Oaklea Newsletter | Summer 2019 Home with a ‘real sense of family’ elcome to the latest For those working in Branching Out - our the social care Wnewsletter for Oaklea sector they will be aware of & Right2Work (R2W). the challenges of customer There are many challenges and opportunities vacancies. for us over the coming year ranging from the To address this, a year ago development of #ProjectEdenside, to the we started to produce a opportunity to expand our work into Yorkshire. template for Oaklea properties We have a particular focus on the further - both to promote them and development of Children’s work within South to raise awareness among key Cumbria and Eden. Also our offer to elderly influencers - notably in adult people within North Cumbria. We are also social care teams etc. We’ve just focused on the delivery of work for people with produced our latest brochure to learning disabilities within Northumberland. promote one of our properties Our newest venture within R2W (Community - this time an Oaklea home in Works) gives strong opportunities to Ulverston, South Cumbria. It will develop the skills of our learners, whilst be used to promote an existing providing a valuable repair and maintenance vacancy at the property. service for the local community. One of our challenges is to move our head office to a new site within Kendal by the end of the Summer. This will provide an improved working environment, whilst providing better value for money, no more damp problems for our HR team! I hope you enjoy this edition of Branching Out. Take care. Clive Wigley, Chief Executive Tel: 01539 735 025 Email: [email protected] www.oakleatrust.co.uk www.right2work.org.uk LATEST – LATEST – LATEST – LATEST – ABOVE Community Gets On Board Edenside draft sketch and public meeting omentum is now gathering flood resilience measures and for #ProjectEdenside. A the purpose of this pre-planning Mproject steering group was consultation is to ensure that the established at the start of the year planning authorities are happy FUNDRAISING (see above) - which also includes with the measures and to iron out Architect Phil Brooks from Kendal any technical issues prior to the FOR #PROJECTEDENSIDE based Day-Cummins. formal planning application. e’ve been busy on the fundraising Best Laid Plans Going Public Wfront for #ProjectEdenside (and in June smashed the £20k barrier) – At time of going to press we had We held 2 highly successful public here’s some of the Highlights. submitted our pre planning application meetings in January and April. A huge We’ve had a variety of donations big and small so with Eden District Council and the thank you to those of you who came far – in fact one of the earliest was a huge £15,000 Environment Agency regarding the along. Architect Phil Brooks managed from Appleby based Norben Trust – here you development of Edenside, the site of to speak to a lot of people at the April can see CEO Clive with Trustee Dot Anderton. a former Residential Care Home in session and collated all the feedback. This is a fantastic contribution and got us started Appleby. Edenside closed in December This will go some way to creating on the ultimate goal of raising £250k to support 2015 due to flooding during Storm artists impressions of what a potential our plans. The Norben fund was established by Desmond and with the backing and new Edenside could look like. Peter Norton, a former Vicar of Appleby with support of the local community the the aim of encouraging projects that benefit the Oaklea Trust purchased the site with To keep up to date on all community. Dot says: “Peter was particularly upset the aim of providing much needed things #ProjectEdenside at the effect of Storm Desmond and the floods of Extra Care Housing for local residents. – the best thing to do is follow 2015. He had a lot of contact with Edenside when The current plans include 18 our dedicated Facebook page it was a Council run care home - through visits apartments around an internal facebook.com/projectedenside or and just knowing so many of the residents.” courtyard providing both visit our web pages http://www. independence and a community feel. oakleatrust.co.uk/what-we-do/ MORE FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE PAGE The plans also need to incorporate project-edenside >>>>>> 2 Oaklea Branching Out Summer 2019 3 FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS >>>>>>>>>> Sold out Glorious mud Wow - what a night... our Meanwhile Oaklea support worker first community led fundraiser Viktoria Schaefer has earned a nice for #ProjectEdenside proved a huge warm bath! She competed in the success! Massive thanks to all the fine ‘Gelt Gladiator’ challenge in Hadrians people and talents of “Middle Eden Wall Country for #ProjectEdenside. Voices” choir for the superb music (and Viktoria; “So it’s done. It was brilliant