KEYRING NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY KEYRING …...Newcastle Member for a long time, and he’s been regularly going to Amsterdam for a long time too! David has been to Amsterdam 20 times.

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KEYRING NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY KEYRING MEMBERS / SUMMER 2018 / NUMBER 54

The Learning Disability World CongressThe Congress was held at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham with guests from around the world.

On day one there was a workshop called Experience in Building Self–Advocacy. People talked about how they had to fight to get their voices heard. In New Zealand a group of people with learning disabilities took over a derelict house and organised a march through the town when they were not being listened to.

On day two there was a Global Self–Advocacy Summit and we

heard about some of the big issues from around the world. They showed us a film about people’s experiences of being included and excluded from their communities, and a plan of action for self-advocates to become more involved.

We made placards about the issues we wanted to tell people about. The second group we did was on issues in our areas and I wrote about getting people involved in our groups and funding for self-advocacy groups.

In other sessions we heard from self–advocates from New Zealand and Canada as well as Sunderland People first and Skills for People United Kingdom. They talked about Quality Checking in hospitals.

On the last day session one was about Achieving Change through Working in Partnership. This session was hard to understand as

the people spoke too fast and used long words. At break time I made a video about this.

Session two was Hear My Voice. The session leader gave a presentation about how to get involved in politics. We heard from Anna Hildingsson from Sweden who talked about working with Swedish politicians to make information about voting accessible.

A very tiring but exciting few days!

By Christopher Porter, North Yorkshire Self–Advocate

Christopher with his placard

Christopher at the congress

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KEYRING NEWS / SUMMER 2018 / EDITION 54

ContentsThe Learning Disability World Congress 1

Sam’s Shop and Dawn’s Climb 2

News from the Trustees 3

News from Newcastle and Gateshead 4

The Time Exchange 5

Editors and North East Holiday 6

Swimming with Sharks! 7

North East Safety Event 8-9

Richard’s Activities and Trip to Scarborough 10

Befriending & Pet Stories 11

Puzzle 12

Easy Recipe – Sugar Free Tart 13

Notices 14

Plastic Pick–Up 15

John and Janice’s Arts and Crafts 16

Self Advocate Sam’s ShopSam Sellers is a Self Advocate in Selby. He has been making furniture and crafts in a local shop called Em People.

I go to the shop on Monday. We do all handmade stuff and furniture there. The staff take photos of what we’ve been doing for facebook. We do events in the shop.

If customers come I can tell them how much it costs to buy things

and put the sale in the book with the right code and date.

I put the t-shirts on hangers for adults and children. We sometimes get donations to the shop. At the end of the day we all do the cleaning and tidy up, then take off our badge.

Dawn’s Climb!Dawn Hague climbed Ben Nevis by herself earlier this year.

I was meant to do it last year with my friends but when we got there the winds were 100mph and it wasn’t safe.

My friends wanted to try again this year. I didn’t think I was ready to do it but I went along and in the end I did it!

There was wind, hail, snow, it was incredible. We were all walking like John Wayne for a week afterwards! (So was everyone else).

I set off at half past 7 in the morning and it took 8 and a quarter hours. My friends were a bit quicker. Coming down you’re really close to the edge so you have to be careful! You do all this training to get to the top and when you get there all you want to do is get to the bottom again!

My friends bought me a medal because I’d done it on my own. I don’t know what I’ll climb next but since I did it I do feel a lot more resourceful. I’ve got a skydive coming up!

Dawn wearing her medal

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News from the TrusteesKeyRing Trustees met on 28th June.

This was Shaun and Brian’s first meeting and it was great to meet them.

Trustees were pleased with KeyRing’s finances. The surplus looks very good, but that is because a few organisations owed us money in the previous year which they have now paid this year.

The Trustees were excited about developing new networks and other services for KeyRing, including using social media to tell people what we do. We hope to get Members involved in this too.

Member Satisfaction SurveyThe Trustees were pleased to see the comments in the Member Satisfaction Survey, but would like to see even more Members give their feedback in the future, including complaints. It is really important that KeyRing knows what you think about your support so we can make improvements.

How happy are you with the help and support that you get from KeyRing?

Good News!We have recently won some tenders in different parts of the country.

A tender is a big piece of work we have to do when we want a local authority to renew our contract, or we want them to give us a new contract so that we can start new networks or services.

The places we have done this successfully this year are:

✱ Islington

✱ North Yorkshire

✱ Bexley

✱ Croydon

✱ Flintshire Well done to everyone involved in this work!

