• Grease cast are hopelessly devoted to their new hobby • Crafty Drama Christmas show is a huge hit with a sellout audience

• Essex Cares supports International Day for People with Disabilities

• Creative designs from our customers for this year’s Christmas card

• Christmas coffee morning is a success

• Launching our Regaining Independence Service in West Sussex

• We’re moving - make sure you take a note of our new contact details

®Newsletter 4December 2012

What a year it’s been!

As we come to the end of 2012 we are able to look back on the last twelve months fondly, with many key successes, highlights and achievements. Our timeline shows the year in a nutshell.

Before the year is over, we still have one remaining milestone; on Thursday 20th December we will be moving to a new Head Office which will allow us to bring together many of our corporate support service teams in one location for the first time. This will enable closer and better working practices as an organisation.

At the start of the month, Anthony Jackson began his role as Chairman of Essex Cares. He is beginning to get to know the organisation, visiting centres and sites across the business.

Finally we would like to wish all of our customers, partners and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We’ll see you again in 2013.

www.essexcares.orginfo@essexcares.org0800 035 9770

First customer newsletter published

Launch of HomeSafe service countywide

Third birthday celebrations

Achievement of ISO 9001

2011/12 Impact Report published

Award of first contract outside of county - a first for a Local Authority Trading Company in adult social care

Awarded Essex Reablement contract

Commencement of Essex Reablement contract

Commencement of West Sussex Regaining Independence Service

Celebrating Our Success Awards recognising outstanding employees, customers and volunteers

Head Office move

International Day for People with Disabilities

House of Commons networking event

January Innovative ideas shared at Inclusive

Communication Essex event

Queen Street Drop-in Centre in Colchester opens

Decem

berAugu

st

Grease cast are hopelessly devoted to their new hobby

Brylcreemed hair, pink ladies and petticoats were all out in force at Walter Boyce Wellbeing & Activity Centre as the drama group performed the hit musical Grease. The show was attended by parents, carers and other Essex Cares customers.

Walter Boyce support worker Jane Bridle, who organised the show alongside colleague Jackie Tilston, said the 12 performers had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She said: “We’ve been rehearsing for around a year and have performed it twice - both of the shows were brilliant.”

Essex Cares NewsletterDecember 2012

“Rachel would never have got on stage a year ago, let alone play the lead role! It was a very proud moment for us all.”

- Rachel’s Mum

“It’s amazing to see how much confidence

the group has given our customers.”

- Jackie, Support Worker

Crafty Drama excel themselves yet again

Crafty Drama, a group run by our Queen Street Drop-in, performed their Christmas production at St Botolph’s

Church in Colchester on Thursday 6th December, and what a magnificent night of entertainment it was.

The 200 strong crowd were spoilt with pop medley’s, dances, amazing solo performances and an abundance of jokes by the evening’s compares. Not to mention the special guests: The Encore Company, The Harwich Royal British Legion Pipe Band and Best Foot Forward.

A massive well done goes to each and every individual in the cast for making the evening such a

success.

Last year, Essex Cares supported a local charity called Harvest for the Hungry who travel to Bulgaria every year with aid to support those most in need. Essex Cares was able to donate medical equipment and items including walking frames, beds, crutches, commodes, wheel chairs and seats for children which were delivered alongside nearly 3,000 food aid boxes.

The equipment was distributed by the Red Cross to benefit those most in need including house-bound individuals, orphanages, mental institutions and eldery people within their homes.

International Day for People with Disabilities

On Saturday 1st December the International Day for People with Disabilities was celebrated with a large event held at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford.

Essex Cares attended with a stand sharing information about the support we offer. We supplied our mobile Changing Places unit, which is as an accessible toilet specifically for use by people with profound and multiple learning and physical disabilities and their carers, as well as being a main sponsor for the event.

The event celebrated the successes of those with a disability and offered visitors many varied activities including motivational speakers like Danny Crates and Anne Wafula, for-mer paralympians, speaker and marathon runner Chris Moon, and 7/7 survivor and access campaigner Daniel Biddle.

There were also demonstrations of disabled sport such as sitting volleyball and amputee football, as well as music and dance, including the Philip Morant Sign Choir.

Essex Cares NewsletterDecember 2012

Christmas card competition

As with previous years, this year’s Essex Cares corporate Christmas card was designed by a group of our exceptionally talented customers.

Essex Cares ran a competition right across the organisation and the Executive Management Team had the very difficult decision of picking just one winner from a wide range over diverse and creative submissions.

This year’s beautiful design was a joint entry from special care customers at Walter Boyce Wellbeing & Activity Centre, a centre in Brentwood for adults with profound learning disabilities. The customers were inspired after looking at pictures of Christmas foods and talking about their smells and ingredients. Using facial expressions, touch and pointing customers chose to make a Christmas pudding card. They also chose all the colours and had great fun working hand over hand with the staff creat-ing the tissue paper balls that make up the completed picture.

Here are some of the runners up from Charles Dickens Wellbeing & Activity Centre in Chelmsford and Rosemary Road Drop-in in Clacton:

Essex Cares recently had the opportunity to network with Essex Chambers of Commerce and Members of Parliament as well as business people from across the county. It was the perfect opportunity to share how Essex Cares can impact on the future of adult social care services in the region.

It was a successful event forging relationships. We look forward to showing around MPs and other colleagues at our Wellbeing & Activity Centres and other services in the new year.

Launching our services in West Sussex

On Friday 2nd November Essex Cares attended the formal launch of the Regaining Independence Service in West Sussex. Hosted by the Council at the Billingshurst Conference Centre in the centre of the county, over 40 people attended the event including representatives from the NHS, voluntary organisations like Age UK and carer associations. The event provided an ideal opportunity for staff to network and to forge relationships with organisations that share Essex Cares’ ethos on customer care and reablement.

The Regaining Independence Service has now been running successfully for over two months.

Christmas coffee morning brings out festive cheer

Mince pies, Christmas cookies and festive art work were all on sale at a coffee morning at the Newland Street Drop-in last week.

The customers at the centre had been busy baking cakes and creating Christmas paintings in preparation for the coffee morning which was attended by parents, carers, local businesses and the Mayor of Witham; Councillor Michael Lager. More than 50 people came along to support the event which raised £255 for the group’s amenity fund.

Dave Miller, Team Leader at Newland Street, said: “The customers worked so hard getting ready for the coffee morning so we were pleased to see it so well attended and supported, particularly with a visit from the Mayor which the customers were really excited about. In the New Year the group will decide how to spend the money they raised, which may be on something such as a day out to London or a trip to the theatre. These outings are important in encouraging and supporting independence and getting involved in the local community.”

Located in Witham, Newland Street Drop-in supports adults with learning disabilities, providing an ideal place for customers to meet up and plan their day. With easy access to community venues, customers regularly visit the library, shops and sports centres as well as activities within the centre itself. Newland Street Drop-in is open five days a week from 9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday and can be contacted on 01376 503512.

Essex Cares LimitedVictoria House

Victoria RoadChelmsford, Essex

CM1 1JR0800 035 9770

info@essexcares.orgwww.essexcares.org

From Thursday 20th December our new Head Office will be at Victoria House in Chelmsford. Please use the information opposite to update your records.

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