Summer 2021 CAIRDEAS CLUBHOUSE Quarterly Clubhouse Newsletter COVID & CYBER UPDATE R O N A N - C L U B H O U S E M A N A G E R CONTENTS It has been a busy, if challenging couple of months in the clubhouse. By the start of May we had successfully negotiated the 3rd covid wave and the difficult period at the start of 2021, our 'blended' and online activity was employment and education: p2-3 enormously successful, and our pod system was getting back in business. The clubhouse work-ordered day was continuing to grow from strength to my recovery: p4-5 strength and with nicer weather, we were building up our outdoor and community activity. blended clubhouse model: p6 Unfortunately the cyber-attack which hit HSE services on the 14th of May clubhouse standards: p7 represented a significant setback. Overnight, we lost all access to our systems, connectivity and online ability which had been the cornerstone of our service creative corner: p8-10 since the turn of the year. Once again, we had to adapt. news and events: p11 Thankfully, the resilience and adaptability of members and staff helped us through this period. Engagement and activity continue to build, we have healthy ireland: p12-12 protected the integrity of the clubhouse standards and the work-ordered day. Our community activity has grown, along with activity level in the clubhouse socials: p14 with the pod system. This newsletter is a testament to the hard work and positive spirit in the Cairdeas Clubhouse community. summer recipe: p15 S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 V O L 2 EMPLOYMENT MY NEW JOB B Y E M M E T I started a new job in an electrical retailer in Bray. I look after the click and collect side of things and answer the phone on the web hotline, helping people with their orders. I am kept busy during the day. I would say kettles and toasters are our most popular item, can't live without tea and toast! The team here are very friendly. It's tough working with the restrictions but everyone is in the same boat. It's coming up to three months since starting the position, I found the position through IPS* who I can't recommend enough. Hope to see you all soon at some non-core hour socials! *What is IPS? Individual Placement and Support provides supports to people with mental health difficulties to find work. It has been shown to work in Ireland and countries across the world. It helps people to get and keep work by helping you to make a CV, search for a job, prepare you for interviews and support you along the way. With your permission we also can work with your employer. The service is advertised in our clinics and services. You can request to be referred. Any member of the team can refer you. You will meet with an Employment Specialist who works with the Community Mental Health Team. CLUBHOUSE STANDARD #15 THE WORK-ORDERED DAY ENGAGES MEMBERS AND STAFF TOGETHER, SIDE-BY-SIDE IN THE RUNNING OF THE CLUBHOUSE. C A I R D E A S C L U B H O U S E S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 N E W S L E T T E R S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 V O L 2 EMPLOYMENT DISABILITY PAYMENTS AND PART-TIME WORK B Y M A R I S A The Disability Allowance payment is a means-tested payment. You can take up part time work and earn up to €140 per week and keep your D.A. payments untouched. This is a great work initiative and much better than the ordinary Unemployment Assistance. If you start work you must notify the DEASP. Earnings of up to €140 from part time work are not taken into account at all in the assessment of means. You can also keep your free travel and other benefits. With D.A. you can qualify for “Community Employment Schemes”. Always check with your keyworker, employment service, citizen's information or the DEASP first. I myself have great experience of doing this part-time work. I worked at three jobs during the Noughties. Three years working on a Community Employment Scheme in Signal Art Centre. I also did a Social Employment Scheme in Glencree Centre of Reconciliation. And I also worked in Sea-Life Aquarium. Personally, it’s a much better initiative than just being on welfare. OPPORTUNITIES IN EDUCATION E-COURSES B Y M A R I O N The local partnerships incuding the Bray Area Partnership have a lot of training available at the moment, mostly online. Please check their website or talk to your keyworker in Cairdeas. https://www.brayareapartnership.ie/latest-news/events Our education and training programmes: training for work: courses that help you explore your options and develop skills to get a job start your own business courses: explore the option of self-employment and learn how to set up your own business conversational English classes: improve your English language skills - Bray and Kilcoole but online for the time being... healthy eating classes: learn about healthy eating and cooking for you and your family CLUBHOUSE STANDARD #4 ALL MEMBERS HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO EVERY CLUBHOUSE OPPORTUNITY C A I R D E A S C L U B H O U S E S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 N E W S L E T T E R S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 V O L 2 MY RECOVERY MY RETURN TO CAIRDEAS B Y P A U L I N E My name is Pauline and I returned to the clubhouse this morning after a long stint at home during the lockdown. It was great to be back to see all my friends and ask how they are keeping and how they are getting on. With the help of Mary and the other staff and members, my spirits are up, I am walking my dog regularly and I have my pod in Cairdeas and the work I do to look forward to. This photo I took represents lockdown but it will soon be open for the summer - by Sean JOURNEY THROUGH LOCKDOWN B Y S E A N This is my personal journey through the lockdown. I have found the lockdown very difficult; I have found myself very isolated and lonely at times! A few things that I found very helpful is coming into the clubhouse once a week for about an hour, I really looked forward to coming in and chatting to the staff and doing some tasks such as attendance and other work on the computer, Other things I enjoy are the online WebEx virtual meetings with the staff and members from the clubhouse, it has been a really positive experience , and have helped with my mental health, as I live alone I find the online chats very important to keeping a positive outlook. Another thing I do is I go for a walk for about an hour and half every day. I find I love the sea wind against my face and it is great to see other people, I see a lot of people who also go down every day and we all say hello to each other I also love seeing the swans down at the harbor and everyone feeding them with bread crumbs, I sometimes bring my digital camera with me and take some photographs of the scenery and also the wildlife such as robins and the swans, sometimes I get a coffee, sit down on one of the benches and relax and watch the world go by. I am enjoying our weekly Tai Chi sessions with Eugene, if we can't do it within the clubhouse we join in online, unfortunately we cannot work in the garden for the foreseeable future but we hope to get back in and do some work in it again soon, Hopefully with the covid vaccine rollout continuing, things will get back to normal soon and the clubhouse can return to its work ordered day even more than now, I am really looking forward to seeing all the other members and the staff again and have a chat and a catchup. CLUBHOUSE STANDARD #1 MEMBERSHIP IS VOLUNTARY AND WITHOUT TIME LIMITS. C A I R D E A S C L U B H O U S E S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 N E W S L E T T E R S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 V O L 2 MY RECOVERY DEALING WITH DEPRESSION B Y M A R I O N If you are feeling down remember: 1 Feelings are not facts, our feelings will lie to us if we let them. 2 Symptoms are distressing but not dangerous. 3 Plan to do something positive, It steadies us. 4 Decide, Plan and Act. 5 Be self led not symptom led. 6 Have the courage to make a mistake. 7 Replace all negative thoughts with positive ones. 8 Give yourself a pat on the back for everything you accomplish during the day 9 Give thanks for getting out of bed this morning. 10 And praise yourself during the day for the many positive things you did during the day! You are stronger than you think! THE VIRUS AND ME B Y T O N Y The virus has affected most people in the country.