GROUPS AWARDED LOTTERY FUNDING

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Fiona Kinsey, resource centre manager for Network for Change

Groups awarded lottery funding

by Cathy Buss

Two groups, one which helps families and the other which helps people with mental health problems, have won more than £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

Home-Start Leicester has been awarded £334,370 from the lottery's reaching communities programme.

The group will use the money to train new volunteers to help support families under stress.

Helen Everett, chairman of the trustees of Home-Start Leicester, said: "It is fantastic news. It means we can continue our much-needed support to families in the city and recruit more volunteers and staff. This will secure the future of the service to children and families for the next four years."

Volunteers from the organisation, which has been running in the city for 40 years, visit a family's home once a week to offer support.

They can help with stimulating play activities for children, parenting strategies and accessing services.

Lottery cash will go towards new projects to increase parents' confidence, encourage children's emotional and social readiness for school and promote healthy lifestyles.

Home-Start Leicester has 28 home-visiting volunteers and in the past year supported 71 families.

It has just two members of staff but two more full-time posts will be created.

The city-based Network for Change organisation has been awarded £244,184 from the lottery's reaching communities programme.

It can now expand its work with adults with severe and complex mental health problems.

Gabby Briner, chief executive at Network for Change, said: "There are a high number of people in Leicester with severe and complex mental health issues who are often socially isolated and struggle to access support to keep well, prevent crisis and cope with life.

"Our Mind The Gap project will provide an exciting programme of individual and peer support, plus therapeutic, social and coping strategies, groups and activities."

Fiona Kinsey, resource centre manager for Network for Change, said: "This lottery funding will make a huge difference to us."

TIRATH YATRA WALK, STAGE 5: SHREE GEETA BHAVAN TEMPLE & COMMUNITY CENTRE

Stage five of the Tirath Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Colton Street. The goal is to visit 16 Hindu places of worship (mandirs) in Leicester on foot in a single day.

Tirath Yatra (Hindi: तीर्थयात्रा) is a journey undertaken as a pilgrimage.

Shree Geeta Bhavan is the home of the Hindu Religious and Cultural Society Leicester.

We top up with fizzy drinks and biscuits here, then head off to Highfields. On the way, we pass Network for Change, on the corner of London Road and Evington Road. This poster is in the window there.

MEET WILL BALDET, PREVENT COORDINATOR

At St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society this morning for a meeting with Will Baldet, Prevent Coordinator for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

I first met Will last month, at a Knowledge Exchange Seminar in the Multifaith Centre at the University of Derby on the topic of Islam and Higher Education. We've been looking for the chance to get together for this conversation since then.

I'm grateful to Will for clearing a couple of hours so close to the international conference that he's organising at De Montfort University this Saturday. "Virtual Voices, Real Lives" will consider the realities of radicalisation and the role of social media in Islamophobia, extremism and social change. As you can imagine, faithful reader, I'm excited at the prospect of social media being taken seriously in this context and am looking forward to taking part in the conference myself.

Will was appointed Prevent Coordinator for Leicester in October last year. He talks me through how Prevent has changed, what it means now and how it relates to the distinctive circumstances of our city. I, in turn, walk him through the structure, function and relevance of Leicester Council of Faiths. We map out areas of overlap between Prevent and the Council of Faiths, complementary aspects of his work and mine, particularly regarding social cohesion. It would make sense for him to meet the Board of Leicester Council of Faiths to brief them on Prevent. I hope we can make that happen soon. I also offer to help him make contact with other appropriate organisations and agencies, such as Network for Change and Leicester SACRE.

The appointment of a Prevent Coordinator at S Philip's Centre was funded by the Home Office and is designed to co-ordinate the preventative strand of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST in Leicester. The aim of Prevent is to help communities develop the resilience to counter the national threat in all its forms, and to empower the community itself with the support of partner agencies to address these difficult challenges.

