ANNUAL REPORT 2016 - 2017 - Neca€¦ · including; Sandra’s Line dancers, Tamatha girls dancing, solo singers and Boldon girls group. The venue was complemented by Christmas songs,

ANNUAL REPORT

2016 - 2017

2016/17 FundersDarlington Borough Council

GamcareNewcastle City CouncilNorth Tyneside Council

The Salvation ArmySouth Tyneside CouncilSunderland City Council

Donations

Mr R W HydeP Kelly

South Tyneside Council Mayors Charity FundTait Walker

Chairman’s Report

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since the Duchess of Northumberland officially opened NECA’s brand new headquarters building at Derwent Point.

In those days NECA was expanding rapidly and extra space was needed to cope with the increased demands being made upon the organisation. Times have changed and the last few years in particular have been a rollercoaster. The last two years have been especially difficult and this is likely to remain the case at least into the coming year.

There have been casualties along the way such as the demise of Drug-scope and more recently the Lifeline Project. Justification if it were needed for not buying contracts at any price.

Fortunately, due to the forward thinking of NECA’s trustees and senior management group and some very difficult but necessary decisions, NECA has so far avoided the disasters that have befallen Lifeline and although turnover has decreased slightly the core business has remained stable. It’s not certain when things will improve but it’s unlikely

Year ended 31st March 2017

to be in the immediate future and I suspect some other charities will struggle to survive.

NECA must remain focused on its core purpose and retain the ability to react as opportunities become available. It’s important that we preserve our core values and functions so that we continue to provide a benefit to the wider community. The trustees consider that the services NECA provided during the year are of public benefit.

NECA’s best asset is its staff and everyone has coped admirably with the recent changes within the organisation and everyone deserves credit for the good natured way all the difficulties have been dealt with.

Finally as always I thank the members of the executive committee for their continued support and commitment to the organization and for their expertise which is always freely given.

Norman Richardson Chairman.

2Page Sponsor Sintons LLP

Our grateful thanks to all those listed above and all those who have supported us either financially or by their expertise and support.

Registered Charity No. 516516

3Page Sponsor Square Circle Brokers Ltd

Patron: Her Grace, The Duchess of Northumberland President: Mr B N Speker OBE DL

NECA Executive Committee 2016 -2017

Mr N Richardson, Chairman....................................................................................................... 2016 ***

Mr R I Watson, Hon Treasurer; Company Secretary ....................................................... 2015 **

Mr B N Speker OBE DL ...................................................................................................................2014 *

Mr D Gregory ....................................................................................................................................2015 **

Dr P B Moore ...................................................................................................................................... 2016 ***

Dr K S Rees ......................................................................................................................................... 2014 *

Cynthia Atkinson - Chief Executive

Eileen Innes - Deputy Chief Executive

Clare Armstrong - Finance Manager

Leanne Wordsworth - Deputy Finance Manager

Louise Peaker - Human Resources Manager

NECA Senior Management

ELECTED

Our grateful thanks to all those listed above and all those who have supported us either financially or by their expertise and support.

Registered Charity No. 516516

Due for re-election 2017 *

Due for re-election 2018 **

Due for re-election 2019 ***

NECA Accounts

NECA Consolidated Income and Expenditure

This summary financial information is extracted from the full statutory Annual Report and Accounts. It may not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the group. For further information, the full audited Annual Report and Accounts should be consulted and copies can be obtained from the Secretary at NECA Headquarters.

