Month: May 2023

The Cart Shed is well known to us at SIL for the amazing opportunities they give to many of our service users. This wonderful organisation has now received Macmillan funding to support people who are living with cancer, which includes those who are undergoing or have completed treatment, or those who have had a recent diagnosis.

These free therapeutic sessions will provide the chance to learn a new creative skill, such as willow work or green woodworking, while being supported by the charity’s team of occupational therapists, mental health practitioners and expert tutors. All of this will take place in The Cart Shed’s beautiful woodlands in Norton Canon so anyone who comes can also enjoy all the benefits of being outside in nature.

A taster session is being held on Monday 29^th May from 10 am – 12pm, where participants can do a simple willow or greenwood working project and find out what being at The Cart Shed is all about.

If someone enjoys the experience they can then choose a day to attend weekly sessions, which will be running Mondays – Thursdays.  Each session includes a delicious lunch cooked on their outdoor stoves. These sessions are free of charge and transport is available on request (where possible) from pick-up points in Hereford, Kington and Leominster.

To find out more or apply for these sessions please visit: https://www.thecartshed.co.uk/ and fill in an online referral form found on the home page and state that you are interested in the Living With Cancer programme.

Across the UK thousands of dedicated people are care or support workers, who do their job feeling at the end of a day that they have made a real difference to someone else’s quality of life. They don’t do this for the money but because it’s a vocation – “a person’s employment or main occupation, especially regarded as worthy and requiring dedication”.

Just one of the many vocational elements of being a support worker with SIL’s Independent Living at Home service, is encouraging and enabling our service users to be part of their community. This can give them a sense of belonging, purpose, and identity, which helps make their lives more fulfilling. It also develops a greater understanding of disability within the wider community, and nurtures new friendships.

One such friendship has developed between SIL service user Andrew and the people of Ross-on-Wye Car Boot. This relationship was witnessed first hand one day when Team Leader Clayton went with Andrew to Ross Car Boot sale. This was a journey of exploration, pure joy and excitement for Andrew, who systematically hit each stall or pitch looking for collectables.

15 minutes later Andrew surprised Clayton by smiling and telling Clayton to follow him. Then Andrew vanished into a culinary Tardis, and stood triumphantly at the counter. Andrew had jumped to the front of the queue, without any protests from the waiting patrons, and to Clayton’s surprise a member of the catering team asked Andrew what he would like. Andrew replied with such speed and excitement, “A sausage sandwich and a drink’, followed by “How much do I owe you?”

“The same as last week”, came the reply, after which Andrew sat down and waited for his order. After he had finished he said goodbye and left – without paying.

Clayton called after Andrew, but before he could say anything the member of staff interjected with, “He doesn’t need to pay, and neither do you!” The member of staff then thanked Clayton for “being the salt of the earth”, before Andrew dragged him off for a second lap of the stalls.

It is these small acts of kindness and the understanding shown by so many people that makes care and support work so rewarding. It is also these gestures that demonstrate how people with disabilities can be a part of their local communities.

So, for anyone who is reading this who isn’t sure if care work is for them this message is from Clayton:

“When you are tired from a 24-hour shift where you never sleep soundly; or feeding horses in all weathers; going on bike rides; trying to solve 5,000,000-million-piece jigsaws; administering vital medication; supporting someone through a seizure; or supporting someone to eat, or taking care of their personal hygiene, it doesn’t matter if we are not given the recognition by governments past, present or future. What’s important is that we are appreciated by those who truly count – the people we support and the communities they live in, and sometimes that comes in all shapes and sizes.”

Each December, staff from award-winning Services for Independent Living (SIL), nominate a charity they would like to support with fund raising events throughout the following year.

Euan McPherson, SIL’s CEO, said: “Although we are a charity ourselves, we believe that we should also do what we can to support other charities that share SIL’s vision of supporting people to live independent lives and be as active as they can and want to be in their local communities.

“As well as supporting our Charity of the Year, we also host a Macmillan Coffee morning and an event in December to support Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day fundraiser”.

In previous years SIL has supported Jeans for Genes, Yeleni Therapy & Support and Guide Dogs for the Blind. In 2020 the nominated charity was Megan Baker House (MBH), but sadly the Covid pandemic meant that the usual fundraising activities were unable to take place for two years. In 2022 the social calendar was back on the agenda and SIL hosted an Easter Eggstravaganza, a Jubilee Celebration to mark the late Queen’s anniversary, and a special on-line Christmas Bingo.

Thanks to the generosity of SIL’s staff and service users at these events the sum of £735.16 was raised and the cheque was presented to MBH’s Chief Executive, Lee Gough, by Euan McPherson.

Lee Gough said: “A huge thank you to everyone involved with the SIL fundraising effort, this is a fabulous amount for MBH. We are entirely self- funding and need to find almost £400,000 each year to continue the support we provide for many families across the region. Last year was our 20th anniversary and we now help over 140 children and adults to look forward to a more optimistic future. You can see more of our work at www.meganbakerhouse.org.uk”

This year SIL’s charity of the year is Echo, and SIL is looking forward to presenting a cheque to them early next year.

Photo: SIL’s CEO, Euan McPherson presenting MBH CEO, Lee Gough with the cheque