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Victoria’s Reading Group

Victoria from Leam Lane Network has joined a reading group. They meet every Monday morning. She says:

“It’s the course I’ve always wanted to do. We learn about capital letters at the start of a sentence, sending emails on a tablet, and writing my address.

After I left school I didn’t think there’d be courses and new things to learn, but I feel this has helped me in a lot of different ways. I got a certificate for 100% attendance. I have passed two mock exams already and I’m waiting for the results of the main one. My dad says he’s really proud of me.”

Wayne’s still cycling

Last time there was a North East newspaper Wayne told us about how he had started cycling.

“Since then I have become a Cycle Ride Leader. I had to do a course on Saturday the 19th May this year. We had to go round the streets on our bikes showing that we knew how to lead a group of cyclists. We got a certificate to show we had qualified. I’ve been on some trips to Tynemouth, and to the Metro Centre. I am planning to cycle all the way down to London and I’m really looking forward to it.

I am also going to be doing a First Aid course in September. This will be useful when I am out cycling with people in case there are any accidents. I’ve just bought a new bicycle from a friend which cost me £200. It folds up so I can take it on the bus.”

David’s trips to Amsterdam

David Johnson has been a Newcastle Member for a long time, and he’s been regularly going to Amsterdam for a long time too!

David has been to Amsterdam 20 times. He catches the overnight ferry from North Shields; it leaves at 5pm and arrives in Holland at 9am the next morning.

David spends the day in Amsterdam then catches the ferry back to North Shields that evening. David loves going to Amsterdam because it is an interesting place and he likes talking to the friendly people there.

Newcastle and Gateshead News

Wayne’s new bike

Victoria reading KeyRing News! David in the trees

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● BY NIGEL WILD

Charles Gardiner is a Member in The Arthur’s Hill network in Newcastle. He is also a long-standing member of the Time Exchange on Stanton Street. This is a fantastic project which has been going for many years.

The Time Exchange is a Time Bank which is a way for people to share skills with others in their community and be rewarded for it... in time! For every hour of time you give providing a service for another Time Exchange member you receive one time credit. You can exchange your time credits or save them to use in the future.

Charles gets most of his time credits from working in the Community Garden Project managed by the Time Exchange.

He has been a Time Exchanger for many years and he says it is a great project. He loves working in the garden and he gets credits for his work which he banks for the future whenever he needs some help.

Recently the Time Exchange got some funding to pay for a minibus to take people into the local countryside. They have offered the minibus to KeyRing Members and we have gladly accepted the offer. The first trip was out to Housesteads, a large Roman

fort on a very dramatic part of Hadrian’s Wall. We had a lovely sunny day and we walked up the steep hill to the Roman Wall and walked along it a little way before we stopped for our picnic.

Everyone had a great day and we were very pleased that the Time Exchange had given us the chance to get out to the Wall. Many of the group had never been before and really enjoyed the history and the dramatic scenery. Some of us

Charlie and the Time Exchangehad never walked so far before and were very proud that we had gone so far and enjoyed it so much.

Our second trip was to the Low Hauxley Nature Reserve to enjoy the Visitor Centre there and the birds on their lake. The café at the Visitor Centre has a great view over the lake and you have a good view of birds coming, going and swimming around.

After a coffee and a snack we found the path to the beach and walked the two and a half miles to Amble, a small seaside town with fishing boats. We had a slow walk because of the breathing and mobility issues some of us had but we eventually got to Amble. We had our picnic lunch before the one and only shower of the day got us wearing waterproofs ready for a real downpour from a very dark cloud hovering above. Fortunately it never came and the sun came out again…. Hurrah

We had a fine day by the seaside, not quite lovely enough to tempt us for a swim in the very calm water but almost. Thanks again to the Time Exchange and especially their staff member Rachel who came with us and their helpful volunteers Sarah and Tyrone. We had a good time walking and talking together.

Charlie enjoying the day out

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VICTORIA

Victoria from the Leam Lane network – “I like watching Coronation Street and I’ve been to the old set! I enjoyed the trip to Keswick.”

ROBERT

Robert – from Low Edges. “Keep calm and pass the tea please!”

JOHN

John from the Rossington network. John enjoys pottery – see some of his work on page 16.

JANICE

Janice from the Rossington network. Janice loves crafting, especially making her own cards – see Janice’s cards on page 16.

RICHARD

Richard Farmer from Low Edges – “I enjoy learning about stuff – any stuff! It’s educational for anyone and everyone.”

REBECCA

Rebecca from the Kimberworth Park network – “I’m chatty. I live at Wingfield and that’s all you need to know! I’ve got two nieces and one nephew.”

STEVEN

Steven Holley from the Low Edges network in Sheffield – “I’m bubbly and friendly.”

