Holman House Official Opening 1st July 2013

HOLMAN HOUSE

On 1^st July 2013 I went to the official opening of Holman House, a Mayday Trust accommodation in Bedford. The building was named after Chris Holman who has been a trustee for Mayday for over 10 ½ years. Holman House is a new and improved accommodation that houses up to 19 people. A tree was planted to mark the opening day.

 

Chris Holman told everyone how he felt proud and honoured to have building named after him. He explained how he is confident that the recent changes to Mayday will enable Mayday to empower and encourage clients to use their strengths and abilities to find hidden talents and widen their horizons for a new and satisfying future. Chris Holman stated that since 2003 Mayday has changed beyond all recognition and this would not have been successful without staff and clients willingness to accept change.

On the day I had the opportunity to speak to some of the people involved with the scheme including a worker from Impart Links. Ken told me how this was a really big project and an absolute joy to work on. The building was previously a school and lots of stuff was left behind so first things first they had to clear it out and then the knocking down of walls started. After the layout of the building was as it should be Mayday Trust sent in interior designers to set out the layout of the rooms. At the opening day CEO Pat McArdle and some residents were presented with a book that Impart Links had put together to show their journey on the project.

I also had the chance to speak to one of the residents about the new building. Cece is 28 and at the time of the opening she had only been living with Mayday Trust for 3 weeks. She explained that she thought that the building was really cool and her room is on the top floor with an en suite which she really likes too.

 

The residents worked on the garden, planting flowers and vegetables and putting together garden furniture they all said they were very proud of the work they had done.

 

Written By Fiona McCance

Mayday Reporter

Trip To Parliament With Mayday Trust

9^Th September 2013

On the 9^th September I went to the Houses of Parliament with a group of people from Mayday Trust. We had a tour round to in the morning and out tour guide was brilliant, she explained to us all in detail what each bit was about and I found it very interesting. I learnt a lot of new things there for instance;

Did you know that the Queen has an entrance that only she can use and she can’t use any other entrance? It’s called the sovereign entrance.

Did you know that it is against the law for the queen to enter the House of Commons? That’s because it is believed that if a royal leader should enter then they may sway the debate.

Did you know that there are 19 floors underneath the Houses of Parliament? It’s a bit like an iceberg.

After the tour we had the opportunity to meet the MP of Rugby Mark Pawsey. The group gathered a list of questions for him to answer.

Mark Pawsey offers an Open surgery for members of the public in Rugby to visit and see him about any issues they have on Friday afternoons. He enjoys ensuring that people’s voices are heard in Parliament. We asked Mark Pawsey what his proudest moment is, he told us how he enjoys standing up in the House of Commons and he takes a lot of pride in his role as MP of Rugby as this was his birth place and he has resided there for most of his life.

Another question we put to Mark Pawsey was, how do you feel the welfare reform will benefit young people in supported accommodation like Mayday Trust? Mark explained that he believes that the welfare reform will encourage people into work as they will be better off working than on benefits.

One member of the group asked, what is your opinion of Mayday Trust accommodation and would you consider living in a Mayday scheme for a week or so on the benefit that a lot of clients of Mayday receive JSA £56 P/W. Marks response was very interesting, he said that he likes the layout of the schemes he has visited and said that he thinks it allows people to have the privacy they need but also a place to socialise and engage with others. He said that to stay in mayday accommodation for a week would be a great opportunity to see how decisions in Parliament affect the public first hand. He would appreciate the understanding the challenges that are faced by people in supported accommodation.

We asked Mark, if you could change one thing in today’s society what would it be? Marks response was plain and simply for people to have more regard for one another and to be more open minded.


Written By Fiona McCance
Mayday Reporter

Learning Ability Foyer

Ok so I have given up on uploading my PDF as it appears to not work.

So I have taken the work from that and put it as a plain post ... Apologies for such a delayed report on this.


On 18th July 2013 I went to the Learning Ability Foyer in Rugby to meet some of the clients that attend and take part in one of the activities. The activity I took part in was art. We were making faces on a cardboard cut-out to look like our own. We had a choice of different colour wool to use for our hair and different colours and sequins to make our facial features. Everyone enjoyed the activity and the end result was great. The activity was run by two members of staff from Mayday Trust. It was clear to me that both the staff and the clients were thoroughly enjoying themselves and once the activity was complete the clients had the choice of what they would like to do with the rest of their time. The activity cost just £10 for non residents of Mayday and for those who live in Mayday accommodation it was only £5. The Learning Ability Foyer are committed to providing meaningful activities in a social environment for people with learning abilities. I got the opportunity to interview one of the guys.