As we're wrapping up our two-hour meeting, we discover a shared interest in comics. Will favours Marvel (particularly Daredevil, the Man Without Fear), while I'm more firmly DC. Those who get such things may see what that might tell us about Will - and about how he and I could work together.

Follow Will's Twitter feed, @Leics_SafeSPACE: challenging religious and political extremism and providing the space for Leicester's communities to debate the issues online.

Follow Leicester SafeSpace on Facebook: An online forum to discuss and debate issues of political or religious extremism, share ideas on making our communities more resilient to extremist voices and publicise local and national events of interest.

NETWORK FOR CHANGE AGM AT GUILDHALL

At Leicester's medieval Guildhall this evening, for the Annual General Meeting of Network for Change.

Network for Change is a local Voluntary Sector organisation providing Supported Housing, Community Outreach and Resource Centre activities designed to meet the needs of adults whose mental health problems have impacted significantly on their quality of life. Network’s values and working practices focus on the Recovery Model and person-centred approaches to enable wellbeing and potential.

I used to teach at Network for Change: basic literacy, communication skills, study skills and (most significantly for me) Creative Writing. I ran the Creative Writing group on Friday afternoons for five years. I loved that and was sorry that I had to give it up. I still try to give whatever support I can to Network for Change at every opportunity that might present itself.

The highlight of the evening is the presentation given by participants in the recent Plan W peer mentoring project. The "W" stands for Wellness.

There's a lovely-looking buffet, including some very nice homemade cakes; but after having fallen foul of some dodgy tidbits at a reception last week, I'm not feeling brave enough to indulge myself.

REDP CORE PARTNERS MEETING

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this morning, for a meeting of the four Core Partners of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership. The Core Partners, all Leicester-based Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, are: 

• Leicester Council of Faiths
• Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
• Leicester LGBT Centre
• The Race Equality Centre

We used to meet on the first Tuesday morning of the month, but haven't done so since the funding for this project ended, in June this year.

It soon becomes apparent that there's life in the old dog yet, though. We spend the first half-hour or so catching up on what our particular organisations have been doing since last we met, where we are now, and what our futures might hold.

Our attention is focused on the forthcoming Choice Unlimited event, to be held at Leicester Tigers Stadium, Wednesday 21 November (1000-1800). The first Choice Unlimited, held in April this year, presented information, ideas, innovation, services, products for disabled people. It was an unexpectedly successful occasion, exceeding all our expectations in terms of interest and support. The November event will focus on the same sort of things, but for young people in what's called the "transition period" (14-25 years of age).

Since Choice Unlimited is taking place in the middle of Inter Faith Week (18-26 November) I'd assumed that the Council of Faiths (and, more specifically, I) wouldn't be able to take part in it, but I'm glad to say that we've come up with a plan for having a celebration of Inter Faith Week inside Choice Unlimited itself. Since I have to make sure that our exhibition in Highcross is kept going all that day, I'm not quite sure how we'll go about this, but where there's a will ...

I'll play as active a role as I can in promoting the next Choice Unlimited, through our various outlets - beginning with taking a clutch of fliers and posters to the AGM of Network for Change at the Guildhall this evening.

INVOLVEMENT CENTRE AT BRADGATE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT

Abida Hussain and I fetch up at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, Glenfield Hospital an hour or so before our appointment at the Belvoir Intensive Care Unit, where we're scheduled to deliver one of our briefings on the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource this afternoon.

This is the second time we've been booked to visit Belvoir ICU. On our first visit (13 January) there had been some miscommunication and our visit hadn't been entered in the ward diary, so we couldn't deliver the briefing. We thought we should call in early this time, to make sure that we're in the diary for today. We're not. Faced with rescheduling again, we decide to come back at 1400, the time we'd booked, even if it means we'll only be speaking to a couple of staff members today.

