TDC met with old friends and new at the Chattri Memorial Service on Sunday 9th June to remember all the Indian soldiers who fought on the Western Front in the First World War. The service included prayers and hymns, wreath laying, an address by the High Commissioner and reply by the Lord Lieutenant.
This trip meant our first outing using the Ageing Well minibus, many thanks to Nick from Impact for driving members of the BME 50+ group. I've never been off road in a minibus before.
The BMECP 50+ Group, is a multicultural club for people aged 50 years and over whose aim is to reduce social isolation and bring people together. The group holds free, friendly sessions on Thursdays, 12 noon to 3pm at the BMECP Centre at 10a fleet street in Brighton (under 50s are also very welcome). Get in touch with [email protected] if you'd like to find out more about the group.
by Nichola Dixon, volunteer on our Department of Health volunteering project
I wanted to be part of this volunteering project at the Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) because I was interested in working with the black and minority ethnic (BME) communities with the purpose of increasing awareness about mental health and wellbeing. I am a student at University of Sussex and I saw this project as an opportunity to engage with the local communities while I studied. I understand that the topic of mental health and wellbeing is a stigmatised issue within the BME communities due to lack of knowledge surrounding it. I was glad that projects such as this existed so we could collectively educate residents about the services available. This has also helped me expand my knowledge on the topic and be introduced to different organisations as well.
As a TDC volunteer my role consisted of attending meetings on Wednesday morning to work on the project as a team with other volunteers. To understand what the local community wanted to know more about, we did door knocking which gave me the experience of engaging with the general public. I also helped at BME fairs put on by TDC which helped me engage with attendees and understand what their primary concerns were. At the fairs I was also able to speak to the organisations I was interested in working with for the Tarner Multicultural Group project.
I had decided that my topic was on mental health and wellbeing, after talking to MIND at the BME Wellbeing Fair.
Meeting with the worker, I was able to educate myself on the services MIND provided and to discuss the Tarner Multicultural Group project. During the meeting we were able to plan the session which was delivered on 29th May.
I had to balance my time between University and volunteering at TDC therefore the flexibility of the project was much welcomed and appreciated because I was able to get my work done in my own time and kept up to date with the TDC project manager.
Overall I was really happy with being a part of this project as there is a gap in mental health awareness for local communities that this project helps to fulfil. Despite at times the preparation being quite hands on, with the support of the project managers and fellow volunteers I was able to complete my role. This project has helped me understand the availability of different organisations as well as the need for mass intervention to help locals gain more access to services to take ownership of their health and wellbeing.
Nichola (centre) with TDC’s Terry Adams( l) and Bert Williams MBE of Brighton & Hove Black History
On Saturday 25th May, we took part in a Health and Wellbeing event at Brighton’s Open Market. The event was a chance for residents from across the city to come and meet their local health organisations and find out how to be well, healthy and happy.
TDC youth health workers and BME community navigators and community workers linked up with CCG engagement staff and GP practice staff and patients from St Peter’s, Albion St, Park Crescent, Ardingly, Arch Healthcare & Pavilion. The organisers invited voluntary sector services that they believed could benefit their patients’ wellbeing to the wellness market, these services included Cascade Creative Recovery, Oasis Project, Carers Centre, Albion in the Community, Speak Out, Carousel, Mind & Mind Out, Local Authority Health Trainers & travel advisors and Brighton Table Tennis Club. One speak out volunteer told us “It was great to link up with the GP services and talk to people who could benefit from our advocacy service”.
It is hoped to build this event into a central health forum to help services and residents network on health projects. If you are interested in getting involved contact Kirsty Walker, TDC’s Director of Neighbourhoods on 01273 234769 or at [email protected]
By Emma Reeves, Community Development Worker for Tarner.
Well last week's East Brighton Coffee and Croissant morning was a bit different to normal! Ricky Perrin from Sussex Bears Basketball Club invited us to have ago at wheelchair basketball - something none of us had done before.
It certainly brought laughter and giggles and just a bit of competitive spirit to the session. This proved to be a useful experience when thinking about residents accessing our services for the first time, and made us consider what it feels like when you are out of your comfort zone.
A big thank you to Ricky for taking the time to bring the equipment to the session, which inspired us to think outside of the box to make our session more experiential.
East Brighton Coffee & Croissant hub networking sessions are for service providers in Whitehawk and nearby. They provide a chance to meet other people working in the area and find ways to collaborate and work together more effectively. They are generally held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at a community location in the Whitehawk area. Register on Eventbrite to reserve your place and to receive updates about future sessions (and so we know how many croissants to get in!).