My name is Sam, I am 18 years old and I have been living with Mayday Trust for 1 year. I like it there and I have made lots of new friends. I used to live with my Nan but she had to move and couldn't take me with her so I came to Mayday Trust. Mayday has helped me to socialise, meet new people and gain confidence. I go to the Learning Ability Foyer in Rugby most weeks and I enjoy taking part in the different activities. My favourite ones are Art and Music and Drama. There is lots for me to choose from including Healthy Living and Speak up - current affairs which I also enjoy. I don't always go to all the activities but that doesn't matter because you don't have to. It is really cheap and because I live with Mayday it only costs me £5 for each activity.  I am looking at doing some voluntary work at The Hub, I want to do this because I want to help out and keep myself busy. When I leave Mayday I want to get a place of my own and Mayday are helping me to understand how to set up and manage bills. Mayday has helped me a lot and I am really glad that I came to them.

 

Below is some pictures of the great day ... Can you guess who is who ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written By Fiona McCance

Mayday Reporter

Saturday 6th October - First session leading up to Creative Collisions Conference

Saturday 6^th October

 

Today I went to London for the first session in the lead up to the Creative Collisions Conference. Initially I was really nervous as this was my first time travelling alone to a place I had never been and meeting people I had never met before. When I arrived everyone was very welcoming and I felt at ease as part of the group of young people. We did some ice breaking activities and group work (problem solving) this was to see how we would gel as a team. We then went off into pairs from the organisation we were representing and produced a poster with information about the organisation and what our role is within it. After I presented my piece everyone clapped and said I did really well presenting on my own and I seemed really confident. I am so proud of myself for doing everything I did today and I feel like I have achieved so much. I can’t wait to meet up with the group again and plan what we will be doing at the conference in November.

 

Thank you Foyer Fed for this amazing opportunity once again J

 

Fiona McCance

Update on BBC Radio Northampton Work Placement September 2013

Hey Lads and Lasses

I contacted my mentor at BBC RN today to introduce myself and find out what sort of things I will be getting up to and all I can say WOW !!!!!!

I'm so so SO excited about this I cant wait to get there and learn so many new things.

Day 1 - Admin , Health and Safety, go through policies and procedures and then get some training on the recording and editing equipment.

Day 2 - Lunch program - going out with the reporter and shadowing them

Day 3 - Breakfast program - go out with reporter and if feel confident enough possibly interview some members of the public !!

Day 4 - Early program - out and about with the reporter

Day 5 - Choice of repeating what my favourite bit was or chance to experience a different area. My mentor suggested possibly going in with the production team and seeing how they put a show together !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm thinking I may chose that .



So I rang up and explained who I was and the lady said she knew who I was and was excited about me going to do some work experience with them. She was lovely and explained that my schedule as such was made to fit my interests ... she said to me that she could see from my application that I am very keen on the reporting side of things and so she has got me getting involved with the reporters ... HOW AMAZING IS THAT ... She took the time to read my application and set up an experience relevant to me ... I'm so happy and glad that Rhian told me about this because I would have never applied if it wasn't for her encouragement. THANKS !!!!

So ... in September I will be writing on here to tell you what I'm getting up to and by the sounds of things its going to be AMAZING !!!!


Fi :)

SMMT Learning Forum

My visit to SMMT

Today I went to visit SMMT to discuss the partnerships between Mayday Trust, Foyer Federation and various automotive companies. I was excited to hear about what different manufacturers were doing with the young people that had been working alongside them on their work readiness and employability opportunity.

Various automotive manufacturers including Ford, Toyota, BMW and Unipart Eberspacher have taken on groups of young people from Mayday Trust and Foyer Federation to give them the opportunity to take part in a work placement where they will gain work readiness and employability skills. The aim of this is to get young people ready for work and provide them with a great bit of experience to add to their CV and ultimately tackle youth unemployment.

I will be writing 4 short stories to give an outline of what each company have been offering their candidates and how this has benefited both the company and the young people. I also got the opportunity to interview the interim CEO of SMMT and I hope to upload this soon too.