In the meantime, we head for the Involvement Centre, to get a coffee and kill some time till our meeting at Belvoir ICU. This turns out to be serendipitous. On entering the Involvement Centre, I'm pleased to see Grant Paton (photo above, at his post), whom I've known for years now, from my time at Network for Change, who is volunteering here. He sits with us and talks about the Involvement Centre, with lots of enthusiasm. We're joined by Louise Maine, member of staff in charge of the centre. Over the next 20 minutes or so, we agree that we'll come in and do one of our briefings on the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource for the volunteers in the Involvement Centre (actually, two such sessions in the next few weeks). We also float the possibility of us providing briefings for the groups and organsiations who support the Involvement Centre, such as Genesis and LAMPdirect.

I promised Grant that I'd big up the Involvement Centre on the blog, so here it is:

Who is the Involvement Centre for? Everyone.

What is it? A place where people can meet and work in partnership with LPT to improve services.

Where is it? At the Bradgate Unit site.

Why have one? Because service users, carers and local groups asked for an involvement centre.

What's in it? Coffee shop, desk space, meeting tables, wi-fi access, information on services and all issues that people may want to know about who are seeking care and treatment.

Who will be there? Volunteers, service users, carers, local groups.

What will it offer? PALS (Patients Advice and Liaison Services), meet the manager, gather people's thoughts and opinions.

Do I have to go to the centre? It's up to you. It's not a day care centre or a drop in centre. It's only the second in the country.

Yes, but what does it do?

• it provides a dedicated space where the service user and carer groups can book space, meet, network and use shared facilities.
• it will support commissioned service user and carer groups to develop in-reach and out-reach services
• it will support the development of social enterprise groups and provide opportunities to network
• recruit people to become Foundation Trust Members
• recruit people to become volunteers
• offer opportunities for people to engage in arts and sports
• provide access to Patients Advice and Liaison Services
• provide access to Welfare Rights and benefits services
• provide access to Spiritual and Pastoral Care services
• provide access to advocacy services
• provide access to employment facilitators
• provide information on local groups, services, education, employment
• provide information for people's health and well-being and host "Let's Talk About Health" events
• signposting people to available groups and support that may need to be language, faith, age, culture and sexuality specific
• work with service users and carers to develop and undertake questionnaires, surveys and research projects which will serve to improve care services
• provide a variety of ways for people to express their views, e.g. electronic, 1-1, meetings, groups, advocates, PALS, "Listening and Working Together" events

A wheely good way to raise awareness

The Citizens' Eye column in today's Leicester Mercury leads with this article about current developments at Network for Change. I taught basic literacy skills and Creative Writing at Network for years. It's a terrific organisation and there's really nothing like it in Leicester, let alone in the whole of the East Midlands. I love Network for Change and all it stands for; I'd support just about anything they do there.

A wheely good way to raise awareness 

By James Black

A director of mental health support group Network for Change is going on a sponsored bike ride to raise awareness of mental health issues. 

Operations director Darren O'Brien, who has worked for Network for Change for 18 years, will travel from Leicester to Bradford to highlight the good work done by the organisation, which has been facing financial difficulties. 

A keen cross-country cyclist, Darren will be aiming to complete 40 miles each day. His 170-mile journey begins on August 23 and takes in much of the Pennine Way along the route. 

The Network for Change resource centre on London Road, Leicester, has been threatened with closure if the group is unable to secure the required funding. It costs £100,000 a year to provide supported housing, activities and advice services to vulnerable people. 

But many of the charitable grants it used to rely on are no longer available. 

Last month, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby visited the charity to hear the personal stories of people who use the group and how it has helped them. 

Sir Peter has promised to return "within weeks" to give his decision on whether the group would be allocated funding. 

Darren believes that Network for Change offers a unique service vital in the rehabilitation and support of people suffering from mental illness. 

He said: "One of the main things I like about working for Network for Change is that the staff members and the people who use our service are equal partners. 

"We work with users to suit their individual needs and try to improve their lives." 