TDC works in partnership with other local community development organisations to host Coffee & Croissant networking events across the city. Click here to find out the dates and locations of events in:
Over the past few months, Caroline from the TDC Youth Team has been working with Sarah from the Youth Engagement Team at Brighton Museums to run an archaeology and art project for young people in Whitehawk.
The project was based on the new exhibition in the Elaine Evans Archaeology Gallery at the Museum which displays prehistoric objects that early Brighton and Sussex people would have used. The link to Whitehawk was that several objects and a skeleton had been found on Whitehawk Hill.
Consisting of a number of sessions for a group of young people from the area, participants created their own pottery and photography pieces inspired by the Whitehawk archaeological finds. Caroline says “We explored young people’s feelings about where they lived in Whitehawk and took photographs around the area – a lot of walking was done and some great pictures were taken.
“We also visited the exhibition which inspired the group for the ceramics part of the project in which young people created pieces in clay exploring textures and modern day living. For this we worked with a local ceramics student called Xanthe who knew a lot about local clay and even brought in some samples of local Whitehawk Clay that she had dug up.”
It was fantastic to hear back from the participants telling us what they had got out of the project. Abi said “I really enjoyed taking photos around Whitehawk. I learnt new things, like different camera angles, and I would like to get my own camera now” and Mohit said “I liked the clay; I could make anything I wanted”. Another participant told us “I feel like it brought out creativity I didn’t know I had”.
A selection of the photographs and ceramics created will be on display at Brighton Museum and will also form a part of B.fest the local youth arts festival. The exhibition is called Chalk, Clay and Cameras and we were thrilled to host a small Private View for participants and their families on Friday 10th May where they were able to celebrate the pieces being displayed along with an afternoon tea party of fizzy pop and cupcakes.
Please head along to the museum to see the exhibition yourselves before Thursday 12th Sept, you’ll find it upstairs, just by the entrance to the Museum Lab.
By Cal Chester – Community Development Support Worker.
I began working with the Department of Health (DoH) funded project as a support and administrative worker in March 2016. In partnership with the DoH, we were looking for volunteers to work alongside our team across Brighton and Hove to help support health and wellbeing projects in the community and my role was to help co-ordinate this. It was an exciting opportunity as it gave me the chance to work across TDC with volunteers and workers from the youth team as well as with our BME worker.
I had been a volunteer with TDC myself since 2013 working on marketing, web updates and office administration. This led to an interest in community development work and I then began paid sessional work with TDCs ‘Citywide’ projects, which involved supporting a diverse range of local community groups such as the Community Buildings Network and ADHD Aware. The DoH project supporting volunteers with a health focus was a chance to see the volunteer process from a different angle and to bring my own experiences to the work.
Initially I attended a one-day volunteer course with the Brighton Housing Trust and went to London for the DoH’s new awards meeting, where I gained a good sense of the project and its aims. I was also able to hear from previous award recipients about their successful projects, and to meet others starting newly funded projects.
In addition to the basic administrative elements of the project we began by designing and creating interesting and attractive promotional material. I was quickly encouraged to take part in the volunteer recruitment process alongside Adam Muirhead, who manages TDC’s youth team.
We worked on shortlisting, interviewing and selecting volunteers and inducting them into TDC and the youth team. This meant working with students from both Sussex and Brighton Universities and we saw those volunteers go on to gain useful skills and experience and be of great benefit to the communities they volunteered in.
At the conclusion of the first year of the project and as part of a module I was studying alongside my role on ‘conducting Community Led Research’ (as a part of TDC’s C-ODE community development training course) we carried out our own research intended to give the volunteers a voice and contribute themselves. Volunteers also had the opportunity to reflect on the nature of volunteering by considering questions such as what they brought to the project, what they wanted from volunteering and how volunteering could improve their own health and wellbeing and that of the communities they are working in.
This was one part of a variety of techniques used to evaluate the effectiveness of the project – i.e. group work, 1-1, Interviews and celebratory events – all intended to encourage participation, inclusivity and to give us measurable impact of the health benefits of volunteering.
In addition to this more formal learning, we gained much insight and knowledge over the course of the project from promoting it at university volunteer recruitment and community development fairs and as part of local health and wellbeing events.
We also held an informal celebration of BME volunteers and have clearly seen the benefits for individual volunteers, watching them grow in confidence and knowledge. Simultaneously, we saw an increased awareness of TDC’s work amongst students and the wider community.