 

Enjoy :)

Fi :)

Interview with Tom from Daventry about his aspirations in life

Tom from Daventry Mayday Trust is 20 and has been living in Mayday accommodation for 1 year. He has seen the recent changes to Mayday and has recognised major differences in the way that the support is offered and structured. Tom feels that there is more support available now but at the start he was unsettled by the changes but is now getting used to them and is happy with the way things are working.

Tom has recently been successful in joining the Homeless Football Association England squad and after completing this he aspires to coach young people football. Tom wants to find talent similar to that that he has in young people and would like to help work with someone who has the potential to become a professional. Mayday has helped him in achieving this by encouraging him to look for opportunities relevant to this. Since tom has been with Mayday he has grown in confidence and so took it upon his self to apply to his local children’s team to volunteer as a coach and is due to start this next month.

Mayday recognised Toms’ talent and was eager to offer him the opportunity to further this with the Homeless Football Association. Tom was contacted by a member of staff from Mayday Trust and they discussed the opportunity and tom applied for it. After applying for this opportunity he attended WBA football stadium for a tour and a kick about with other applicants and then he met the head of the HFA.

“The support I have received from Mayday has been amazing and I find it hard to believe how my life has changed in such a positive way. The commitment and determination I have towards achieving my dreams is undeniable and I have never committed to something so much in my life. To be picked to do something you love and do it for your country is just amazing. I am over the moon.”

“Who knows where this may take me”

Tom is now in Portugal representing his country and on his return he will be preparing for his coaching course. Tom would like to get scouted and he knows that Mayday will support him in his choices for the future. He is grateful for everything that they have done to help him so far. Tom would like to move out into his own place and get a career relevant to the things he loves (Football) and he is well on his way to making this not only a dream but a reality.

 

Interview by Fiona McCance - Mayday Reporter & Intrepid Explorer - 06/2013

Interview with Pablo from Northampton

Pablo from Broadmead Court Mayday Trust is 21 years old and has been living in Mayday accommodation for 1 ½ years.  He thinks that the idea behind the changes is good and can’t wait to see how they will benefit residents in their future.

Pablo would like to get further education and he is aware that the staff of Mayday Trust can help him in achieving this by helping him to look for relevant courses that are available to him. Since coming to Mayday Pablo has been offered opportunities to take part in activities of interest to him and has now been given the opportunity to set up an exercise club and is looking at setting up a venue for this outside of the Mayday accommodation. He is very excited about being able to take the responsibility of researching cost of gym equipment and potential venues for the residents to use as a gym. He has set up a workout routine for his friends to help them to achieve what they want from the club. An example of this is one of his friends would like to work on losing weight so Pablo has organised a programme for them to do which focuses on cardiovascular exercises to increase the heart rate and burn the fat, another one of his friends has said that they would like to strengthen their arm and core muscles so he has set up a programme to target what they want to achieve.

Interview by Fiona McCance - Intrepid Explorer & Mayday Reporter - 06/2013

Interview with Kayleigh from Northampton

Kayleigh from Broadmead Court, Mayday Trust is 21 and has been living in Mayday Trust accommodation for just over a year. Since living there she has taken part in a cake decoration course and a journalism opportunity with Mayday Trust and Foyer Federation.  Mayday Trust has helped to access these courses by lending her the money to enrol on her cake decoration course and organising travel and other opportunities for the journalism. Kayleigh said

“Mayday really helped me in getting further skills and experience in the areas i like, and have helped me to make a portfolio of all of my work to add to my CV for when i look for employment”

she would like to continue doing cake decorating in the future and aspires to one day having a business of her own in this field. Kayleigh appreciates the encouragement and support she has received from the staff at Mayday and believes that if they were to continue to do this she will be able to complete her course and apply for the next level.

When Kayleigh arrived at Mayday she was dependant on alcohol and was very negative about the future. Kayleigh explained that the staff had encouraged her to get help with her drinking and referred her to The Bridge Programme where she received peer support and professional advice as and when needed. The Bridge Programme helps people who have or have previously had issues around drug and alcohol misuse. Kayleigh had access to gym equipment and workshops set up by Bridge and feels that this helped her to stay off the alcohol and distract her from temptation. Now Kayleigh has not drunk for a long period of time and is positive about where her future may take her.