2016 2017IncomeGrants 615,382 198,420Donations 11,307 5,025Other Income 4,699,262 4,629,813

Total 5,325,951 4,833,258

ExpenditureSalaries 3,078,808 3,027,833Overheads 2,127,500 1,452,984

Total 5,206,308 4,480,817 Surplus £119,643 £352,441

NECA

GROUP TURNOVER

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

£6,613,571 £7,145,799 £9,059,690 £9,487,165 £9,349,547 £10,197,417 £9,234,852 £8,582,086 £5,325,951 £4,833,258

£0

£1,500,000

£3,000,000

£4,500,000

£6,000,000

£7,500,000

£9,000,000

£10,500,000

£12,000,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

GROUP TURNOVER

4Tait Walker

Group TurnoverNECA

GROUP TURNOVER

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

£6,613,571 £7,145,799 £9,059,690 £9,487,165 £9,349,547 £10,197,417 £9,234,852 £8,582,086 £5,325,951 £4,833,258

£0

£1,500,000

£3,000,000

£4,500,000

£6,000,000

£7,500,000

£9,000,000

£10,500,000

£12,000,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

GROUP TURNOVER

5Page Sponsor D. Shaw Glazing Ltd

STEP Winter Campaign

South Tyneside Harm Reduction Service worker Steve Brown and Project Manager Colin Carr-Lawton took part in this years Public Health England “Stay Warm Campaign.”

The project supports people who have a substance misuse problem and has expanded its help to those struggling to stay warm this winter. This includes everyone from street homeless to low budgets.

South Tyneside Harm Reduction Service, run by NECA, has been taking in donations of coats and warm clothing as part of the campaign. The donations are not just for those who are part of the Harm Reduction Service, but anyone who is in need. The items have been provided to those in need to help them cope with the elements this winter. It is the first time the project has taken part

in the campaign which was supported by South Tyneside Council. And it has been very successful to date.

Colin Carr-Lawton, Project Manager at the Service based in Fowler Street, South Shields, said: “We linked in with the council who donated a number of coats, hats and gloves to the project. “We have a number of clients who come to us who live on the streets, so as well as giving them a Christmas card with our details on and Christmas opening times, we were able to give them warm clothing which will help them stay warm this winter. “We have also informed our service users about the flu jab and where to access this free to help them to look after their own welfare this winter and to minimize health risks.

STEP, provides a specialist, free and confidential service to clients over the age of 18, who use/misuse substances including drugs, alcohol and steroids. It also provides signposting and referral on to other agencies.

The coat donation and stay warm for winter campaign has been a great success, we gave out hot drinks, winter packs, food parcels to those who came into the project and were in desperate need of some food and support. The packs were put together by the STEP staff and service users were allocated them based on need. Around 60 clients were given coats and clothes which were kindly donated by staff, South Tyneside Council and friends of NECA.

NECA South Shields Service

South Tyneside Harm Reduction Service worker Steve Brown and Project Manager Colin Carr-Lawton take part in this years Public Health England “Stay Warm Campaign.”

The project supports people who have a substance misuse problem and has expanded its help to those struggling to stay warm this winter. This includes everyone from street homeless to low budgets.

South Tyneside Harm Reduction Service, run by NECA, has been taking in donations of coats and warm clothing as part of the campaign. The donations are not just for those who are part of the Harm Reduction Service, but anyone who is in need. The items have been provided to those in need to help them cope with the elements this winter. It is the first time the project has taken part in the campaign which was supported by South Tyneside Council. And it has been very successful to date.

Colin Carr-Lawton, Project Manager at the Service based in Fowler Street, South Shields, said: “We linked in with the council who donated a number of coats, hats and gloves to the project. “We have a number of clients who come to us who live on the streets, so as well as giving them a Christmas card with our details on and Christmas opening times, we were able to give them warm clothing which will help them stay warm this winter. “We have also informed our ser-vice users about the flu jab and where to access this free- to help them to look after their own welfare this winter and to minimize health risks.

STEP, provides a specialist, free and confidential service to clients over the age of 18, who use/misuse substances including drugs, alcohol and steroids. It also provides signposting fand referral on to other agencies.

The coat donation and stay warm for winter campaign has been a great success, we gave out hot drinks, winter packs, food parcels to those who came into the project and were in desperate need of some food and support. The packs were put together by the STEP staff and service users were allocated them based on need. around 60 clients were given coats and clothes which were kindly donated by staff, South Tyneside Council and friends of NECA.

