January

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! In this issue:

Page 2 & 3 Halloween & Art Celebraons and events

Pages 4 & 5 Christmas Celebrations News, events and winners of the 2016 Christmas Card White Ribbon Campaign Compeon Each year men and boys across the world are encouraged to wear a white ribbon on 25th November to tell people they want an end to violence against women and girls.

We thought it was important to show our support for this campaign and Pages 6 invited Aspire men to join in. A lot agreed to have their photograph taken Diary Dates holding a huge ‘White Ribbon Leeds’ photo frame which we could tweet. In fact so many people wanted to join in that we were able to tweet dozens of photos throughout the whole 16 days of the campaign. Pages 7 & 8 Service News Keep up to date with all the news from Aspire

www.aspirecbs.org.uk

Photos: People who use our service and staff show their support for the campaign . Halloween Horrors Ghostly goings on didn’t go unnoced this year when the Dramarama group did a big show at Rothwell Sports Centre. There were spooks galore at the Blackgates Halloween disco too with Dan the Man plus cauldrons of fiendish food.

Wesield Chambers didn’t escape the ghoulish capers because a mob of gruesome zombies from Hillside community base dropped in to say “helloooooooo” during their walk for charity.

Left: Andy Rawnsley fends off zombies at Westfield Chambers Middle: Halloween at Blackgates . Right: Dramarama at Rothwell Sports Centre

Creative Arts East Street Arts have again been working with people at Middleton Leisure Centre community base. Recently everyone taking part displayed their work in an art exhibion at the Centre.

For the past 3 years Art Link West has been working across Leeds with people we support. Art Link have held a number of events celebrang their work with us. One of the projects has been a joint venture between Bramley day service and pupils from Bramley Primary School. Together they created beauful works of art and some great friendships were made so we and the children were delighted to welcome , MP and Cllr. Kevin Richie to Bramley to see the fabulous art work for themselves.

Cllr Richie and Rachel Reeves, MP, with the group from Bramley day service and Bramley Primary School

Pedal Power Our smoothie bikes have been in great demand again. We took them to the Congley in Bloom Autumn/Halloween celebraon and to Leeds and York Partnership Foundaon Trust’s ‘Have Your Say’ involvement event at St. Chad’s. They went to a Carers Leeds event and our Christmas stall at the Winter Wonderland event at Crossgates Children’s Centre.

The Aspire team and smoothie bikes at the ‘Have Your Say’ day

2 Co-Op Community Did you see the Co‐op’s 2016 Christmas food ad on television? If so, you may have noced they talk about their community involvement. The Co‐op supports Valley Urban Farm and there’s a ny piece in the middle of the ad which shows our gardening group based there. The clip only lasts about 3 seconds but, if you go to YouTube and search for Meanwood Valley Urban Farm Co‐op Food, you’ll be able to see a longer film which features staff member Paul Fozzard Paul and Ann at Meanwood supporng Ann at the farm (it’s about 20 seconds in). Valley Urban Farm

Performing Arts The drama groups and band have been much in demand since the last issue of the newsleer. Dramarama got into the spirit of Halloween for their Big Show at Rothwell Sports Centre community base. They also gave a fabulous performance of Grease at Middleton’s Christmas Fayre.

The Ginger Cat Theatre Company went along to the Passenger Transport Awards, The Bridge’s Discover the Magic of Christmas event and our Christmas Fair at the Orangery in Park. The Company also performed at the Victorian Christmas Fayre at where they led the Morris Dancing … with the help of a prancing panto horse!

Sky Fallers have been keeping as busy as ever with gigs at Gateway’s 50th anniversary celebraon, the Beat It nights in Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds and the Christmas Fair at Middleton Leisure Centre. Beat It night has been running since 2013. It’s a monthly accessible nightclub event run by Imagineer Development for people with learning disabilies, physical disabilies and mental health condions so they can get together and have some fun. Sky Fallers also held their second annual awards ceremony and Christmas jam at Morley Cricket Club in December. During rehearsals their drummer, Josh, had an early Christmas present when he bumped into Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs.

