Following on from the success of the first phase of A Necklace of Stars, we are looking for older adults who are housebound (aged 65+) from across Derbyshire to join us in a creative writing and embroidery project.

Arts Derbyshire is running a remote embroidery and creative writing project where participants receive weekly* one to one phone calls with artists ‘arthur + martha’. The artists will guide people through the process of creating beautiful embroidered stars or creative writing themed around lullabies, for free.

The embroidered stars will be brought together to create a quilt which will be exhibited alongside the creative writing and lullaby soundtrack around Derbyshire’s cultural venues in 2022.

A Necklace of Stars hopes to increase confidence and wellbeing, reduce loneliness, forge connections and re-ignite creativity.

If you are interested in taking part in this project (whether you have no experience or plenty), or know of someone who might enjoy getting involved, please contact Sally Roberts on 07395 904386 or email sallyartsderbyshire@gmail.com 

A Necklace of Stars is an Arts Council England supported collaboration between Arts Derbyshire, DCC Public Health, Derbyshire Library Services and arts organisation arthur+martha.

* Weekly phone calls for approximately 4 weeks or until you are happy with the work you have created.

An invitation from Community Chesterfield & Derby & Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group…..

8^th October 2pm-4pm

Chat online with the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Joined Up Care Derbyshire, facilitated by Community Chesterfield.

This is a free session to identify the best ways for the NHS to hear local voices.

• Do you live, work, study or volunteer in Chesterfield?
• Do you or someone you know feel like your views on NHS services are not heard?
• Do you or someone you know feel no one tries to get in touch with you for your views?
• Do you or someone you know need extra support to get your views across, particularly during these COVID times?

The session aims to find how, where and when your voice and the voices of the people you work with can be heard by the NHS Derby and Derbyshire CCG and Joined Up Care Derbyshire.

What you tell the Derby and Derbyshire CCG and Joined Up Care Derbyshire at this session will be used to gather information for NHS services into the future.

Booking and more information

Today, Thursday 10^th September is World Suicide Prevention Day.

COVID- 19 has led to unprecedented situations for many people and the risk factors associated with suicide have increased. Therefore it’s more important than ever that we raise awareness to ensure people know that support is out there.

For people who are feeling vulnerable or distressed, having a strong sense of connection is an important part of suicide prevention. Connection can come in many forms, we can connect with friends and family, or have connections through activities, or with nature and the arts. A range of ‘connecting with’ ideas to has been developed by The National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) for this years focus on connection and can be found HERE

Derbyshire County Council are highlighting new support services aiming to help reduce the number of suicides in Derbyshire. The support ranges from online suicide prevention training to the launch of a new emotional health website. Find our more HERE.

If you, or someone you know, are feeling suicidal, there are several things that you can do:

• Speak to a friend, family member or someone you trust
• Call the Derbyshire Mental Health Support line on Freephone 0800 028 0077 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Call the Samaritans 24-hour support service phone: Freephone 116 123 or contact Samaritans online
• Use the Staying Safe website for support, information and making your own safety plan
• Make an urgent appointment to see your GP
• Contact NHS 111
• In medical emergency and life-threatening situations please dial 999 or attend your nearest hospital emergency department.

Two Derbyshire charities are joining forces to extend Hospice at Home services to more patients across the High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and North East Derbyshire.

Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust, based in Chapel-en-le-Frith and Bakewell respectively, have been discussing their organisational compatibility for over 12 months, and this formal partnership – officially launched today, 7^th of September 2020 – is the natural progression of the special relationship.

The charities have been working closely together since April throughout lockdown, delivering over 1,800 hours of care to patients across the Dales and North East Derbyshire[1], in addition to those in the High Peak, who have life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and motor neurone disease.  

After receiving 120 patient referrals from April to August 2020, 75 patients died in the comfort of their own home with their loved ones by their side – achieving a 100% outcome for the patient’s preferred place of death.

The need for this fundamental care in patient’s homes has never been clearer. A survey found that 82% of people wanted to die at home, but 50% of us die in hospital. Other research found that hospices could help reduce hospital deaths by 50,000 every year, generating £80m of savings for the NHS[2].

Tim Mourne, chairman of the Blythe House Hospicecare board of trustees, said: ‘Over the last year, it has become more and more apparent that Blythe House and Helen’s Trust would be stronger together; ensuring better value from joint resources, and most importantly, reaching more local people who need us.

‘I am delighted to announce that Janet Dunphy, chief executive at Blythe House Hospicecare, has officially taken on the management of both charities, following the retirement of the former Helen’s Trust CEO earlier this year, and she will continue to lead the merged organisation.

‘The board of trustees at both charities have been merged, to support the exciting new partnership and its future development, bringing together local industry professionals with a wealth of knowledge and skills.’

Dr Louise Jordan, founding trustee of Helen’s Trust, added: ‘Blythe House and Helen’s Trust are both strong and aspiring local charities whose shared vision is to support more and more people, to have the choice to stay and die in their own home. Working together accomplishes this and provides a very high standard of care.

‘As a board, we are so incredibly glad that over the last year we have forged such strong links with Blythe House who share the same purpose and values. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us like a tornado but a clear sentiment between the two charities is that together, we are stronger.’