As well as highlighting the good work done in Leicester Darren also hope to draw attention to The Soteria Project, a national charity based upon the ideas of American psychiatrist Loren Mosher. Mosher was critical of using drugs to treat mental illness, favouring emotional support in a residential environment. 

He said: "I feel the values and ethos of The Soteria Trust are very much suited to Network for Change." 

If you would like to sponsor Darren's bike ride visit: www.charitygiving.co.uk/bradfordorbust

Network Nature Express exhibition

At Pedestrian Arts, Rutland Street, this evening, for the launch of the Network Nature Express exhibition.

Network Nature Express is an art project for people with mental health problems who use the Resource Centre at Network for Change. It is funded by Ecominds, a £7.5million funding scheme managed by Mind on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund. The project provides the opportunity for expression through the arts, inspired by the local environment, culminating in an exhibition accessible to the general public. It also provides the opportunity to access green spaces on rambles and residential trips which provide the chance to get out of the city to experience nature and improve mental and physical well being.

I taught Creative Writing at Network for Change on Friday afternoons for five years. I love these guys and what they do. It's great to see this exposure of the terrific work the service users have done. There are examples of their writing on display here, cleverly printed onto pages from an old book of wallpaper samples. It's all stuff they've done under Clare in the last few months (as well as one of Clare's own pieces). Everything has been made anonymous, no names are attached to any of the exhibits - which leads to me constantly embarrassing myself in guessing who's done what.

After a week at Pedestrian Arts, the Network Nature Express exhibition moves to Fabrika Independent Art Centre, 68 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 3PL.

Read the Network Nature Express blog.

networking at Network for Change

This afternoon I'm meeting with the Management Committee at Network for Change, on London Road. Network is a support group for adults with long-term mental health issues, offering assistance to a diverse user group on a variety of fronts. I taught at Network, in their Resource Centre, for more than five years, when I was employed by ReMit (Leicester City Council's education service for this client group). I taught basic literacy and Creative Writing here and was a member of the Management Committee.

The Management Committee is having a special session today on sustainability and identifying new funding streams. I've been asked to take half an hour to present something about how I've made my own post at Leicester Council of Faiths sustainable way beyond the end of initial funding from central government (which ran out in March 2008). Of course, I've only had to bring in enough revenue to keep my own post alive, while Network has much grater and more complex needs. I hope that some of what I say proves useful and adaptable though.

Find out more about Network for Change:
http://www.networkforchange.org.uk/

21st CENTURY PATRON SAINT

In the Creative Writing group this afternoon at Network for Change on London Road (photo above), we take as our topic St George's Day and what it means to have - and to be - a patron saint. We talk about St George - who he was or might have been, where we think he came from, what we've heard he did, and what we believe about him. Wt discuss other sorts of positions in our society (e.g. Poet Laureate, Astronomer Royal) that help us see the nature and significance of a patron saint. We make a list of the sort of qualities we think a patron saint should have, then suggest people alive today or recently departed, who might be able to fill the role of a new patron saint for England, if the position suddenly became open. Some of the names are predictable, some surprising: Trevor Bayliss, Joe Bugner, Shami Chakrabati, John Cleese, Princess Diana, Malcolm McLaren, Katie Price (Jordan). We discuss the difference between appointing a patron saint and electing a new Head of State (which seems to be what some of the group members are thinking of). then they get a quarter of an hour to write the sanctifying myth for the new patron saint of their choice. One of the members of the group chooses Jade Goody. I asked their permission to reproduce that piece of writing here. Bear in mind, faithful reader, that this was written in one go, without corrections and that I've made no changes to the original.

In an era where the majority of English people have very little and aspire to find the fast track to having it all, the culture of the celebrity has talent or being able to do something well isn't as important as being able to fight for what you've got and pay for what you've done wrong.

To be famous without deserving fame could be said to be vulgar and negative but the English still struggle with a rigid class structure. Some are born with privilege, some aren't. Those who triumph over this injustice inspire aspirational worship.