Top to bottom: Dramarama at Rothwell Sports Centre Halloween show; The Ginger Cat Theatre Company at The Orangery in and below Morris Dancing at Middleton Park Victorian Christmas Fayre. Sky Fallers at Morley Cricket Club and Josh with Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson.

3 Winning Christmas Card

Left to right: SSE 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Left to right: ENE 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Left to right: WNW 1st & citywide winner, 2nd & 3rd

Aspire’s 6th Design a Christmas Card compeon was as hotly contested as ever this year with over 270 entries. The shortlisted arsts from each area and all the judges were invited to come along to Wesield Chambers to see our Chief Execuve, Andy Rawnsley, present the winners with their prizes. The overall winner was Gail and her design will be used for Aspire’s 2016 Christmas card which we send to every person who uses our service, all staff and hundreds of partners, stakeholders and friends of Aspire.

East/North East area: West/North West area: Gail (Richmond Hill) 1st and overall city wide Lewis (Strawberry Lane) 1st, Andrew (Bramley day winner, Michael (Technorth) 2nd, Lee (Fearnville) 3rd service) 2nd, Hayley ( Courthouse) 3rd

South area: Melvyn (Hillside) 1st, Paul (Rothwell day service )2nd, Robert () 3rd

4 Christmas Celebrations Services across Aspire hosted and/or went along to lots of Christmas events throughout December. There were Christmas jumpers galore along with mountains of mince pies, buns and hot pork sandwiches plus lakes of tea, hot chocolate and non‐alcoholic mulled ‘wine’ to keep everyone going. The creave talents of the people we support and staff were much in evidence in the multude of handmade cras which were on sale. Everyone was kept entertained by the brilliant performances from Dramarama, Sky Fallers and the Ginger Cat Theatre Company and we even heard that Elvis was in the (Bramley day service) building for an aernoon!

We hope the photographs we’ve chosen here give you a flavour of the fesve fun.

5 Diary Dates Photos and story in Cultural Awareness Day took place at next issue! the Irish Centre on 12th January. Read all about it in April’s issue of the newsleer!

19th Jan Leep the Bridge Club Nights at Tiger Tiger all from 16th Feb 7pm to 10pm & 23rd March

Sky Fallers play at Leeds Kirkgate Market Performance Area, 12pm to 3pm 31st January

Accessible Gaming Day at the William Merri Centre, 15th St. Mary’s Hospital from 1 to 4pm. For more informaon contact February 0113 350 8989.

Informaon Session ‐ Future planning for family carers th 10:30 to noon followed by light lunch at Wesield Chambers. 15 Booking essenal on 0113 387 1919 February

Sky Fallers play live at Social Club, Sandbeck Way, th 4 LS22 7DN. 6pm to 9pm. Workshop and performance—all March welcome to join in! Free entry. Charity collecon on the night. For info contact 07903 729274 6 Congratulations to …. … John from the Hillside community base who raised £34 for the ponies and donkeys at Hope Pastures

… Raymond from Calverlands who has just celebrated his 80th birthday

… everyone at Rothwell day service and Hillside community base who did the ‘stamp out bullying’ training

… the folks at Middleton Leisure Centre community base who planted a cherry tree, and

… the sponsored lier pickers from Cross Heath Grove respite unit.

Research Results Safe Places Last year we asked Healthwatch Leeds to undertake independent We’re happy to tell you that research. We wanted to learn more about why people who use Fire Service our service were less sasfied about their choice of keyworker has signed up to the Safe Place scheme and their involvement in improving the service than in the and has registered 12 fire staons across previous year. We also wanted to understand how we could Leeds. Leeds & Wakefield Breast improve communicaon with family carers and what acvies Screening Service has also signed up and they wanted us to provide. We have now received the results of we’ve trained more than 40 clerical staff the research. and radiographers.

