Free 6-week BSL program for Derbyshire staff and volunteers, delivered virtually, through Zoom  A NEW initiative to encourage more members of the public to take up sign language as an extra language and skill, is now available to residents of Derbyshire. The Signs4Life scheme is to help people to communicate and engage with children and adults who may be hard of hearing. 

Tabassum, Signs4Life partnerships officer, explains “There are more than nine million hard of hearing people registered in the UK. We have already worked with social workers, housing staff, teachers, the local NHS, and Royal Mail. We wanted to open our programs to the general public, who might also have an interest in learning sign language, especially now that many people have been stuck at home during a third lockdown. We are offering a free 6-week BSL program, which you can enjoy and access from the comfort of your homes, delivered through Zoom”. Signs4Life is leading efforts towards a society in which people with disabilities have full access and are working to raise the public and political awareness of disability provision. 

For more details on the free community program for Derbyshire, starting in June, please book via our website for “The Hotpots” group, starting on Friday 11th June 2021 https://signs4life.org/in-the-community/

Now that lockdown restrictions have started to ease you might be meeting up with family and friends, it’s important to remember to meet outside and not indoors. Watch the short video below to find out more.

Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA), an organisation which supports the work of the health and wellbeing charities and volunteer organisations in the North Derbyshire area, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary.

DVA, which has created a network of more than 300 organisations with the aim of making the voluntary sector stronger and more joined up with each other, has reached the milestone after forming in 1991.  

The organisation specialises in supporting health and wellbeing related voluntary and community sector organisations – from tiny volunteer-led self-help groups through to local and regional charities delivering projects to the benefit of large numbers of Derbyshire residents.

Charlotte Repton, Project Manager at DVA, said: “If you were going to sum up what DVA does, I think the simplest version is that we are a charity which supports other charities – but there is much more to it than that!

“Healthy communities really are the key to why we do what we do. The voluntary sector is vital to delivering specialised, responsive support in the community, enhancing what is offered by public services such as the Council and NHS. I think the pandemic has made that more clear than ever.”

DVA supports the voluntary sector in a range of ways including regular forum meetings where members can meet, share updates and find out about local and national news.

Jacqui Willis, Chief Executive of DVA, said: “When DVA was formed in 1991 it was a very small operation, but the ambition was always there to provide a voice for the voluntary and community organisations and to look for innovative ways to strengthen the sector, and our local area as a whole. You could say that the forum is where it all started.

“But now we do so much more. On top of communicating through our weekly bulletins and the quarterly Network magazine, I attend lots of meetings, committees and boards with statutory partners where I am able to be the voice for the voluntary sector. Campaigning for and championing the voluntary sector is one of the most impactful things we do.”

DVA also leads on a specialist Mental Health Liaison Service, which creates a network and hosts forums for mental health support organisations across the county.

The charity also has a history of delivering ‘social prescribing’ where, rather than medication, individuals are prescribed services and activities in the community to help them improve their health.

As with all essential services, funding is key to the work of DVA. The organisation distributes grants to groups, allowing them to continue the great work they do.

As well as giving out funds, as a charity DVA applies for national funding, bringing money and resource into the local area and allowing the organisation to run innovative projects. Two examples of projects currently running are Community Chesterfield, a partnership with University of Derby, and the ConnectTo… project which promotes social connectedness.

Jacqui added: “We are going to be using our birthday to celebrate the voluntary sector and we hope that we can encourage people to show some appreciation for local charities and groups which make a big difference.”

THE CALM MODEL: CONNECT WITH ME.

Led by Sarah Markham, founder of Calm in a Box, all about “finding a calmer, happier and healthier life for work/life brilliance”. The four short separate sessions will follow Sarah’s CALM model:

C – Connect with me through supportive conversations
A –  All of me matters
L – Let me have time for rest and recovery
M – Motivate and inspire me to take care of others

“Calm In A Box brings together my personal interest in wellbeing with my professional experience and aims to promote a calmer lifestyle at home and at work at a time when we are often overwhelmed with busyness, stress and anxiety which can lead to both mental and physical health issues”

Each of the four sessions are at 9.15am for 45minutes and are bookable separately on Eventbrite (Book HERE). They can be done as a series or dip-in as a one off individual session. The sessions are for Community & Voluntary Third Sector organisations or groups in Chesterfield and immediate surrounding areas AND staff /students of the University of Derby.