In December 2016 the Allotment Project celebrated Christmas with a Winter Wonderland Day. The day went really well with more than 120 people in attendance and great feedback

Winter Wonderland

December 2016 the Allotment Pro-ject celebrated Christmas with a Winter Wonderland Day. The day went really well with more than 120 people in attendance, The event went really well, with great feedback from all those who attended. On the day we had a range of services providing enter-tainments including; Sandra’s Line danc-ers, Tamatha girls dancing, solo singers and, Boldon girls group. The venue was complimented by Christmas songs, a se-lection of food and refreshments through out the day. The children enjoyed playing Christmas games, singing traditional carols and exer-cising their skills on the bouncy castle . It was an excellent family fun day enjoyed by all that attended. The grand finale was made by the allotments very own Santa Clause, who gave every child a selection box to take home.

from all those who attended. On the day we had a range of services providing entertainment including; Sandra’s Line dancers, Tamatha girls dancing, solo singers and Boldon girls group. The venue was complemented by Christmas songs, a selection of food and refreshments throughout the day.

The children enjoyed playing Christmas games, singing traditional carols and exercising their skills on the bouncy castle.

It was an excellent family fun day enjoyed by all that attended. The grand finale was made by the allotments very own Santa Claus, who gave every child a selection box to take home.

2016 2017IncomeGrants 615,382 198,420Donations 11,307 5,025Other Income 4,699,262 4,629,813

Total 5,325,951 4,833,258

ExpenditureSalaries 3,078,808 3,027,833Overheads 2,127,500 1,452,984

Total 5,206,308 4,480,817 Surplus £119,643 £352,441

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NECA South Shields ServiceThe Revive Recovery Festival was all about showcasing all of the effort participants put into recovering from drug and alcohol addiction as well as encompassing mental health this year.

Saltwell Park Gateshead was this years host venue on August 13th 2016. A hugh amount of planning went into this years event -The organisers of the Revive Recovery Festival are people in recovery and friends of recovery, the event was a grand testa-ment to the fact that ‘people can, and do recover from addiction’.Recovery groups from as far as Wales attended this year, demonstrating how far the recovery community reaches.The acts performing at the event were: Chloe Castro, who shot to fame on last years BBC1's The Voice, Henry Maybury, TheShywrecks, Notes for Hope, Its All About Me, David Outhwaite, The Dukes, The Minxes, Durham Voices of Recovery ,and TheAbstainers. The bands attracted huge numbers on the day with shows going viral on the recovery face book page.In addition to great music and plenty of food, though out the day, the festival featured tents offering a number of healing ther-apies. There was children’s activities, a table tennis tournament, a local business set up by a service user in Recovery, a climb-ing wall, wellness and meditation tents, a variety of crafts supplied by Green Hope Allotments and a AA meeting tent facili-tating open mics and personal shares during the course of the day. All in all another excellent recovery event.

The Revive Recovery Festival was about showcasing the effort participants put into recovering from drug and alcohol addiction as well as encompassing mental health this year.

Saltwell Park Gateshead was this years host venue on August 13th 2016. A huge amount of planning went into this years event . The organisers of the Revive Recovery Festival are people in recovery and friends of recovery, the event was a grand testament to the fact that ‘people can and do recover from addiction’.

Recovery groups from as far as Wales attended this year, demonstrating how far the recovery community reaches.

The acts performing at the event were: Chloe Castro, who shot to fame on last years BBC1’s The Voice, Henry Maybury, The Shywrecks, Notes for Hope, Its All About Me, David Outhwaite, The Dukes, The Minxes, Durham Voices of Recovery and The Abstainers. The bands attracted huge numbers on the day with shows going viral on the recovery Facebook page.

In addition to great music and plenty of food, throughout the day, the festival featured tents offering a number of healing therapies.