WAYNE

Wayne from Newcastle – “I like doing a lot of cycling and I also liked the trip to Keswick.”

North East Members’ Holiday

This July some Members from Newcastle and Gateshead went away for a few days in the Lake District. We stayed in a hostel in Keswick and from there we went out and did all sorts of activities.

Some of us went out on the lake in a rowing boat, we did some hill walking, everyone had a go at archery and a couple of people tried the climbing wall.

We also went shopping in the market at Keswick and out for a lovely dinner on the last night.

We were lucky enough to have the most incredible weather and we all had to make sure we protected ourselves from the heat.

It was a shame to come home to Newcastle, but we had a great time and are already thinking about another trip away.

54 This time the Editing Group was

made up of Members from across the North East.

North East Members out walking

Members having a go at archery

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Pauline’s Shark Tale ● BY PAULINE DODSWORTH

It was my 50th birthday and I wanted to do something special. On the same day in 2003 my dad sadly passed away so I wanted to remember him too.

I decided to go swimming with sharks! Kim said ‘are you sure you mean sharks, don’t you mean dolphins?’ I definitely meant sharks!

We spent a lot of time planning and looking into things. I knew it would cost a lot of money but I knew it would be worth it.

On the 23rd May, I got up at 4.30am and it was still dark outside! Tracy knocked on my door at 5.33am and we walked to the train station in Northallerton. Even though it was early there were lots of people waiting and I was surprised.

On the train I had a muffin with a candle in it. It took us 3 hours to get to London but I couldn’t wait to swim with sharks. We looked for the Sealife Centre, Tracy got us a little bit lost!

I was so excited to swim with sharks. There were 2 other people who were doing it at the same time. I had to use ladders to get into the cage, I got in last.

The water was absolutely freezing! I turned round and there were 2 big boy sharks and 2 little sharks. They swam around us and I got to watch. We weren’t allowed to put our hands out of the cage.

I was in there for half an hour but wanted to stay in longer. Tracy took lots of pictures for me but we couldn’t take any under water.

We went to have a picnic but I wouldn’t buy a coke because it was too expensive! After our picnic, we went to London Zoo.

It was the first time I had been to London. I wouldn’t like to live there because it is too busy and expensive. We walked 11 miles that day! When it was time to go home, I was absolutely tired. I was so happy and excited that I had swum with sharks, I couldn’t stop smiling.

I got back to my flat at 10.30pm and went straight to sleep. It was a long day but definitely worth it. I want to say thank you to Tracy for making dreams come true.

If you have a dream, do it! You can’t take your money with you. Next time, I would like to go swimming with sharks abroad.

Pauline in the pool

Pauline in her wetsuit

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Yorkshire Community Safety Event

Members from networks in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham came together on Wednesday 1st August to attend a Community Safety Event run by South Yorkshire Police. The event was also attended by KeyRing CEO Karyn Kirkpatrick and took place at the Lifewise Centre in Rotherham.

The Lifewise Centre is an interactive learning centre for South Yorkshire communities,

developed by South Yorkshire Police and

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Featuring a purpose-built set, it is used to educate visitors about safety and citizenship with the ultimate aim of reducing crime and improving quality of life.

Our hosts for the day were Andy Foster and Head of Special Constabulary Steve Merrett along with Police volunteers Janet and Ian. Our day began in the conference room where Andy told us a little bit about the Lifewise Centre and the agenda for the event. We would be covering Meet the Police, Internet Safety, Doorstep Crime and Rogue Traders and also having a bit of fun with a game called Barak designed to test your reflexes.

Andy then invited us to go through to the ‘set’ and what an amazing place. A full indoor street with a pub, a café and various shops and houses. The set also has a mock police station with a cell, a hospital entrance and treatment room and a courtroom.

Once on the set we were introduced to Sergeant Guthrie and PC Thickett who are road traffic officers. Members happily took the opportunity to look around a police car, police motorcycle and fire response vehicle. Members donned police helmets and jackets and posed for photographs.

Thanks to Lifewise for the photo

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There was also an opportunity for a couple of Members to sit on the Police Motorcycle and Sue Dodds from Wombwell and Darren Heads from Doncaster were very happy to oblige.

Steve Merrett also talked to Members about how South Yorkshire Police had visited other forces to improve practice on how they work with and support vulnerable adults who are victims of crime. He also talked about hate crime and the difference in phoning 101 and 999.

We then moved into one of the houses on the set and Fire Officer Charley had set up several fire hazards which I’m very happy to report were spotted really easily by Members.