Kayleigh is currently on ESA and DLA and Mayday helped Kayleigh in applying for DLA by filling out the forms with her. On one occasion Kayleigh did not receive her benefits when she expected to get them and Mayday staff supported her while she got in contact with the Job Centre to find out why she hadn’t been paid. Kayleigh explained that she did not need the staff to make the call for her but she felt she needed someone to stay with her while she made the call so that she knew if there was a problem she would be able ask for the staff to support her. This has helped Kayleigh in being confident with dealing with her issues independently and can now communicate effectively with organisations if there is an issue on her own.

Since arriving at Mayday Kayleigh has made friends with a range of people from different walks of life and is happy to say she will keep in contact with them after moving out of Mayday accommodation.

The recent changes to Mayday have affected Kayleigh and although initially concerned about how the changes will affect her, she is confident that in the long term they will be very beneficial to all Mayday Trust residents. She believes that with the new system being very “person focused” it will help people to move in and out within a shorter period of time and that the residents will be able to work towards their ambitions in life.
 

Interview by Fiona McCance - Intrepid Explorer & Mayday Reporter 06/13

Interview with Nick from Bedford

I went to the Holman House on 1^st July for the official launch and got the chance to interview one of the new residents.

Nick is 17 and has been living at Holman House for 6 weeks. Nick didn't experience the changes to Mayday Trust and didn't see Stephen Ross House but said that Holman House was a really nice and clean place to live. He has helped to work on the garden and helped to put up the tables in the garden area. Nick came to Mayday following a family breakdown and before coming to Mayday he was very isolated and stayed in his bedroom most of the time but now he has made friends with the other residents and they regularly get together in the garden and chat and chill out or in the lounge to watch TV together. Since coming to Mayday accomodation he has been supported in accessing courses relevant to his aspirations. When Nick came to Mayday he told the staff that he had interests in becoming a DJ and they helped him to search for opportunities to get experience and skills. Nick said that he hopes to go to college to study music technology and the staff at Mayday are helping him to look at what courses are available to him at his local college. He also told me that he likes to rap and sometimes makes up his own music but mainly likes to copy work of others. This is something that he would like to continue doing and would one day like to record his work in a studio. Mayday has provided Holman House with a tablet for residents to use. They can book the tablet for an hour at a time where they can access the internet, Nick really likes this because it means he can look for courses and other activities he may be interested in taking part in.

Overall Nick is glad Mayday has helped him and is keen to take part in activities that Mayday are providing so he can get better life skills and also continue with his hobbies.

 

Interview by Fiona McCance - Intrepid Explorer & Mayday Reporter 07/2013

Interview with Rebecca about her aspirations in life

Rebecca from Northampton Mayday Trust, is 22 and has been living in Mayday accommodation for 6 months. Before coming to Mayday Rebecca was living in refuge and arrived at Mayday a very shy and timid young person that was sacred of what life was going to throw at her. After the support she has received from Mayday Trust she has now blossomed into a confident and assertive person who has clear ideas and aspirations of what she wants from her future. Rebecca’s lifelong dream is to work with animals of all shapes and sizes. She told the staff at Mayday about her dreams and is now looking for courses on animal care with her mentor and is looking to apply for a course at the local college for September enrolment.  Rebecca has recently found herself a voluntary job at Cancer Research Charity Shop with help from the Job Centre and encouragement from Mayday. Mayday has helped her to budget her money so she can afford to pay for public transport to and from the shop daily and have encouraged her to continue with it even though it is no longer compulsory that she completes it.

Rebecca knows that in order to achieve her goal of working with animals she can ask staff at Mayday to signpost her and support her in courses relevant to her dreams and abilities. Rebecca has set herself a target of achieving the first milestone in her action plan by September this year and is much more open in discussing her ambitions in life.

“I realise now no one can help me if I don’t tell them what I want. If I don’t ask I will never get and so many things have come from me opening up to my mentor about what I want to do. I don’t want to be getting a job behind the counter at Tesco full time I want to be different to others and I want to do what I have always wanted to do. I love animals so much and they make me feel happy and that’s why I want to work with them.”

Rebecca has also got other aspirations in life that she would like to achieve but the most important other than working with animals is being able to look after her young niece without having her family “watching over my shoulder all the time.” After living at Mayday Rebecca has developed basic living skills and is now confident that she would be able to look after her niece on her own. This is so important to Rebecca because she doesn’t want to have children of her own but would like to be a part of her nieces.