The key findings for people that use our service are that:  they want to meet and spend some me with their keyworker before starng to work together,  they prefer to be involved with Aspire by feeding back their views and taking part in acvies,  going on trips and socialising are the most popular acvies, We’ve set up a group of the people who and lead on Safe Places in Leeds, Bradford,  some people are keen to learn new skills. Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees. We’re going to work together with the The key findings for family carers are: Police and Crime Commissioner to make  that the quality of a response received to any concerns sure that, wherever you travel in West raised may be inconsistent, and Yorkshire, you will be able to recognise  they are interested in hearing about changes at Aspire and and get support from a Safe Place. giving feedback, but there is limited appete for addional involvement.

We are going to think carefully about how we can address these key findings and include our acon plan in the Aspire Annual Plan for 2017/18. Healthwatch will share their report with the Customer Council, We recently hosted a visit from Auveen Healthwatch and the Care Quality and Lisa who work for an organisaon Commission and we’ll tell the Board of called Blossom Ireland. They want to Directors about it. start a Safe Places scheme in Dublin

You can read the full report or an easier which they’ll eventually roll out across read version on the Healthwatch Leeds the whole of Eire. We told them how website in the 2016 secon at: we do things in Leeds, gave them lots of www.healthwatchleeds.co.uk/reports‐and informaon and arranged for them to ‐recommendaons. talk to some of the people who provide Safe Places. 7 Sad News Day Service Modernisation We are sad to report the deaths of Work at Poernewton is Dorothy Johnson, Karina Jenkins, nearing compleon. Vernon Knight, Karen Stead and Everyone temporarily Dorothy Haon who we have based at Ramshead Wood supported over the years. They is geng excited about were all much‐loved people and will moving back shortly. be missed by all those whose lives they touched. Our deepest condolences go out to their families Information Session and friends. Due to demand, we’re repeang the session about future planning for family carers. Steph from Clarion Solicitors will be at Wesield Chambers on Goodbye & Hello Wednesday, 15th February from 10:30 to noon. We wish farewell to Alice We’ll be ringing people on the waing list soon to Robinson, Diane Ward, Rani offer them places first. If you would like to add your Channa and Althea James name to the list, please ring 0113 387 1919. who, between them, have worked for and Aspire for more than 60 years. We’d like to take this opportunity to wish them all the best upon their rerements and thank them for all their years of And Finally dedicated service. The Local Government Associaon has asked us to write about our experiences of community acon Welcome to Sue Laverick who and of spinning out of the Council. The case studies has taken up the post of have been published on the LGA website so that we Finance Director. Jon Oliver, can share best pracce with other organisaons. If who held the post before Sue you’d like to read the arcles for yourself, they can wanted to move on to pastures be found at www.local.gov.uk by typing ‘Aspire new, and we wish him all the Community Benefit Society’ into the search box. best. One paper is tled ‘Modernising Council Services Through Co‐locaon and Asset Transfer’; the other We’re pleased to let you know that Alan Kenworthy is tled ‘Case Study: Creang a Social Enterprise – is the new Staff Director for the East/North East. Aspire Community Benefit Society’. The vacancy became available when Chris Gray le Aspire. We’re grateful to Chris for the valuable contribuon he made to the Future Maers groups and for his work as a Staff Director. Alan has been with Aspire since 2008 and works at News Team the Albert Court supported living service. He will formally take up News writer & editor – Carol Benson his place at the next Board e‐News producer/narrator – Shaun Pilkington meeng in early February. Newsleer producer – Rebecca Heim Reporters – Ailsa Ryder, Caroline Terry & Tim Snell

The newsleer is available as a hard copy or to Don’t forget to tell us your good news stories so we download from our website. If you prefer to watch can let everyone know about them. Please send an accessible e‐news version, this can also be found them to: [email protected]. The next on our website at: issue of our newsleer will be out in:

www.aspirecbs.org.uk April 2017

Aspire Community Benefit Society Limited is a registered society in England and Wales under the Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. Registered number: 7062 HMRC Charities Reference number: EW36148 VAT number: 215 0549 36 Registered Office: Unit 2 Westfield Chambers, Lower Wortley Road, Leeds LS12 4PX