There were children’s activities, a table tennis tournament, a local business set up by a service user in Recovery, a climbing wall, wellness and meditation tents, a variety of crafts supplied by Green Hope Allotments and an AA meeting tent facilitating open mics and personal shares during the course of the day. All in all another excellent recovery event.

Revive Recovery Festival 2016

North East Equality AwardsAs previously announced Greenhope Oasis, the Allotment in South Shields, was a finalist in the 2016 North East Equality Awards in the category of “Groups that have made a difference”.

The awards ceremony took place on Thursday 20th October. The evening was great, everyone really enjoyed it, the food and entertainment was first class and it was good to have Cynthia and Norman there to support us.

As previously announced Greenhope Oasis, the Allotment in South Shields, was a finalist in the 2016 North East Equality Awards in the category of “Groups that have made a difference”.


Some of the clients were a little upset at first about not winning but soon got over that and just enjoyed the even-ing, to be nominated was great for NECA and the garden.

Thanks to the individuals that put so much effort into the allotments, Greenhope Oasis has gone from strength to strength.

The resources that have been developed are at the forefront of Recovery providing participation in the local commu-nity and stronger feelings of citizenship and community engagement.

The allotments have proved to be an excellent recourse to gain new skills, pursue an interest not only in gardening, but animal care, art and woodwork.

Congratulations to all those involved and it is down to the hard work that goes into making the project a success.

As previously announced Greenhope Oasis, the Allotment in South Shields, was a finalist in the 2016 North East Equality Awards in the category of “Groups that have made a difference”.


Some of the clients were a little upset at first about not winning but soon got over that and just enjoyed the even-ing, to be nominated was great for NECA and the garden.


The resources that have been developed are at the forefront of Recovery providing participation in the local commu-nity and stronger feelings of citizenship and community engagement.

The allotments have proved to be an excellent recourse to gain new skills, pursue an interest not only in gardening, but animal care, art and woodwork.


Some of the clients were a little upset at first about not winning but soon got over that and just enjoyed the evening, to be nominated was great for NECA and the garden.


The resources that have been developed are at the forefront of Recovery providing participation in the local community and stronger feelings of citizenship and community engagement.

The allotments have proved to be an excellent resource to gain new skills and pursue an interest not only in gardening, but in animal care, art and woodwork.


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NECA Darlington Service

In August 2016 we implemented a raffle draw for clients to enter when they return their used equip-ment back. The raffle is drawn every month by a client and the ticket is displayed in the service to be claimed by the winning client. The prize is a £10 Boots Voucher.

The first draw took place in August 2016 and on each visit since the client mentions how happy he was to have won the raffle.

Our return rates have improved since the incentive was introduced and in March 2017 we achieved 94% of equipment given out was returned. This is absolutely fantastic and well above the target set and national average.

Andrea, Mimi and Mandy have played a huge part in promoting this, encouraging clients to bring back used equipment.

In addition to this we display pictures of needle finds in our community and this encourages our clients to take responsibility. We have had on a number of occasions needle finds reported to us by cli-ents. When this happens the Service Manager writes to them thanking them for the information. This is a positive as one client fed-back he was touched by the manager’s thoughtfulness and that she had bothered to acknowledge him.

What a Client Said: “I am trying to fight a 4 year heroin habit, I feel I am doing ok and get support from the staff at NECA. I use the exchange and always make sure I bring back my used works especially after I won a voucher for £10:00.

I can’t abide seeing drug paraphernalia been discarded when you offer the good service here or the chemists and it is all for free.

I like to come here though because I like you lot and the craic with you lot is always good and funny. I won the raffle in August and gave the voucher to my mum she was over the moon, it’s the least I could do as she has put up with me for all these years.

I think the raffle does encourage more people to bring the returns back.”