Written by Fiona McCance - Mayday Reporter & Intrepid Explorer - 07/2013

Interview with Hanna from Daventry Mayday

Today I interviewed Hanna from Daventry scheme of Mayday Trust. Hanna is 27 years old and has been receiving support from Mayday trust for just over 2 years. She is now living in her own accommodation and is receiving floating support. When I asked Hanna about the recent changes to Mayday Trust she explained that she has not really been affected by the changes but can see the benefit in those who are still in Mayday accommodation. She said that it means that the specific needs of each and every client are being met and it promotes independence.

Hanna would like to live independently in the near future without floating support from Mayday. She would like to get a long term job and continue with the Chance 4 Change. Chance 4 Change has given Hanna the opportunity to travel and participate in volunteering at youth hostels. Hanna said “it has been such an opportunity” and “I would like to take my friend to an area of Ireland that I have been to with Chance 4 Change”. Mayday Trust introduced Hanna to Chance 4 Change and Hanna said that they have helped her in way of confidence and she has participated in activities and events that she would never have though she was capable of doing. Evidence of this is, a couple of months ago Hanna took part in a presentation in front of the staff of Mayday Trust and Chance 4 Change telling them about the opportunities they had taken part in and what they had been doing. Hanna said that they all worked together as a team to present their work and she felt confident in speaking in front of the staff about what they have been doing. She said that the people she has met through Chance 4 Change wouldn’t necessarily be the kind of people she would normally have as friends but since joining Chance 4 Change she feels that the group have become closer. This is a result of having to work together as a team and supporting each other to overcome obstacles and she has now got a very diverse group of friends.

I asked Hanna about what her aspirations in life are. She told me that since coming to Mayday she has been given a wide range of opportunities for example a PETALS course and feels that she has now got new aspirations in life “my dreams have now changed to reality”. Hanna told me about her aspiration of becoming a writer and she knows that Mayday can help her in achieving this or starting it up. After completing the courses Hanna said that she felt her confidence has been boosted and she is very thankful to her key worker from when she was living in the Mayday accommodation as he helped her to reflect on situations that she struggled with and put in place coping strategies to deal with similar situations in the future. He also supported her in her decisions and choices. Hanna has an interest in photography and has had plenty of opportunities to capture her experiences with Chance 4 Change and is very proud with some the photos she has got. Hanna has got a very exciting opportunity coming up soon regarding a 3 week work experience in a youth hostel in Nepal. She is very enthusiastic about this and can’t wait to get out there and do it.

When I asked Hanna if there was anything she would like to change in her life she said that although there are some elements of her past that she would like to have done differently she feels that she would not be the person she is today if she hadn’t have experienced them. The past has made her who she is but has not determined her future.

Hanna appreciates all the help and support she has had from Mayday and is proud of where she is now.

 

Interview by Fiona McCance – Mayday Reporter & Intrepid Explorer – 13^th June 2013

Interview with Dave Cusack - Director of Operations

Interview with Dave Cusack - Mayday Trust

My Story for Intrepid Explorers and Mayday Trust

ME !!!

“Mayday Trust changed my life ... for the better.”

 

My name is Fiona and I am 21. I have been living at the Northampton scheme run by Mayday Trust since 4^th February 2013. When I arrived at Mayday I was very concerned about having to build a relationship with someone new and was very reluctant to communicate with the staff but after meeting my then Key worker I was challenged with the patience of a saint. After a while the barriers I had set up slowly disappeared and I was able to communicate what help I needed and what ambitions I had in life. Well, that’s where the fun started and my life changed completely. I was signposted by my Key worker for courses to do with media and music and I applied for them. After a while I changed my mind and decided that this was not what I wanted to do, and then an opportunity arose to go on a 2 day residential with Foyer Federation to learn some journalism skills and take part in exciting events as an Intrepid Explorer. I had always had an interest in media and thought that this would be a great chance to see how I would like it before committing to a course. My Key worker reassured me and encouraged me to take part in this opportunity and so I followed my dreams.

I found the course very interesting and I knew that this was something I wanted to continue doing. Mayday Trust has given me many opportunities on top of being an Intrepid Explorer and I am now a Mayday Reporter as well. I have been very busy with my work and I am very ambitious for where this may take me in the future.

