|
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
A run-down homeless hostel that had been a magnet for drug dealing and anti-social behaviour.
When I tell people that I run a charity, they often assume that I spend my time wandering around like Mother Teresa, ministering to the destitute while uttering the occasional profundity. The reality is that I spend much of my day answering emails, stuck in meetings, and playing around with spreadsheets trying to turn figures from red to black. Most of the beneficiaries of our charity wouldn’t link the benefit they’ve gained to the rather stressed bloke in a suit who they see running in and out.
One thank you – and my career helping homeless people was worthwhile
But Tracey-Anne was different. She was a young woman with a difficult family history who’d come to this country from Jamaica, via Canada, only to find herself unemployed and homeless when relationships broke down. And so she found herself at YMCA Birmingham’s scheme for young people, The Orchard. Her initial few weeks with us did not go well. There were repeated altercations with staff and a number of complaints from other residents about her behaviour. But most of all she refused to engage with the raft of services aimed at getting young people into employment and secure, permanent accommodation.
The Orchard had replaced a run-down homeless hostel that had been a magnet for drug dealing and anti-social behaviour. When I announced my intention to build a modern, state-of-the-art facility, linked to relevant services that would help people to live independently, there were plenty of folk who said it wouldn’t work. It took five years to replace the hostel and a further five years to put in place the range of services we knew were needed. And all the time people were muttering behind their hands that we had embarked on a fool’s errand – the whole scheme was hopelessly idealistic and expected far too much of young people. But I knew that we were right to try. And I also knew that if we could make The Orchard work for someone like Tracey-Anne, it really was capable of working for any young person.
Eventually Tracey-Anne began to calm down and take up some of the opportunities on offer; she turned up to her weekly keywork sessions and developed her own personal action plan. Then she went on our employability programme, after which she volunteered to work on our corporate reception for eight weeks while undergoing further job preparation training.
Volunteers and charity workers: tell us about the day you made a difference
A few months later, I was invited to speak at a national conference about The Orchard. It took place at a major conference venue here in Birmingham. I outlined the vision for the scheme and what we’d done. At the end of my presentation, the inevitable question came: “That all sounds great, but what evidence have you got that it’s actually worked?”
“Well,” I replied, “you know the young woman who greeted you today on reception? The professional-looking lady who showed you where to go and calmly handled any queries you raised? Well her name’s Tracey-Anne and she lives at The Orchard and she got a full-time, permanent job here on the back of the training and volunteering opportunities we offered.”
I hadn’t known Tracey-Anne would be there until I saw her that morning; I didn’t even know she’d got a permanent job. But she recognised me and was so enthusiastic about where her life was heading it made me realise that the previous 10 years of hard work had all been worth it.
The day I made a difference is the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network’s series that showcases the work of people involved with charities. If you have a story you want to share email voluntarysectornetwork@theguardian.com with a short summary of your experience.
by Alan Fraser,
CEO of YMCA Birmingham.UK
*
Some music for you - Secret Archives of the Vatican
Secret Archives of the Vatican have been making their own distinctive brand of what they call Transglobal Breakbeat Dub Science for a few years now - drumstep, dubstep and glitchy electronica influences mixed with their trademark Eastern-inflected sound. They produce fine podcasts to shamelessly pimp their music by associating it with other people's excellent tunes.
Sometimes they pretend to be DJs and produce mixes.
Final details and links to the Greenbelt Festival - for humans BECOMING ......
Few sleeps to go ...
The venues are up. The sun is out. We're all-but ready for an amazing festival. All we need now is you! You have until midnight tomorrow (Weds 24th) to join the thousands who've already bagged their tickets online – saving the queue on arrival. After that, buy your weekend & day tickets from at the onsite Box Office.
Festival App & Daily Diary
The GB16 App is out. You can also buy a PDF Daily Diary download.
Got everything?
Really? Everything? Please check out our online essential information and read any emails titled 'All Ticket-Buyers' carefully to make sure you know how to get to Greenbelt and what to do when you arrive. Don't forget any extras you might need – like carparking passes etc.
Three things to make your Greenbelt better
Check out the blog for all the latest news on the festival – including three things to make Greenbelt even better: 1. the Milk & Honey onsite Greenbelt essentials shop; 2. hot water for your hot water bottlesfrom the Kindred 24-Hour Cafe; and 3. your 'right to roam' this Greenbelt and not stick to the path.