Darlington Recovery and Wellbeing Music Group

Who doesn't after a hard day put on their favourite music to ease stress, forget their woes, evoke special memories or just wind down. Since time immemorial, people's love of rhythm, melody and harmony has helped heal our hearts, express feelings hidden below the facade of our daily lives or just made us dance through the night to forget.

To sufferers of the illness of addiction, music can be the bridge back to these feelings of self-worth, trust and confidence, and help restore faith in a life free of substance misuse and the destructive lifestyle it entails.

The music group at NECA, though in early stages of development, is proving a stepping stone for those seeking to free themselves of the past by learning an instrument, writing song lyrics, singing, and more recently recording themselves using musical software.

On a practical level we knew from the start it would be difficult be-cause we knew the transient nature of the client base. Some would move on from the services, some would return to their old behaviours, and the time restraint on the group meant some clients would only be able to come to the group periodically because of other commitments.

We also knew because of the collaborative nature of making music we had to cater for beginners as well as clients who maybe have played an instrument before, and then somehow get them to form a coherent whole, i.e. to play together regardless of their ability or experience.

This has proven to be not as difficult as first thought, as clients quickly realise it's not about been a great singer or player, as all you need to bring is commitment, respect, an open mind and the old Rock n Roll attitude of 'let's give it a go'!

There are magic moments, like when laughter fills the room, or everybody gets lost in the cocoon of making music, something we try sounds ultra-amazing, or if we try and fail at a certain song so we have a communal shrug of the shoulders and move on.

A session usually goes like this......The usual hellos, catch ups, introduction of new members and a coffee, where then we decide what songs we are gonna have a go at or revisit.

We then take hold of our instrument of choice and work through each section making sure we don't leave anybody behind or isolated. Hopefully the tune will develop into a harmonious piece of ear candy that EMI would sign given the chance (sweet dreams are made of this, ouch!)

There are no genre boundaries, from rock to pop, old and new is all fair game. We use lyric sheets and basic chord charts and take the basic skeleton of the original and make it our own.

After a break we reconvene and run over previous songs and maybe attempt to write one of our own. Songs we have played together include Get Back, 3 little birds, Price Tag, Fields of Gold, Let it be and many besides.

As you see, nothing is beyond our enthusiasm and open minded attitude. We see what happens and roll with it. Some special moments; A shy client turns out to be a consummate recorder player, just found her way in to playing a tune to the point where the room went silent and all just sat and listened to a girl who maybe found a voice for the first time in a while.

Where do we go from here? Maybe get a little more ambitious on the recording side. Maybe think of playing to a small audience. Really there's nothing to fix, just "Let it be" (to coin a McCartney song lyric) the benefit to the clients willing to come along is enormous without any grand ambitions.

The music group is a special place for unique people with the courage to fight for their lives back. You see melodies we recreate paint the walls with hope. The lyrics we write together shines a light on our group members shadows.

In August 2016 we implemented a raffle draw for clients to enter when they return their used equipment. The raffle is drawn every month by a client and the ticket is displayed in the service to be claimed by the winning client. The prize is a £10 Boots Voucher.

The first draw took place in August 2016 and on each visit since the client mentions how happy he was to have won the raffle.

Our return rates have improved since the incentive was introduced and in March 2017 94% of equipment given out was returned. This is absolutely fantastic and well above the target set and national average.

Andrea, Mimi and Mandy have played a huge part in promoting this, encouraging clients to bring back used equipment.

In addition to this we display pictures of needle

finds in our community and this encourages our clients to take responsibility. We have had on a number of occasions needle finds reported to us by clients. When this happens the Service Manager writes to them thanking them for the information. This is a positive as one client fed back he was touched by the manager’s thoughtfulness and that she had bothered to acknowledge him.

What a Client Said:

“I am trying to fight a 4 year heroin habit, I feel I am doing ok and get support from the staff at NECA. I use the exchange and always make sure I bring back my used works especially after I won a voucher for £10:00.