I am very excited about becoming an Intrepid Explorer as our aim is to discover what impacts and achievements are important to young people using advantaged thinking. This is something that I have undeniable enthusiasm about and I am confident that with the work I am producing young people will be able to be recognised in a more positive way and I hope to gain a career in journalism.

Another major interest in my life is music and I am a keen singer. I have always wanted to apply for the X Factor but never had the confidence to follow this desire. My Key worker encouraged me to apply and I was soon invited for an audition. This made me scared and very nervous but she helped me to overcome these by supporting me in arranging travel and printing off maps for me to follow.

I auditioned for X Factor 10 in April this year and was successful in my first two auditions and I am now awaiting a response from my third. I never thought I would be able to pluck up the courage to even submit an application form let alone actually attend the audition in Birmingham and be successful.

When I arrived at Mayday Trust I was shy and I isolated myself a lot. Now I am a changed person, confident and strong once again. Mayday Trust has worked with me to achieve my goals and set new goals for the future. The support I have had from the staff at Mayday Trust has been outstanding, they have helped me to realise that my dreams and aspirations are not only dreams, they can be reality and my audition for X Factor 10 is proof of this. It is thanks to Mayday Trust that I had the confidence and strength to go and follow my dreams. I have now been living in Mayday Trust for 4 months and I can see a bright future for myself. 

Who would have thought my life could change so quickly. I am now up and about everyday and have confidence in the work I am doing. I am enthusiastic and content when I’m working and I can’t wait to see where this may take me in the future!

Thank you for giving me my life back and encouraging me to be me and to follow those dreams!

 

Written by Fiona McCance – Mayday Reporter & Intrepid Explorer – 20^th May 2013

Interview with Emma from Broadmead Court for Intrepid Explorer work

I interviewed a young female from Mayday Trust Broadmead Court to ask her about what impacts and achievements are important to her.

Emma is 27yrs old and is currently living in Broadmead Court supported living run by Mayday Trust. She has been living there for just over 2 years and came to Mayday following a mental health relapse. When Emma came to Broadmead she hoped to get support with maintaining and increasing her independence along with developing basic life skills and possibly returning to education, with the ambition of getting employment.

Before Emma came to Broadmead she was living in a small village with her Father and Stepmother where she felt quite stable in regards to accommodation but felt like she needed to move out and into her own place. She had never been employed and had little education.

When Emma arrived at Broadmead Court she was welcomed and shown around the area. She was offered support in the areas she felt she needed help with and was encouraged to do things to help towards her future. Emma explained that she felt that the staff at Broadmead Court were very supportive, encouraged her a lot and were positive about the choices she had made. “The staff members were there to talk to when I needed to and they wanted to help me do what I wanted to do.”

I asked Emma what goals she had for the future that were personal to her and she told me that she would like to work at a local hospice helping terminally ill people to fulfil their last wishes. Emma wants to do this as she lost her granddad when she was younger and thinks that the idea of helping someone to fulfil their dreams before they pass away is “amazing and I want to be part of it.” Emma knows that in order to achieve this she needs to complete some relevant courses at college with the support of the staff at Mayday Trust and is feeling very positive about this as she has already achieved Entry Level 1 in Maths and is currently attending an Entry Level 3 in English course. Emma has a great support network including friends, family and professionals to help her in achieving her goals.

Emma told me about some of her hobbies and how she would like to use these interests in achieving future goals. Emma enjoys reading and writing, computer games and also spending time with her Nan and helping her out with gardening or household tasks. With these interests she would like to write a book about her experiences in life to help other people who suffer or people who know someone be it a friend or family member who has mental health illnesses understand it better. She stated that she would like the book to be based around self harm and recovery as she can see that she has come such a long way in the past 3 years and would like to help other people to understand the reasoning for self harming and how to deal with it or how to find alternative methods.

Previous achievements that Emma told me about included working in a day care centre as a volunteer where she supported people over the age of 50 to join in with activities within the centre. Emma told me how she thoroughly enjoyed this and would like to return to do this again in the near future. The goals of working in the local hospice supporting people to fulfil their last wishes and writing a book Emma has put a time frame of 2 years to have achieved this by however she also stated that if she was able to achieve just one of her goals within that period of time she would be very happy.