Janet Dunphy, CEO at Blythe House Hospicecare, has over 35 years’ experience as an end of life care specialist. She commented: ‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to oversee this incredibly exciting partnership, to ensure that everyone in our local community can receive the best Hospice at Home care.’

Blythe House’s Hospice at Home service launched in 2016 and since then, has delivered over 48,000 hours of day and night-time care in the comfort of patient’s homes across the High Peak.

Referral processes for both charity’s services will remain the same and can be made by:

• Calling 01298 813007 or 01298 811770 for Blythe House
• Calling 07780 331715 for Helen’s Trust

To find out more visit: www.blythehousehospice.org.uk

[1] In towns and villages (A-Z): Alfreton, Bakewell, Baslow, Birchover, Bolsover, Calver , Chesterfield, Curbar, Dronfield, Eckington, Killarmarsh, Mansfield, Matlock , Mosborough, Rowsley, Sheffield, Shirebrook, Tideswell

[2] All statistics: https://www.hospiceuk.org/about-hospice-care/media-centre/facts-and-figures

The See, Hear, Respond Partnership is a new service funded by the Department for Education.  With your help, the See, Hear, Respond Partnership will quickly identify and support children, young people and families who are struggling to cope with the impacts of coronavirus.

Its aim is to provide early intervention before these children reach the threshold for statutory intervention.

See, Hear, Respond does not replace your usual referral process for children who meet a statutory threshold for significant harm: such referrals must be made to your local authority safeguarding team using your usual safeguarding procedures.

The See, Hear, Respond Partnership has been created specifically to help children and young people in England who are experiencing harm and increased adversity during coronavirus, by providing support to those who are not being seen by schools or other key agencies. There is no minimum threshold for referral. We will support children from pre-birth up to 18 years of age and those with special educational needs under the age of 25.

See, Hear, Respond will contact every referral made to us, so no child gets missed.  We’ll then find a partner best placed to support the most isolated and at risk children in your area. They’ll get help in one or more of four ways:

• an online hub of support and information
• online counselling and therapy
• face-to-face support for those most affected and at risk of some of today’s most pertinent issues, such as criminal exploitation, and
• helping children and young people reintegrate back into school.

We especially want to invite referrals for families who are most isolated from support due to Covid-19, including:

• Under 5s with a specific focus on under 2
• Those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and where there are concerns about their welfare e.g. online safety
• Children who may be at increased risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation inside or outside of the home
• Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee children who experience barriers to accessing services
• Young carers

Children, young people, families and professionals can find out more information about how we can help, how to contact us and more about our referral forms by using the links below.

https://www.barnardos.org.uk/see-hear-respond

Or call us on our freephone number: 0800 157 7015

The Mental Health Team in Derbyshire County Council Public Health have been busy working with various training providers to develop a virtual offer. New dates are now available so why not check out their updated and revised Mental health training webpage for further information.
 
They offer a range of FREE virtual courses including:

• Mental Health First Aid (Adult)
• Mental Health First Aid (Youth)
• Mental Health Awareness
• E-learning Psychological First Aid

Find out more and how to book HERE

Social Connectedness Development Worker

Full time – 37 hours per week

£22,911 + 5% pension

Feeling Connected in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield is a multi-agency initiative to reduce loneliness and social isolation. Our Social Connectedness Action Group needs an enthusiastic, pragmatic, hard-working Development Worker to be ‘the face on the ground’ of the Feeling Connected Action Plan in communities across North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield.

If you’re an experienced community development worker with a strong track record in asset-based community development and building great relationships with communities, then this is the job for you!

To excel in this role, you’ll need to be:

• A confident self-starter, able to get stuck in from the word go and take the initiative to make contacts and establish networks quickly 
• A brilliant relationship builder
• Passionate about supporting and enabling individuals and communities to be socially connected and take care of each other

Deadline for applications: Monday 28th September 2020, 5pm.

Interview date:  Wednesday 7^th October 2020

To apply please visit https://dva.org.uk/job-vacancies/

Hundreds of pounds have been raised for an LGBT+ centre in Chesterfield thanks to a walk which honoured a gay rights pioneer from the town.

The 5.3-mile walk – in memory of Edward Carpenter – started in Chesterfield and finished in the rural Derbyshire village of Millthorpe on Sunday.

Ed Fordham, one of the walkers, said: “We raised more than £1,500 for the the Derbyshire LGBT+ centre in Rutland Road.

“We were delighted to set off from the Chesterfield Arms pub by the Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Gordon Simmonds.

“Twenty of us walked to Millthorpe where Edward had lived for nearly 40 years.

“It was very special that we were joined by gay human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, and also councillors from Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.”

Born in Sussex in 1844, Edward lived in Chesterfield before moving to Millthorpe with his partner George Merrill. Edward, a poet and philosopher, lived as an openly gay man at a time when it was illegal to be gay. He was way ahead of his time and celebrated for being the ‘last gay man standing in Britain’ when most of gay London fled to Paris in the wake of Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment in 1895.

Article from the Derbyshire Times website.