I can’t abide seeing drug paraphernalia been discarded when you offer the good service here or the chemists and it is all for free.

I like to come here though because I like you lot and the craic with you lot is always good and funny. I won the raffle in August and gave the voucher to my mum she was over the moon, it’s the least I could do as she has put up with me for all these years.

I think the raffle does encourage more people to bring the returns back.”

Darlington Harm Reduction Service Returns Raffle Initiative

Darlington Recovery and Wellbeing Music Group ‘Rockovery’

Who doesn’t after a hard day put on their favourite music to ease stress, forget their woes, evoke special memories or just wind down. Since time immemorial, people’s love of rhythm, melody and harmony has helped heal our hearts, express feelings hidden below the facade of our daily lives or just made us dance through the night to forget.

To sufferers of the illness of addiction, music can be the bridge back to feelings of self-worth, trust and confidence, and help restore faith in a life free of substance misuse and the destructive lifestyle it entails.

The music group at NECA, though in early stages

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of development, is proving a stepping stone for those seeking to free themselves of the past by learning an instrument, writing song lyrics, singing, and more recently recording themselves using musical software.

On a practical level we knew from the start it would be difficult because we knew the transient nature of the client base. Some would move on from the services, some would return to their old behaviours, and the time restraint on the group meant some clients would only be able to come to the group periodically because of other commitments.

We also knew because of the collaborative nature of making music we had to cater for beginners as well as clients who maybe have played an instrument before, and then somehow get them to form a coherent whole, i.e. to play together regardless of their ability or experience.

This has proven to be not as difficult as first thought, as clients quickly realise it’s not about being a great singer or player, as all you need to bring is commitment, respect, an open mind and the old Rock n Roll attitude of ‘let’s give it a go’!

There are magic moments, like when laughter fills the room, or everybody gets lost in the cocoon of making music, something we try sounds ultra-amazing, or if we try and fail at a certain song we have a communal shrug of the shoulders and move on.

A session usually goes like this......The usual hellos, catch ups, introduction of new members and a coffee, then we decide what songs we are going to have a go at or revisit.

We then take hold of our instrument of choice and work through each section making sure we don’t leave anybody behind or isolated. Hopefully the tune will develop into a harmonious piece of ear candy that EMI would sign given the chance (sweet dreams are made of this, ouch!)

There are no genre boundaries, from rock to pop, old and new is all fair game. We use lyric sheets and basic chord charts and take the basic skeleton of the original and make it our own.

After a break we reconvene and run over previous songs and maybe attempt to write one of our own. Songs we have played together include Get Back, 3 little birds, Price Tag, Fields of Gold, Let it be and many besides.

As you see, nothing is beyond our enthusiasm and open minded attitude. We see what happens and roll with it. Some special moments;

A shy client turns out to be a consummate recorder player, just found her way in to playing a tune to the point where the room went silent and all just sat and listened to a girl who maybe found a voice for the first time in a while.

Where do we go from here? Maybe get a little more ambitious on the recording side. Maybe think of playing to a small audience. Really there’s nothing to fix, just “Let it be” (to coin a McCartney song lyric) the benefit to the clients willing to come along is enormous without any grand ambitions.

The music group is a special place for unique people with the courage to fight for their lives back. The melodies we recreate paint the walls with hope. The lyrics we write together shines a light on our group members shadows.

In the two hours we share music and our company, all woes are left at the door, all talk of addiction forgotten, just a meeting place where expression of feeling is ok and faith in “others” is restored.

Service User feedback:

“I come to the music group as it is an escape from the world of addiction to substances. It gives me a positive addiction & feeling of fulfilment, self-worth and achievement. It has a one big family feel and all newcomers are welcomed warmly and encouraged to express themselves in ways that they may have never known possible. I try to sing and I am learning the drums which I would have never dreamed I’d have ever done”. - PJ

In the two hours we share music and our company, all woes are left at the door, all talk of addiction forgotten, just a meeting place where expression of feeling is ok and faith in "others" is restored.