In the not so distant future Emma is planning with her key worker to move on into her own accommodation with floating support. Emma is very positive when she thinks about her future and is thankful to Mayday Trust for all of the support and encouragement she has received from them. Mayday has had a great impact on Emma’s life and she said that she would recommend Mayday Trust to others who are in a similar situation as she was in before Mayday came and “saved my life”.

 

Interview by Fiona McCance - Mayday Reporter & Intrepid Explorer- 4^th May 2013

So far ... So busy !! loving it !!

Over the past couple of weeks I have been very busy interviewing staff at Mayday getting their opinions of the recent changes to the trust. It has been great fun and exciting and very stressful at times but overall brill ... I have interviewed the Chief Executive and the Director of Operations as well as a LAM (learning asset mentor), I was very nervous about the interviews but when it came to actually sitting there asking the questions I felt more relaxed and was really interested in what the staff had to say about the new ways of Mayday. The LAM who has been supporting me in this has been very helpful in encouraging me to be confident in my work...( it will get easier I’m sure) and giving me plenty of opportunity to practice my interviewing skills and get work for my blog. Cheers Rhian J

 

Over the next couple of weeks I will be trying to interview as many residents of Mayday as possible to find out

·         What their aspirations are

·         Who they think will be able to help them achieve this

·         What they want from life and

·         How mayday can or has helped them to get to where they are now and where they want to be in the future.

 

I will be attending the Unipart assessment day on Monday 10^th June where the residents who are taking part will be interviewed and shortlisted for the work placement. I expect that all the residents will be fairly nervous about the interviewing process and I hope that I will be able to capture their moments before during and after the interview. On the 14^th June I will be attending the Unipart induction where the residents who were successful in the assessment will be having their first day of training. The Unipart is a 4 week placement; I hope to follow the residents experience over this period interviewing, filming and photographing their time and then at the end of the experience use all of the work I have gathered to create a video.

 

I will keep you updated regularly of what’s going on and what you can expect to see popping up on here J !!

Pat McArdle Chief Executive at Mayday Central Rugby

Today (29^th May 2013) at Mayday Central Office Rugby I interviewed Pat CEO of Mayday Trust. The aim of my interview was to find out about the most recent changes to Mayday.

Pat has been working for Mayday Trust for just under 2 years and previous to this she volunteered at a soup kitchen and supported  homeless people and people who suffer from mental health illnesses in Birmingham, she said that she is very passionate about her work and this has helped her to get her job title now. At the start of the interview I expressed my own personal opinions of the changes to Mayday, when questioned about her best experience while working at Mayday Pat said hearing positive feedback from residents and knowing that they as a Trust are helping people and it is very much appreciated.

Pat is very positive about the changes at Mayday Trust and said that the decisions that have been made were influenced by research into who the trust supports and what residents need from them. Pat stated that she noticed that everyone who comes to Mayday Trust has individual needs, aspirations and abilities and so decided that changes needed to happen in order to support everyone effectively. Ultimately, Mayday aims to help residents not only live their day to day life but to also encourage them to set goals and ambitions for the future and to help them fulfil their dreams and live the life they want. Mayday is now providing different support to residents which are adapted to their individual needs and aspirations with the intention to offer opportunities and experience relevant to them.

The recent government funding cuts have affected Mayday Trust and Pat hopes that the changes will help to expand the charity and encourage funders to support them to continue running the projects they have set up for residents. She also said that the staff structure changes mean that each member of staff can specialise in their specific field (learning asset mentors, personal asset mentors and housing officers) and use their own talents and interests in these areas meaning that the staff are more enthusiastic about their job and happier, subsequently reflected on the quality of service that they offer. The changes are going to be beneficial to service users of Mayday because now each resident will have the opportunity to work with the relevant people to fulfil their ambitions maintain a healthy lifestyle and get support in areas that they feel will benefit them. Pat explained that she could empathise with residents who are here purely for housing support who may feel they do not want or need any other support and before the changes they may have felt patronised by some of the tasks they were being asked to take part in to show what their level of skills are. This new system allows those people who need very little support to continue with their day to day life without feeling patronised by or obliged to take part in certain task such as living skills and those who need extra support to access it and get specific support from whichever team is relevant.

I asked Pat about how residents felt initially about the changes and whether she had received any feedback now that these had happened. She told me that to start with people were very nervous and in some cases angry about the changes as they felt having less staff onsite would make the place unsafe and there was many personal concerns raised too, however, some residents believed that the changes meant that they could have more independence. Now that the changes have happened Pat and her team plan to go and visit all of the Mayday sites to meet with residents and get feedback on how they feel now and to listen to any suggestions that residents may make.