Each session will include:
– Key themes, research, insights, and storytelling
– How to shift your mind-set
– Positive behaviours
– A Practical exercise
– Key takeaways
– Q&A

Plus at each session someone will win a “Calm Box” – our treat and a little reminder to create some calm time just for you.

21st April: C – Connect with me through supportive conversations
•             Your Why
•             Who you are and what’s important to you
•             Spiritual energy
•             How to connect with yourself
•             How to connect with others
•             Values and purpose

28th April: A –  All of me matters
•             Your What
•             Who you are vs who you think you should be
•             Emotional energy
•             Self awareness
•             Emotional Intelligence
•             Compassion and kindness to yourself

5th May: L – Let me have time for rest and recovery
•             Your What
•             How you look after yourself
•             Intellectual energy
•             Mindset
•             Managing stress and avoiding burnout
•             Balancing your energy

12th May: M – Motivate and inspire me to take care of others
•             Your How
•             How you put things into practice
•             Your wellbeing plan
•             Sustaining behaviour change – tiny habits
•             Overcoming barriers
•             Resilience

Website:  calminabox.co.uk

It’s time for the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team (DAST) biennial poetry competition. This year, they’re giving you two themes to work with:
 
-Trees
The DAST logo is a tree, representing lungs. Throughout our organisation’s history we have planted memorial trees for asbestos victims, and we are currently investigating the possibility of carrying out a fundraising drive to dedicate an acre of woodland. Trees are known to be good for us – as well as cleaning the air, a walk in the woods can do wonders for your sense of wellbeing. So, we are looking for positive poetry about trees. Do you have a favourite tree? Do you have any childhood memories connected to climbing or swinging from trees? Do you have one in your garden that you planted yourself – what does it mean to you?
 
-Journey
We are keen to hear your life stories, or about experiences from your younger days. Tell us about your journey through life.  How did you get to where you are today?
You can enter as many poems as you like, there are no rules on the format of the poem or on how many words you use – they just have to stick to one of the two subjects listed above.  We ask that those entering read the rules first and then send their entry in with an official entry form. In order to obtain these you can email sarah.walters@asbestossupport.co.uk or telephone 01246 380415. There is an entry fee of £3 per poem – this money will help to fund our Action Mesothelioma Day activities. The closing date is Wednesday 30 June 2021 and there will be a small prize for the winner of each category.

Spring Wellbeing Activity Packs and Supported Volunteering Opportunities at The Wild Thyme Garden, Matlock.  Both of these form part of the wider Connecting Communities Project, funded via the Derbyshire Dales Social Connectedness Fund, therefore all activities/opportunities within the Connecting Communities Project are free for people living in the Derbyshire Dales.
 
If you know of anyone who may benefit, just make contact or ask the individual to make direct contact with The Connection Space CIC on theconnectionspacecic@gmail.com or 07450195051
 
Download the Spring Wellbeing Activity Pack flyer
Download the Wild Thyme Garden flyer

The volunteering opportunities at The Wild Thyme Garden are dependent on current COVID 19 Government Guidance and may be subject to change.  The Connection Space CIC are however tentatively planning their first session mid April.  The garden is on the corner of Wellington Street and Cavendish Rd, Matlock.

If you are experiencing mental ill-health and need support to maintain your home or to find a more suitable place to live, we can help.

• We have properties becoming available soon in Supported Housing in Amber Valley and High Peak; please see the website for eligibility.
• We have a short waiting list for Community Based support in Amber Valley and High Peak

Our service focuses on people’s housing needs, delivering personalised support to enable people with mental ill-health to maintain their home and be in control of their housing needs. 

We offer a choice-led approach to support people’s wellbeing whilst enabling them to maintain their tenancy, working with people to rebuild confidence in a number of areas – such as budgeting, improving daily living skills, developing supportive local networks and accessing specialist services – to ensure they are able to stay independent within their home.

Our service aims to keep the person receiving support in control, making them an active participant in all the plans made and any actions taken, so they receive the right level of support and can just get on with life.

The Derbyshire Independent Living Service offers support across Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, High Peak, and South Derbyshire.

For more information or to make an online referral please visit Derbyshire Independent Living Service – P3 (p3charity.org)