grapevine

Summer 2015

Inside this issue: Shaun in the City and Brunelcare Brunelcare do care! Emmanuel Court Develop ments Chestnut activities and much, much more. Shaun in the City and Brunelcare

This year Brunelcare are sponsoring a Shaun in the City sculpture called ‘Sparkles the Unicorn’, part of the ‘Shaun in the City’ trail from Monday 6th July to Monday Sparkles pictured with our CEO Paula Kennedy 31st August. (left) and Emily Golden (right) the designer

The flock of 70 sculptures appear in iconic Brunelcare are finding ways to involve friends, locations and green spaces all over Bristol, family, residents and our local communities in before being auctioned to raise money for the sponsorship, along with looking forward to Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the seeing Sparkles in the Bristol trail this summer, Bristol Children’s Hospital charity in located at Horfield Common! October. Our thanks to staff and residents for knitting 100+ little Shaun's. They will be sold in aid of This is a great opportunity to raise the The Grand Appeal. Here is one of the first profile of Brunelcare, along with raising knitted Shaun’s that his owner, Lucy Davis, in money for Bristol Childrens’ Hospital. Brunelcare’s Finance team, took with her to CBE, creator of , complete the sculpture trail! says: “ “It’s been a busy year for Shaun, he has just launched his first movie and now he has his very own arts trail! Shaun is such a well- Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Foundation.

Charity no. 1043603 loved character with so many fans around Shaun the Sheep & Shaun

in the City ©& ™ Aardman the globe, I am sure many will flock to Animations Ltd 2015 Bristol to be part of the fun.” “ To find out more please visit www.shauninthecity.org.uk

2 grapevine Summer 2015 Brunelcare do care! We sometimes hear that Brunelcare don’t care. We do care. Over the last couple of years we have been asking tenants questions about our service and we have been adapting our way We also make referrals to and liaise with GPs, Social Workers, Care Direct, Mental of working, to put you at the Health, Chiropodists, Opticians, Home Care heart of what we do. Agencies and many more bodies to help improve the health and welfare for you, our tenants. Brunelcare can provide aids and One of the main things you told us was that adaptions for your home to help you the sites were too quiet, with little or no maintain your independence. This can activity. Of course this varies from site to site range from a grab rail to a level access but we have been trying to facilitate a range shower. of activities on sites i.e. bacon butties, Some tenants need help with difficult issues flexercise, quizzes and cream teas. such as hoarding and alcohol abuse. We are We thought it would also be of interest to continually developing our knowledge to you all to know the other areas of support help us work together with you to overcome we offer: difficult times. Over the last 12 months we have received Wills and funerals are not an easy subject to over £8,000 in charity grants to help tenants discuss but we are available to advise and overcome financial difficulties, along with 10 point you in the right direction to set this up. Crisis Prevention Loans. This is to help with Marigolds is an in-house service that offers debt management and to ensure that help with all household chores including everyone can manage financially. one-off spring cleans and escorting to and On behalf of tenants, we have applied for from hospital appointments. and been successful in securing several benefits: This is just a summary of the work we • Attendance Allowance: 34 undertake on your behalf.

• Carers Allowances: 4 If you have any issues or concerns or would • Housing Benefits and Council benefit with help from us please don’t Tax relief: 174 hesitate to speak to any member of the • Disability Living Allowance/ team. We would like to reassure you that Personal Independent Payment: 12 everything you discuss with us is treated in • Blue Badges & Bus Passes: 12 the strictest of confidence.

grapevine Summer 2015 3 Tenants Voice 6th Anniversary

Tenants Voice celebrated its 6th Anniversary in February this year. The group, which was originally formed in 2009, has gone from strength to strength during this time and has recently received interview training to help in the recruitment process for new members of staff. They volunteer their time each month to help Brunelcare improve its services so that they are appropriate and required by tenants.

Don’t forget to look out for the Chairs report If your site does not have a Tenants Voice in Grapevine for more information on what Rep and you would like to find out more the group are currently working on, or check please contact Debs Holvey on the minutes from their meetings which are 0117 9144 233 or email put up on site notice boards. [email protected].