Charley also talked about how best to act if you suspect fire such as keeping doors closed, calling the fire brigade and waiting in

your property until they arrive rather than risking climbing out of windows. Charley assured Members that the fire brigade will arrive within 8 minutes of a fire being reported and often in less than 5 minutes.

Next stop was the Café set and WPC Claire talked to us about internet safety and demonstrated to Members just how easy it is to get personal information about people from their Facebook page. Claire also covered fake e-mails and dating sites.

We then went through to a garden setting and played Barak. It’s a square metal frame with 12 lights spread around it. As they light randomly you have to tap them with your hand and see how many you can get in 30 seconds. The instructor managed 30. North East Team Manager Kath Heat had a very respectable 29 but the highest score on the day was Barnsley Community Enabler Sharon Swales

with a 31. A big well done to everyone who had a go.

After a break for lunch Andy then talked to us about the different kinds of scams, phone scams, postage scams, doorstep callers and rogue traders.

He then took us back through to a set of a kitchen and along with volunteer Janet acted out a distraction burglary pretending to be from the water board and a rogue trader offering to repair roof tiles. Andy and Janet also gave examples of how to deal with these situations if they should happen to you.

We then headed back to the conference room to talk a little more about postage and phone scams and to finish a very rewarding, informative and fantastic day enjoyed by Members and staff alike.

By Steve Pritchard

Sue trying the motorcycle!

Sean playing Barak

Members meeting the Police

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The Life Stories Group and the Radio Club

● BY RICHARD FARMER

I go to Totley Library on Saturday with Mrs Sue and Mrs Pauline and I help out there by doing little jobs that are useful. They don’t look important but all the little jobs need doing.

The group is for older people, some with memory problems, to write their life stories. One man served in Egypt in 1946, another lady didn’t go to school in the war but got an engineering degree when she was 50. I wrote about my history, when I was very naughty and pinched colouring books from the newsagents. I was only a wee lad at the time.

I go to the Radio Club on Monday and we talk to people all over the world. It’s as clear as a local phone call on a radio that is no longer than half of a house brick. I can speak to the Space Station.

Thrybergh and Kimberworth Park trip to Scarborough

● BY REBECCA HIPKIN

Some of us went on the train and some went on the bus. We went to a really nice fish shop and walked around the pier.

My favourite bit of the day was getting some sweets and gifts.

These are some pictures of our day taken by Members.

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Steven’s Cat ● BY STEVEN HOLLEY

I got Missy as a kitten as my other cat got run over. My friend’s cat had kittens. Missy went to someone else first but they didn’t look after her properly so she came to live with me.

A couple of days after I got Missy she had an accident. She slipped on something and dislocated her paw but she’s better now.

She likes anything that dangles down, including long coats! Robert says he always wears a short jacket when he comes round, to be safe.

BefriendingWe do befriending at Lower Boshaw Nursing Home with people with dementia. We help with making tea and coffee and chat to the residents. We also train the staff about disability.

I helped with the dementia exhibition doing arts, crafts and films which were shown

at the Cathedral. Some things went to Denver USA as part of a partnership arrangement.

Art at the HubSteven Holley and Richard Farmer did some pictures of Billy Sharp of Sheffield United at the Hub which runs every Thursday in Sheffield.

Stories from Sheffield ● BY STEVEN HOLLEY

Rebecca’s Dog ● BY REBECCA HIPKIN

Molly was my dog for 2 years. I got her from Doncaster. She’s black

and white and loves people. She likes to play with a ball and listening to music.

I have lots of pictures of her. Sadly I had a difficult time and she went to live with another KeyRing Member. She is happy because she has a garden to play in. I hope I will be able to visit her soon.

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1

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3

4 5 6

7

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PuzzleCan you solve the clues? Each one will give you the name of a North East KeyRing Area.

Clues1. This place has a shopping centre called

Trinity Square. (9 letters)2. This town has a ‘New York’ stadium.

(9 letters)3. This place is associated with the birth of

the modern railway. (10 letters)4. This place is known for coal mining and

glass making and being the home of the comedian Charlie Williams. (8 letters)

5. This is where we held the editing group meeting! It also has one of the oldest racecourses in the world. (9 letters)

6. This town was known as Steel City because of all the steel items that were made there. (9 letters)

7. This place is known for its docks, tower and famous Ice Factory building. (7 letters)

8. The football team from this place is known for playing in black and white. (9 letters)

Answers on page 16

North East KeyRing puzzle

Wednesday Wargaming ● BY ROBERT NAYLOR

I am very interested in tabletop wargaming down on Woodseat on a Wednesday afternoon.

I enjoy it very much as each week’s game is different and gives a chance to wargame while under

the influence of a matching era hat. My first game was doing the dash to Arman and I had a lot of fun working with my fellow commanders.