As well as the rigid class structure in 21st century England we still have a rigid race problem.

Jade Goody exhibited cliched western racism and ignorance and she paid for it via eastern laws of karma. It all came back on her, she suffered publicly and died a martyr.Also it is still a woman's role to provide for her children. Her sacrificial public death allowed her to make money for her boys made her celebrity status for nothing justifiable. She took it all on the chin and made money from her own death to provide for her boys.

Kind of like the way Thatcher only became powerful and popular through the Falklands War. She was doing what she was doing in defence of "our boys".

Jade Goody was white, matriarchal, heroic in death and strong enough to be wrong in public and pay her karmic debt. Like the best traditions of the British army.

Impressive, I hope you'll agree. I was particularly taken with the clash of east and west in this piece and the role of karma (which, I have to admit, I'd never associated with this story before).

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR

At Action Deafness, Welford Road, this morning for a breakfast networking event with the theme, "Social Enterprise in the Voluntary and Community Sector in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland". Round the table are nine organisations:

• Action Deafness
• Action Homeless
• Cooke e-Learning Foundation
• Domestic Violence Integrated Response Unit
• The Emerald Centre
• Leicestershire Aids Support Service (LASS)
• Lighthouse Learning
• Network for Change
• Tomorrow Together

I'm here today speaking not only for the Council of Faiths but also for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP).

Jenny Hand, from LASS, chairs the meeting. It is facilitated by Jacqui Tilyard, who has worked with Business Link (amongst others) and is a freelance business trainer and consultant. She's particularly interested in the "social entrepreneur". I first met Jacqui at the launch of the Jewish Voices book, exhibition and website. Her husband, Glen, took the photos for that book and has long worked for Writing School Leicester, for which I've taught from time to time.

This meeting, and the informal network of contacts invited to it, are supported by the Modernisation Fund, which promotes collaboration and merger. The former is appealing to the VCS, the latter not necessarilly so. A few organisations which have obtained some funding from this source are committed to the network that has grown out of their involvement: how is it working? is it a network of organisations or of individuals? can it be expanded? should it be expanded? Today we discuss some of these, and related, issues: sharing resources, experience and expertise; consolidating back office functions; making joint funding bids; identifying best practice; overcoming isolation; retaining and transmitting values; tapping into our network of networks (a brief explanation of the relevance of REDP fits in here). We consider how to use the more positive aspects of our common anxiety about the future - how it is making many in the VCS world come out of their shells and reach out to others. Plans are made for moving forward, which should be taken up soon.

2009'S TOP 10: 9

Andy Cooke Show,

Eava FM,

Wednesday 8 April 2009

I'd met Andy a few weeks earlier, at a meeting of the short-lived Leicester Community Network which was held in the LCB Depot, Rutland Street. He'd asked me then (in principle) if I'd appear on his morning show on Eava FM, which goes out daily, live for an hour, from 0900-1000. Eava FM is a multilingual community radio station, with licence to broadcast only within Leicester. I was the only subject on this edition of Andy's show and, apart from four or five pieces of recorded music, the whole hour was given over to the two of us chatting. I got to talk about my early experiences in inter-faith work in Glasgow and what I did before taking up my current post with Leicester Council of Faiths; so I got to big up ReMit and Network for Change while talking about my teaching adults with long-term mental health issues. We covered some interesting ground on the show, such as how an organisation like Leicester Council of Faiths would relate to the increasing number of people in this city and country who describe themselves as being "spiritual" but not necessarily "religious" - those who express a genuine and lively interest in values and lifestyles that go beyond the merely material, while not aligning themselves to any religion or belief system. In this context I got to explain, live on air, how the pickling classes at Network are one of the most spiritual activities I've ever heard of! Only two people whom I know told me that they'd actually listened to the programme, since I didn't have much time to alert anyone about it.