financial problems which runs alongside a decrease in client and other donations.
All Listening Post counsellors have trained for at least two years on a nationally recognised course. Training is on-going and experienced, trained supervisors regularly supervise all counsellors.
Anyone seeking counselling can telephone Gloucester, Cheltenham or Stroud. A trained receptionist will take brief details and offer an initial assessment appointment with an experienced counsellor. If the person decides to attend regular counselling sessions a counsellor will make contact in a few weeks.
Listening Post invite individuals and churches to join them in their work. While trained volunteers do most of their work, they do need a regular income to pay for salaries, rent, heat, light and administration costs. Listening Post runs counselling courses which meet nationally recognised standards. Credits are currently awarded by the Open College Network. They also hold seminars throughout the year on a wide range of topics.
Financial generosity is essential to enable the good work of this local charity to continue. Listening Post also welcomes our individual and church prayer support both for it’s organisation and it’s clients.
Registered charity no: 1013442
Contact details: Tel 01242 256060 or 01452 383820
Email: lpostcounselling@tesco.net
Internet: http://www.listeningpost.org.uk/
Thursday, 9 September 2010
September and Harvest Giving - Oné Respé
This month, and particularly at our Harvest Service, the charity the church is supporting is Onè Respé, based in the Dominican Republic.
Onè Respé is a small Dominican organisation that works alongside some of the poorest people living in the Dominican Republic (DR). The DR shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and over many years, Haitians have migrated to the DR to look for work and to flee the desperate poverty that has long been endemic in that country. The DR itself is poor (the sun kissed beaches of the travel brochures only tell a small part of the story!), and the influx of up to a million Haitians over many years has put a strain on this small country and its people. Sadly, racism and prejudice are rife in the DR, and the migrant workers are the poorest and most marginalised members of society, living in appalling poverty and often unable to access basic services such as health and education.
Onè Respé (Haitian Creole for, "Honour and Respect") was established in an attempt to change this. Onè Respé supports these marginalised communities within both the capital Santo Domingo and the second city Santiago. It offers an education for children (running a number of schools), supports people as they seek to access health services (often denied them by the government because of their "migrant" status), and educates people in a range of life skills, from good parenting to HIV/Aids prevention. Perhaps most crucially, Onè Respé provides a focal point for these marginalised communities, giving them a sense of purpose and belonging. Community meetings are an opportunity to air views and share information, and these are led by members of the community themselves.
As you may know, the Congregational Federation has agreed to work with Christian Aid to support Onè Respé for a three year period. We are now in the third year of that partnership.
The events of the Haitian earthquake in January have only exacerbated the levels of poverty suffered by the Haitian people and are likely to stretch the resources of organisations such as Onè Respé. There can never have been a more important time for us to be supporting this important work.
Philip Clarke
Philip, is from Southam and Bishops Itchington Congregational Church, in Warwickshire, and he will be joining us for our morning worship on Harvest Sunday to share some of his experiences in the Dominican Republic, and to tell us more about the work of Onè Respé.
Mary Michael
Onè Respé is a small Dominican organisation that works alongside some of the poorest people living in the Dominican Republic (DR). The DR shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and over many years, Haitians have migrated to the DR to look for work and to flee the desperate poverty that has long been endemic in that country. The DR itself is poor (the sun kissed beaches of the travel brochures only tell a small part of the story!), and the influx of up to a million Haitians over many years has put a strain on this small country and its people. Sadly, racism and prejudice are rife in the DR, and the migrant workers are the poorest and most marginalised members of society, living in appalling poverty and often unable to access basic services such as health and education.
Onè Respé (Haitian Creole for, "Honour and Respect") was established in an attempt to change this. Onè Respé supports these marginalised communities within both the capital Santo Domingo and the second city Santiago. It offers an education for children (running a number of schools), supports people as they seek to access health services (often denied them by the government because of their "migrant" status), and educates people in a range of life skills, from good parenting to HIV/Aids prevention. Perhaps most crucially, Onè Respé provides a focal point for these marginalised communities, giving them a sense of purpose and belonging. Community meetings are an opportunity to air views and share information, and these are led by members of the community themselves.
As you may know, the Congregational Federation has agreed to work with Christian Aid to support Onè Respé for a three year period. We are now in the third year of that partnership.
The events of the Haitian earthquake in January have only exacerbated the levels of poverty suffered by the Haitian people and are likely to stretch the resources of organisations such as Onè Respé. There can never have been a more important time for us to be supporting this important work.
Philip Clarke
Philip, is from Southam and Bishops Itchington Congregational Church, in Warwickshire, and he will be joining us for our morning worship on Harvest Sunday to share some of his experiences in the Dominican Republic, and to tell us more about the work of Onè Respé.
Mary Michael
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)