A Blast from the past at Cherry Tree Close David Hancock Back in 1963 when I was 15 years old, most Saturdays I worked for a butcher in Fishponds Road by the name of S.M.Church. Dave Parsons and myself delivered meat to people’s houses. Dave Parsons had a van and we delivered to Cherry Tree Close.

There was 2 monks and they had 2 big dogs. We open the door. One monk was very tall about did bring big bones for the dogs and meat for 6ft 1” and the other monk was about 4ft. The the monks. The community room in Cherry Tree tree in the community garden was there in Close was the house that they lived in and there 1963. When I came here to live with my wife, was an archway to enter the yard and you Pamela, in 2010, I knew I had been here needed to ring a big bell on a rope, for them to before.

4 grapevine Summer 2015 The Call System Staff Awards and Centra Last year Brunelcare ran Tenant The call system installed in Community Awards your home is not just there and included a category for emergencies, although it for ‘Outstanding Staff is the quickest way of Member’. raising an alarm. This was done so that tenants had an opportunity to recognise the hard work of the Brunelcare staff who are unsung heroes on sites. The staff who won were Denver Jones, Jean Cierocki and Karen Hulton. We would like to offer a big well done to all three members of staff for their hard work, diligence and care. You all help people make the most of their lives.

It is also there as a communication method for you to report things like: property faults, for contacting staff when they are on site, if you have lost Easy ways to your keys and can’t get in, you can ask pay your rent a neighbour to pull their cord. You can also pull the cord to report issues with No need to go out in all strangers on your site. The call system is monitored by Centra who are there weathers to pay your rent, you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year waiting can just ring Allpay on to help you. You can test your system anytime you like, just pull the cord and 0844 557 8321 anytime day or when Centra answer just let them know night and pay via the Automatic you are only testing the system. They Account Payment System. won’t mind; they would prefer you test the system regularly rather than All you need is your debit or credit card and waiting until you need it and then find your Allpay payment card. Call the number a problem. Don’t forget we also have and follow the instructions on the an out of hours maintenance team and automated system using your telephone key tenancy team available to assist you pad to enter your details, and that’s it. It’s should you need it, and the best way to quick and easy so why not give it a go. contact them is pull the cord. 0844 557 8321 grapevine Summer 2015 5 Childhood Memories My first Fag Age 9 - By I Cleaver

Mrs Wilson shouted “Irene and Pearl come there. I looked at the inside window, she was over here.” Oh what does she want now eh? outside holding a small bag. I ran out “I need one of you’s to do my shopping”. shouting “what did you buy? ” Pearl said Pearl jumped in “I’ll do it for you Misses”. “Let’s walk down the road a bit”. “Ok”. We Myself and Pearl were standing outside the were in the park when Pearl opened the bag old lady’s door waiting for her to give us the and pulled out a box of matches. “Are we shopping list. “Isn’t it great Pearl” I gonny make a bonfire with these?” “No” she whispered. “We’re gonny get money for said and then pulled out fags, five sweeties today. “That’s what you think”. “Eh Woodbines. I looked surprised at her, I what do you mean by that Pearl?” “You’ll didn’t how to smoke. “Would you like to try see”. So we got the shopping for the old lady it Irene?” “Ok”. Then she opened the fag and she told us to keep the change. “Pearl, packet and gave me 2 cigarettes and 2 for Pearl so much money did we get.” Both of herself. The other one she halved it and lit us ran like hell down to the shops. I walked up her half, puffing away she looked like over to the sweetie counter. “Look Pearl, she had smoked for years. I tried my half, it come and see big gobstoppers, red ones wasn’t very nice I nearly choked on it so I green ones”. I turned round, she wasn’t gave my friend Pearl the rest of it to smoke.

Medal of Gratitude

Lily Dagger, 90 years of Blagdon Close receives a Medal of gratitude for her services to the Womens’ Land Army.

Lily was just 17 when she enrolled into the Womens’ Land Army, and stayed there for nearly 3 years. Lily remembers potato in the land army. Lily will be traveling to picking on her first day and how back Arromanches this month for a reunion with breaking it was. Lily worked on many farms all the women that worked during the war throughout Gloucestershire during her time in the Women’s Land Army.