“I come to the music group as it is an escape from the world of addiction to substances. It gives me a positive addiction & feeling of fulfilment, self-worth & achievement. It has a one big family feel & all newcomers are welcomed warmly and encouraged to express themselves in ways that they may have never known possible. I try to sing & I am learning the drums which I would have never dreamed I’d have ever done”. - PJ

“I attend the music group each week as part of my recovery from alcohol addiction. I look forward to meeting the group each week which gives me a good reason on that day to abstain from alcohol. I am particularly interested in learning guitar & I find that music group gives me encouragement & in-centive.” - SF

“I come to music group and art group as it helps my confidence and gets me out of the house a lot more and I meet new people.” - AB

“I come to music group to build my confidence, I love music, it helps with my anxiety. I love the staff and others to bits.” - CR

“I have only attended one music group so far but I enjoyed it very much. Nobody takes it too seriously and so the atmosphere is friendly and very enthusiastic. Tim [Simon] is a very good musician and it’s so much fun that you forget your cares & worries and end the session on a natural high! Brilliant.” - AM

Darlington Rockovery continuous to grow with further investment being considered to accommodate group size and demand.

If you have or know anybody with a musical back ground and experience playing instruments and may be interested in volunteering for the music group, please contact Tony Beck at Darlington for further details.

Recording a vocal Track

Practising drum techniques

In the two hours we share music and our company, all woes are left at the door, all talk of addiction forgotten, just a meeting place where expression of feeling is ok and faith in "others" is restored.


“I come to the music group as it is an escape from the world of addiction to substances. It gives me a positive addiction & feeling of fulfilment, self-worth & achievement. It has a one big family feel & all newcomers are welcomed warmly and encouraged to express themselves in ways that they may have never known possible. I try to sing & I am learning the drums which I would have never dreamed I’d have ever done”. - PJ

“I attend the music group each week as part of my recovery from alcohol addiction. I look forward to meeting the group each week which gives me a good reason on that day to abstain from alcohol. I am particularly interested in learning guitar & I find that music group gives me encouragement & in-centive.” - SF



“I have only attended one music group so far but I enjoyed it very much. Nobody takes it too seriously and so the atmosphere is friendly and very enthusiastic. Tim [Simon] is a very good musician and it’s so much fun that you forget your cares & worries and end the session on a natural high! Brilliant.” - AM



Recording a vocal Track

Practising drum techniques

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“I attend the music group each week as part of my recovery from alcohol addiction. I look forward to meeting the group each week which gives me a good reason on that day to abstain from alcohol. I am particularly interested in learning guitar and I find that music group gives me encouragement & in-centive.” - SF



“I have only attended one music group so far

but I enjoyed it very much. Nobody takes it too seriously and so the atmosphere is friendly and very enthusiastic. Tim [Simon] is a very good musician and it’s so much fun that you forget your cares & worries and end the session on a natural high! Brilliant.” - AM



Darlington Recovery and Wellbeing Allotment Project

This year the NECA Allotment in Darlington hopes to continue to develop and grow, building on the various projects already undertaken in previous years.

In 2016, the group attendance was good with a core group expecting to return and many others expressing a keen interest to participate when the allotment re-opens at the end of February 2017.

In March 2016 we sadly lost one of our long-standing clients, David, in whose memory we have created the Remembrance Orchard to celebrate the dedication and the passion for the allotment that he possessed. The Orchard has been planted with fruit trees, Spring bulbs and insect-friendly wildflowers and we expect it to look fantastic in full bloom. A bench has also been restored and is pictured with a number of clients.

Throughout the year, we always endeavour to include projects at the allotment for both groups

and individuals, which enable the clients to improve their social skills, take responsibility and feel more motivated through increasing their self-esteem.

Working in conjunction with the Art & Media group, two smartly dressed scarecrows were constructed and both will stand guard over the allotment.