Sue and Richard both find it interesting and are planning on coming up with our own.

Puzzle by the North East Editorial Group

Robert and his friends playing in their appropriate hats!

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Easy Recipes ● BY RICHARD FARMER

Richard’s Sugar Free Frangipan TartWhat you need:

One pastry tart base

3oz butter (85g)

Sweetener

2 eggs – beaten

3oz ground almonds (85g)

Sugar free jam OR poached, sliced fruit

Sliced almonds

To serve: fromage frais, yoghurt or sugar free custard

What you do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/190c (170 if fan assisted).

2. Spread a layer of jam in the bottom of the pastry base OR arrange a layer of the fruit.

3. Mix together the ground almonds, sweetener, butter and eggs. You can do it by hand but it’s much quicker in a food processor!

4. Taste the mixture and add more sweetener if you like.

5. Spread it over the jam/fruit and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.

6. Cook for 45-50 minutes.

7. Serve with the fromage frais, yoghurt or sugar free custard.

Notices

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NoticesGood News from Barnsley

Barnsley Member David lost his wallet

and a total stranger picked it up. He saw

the KeyRing mobile number inside the

wallet, he called me (Sue Davis) and I

arranged for them to meet up so David

could be reunited with his wallet intact.

Well done to Tony in Selby

Tony leads a football team for people with learning disabilities at Selby Leisure Centre. The team recently made it into their local paper, the Selby Times.

KeyRing Sheffield

website

KeyRing Members in Sheffield have set up

their own website. They use it to share

information about what they have been

doing and what they have coming up.

See it at: www.keyringsheffield.weebly.com.

Congratulations Richard

Congratulations to Barnsley Member Richard Senior who has recently completed his OCR Living Skills course. Here he is receiving his certificates.

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Mark’s New Business!Last year we shared stories from Members in Grimsby who had been getting creative. Mark Nesbitt had been making new one-off pieces of furniture out of old things and said that he was hoping to turn his hobby into a business. Now Mark has opened his own shop!

Mark is still making beautiful household items and furniture out of old pallets and selling them in his shop.

He is settling into the new premises on Pasture Street in Grimsby and is confident the shop will do well there.

The shop is called All Things Shabby and Mark has had a successful first week in both sales and bespoke made to measure items.

He has volunteers helping him to run the shop and has had the support of Active Humber, a local organisation that supports new business to get off the ground.

PAGE 15 PHOTO SHOP

‘Mark outside his new shop.’

PAGE 15 PHOTO SHOP 2

‘Some of Mark’s furniture for sale.’

PAGE 15 PHOTO SHOP 3 (IF SPACE)

‘Mark at work.’

Keeping Lowedges Tidy!On Saturday 12th May Lowedges Members organised a plastic pick up as part of the ‘great plastic pick up’ set up by Keep Britain Tidy and the Daily Mail.

Over the last few weeks we have been trying to reduce our use of plastic, some of us have stopped using teabags, we try to buy food which is not wrapped in plastic and no longer use plastic carriers - it’s harder than you think! Here are some pictures of our pick up.

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That’s all for this time! If you have anything you would like to see in the paper, please send it to:

Sarah Hatch, KeyRing Living Support Networks, 21 St Olav’s Court, Lower Road, London, SE16 2XB

Or e-mail Sarah at [email protected] For an audio version of the paper phone 020 3119 0960

John’s CraftJohn does craft at Holmescarr five days a week. He has been going there for about five or six years. He really enjoys it.

He does sugarcraft, cooking and pottery and gets help to do it because he can’t see well. In the photo he is holding a fox that he’s made. This is his favourite thing he has made. John also does card making at Holmescarr.

Janice’s cards“I joined KeyRing in 2004. In September I joined Holmescarr to do craft work. On Tuesdays we did sewing and I started making cards. We do all kinds of decoupage. I’ve had to stop going because I can’t walk far with my arthritis so now I do the work at home.

I’ve enjoyed doing it and I bought myself an electronic die-cutter in July. I make cards and sell them. Cassie always buys some for birthdays and Christmas! I’m hoping to get a stall on Rossington market with my cousin Carol who also does decoupage as well as sewing and knitting.”

Arts and Crafts in RossingtonPuzzle answers: 1. Gateshead, 2. Rotherham, 3. Darlington, 4. Barnsley, 5. Doncaster, 6. Sheffield, 7. Grimsby, 8. Newcastle

Some of Janice’s work

John with his pottery fox

KEYRING NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY KEYRING …...Newcastle Member for a long time, and he’s been regularly going to Amsterdam for a long time too! David has been to Amsterdam 20 times.

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