6 grapevine Summer 2015 Maple Close Emmanuel Court Developments get togethers Emmanuel Court, located in Clifton, is a Grade II listed building and has been open since 1981.

Brunelcare have recently completed a refurbishment project of the 64 flats located within the Sheltered Housing scheme. The aim of the project was to carry out a refurbishment of each of the flats to During 2014 tenants of Maple Close enhance the facilities for all of the tenants. really enjoyed many good lunches, The project was divided into two parts, the lovely trips out and many get first of which was the urgent replacement of togethers. All thanks to David, Barbara, all of the windows to the building. This was Wendy and Maureen. Without these then followed by an optional internal people it would not happen. A big refurbishment of the flats to include thank you and a good 2015 to additional insulation to external walls, everyone. replacement of kitchen and/or bathroom and a full redecoration. We gave each of the tenants the option as to the amount of refurbishment works they wished to be Meals at Eglin carried out within their flat as we felt that they should give Brunelcare the steer on how much they would like done as this sort Eglin Croft would like to thank of refurbishment can be very disruptive. The Mr Nagar and family for their kind outcome has been a successful project that donation of £200 towards a meal for took place over a period of 18 months. our tenants. The meal was kindly Where internal works have been completed, organised and prepared by members of those tenants now enjoy a slightly larger, Brunelcare staff. This left a balance of brighter and more functional kitchen space, £120 which we donated to charity for a more functional and open level-access diabetic research. Mr Nagar has since shower room, attractive double-glazed moved to another Brunelcare site windows and a more efficient use of energy where we wish him every happiness. due to the improvements made to their insulation. grapevine Summer 2015 7 Chestnut activities

Birthday - 80 Birthday - 90 Violet a tenant at Chestnut Dorothy was 90 last summer Close was 80 on the 28th and also had a party for her January and gave a lovely friends, family and tenants tea party for the tenants of Chestnut. Everyone had a which was great for great time. everyone and had a family party later in the week.

Halloween Karen’s Halloween Tea at Chestnut which everyone enjoyed very much.

Birthday - 92 Madge was 92 last October (2014). At a coffee morning she opened her cards and we had nice cakes.

Christmas Chestnut tenants had a Christmas 2014 dinner at the Blue Bowl. All had a nice meal and a goodtime was had by all.

8 grapevine Summer 2015 Operation Christmas Child Christ the Servant was an active participant in putting together Christmas boxes for disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. Photos of boxes brought into Christ the Servant church for the Sunday morning service. The content of the boxes are then checked by volunteer helpers before being sealed and packed into bigger containers ready for dispatch into lorries for Romania.

H eather We were alls L veryeav sorry to see ing Do her go and wish her all the luck for the future.

American Holiday I spent a month in America visiting twin cousins for Christmas, one lives in Phoenix Arizona and the other in Tuscan Arizona – about 2 ½ hours drive across the desert. We all had a great time together. The Phoenix one had grapefruit and two orange trees. The Tuscan one has a desert garden which has had an award. (Yvonne Hawkins)

grapevine Summer 2015 9 Sculptures

This fantastic sculpture was made by Adrian Smith, WOWwhat a week! a tenant from St Barnabas Close. National Give & Gain Day, held every year on 15th May is a celebration of the incredible power of employee volunteering.

Companies of all shapes and sizes support their community through volunteering services. Give & Gain Day is an opportunity for community organisations to celebrate what business volunteers can achieve. He made the swan out of scrap metal Brunelcare were incredibly fortunate to be in 1980. The body of the swan is made so well supported this year. All Brunelcare from the tank of a motorbike, the neck sites were asked to submit a project that is part of a car exhaust and the wings they would like volunteers to help with. I am are horse shoes. For the last 10 years the swan's home has been a local pleased to say that everyone had their health centre but now it is being request fulfilled, plus quite a few additional displayed in the garden at St Barnabas projects were taken on. We had over 100 for all the tenants to enjoy. volunteers help us for a day and almost £1000 in donations. 76 clients were treated to pampering or an enjoyable day out, plus residents and tenants at 3 sites are still Time 4 a Cuppa enjoying the makeover the gardens received.