Previous group projects include the laying of gravel throughout the main part of the allotment. This included several clients, all of whom worked as a team transforming the allotment.

Individual projects included one client designing and building a small pathway leading to the fruit cage through a small section of the Remembrance Orchard. At first he was unsure of his own ability, however as he progressed through the creation of the path, his self esteem grew and we were thoroughly impressed with his handiwork

Being able to take responsibility for certain aspects of the allotment has resulted in improved self confidence. One client was shown how to plant and tend leeks and the end result was certainly impressive.

Plans for 2017 include completion of the fruit cage, utility areas and fencing is to be updated also, therefore any supplies of wood or gravel would be appreciated.

This year the NECA Allotment in Darlington hopes to continue to develop and grow, building on the various projects already undertaken in previous years.

In 2016, the group attendance was good with a core group expecting to return and many others expressing a keen interest to participate when the allotment re-opens at the end of February 2017.

In March 2016 we sadly lost one of our long-standing clients, David, in whose memory we have created the Remembrance Orchard to celebrate the dedication and the passion for the allotment that he possessed. The Orchard has been planted with fruit trees, Spring bulbs and insect-friendly wildflowers and we expect it to look fantastic in full bloom. A bench has also been restored and is pictured with a number of clients.

Throughout the year, we always endeavour to include projects at the allotment for both groups and individuals, which enable the clients to improve their social skills, take responsibility and feel more motivated through increasing their self-esteem.

Working in conjunction with the Art & Media group, two smartly dressed scarecrows were constructed and both will stand guard over the allotment.

Previous group projects include the laying of gravel throughout the main part of the allotment. This included several clients, all of whom worked as a team transforming the allotment as shown in the images below.

Individual projects included one client designing and building a small pathway leading to the fruit cage through a small section of the Remembrance Orchard. At first he was unsure of his own ability, however as he progressed through the creation of the path, his self-esteem grew and we were thoroughly impressed with his handiwork

Being able to take responsibility for certain aspects of the allotment has result-ed in improved self-confidence. One client (pictured) was shown how to plant and tend leeks and the end result was certainly impressive.

Plans for 2017 include completion of the fruit cage, utility areas and fencing is to be updated also, therefore any supplies of wood or gravel would be appreciat-ed. If you have any materials going spare, then please contact Mark or Linda at the Darlington Health & Wellbeing Service on 01325 267230.

Before After

10Page Sponsor Standard Security Services Ltd

Live Life Well

NECA in Partnership with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) are commissioned by Sunderland City Council to deliver our exciting LIVE LIFE WELL Service.

This Year has seen a number of focused initiatives with the key aim to engage and support people

Live Life WellMaking a difference together

to make future Healthy Life choices. This has included working with GPs and Pharmacies to promote Health and wellbeing across the city.

Visit Our Website and find out about our Services

at – www.livelifewell.org.uk

http://WWW.LIVELIFEWELL.ORG.UK

11Page Sponsor Total Business Group

NECA Website

Working closely with Imagine Creative Solutions, NECA has achieved the goal of developing a new site with a fresh and modern design that makes information about NECA’s varying services easily accessible.

The site is more interactive and contains new features such as self-help apps, core value statements, rolling news items and examples of partnership working.

www.neca.co.uk

December 2016 saw the official launch of the new NECA website.

http://www.neca.co.uk

NECA is both a Limited Liabil i ty Company Reg. No. 1828287 and a Registered Charity No. 516516

NECA Headquar tersDerwent Point, Clasper Way, Swalwel l, Newcast le upon Tyne, NE16 3BE

Tel : 0191 414 6446 Fax: 0191 414 8124Websi te: www.neca.co.uk

Documents

ANNUAL REPORT 2016 - 2017 - Neca€¦ · including; Sandra’s Line dancers, Tamatha girls dancing, solo singers and Boldon girls group. The venue was complemented by Christmas songs,