To conclude my interview with Pat I asked her what does she hope to achieve within Mayday and has she got any plans for the future of Mayday? Pat hopes that by getting people from different supported accommodations and members of the public involved with the trust it will become more widely recognised and has already expanded further in Daventry and Bedford. The Bedford changes include a new building consisting of 19 rooms that is specifically for people with mental health illnesses and another new building that will be specifically aimed at people who are offenders. She hopes that residents will settle well with the new structure and support approaches.

Interview by Fiona McCance - Mayday Reporter - 29^th May 2013

Interview with Lisa Burgess Learning Asset Mentor Mayday Trust

Lisa Burgess at Learning Ability Centre Rugby

I interviewed Lisa Burgess today (29^th May 2013) at Mayday Central in Rugby about how the changes to mayday have affected her and what her new job role involves. The information that Lisa gave me was very interesting and I am excited to share her interview with you.

Lisa has been working for Mayday Trust for 3 years and when she started her job title was Project worker. The role that she had involved meeting residents for key work sessions and giving general support covering all areas including housing, education, living skills and emotional/personal support. The recent changes to Mayday Trust mean that Lisa has had a change in job role and is now a LAM (Learning Asset Mentor) Lisa’s job role now includes supporting residents specifically in education and employment. Lisa helps residents get involved in opportunities such as college, voluntary work and encourages them to engage in courses held by Mayday Trust. The courses and opportunities are relevant to the individual’s interests and skills. The LAM’s met with residents and discussed what their interests are and what they want to do and where they feel their qualities lie, this allows the LAM’s to identify which opportunity they can offer would best suit them. The main three aspects that Lisa works with are English, Maths and pre- tenancy, these are addressed through clubs and courses set up by Mayday Trust. Lisa also works with residents on improving their living skills and problems solving.

With the most recent changes the Learning Ability has been born. This is a service that is based at Mayday central in Rugby and targets people over the age of 16 with learning disabilities within Mayday accommodation in other supported living and also members of the public. These facilities were available at Lennon Court in Rugby but this facility has been purpose built to support people with learning disabilities and encourage them to get out of the home environment and become more independent. Lisa stated that the Learning Ability encourages socialising, gives the community the opportunity to get involved. The Learning Ability is focused on advantaged thinking and works on enhancing the abilities that these individuals have and strives on their talents. This facility was built with the objective of bringing People with learning disabilities together and allowing them to maintain independence, learn new skills and having a positive outlook on Learning disabilities hence the place being called Learning ability.

When I asked Lisa about how she felt about the changes at Mayday she was very enthusiastic and said “it’s been a great turning point” and “its FAB !!!”

Interview by Fiona McCance - Mayday Reporter – 29^th May 2013

Timetable displayed on the wall in Learning Ability showing daily activities.

Kitchen area in Learning Ability used for living skills.

Social activities.

The workshop area in Learning Ability.

Another social area.

What's it all about ...

I have been taking part in training with Foyer Federation and Mayday Trust, the work that I will be predominately producing will be based around young peoples experiences and achievements. Other blogs i will be sharing will be of my thoughts and feelings throughout the process. So far i have interviewed 2 people on the impacts and achievements that they feel are important to them and have produced my own story on this subject too. I hope to upload these soon along with my most recent adventures. In July i will be reporting residents of Mayday Trust experience of a work placement with Unipart Automotive. This will include a video/animation written reports and video recording. I am also doing a day in the life project that will involve creating a video/animation using photography, video recordings and music.
On 1st july i will be visiting the recently opened Mayday Trust accomodation and will be interviewing the residents to there and finding out how they feel the changes have and will effect them.
I have applied for a work placement with BBC Radio Northampton and look forward to my response from them and a potentially amazing oppurtunity to work with them.

all good fun and all hard work
but i will do it and i will kick ass !!

Fi :)

Journalism Blog

Hey there

This is my blog of my journalism work...
I hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment any suggestions on how to improve my work or any ideas of what you would like me to investigate.

This blog will include my work and also a record of the way i am feeling about this ... the good ... the bad ... and the ugly!

Happy reading guys !! :)  

Fi