The shape of the project has changed over time to meet different needs and to build on the work of others in TDC. In October 2018, I had the opportunity to be involved in recruiting a new cohort of BME volunteers from both established local communities and from the student population. Working as a team, volunteers and colleagues at TDC worked together to deliver two very successful events – one focused on recruiting volunteers from BME backgrounds for local community groups and projects, and another promoting available help and support for the BME communities to help improve their health and wellbeing.
The volunteers at both events experienced an enormous growth in their confidence and a chance to use and develop their skill and this in turn had a positive effect on communities. This demonstrates once again that the work has benefits for both the volunteer’s health and wellbeing and for that of the community.
On the 26th February, The Brighton and Hove Community Buildings Network (CBN) supported by TDC hosted an event in the Conference Room at Community Base, Brighton. With over 30 people in attendance, it was an opportunity to network and learn from others running and supporting community buildings in Brighton and Hove and prioritised the key issues for community buildings. Number one was recruiting more volunteers and committee members and we will be working with the network to do this over the coming year.
The first session focused on understanding the challenges faced by community buildings. It is recognised that our community buildings are strong and successful but also face many shared challenges. TDC and CBN have been identifying and exploring these challenges through a health check program conducted alongside local community buildings.
TDC’s Amy Allison and Kirsty Walker reported on the health checks findings and took us through the common challenges identified. A poll amongst those present was conducted asking what the biggest challenges they faced were. They identified recruiting more volunteers and committee members, raising funds for community buildings, resolving uncertainty around leases and governance arrangements, setting a repair budget, minimising energy costs, engaging users and potential users of the building more.
In the second session Brighton and Hove City Council’s Third Sector Manager John Reading explored potential opportunities for community buildings around a new Third Sector Commission and discussed the ongoing consultation process around the funding process. A Q&A session focused on the type of support available to community groups and buildings and how BHCC are keen to support collaborations and partnerships.
A group of Young People supported by TDC’s Youth Team and The Hangleton and Knoll Project were then welcomed. All spoke honestly, openly and movingly about the difficulties that young people can experience in their communities, particularly with the issues of isolation and exclusion. They discussed the value of community buildings, how they can be made welcoming to young people and emphasised how peer group contacts at school can lead to building relationships and the confidence to use accessible facilities. They also felt that local inter-generational links in their communities could be encouraged if it were a mutually beneficial sharing of skills and experiences. We will soon be sharing the results of a recent piece of work we’ve been involved with to help make community spaces more youth-friendly.
After a break for some delicious food provided by The Cardomom Pod the evening finished with Kirsty Walker looking at the ‘funding triangle’, focusing on needs, outcomes and impacts and a ‘live’ fundraising session led by Donna Edmead from BHCC’s Communities and Third Sector Team. The session gave everyone the chance to look at the ‘Funder Finder’ software in action and see how it can help buildings and groups to identify appropriate funding and develop effective bids.
It’s great to see the members of the network getting so much from the sessions, interacting with each other to share ideas and giving us feedback like this:
“TDC support has completely revitalised the Community Buildings Network, which after nearly 20 years in existence was running out of steam and attended only by a small, core group. Now, thanks to the professionalism and enthusiasm of the TDC staff involved in the project, interest has increased massively and a firm base for the future of the CBN has been established. Thank you to all those involved.”
Community Buildings Network Committee member
More information on the Community Buildings Network, including a map of members, can be found on the website: https://www.bhcbn.org.uk/
Local Hollingdean resident Cicely Lloyd, a very experienced English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher and new TDC team member on our MESH programme, has set up a project to promote well-being and friendship through English language learning for women in Hollingdean.
Cicely said: “There is a need for a local women-only group, which welcomes pre-school children. Many mothers are prevented from developing their English because standard academic ESOL provision rarely provides childcare.”
As result of this women, and their families, can become isolated and unable to participate and be actively involved with their local communities. In addition, many are unable to travel outside of Hollingdean due to public transport costs – an issue affecting many low-income households in Hollingdean.
The Women’s ESOL Group received an award from the Healthy Neighbourhood Fund, which is overseen by TDC, to run eight sessions this year. The sessions were very successful covering a range of topics and with a range of ages attending. Although the funding only covered until the end of March, a core group of women decided to continue meeting after the Easter holiday and are receiving support from TDC to set up as a community group. Their aim is to bring women from diverse backgrounds together for conversation, learning and mutual exchange. It will be an inclusive space, where women of all ages and children are welcome. For further details text or email Pauli 07703 344 636, [email protected]
or Stefania 07596 108 169, [email protected]
On Monday 25th March we hosted MakerClub at our Youth Cafe at the Whitehawk Inn. Makerclub is a nationwide initiative billed as "a world-class invention club for ages 8‑13" and we were very glad to partner with the local arm of the organisation as they took their robot workshop on tour across Brighton & Hove.