The tenants of St Barnabas held a We had 4 different companies help us, all of ‘Time 4 a Cuppa’ on the 4th March and whom were extremely generous in their raised £75. Thank you to all who time, enthusiasm and donations. Some supported this event. companies returned from volunteering with us last year and many volunteers returned, one lady was on her fourth visit to us! Many of the volunteers have asked to return, and I RAISED have even signed up 2 as regular volunteers as they were so engaged with the £75 volunteering! Liz Ehlers, Volunteers Coordinator, Brunelcare

10 grapevine Summer 2015 Tenant Brunelcare Housing Maintenance are replacing the Community handyman service with a new Awards 2015 First Response PEHURIVWDII +DVDPH QGEH\RQG JRQHDERYHD QHLJK 'R\RXKDYHD WKHLUFDOORIGXW\WRKHOS \RXRXW" ERXUZKRKDVJRQHWKH H[WUDPLOHIRU\RX" Service VHQRPLQDWHWKHPIRUD ,I\RXDQVZHUHG\HVWKHQSOHD

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Forget the Oscars and The Brits, our Tenant Community Breakfast Award is the one everyone at Eglin wants to receive. This is because its your friends and neighbours on site that will have nominated you for this prestigious award. Alternatively you can nominate a fellow tenant on site who has gone above and beyond to help you or the site as a whole. This could be the person who tends to the gardens or a neighbour that takes you shopping each week or the site committee for all their work in organising activities on Tenants were treated to a full English site. We also have a category for you to breakfast which was organised by Site nominate staff as a thank you for them Officer, Karen Hulton. The meal was when they go above and beyond to help enjoyed by all. We thank Karen and all you or your site. For a nomination form, the staff who kindly helped make a very just ask your site staff, but remember the successful and enjoyable morning. closing date for entries is 31st August.

grapevine Summer 2015 11 GSC Garden News Marion at Good Sheppherd

Gloria, Airforce John, Doris and Ron for their Hello everyone! kind donations. With all this kindness and help I am able to really make the garden I thought I’d write a newsletter improve year on year, Gloria has also about our garden for us all so bought up the tables and chairs – thank you. The manure we put down is well composted here goes…. so does not smell so have no fear. As you may have seen, we have taken I keep a garden fund now to which I donate delivery of a tipper load of composted and put all other donations into, to keep an manure which Alan, Mac & I have managed account of where all the money goes. You to spread around much of the garden before may see the books if you wish. I am the rain came. Many thanks to Mac and Alan confident that next year the ground will be for help and also to Mac who brought us a very fertile and much easier to dig and wheelbarrow. Alan has taken up the ‘Tree hopefully we will have a lovely show of protectors’ that he made so he can oil them. flowers next year. I am planning more He will replace them in the spring when cosmos, asters, chrysanthemums and more lawn mowing recommences. Thanks for that dahlias and poppies next year, as well as Alan, our trees need protection! Thank you buying English blueberries next autumn to Mac for all the watering and help and replace the invading Spanish bluebells. Of Monica thank you for all the cheerful pots course the contract gardeners are so helpful you give us. Thank you to Peter for the – I wouldn’t manage without them. They beans and to Brenda for the ‘litter pick-er- have been very helpful in cutting back the upper’ which I deployed yesterday in the overgrown hedge out the back and I will ask front hedge and back lane. Many thanks to them also to cut back the hedge between us Pat who donated two wheelbarrows and to and the church. I have put some raspberry Cliff who’s magic application of canes into the bed between us and the sequesterone tonic turned the hydrangeas church to fill the gaps there, this was my last in the back the most beautiful hues of blue job of the year and I am putting the garden and lilac. to bed with a good feed. Also thanks to Joanne whose wild patch is Thank you so much for the help and so lovely. It is said that every garden should appreciation and if you have a particular have a wild patch for the fairies and favorite you would like to see next year, Joanna’s bit must be teaming with them! please let me know. I love our beautiful And very many thanks to Ian whose garden - long may it flourish. Bye for now, beautiful lilies fragrance the air and delight Marion. us every summer. I would also like to thank