food) led evening at The Hub in May. but we are all blooming cold. Can’t Oaklea CEO Clive Wigley & Director wait for a hot bath.” A stupendous Sue Green were also on hand to thank effort in grim and soggy conditions everyone for giving up their time & - Viktoria has set the bar very high tonsils. Appleby based Oaklea Trustee for fundraising - but don’t let that be Linda Adey, who was heavily involved, an ‘obstacle’ to you - you can do all said: “It was really good to see first manner of activities to raise money hand the brilliant job of supporting and for Edenside - if you want support, facilitating the event that was done by tips or just a bit of advice drop us a the Oaklea Hub Cafe team... what a great line at E [email protected] bunch you all are- it’s a pleasure to be able to help raise funds for Edenside.” Appleby town band Drum roll please... The lovely folks Chip off the old block at Appleby Town Band (below) held Oaklea Support Worker Andy Cowling, a special ‘drop in’ concert in aid from Spennymoor Co Durham, of #ProjectEdenside on Saturday 22 supports a group of adult men in a June at The Appleby Hub Main Hall. supported living property in Consett. Judith Shannon from Appleby He wanted to fundraise for Town Band; ”This may be the first #ProjectEdenside and combine it with of 2 gigs for Edenside - Appleby a love of the outdoors. Hence it tied Public Hall have also offered us in nicely with his backpacking trek the Hall for free in September so across the famous 192 mile Wainwright we’re hoping to do a more formal Coast 2 Coast long distance trail.. concert on 28th September.” After setting off from St Bees on the Cumbrian Coast Andy made it out of the Lakes to Shap. Huge thanks to Ashley & team at Shap Chippy who provided a free supper - much appreciated as the “liquid sunshine” had been a big test - and when backpacking & camping can’t beat some proper soul food. We also met Andy at Shap with some yummy stuff Finance team on the run - Andy’s Regional Mgr in the NE, Stella Three amigos from Oaklea HQ took part Crennell let slip he has a sweet tooth - so in the Appleby 10k & 4k at end of June. Choc Kendal Mint Cake v appropriate! 4 Oaklea Branching Out Summer 2019 5 Fundraising Tree Appleby Mayor on Board >>>>>> 50 bespoke donation ‘tins’ arrived e have also been working at Oaklea HQ for #ProjectEdenside. on a ‘fundraising tree’ They’ve been created just for raising W– this is our visual funds for Edenside - a first for Oaklea. way of representing the need The intention is to use these to raise £250k to make our in conjunction with Mayor of Edenside plans a reality. Appleby Jilly Dixon-Dougherty. The tree – based of course on the Jilly has kindly offered to help us Oaklea logo- takes centre stage distribute these to various businesses in the Oaklea Appleby Hub. It has in and around Appleby. She has been a real community effort led chosen #ProjectEdenside as her key by local artist Debra Esterhuizen. charity challenge for her Mayoral year. The tree took shape over several weeks – including a lovely Squirrel painted by Tayla from the HubWeb youth group -and it’s doing exactly what we wanted - ‘drawing’ attention! We even had a visit from the Herald newspaper (below) – who came to see how the leaves and acorns were being made by R2W learners. Plus a group of lovely ladies from Debra’s felt class gave up Here’s a jar I made earlier their time to turn over Appleby Town Clerk, Caroline several new leaves… Dodgeon collected £300+ from Appleby Horse Fair. >>>>>>Oaklea Operations Director Alex Wolfenden, who is our project lead on Edenside, can be seen here having an impromptu chat with local residents Hazel & Nick. Great timing as “thank you” cards were Root & Branch being placed on our fundraising tree. Nick saw his go up - he’s set up a Big thank you to Hub based felt monthly standing order. As you can artist Debra Esterhuizen who see more and more local people & gave up her time and creative organisations are getting involved input to help develop the with our fundraising efforts. ‘Fundraising Tree ’ concept. 6 Oaklea Branching Out Summer 2019 7 round-up Community Meaty Role Works takes off... he big excitement at R2W has been the launch of COMMUNITY Ta brand new initiative WORKS – Community Works. It’s a new community based ABOVE enterprise for property & general Do you know someone who could Community Works logo and new van maintenance. Over the next 3 benefit from this? Learners, with BELOW years the aim is to provide a learning difficulties, need to be NO JOB TOO SMALL you can see some supported vocational environment of the team – including Sam Huck who able to work with minimal support, in the property maintenance is an apprentice working towards a comfortable with working outdoors sector for up to 40 learners qualification recognised by the British and work as part of a small team.