Young people at the Youth Cafe had the chance to make their own robot, then program it to make it move. Brighton MakerClub are currently running these workshops across the city in a bid to reduce loneliness and increase the connections between people.
The Whitehawk Youth Cafe launched last year and takes place every Monday from 3.30-5.30 at the Whitehawk Inn. Free drinks and toasties are provided and all young people aged 11-18 years are welcome to this drop-in session to play games, have a chat or take part in other activities with our friendly team of youth workers.
As at our other youth clubs in the North and East of Brighton our team of qualified youth workers can also provide support on many aspects of sexual health for young people aged over 13 years including the C card scheme, chlamydia tests and confidential relationship support.
The Whitehawk Youth Cafe has been funded by the Youth Social Action Programme via Sussex Community Foundation as part of their #iwill campaign - a UK-wide initiative aiming to get 6 out of 10 young people involved in social action by 2020. The Big Lottery Fund and the Department of Culture, Media & Sport have invested £20 million each to the #iwill fund to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities such as campaigning, fundraising and volunteering. All of these activities enable participants to make a positive difference to their communities as well as helping young people to develop the skills and knowledge that employers look for.
For more information, get in touch with Caroline TDC Youthworker on facebook and scroll down for a video talking about how making is connecting and how activities such as these can reduce loneliness.
We are thrilled to be part of the new Ageing Well commission, led by Impact Initiatives, which will deliver joined-up services for older people across the city starting this month. We’re looking forward to being part of this great partnership and bringing our successful older people’s work to new areas of Brighton and Hove.
A local charity working with people of all ages, Impact Initiatives is well known as the host of the annual Brighton & Hove Older People’s Festival, an event which takes place for 3 weeks in September/October each year to coincide with International Older People’s Day on the 1st October.
Ageing Well is a new service for the over 50s which launched on April 1st 2019. There is now a single point of contact – a dedicated phone number which older people can call to find out about activities, support and events across the City – whether its places to go, group activities, befriending, information and advice or volunteering opportunities. Impact Initiatives will co-ordinate the enquiries and match them with activities and services provided by other partner organisations (such as TDC) which best meet their needs. Our part of the project will be to provide dedicated support for older people from BME backgrounds and in certain neighbourhoods where social isolation amongst the over 50s is a problem.
If you would like to enquire for yourself or for someone you know, the number to call is 01273 322947.
Our annual BME Wellbeing Fair took place this year on Tuesday 2nd April.
The event was a chance for people to connect with and learn about some of the services available across Brighton & Hove to help improve health and wellbeing. We worked in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council, The Hangleton & Knoll Project and Sussex Interpreting services to host the event.
Delicious Chinese and Indian food was served and there were plenty of activities for attendees to get involved with - from drawing, writing and hand massages to flower arranging and origami. Lots of practical advice and information was available for people to take away and anyone travelling to the event by bus could claim a free bus ticket thanks to a kind donation from the Brighton & Hove Bus Company.
Many thanks to all the organisations who came along to talk about their services, and to the generosity of those who helped fund the event or supported us in other ways. Thank you too to our fantastic partners, plus team TDC and our volunteers who all worked so hard to make this year’s wellbeing fair happen.
Scroll down for a full list of organisations in attendance on the day as well as a film made about the event by Brighton & Hove's Latest TV.
Here is a full list of the organisations at our 2019 Wellbeing Fair, find them on twitter here:
We can provide support on many aspects of sexual health at many of our weekly youth clubs so please ask one of our youth workers if you’d like to talk to them confidentially about this. We offer the C card scheme, chlamydia tests and confidential relationship support for young people aged over 13 years at the following youth clubs:
Whitehawk Youth Cafe Monday 3.30-5.30 – Whitehawk Inn
Moulsecoomb Young Women’s Group Tuesday 6-8 – 67 Centre
Coldean Youth Group Thursdays, 6.30-8pm – Coldean Youth Club
Moulsecoomb Youth Group, Thursdays, 5.30-7.30pm – 67 Centre
the new Moulsecoomb young men’s group – Thursday 3.30-5.30pm – 67 Centre
On Saturday 25th May, we took part in a Health and Wellbeing event at Brighton’s Open Market. The event was a chance for residents from across the city to come and meet their local health organisations and find out how to be well, healthy and happy.