Train disruption: London to Kettering, Sun 28th
For those travelling to Kettering by train from London on Sunday 28th, please check the East Midlands website for news about a bus replacement service between St Pancras and Luton. Our Essential Information carries details of how to get to Greenbelt, but please check travel websites before you set out.
More festival news ...
We've got a strong strand of refugee-focussed programming at the festival this year. This blog from our associate partners USPG underlines why we mustn't lose sight of the plight of refugees still feeling into Europe.
A story to tell?
The Tenx9 team from Belfast are back with two storytelling events. Nine people get to tell 10-minute stories and we want to hear yours! Sign up here to be part of this most treasured of festival experiences.
The Tenx9 team from Belfast are back with two storytelling events. Nine people get to tell 10-minute stories and we want to hear yours! Sign up here to be part of this most treasured of festival experiences.
We want children to give in their own way at this year's communion. So, as well as grown-up cash and cheques, we’ll collect Lego gifts for the children of Ilamula House. Please bring a few pieces to offer. We'll do the rest.
Blob School - a collection of Blob Tree Materials for all in Education.
BLOB SCHOOL:: Be ready for the new term!
Improving children's' emotional well being is vital to enabling them to access learning and being able to recognise and talk about feelings - one of the main focus points through recent legislation (‘Special educational needs and disability [SEND] Code of Practice,’ and DfE guidance, 'Mental health and behaviour in schools 2014’).
Teachers need both an awareness of the early indicators of mental health difficulties, and also the confidence to provide early interventions.
Blob School resources provides a vehicle for overcoming fears around these topics area.
|
|
**
BLOB Growth Tree -helping people to place their finger on
where they ARE - and
where they would like to journey TO BE.
MAGICAL EXPERIENCE especially in a group in any context
DIRECT LINK TO DOWNLOAD IS HERE
http://www.blobtree.com/products/blob-growth-tree
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Your growth. Your development.
"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled.
For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."
M. Scott Peck
The Road Less Travelled
*
Monday, August 22, 2016
Preparing for The Greenbelt Festival it's more than just tent-age and cooking pots, sleeping bags ........
Preparing for
The Greenbelt Festival
it's more than just tent-age and cooking pots, sleeping bags ........
My poem::
@ Greenbelt .......
Help us remember that the idiot who cut us up in traffic
is a single Mother who has worked nine hours that day
and is rushing to Greenbelt to cook a meal and settle the kids down
so they can have a good first day at the festival
and spend a few precious moments with her friends
who have saved hard to get to Greenbelt.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man
who can't handle his change correctly is a worried YMCA Hostel resident
who is behind in his rent and cannot afford the cheapest hotdog on site.
At the same time balancing his apprehension over his fear
of not getting on well with the group he came with.
Remind us Lord, that the scary looking young woman
rolling her eyes and cannot stop moving her body,
is a recovering slave to addictions
that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Remind us that the scars of the self harming woman,
scarred for life,
is just like me with my scars
that and hinder and equip at the same time.
And remember that we, maybe,
can just hide ours better.
Help us to remember that the old couple
walking annoyingly slow through the festival site
and blocking our process
are savouring this moment,
knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week,
this will be the last year that they will be at Greenbelt together.
Creator God, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us,
the greatest gift is love.
That it is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear.
But those for who,
on first impressions,
make us shudder, or sigh or grunt with irritability.
Open our soul and press your finger tip right on that part,
the part to raise your love to the surface.
So it touches the practical.
The proactive.
The love department.
*
A real Greenbelt Experience - a scar - a cross - I hurt
I asked an international group
around a table in Cheltenham
including a young and beautiful American woman
"What is your favourite SCAR ?"
She immediately stood up & showed me
& the table full of other
Greenbelt BHP's, in the Curry House,
as we prepared for the Festival.
We were all struck by her
beautiful L5 openness
and willingness to share her story.
I only met her twice.
Once as we eat curry as a large group
and the day after as I took this photo of her arm.
What a story behind the scar ............
AND you?
*
and today I hear of her death.
As yet unexplained.
I am so sad
I pray for her
as I feel the loss
and her, unknown to me, her family and friends.
So SAD.
*
Back to #School with BlobTree.com The #Blob Tree Materials
Blob Tree has a BLOB SHOP
THE BLOB TREE
The best place to discover all the
VISIT THE SHOP NOW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)