12 grapevine Summer 2015 Brunelcare appoints Brunelcare residents were ‘In the Mood’ at VE Day party! new CEO, as Residents living at Brunelcare’s Maple Close in Stockwood, Bristol, celebrated VE Day 70th Anniversary on Friday 8th May in style! Helen Joy retires 40 people came together in total to celebrate, inviting friends and family, young and old, to join them. The party-goers On 22nd June included a lively 92 year old and 96 year 2015 Paula old! Plenty of effort was made to create a nostalgic atmosphere for the party, Kennedy complete with issuing ‘Telegrams’ as invitations, asking everyone to stand in a joined sentry box as if they were going off to war Brunelcare as and having their photos taken as they arrived; to dressing up in service uniforms, our new Chief Executive, and 1940s fashions. There was bunting and flags decking the room and VE Day 70th succeeding Helen Joy who has flags abundant. retired after 11 years as CEO The food was even themed, with party- goers enjoying Clarks pie, mushy peas and with Brunelcare. chips for only £4 a head. A local musician Paula has had a very successful career in donated the money he was given for playing to charity, providing plenty of old the social housing and care sectors, joining war time tunes including a few Glenn Miller us from Herefordshire Housing where she favourites to get everyone ‘in the mood’. was the Managing Director. War stories were swapped during the party, Paula says: "I am delighted to have been with Cissy (92 years) fondly remembering a offered the opportunity to join such a great happy incident on Valentine’s day when she was stationed on the Isle of Man serving as organisation as Brunelcare and I look a Red Cross VAD (Voluntary Aid forward to getting to know all of the people Detachment) nurse in a hospital during the that have made it such a great place to Second World War. work with such a strong reputation amongst Cissy said: “I came down for breakfast that its customers". Valentine’s day to find a note addressed to ‘Frankie’, that was my nickname when I Helen Joy, during her last week with served at the hospital. When I opened the Brunelcare, said: “I will treasure my note, it contained a poem which I can memories of Brunelcare. I know that remember word for word to this day. It said: Brunelcare can look forward to many more “We think of Frankie every day, She really years providing services that help people should be ours, With measles, mumps and chicken pox she’s our darling Valentine.”” make the most of their lives”. Rob and Wendy, residents at Maple Close For further information, please contact: and organisers of the party said: “It was Helen Chick, Marketing Coordinator hard work but we did enjoy organising the [email protected] / party! We feel we are putting something back into our little community here, with 0117 914 4258 / 07788 391292 help from the other tenants.” grapevine Summer 2015 13 Tenants’ Photo Competition 2015

It’s back, and with some new fresh categories to test your photography skills.

The new categories are:

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SKRWRFRPSHWLWLRQ#E UVLWHVWDII sport, a squirrel in the garden or you go and RUDVNDPHPEHURI\RX-$8*867VW (175<'($'/,1( visit Brunelcare’s own Shaun the Sheep, Sparkles, during the Shaun in the City trail there is something for everyone. So make Remember the entry deadline is August sure you have a camera with you to catch 31st. See your site staff for more details the winning shot. and an entry form.

with a storyteller, Home Service from photographer and visual artist, we Robinson House have created activities that explore outdoors Home Service is a three year nature and our local environment. The programme of work bringing sessions have involved walking, collecting, clay work, collage, model making, life great art to older people in care history work, storytelling and photography. homes funded by Arts Council A key part of the project is collaboration England and The Baring with staff at Robinson House, through highlighting and sharing the wealth of Foundation. creativity that is already there, and developing new ideas together. We are As a part of the project at Robinson House currently developing kits, which can be used this spring we have been developing and by visitors to the home and by staff to facilitating a series of sessions around the engage with residents in a creative way. theme ‘Bringing the Outside In’. Working

14 grapevine Summer 2015 Housing and Tenants’ Numbers

Housing Team: 01179 144 257

Emergency Maintenance Freephone (8.30am - 4.30pm) 0800 072 6308

Brunelcare Head Office Saffron Gardens, Prospect Place, Whitehall, Bristol BS5 9FF T: 0117 914 4200 F: 0117 954 3881 [email protected] www.brunelcare.org.uk

Registered as a charity (201555) and at the Homes and Communities Agency (LH0269)

Grapevine is also available in larger print and other languages.

For a copy please telephone Kirsty Hirst on: 0117 914 4232