It’s been another busy year for all of us at TDC – we’ve seen so much positive activity within the neighbourhoods we work with and across the whole city. It’s been fun continuing our work with many of our long-term partners and collaborators and getting to know lots of new people as well.
Here are the highlights of 2018 according to our team…
“I have had a number of highlights this year, from frantically producing popcorn at the amazingly busy and successful BME wellbeing event to welcoming people from far and wide to the Vallance Centre for the ‘Local and Family History Session’ as part of the Older People’s Festival. More recently I really enjoyed co-working with other TDC staff to support the Community Buildings Network in hosting the networking and information session at Community Base.”
Cal Chester, Community Development Support Worker – Citywide Projects
“A highlight of this year for me has been working alongside Hyde Residents on the Phoenix estate who have worked tirelessly to build a new Resident Steering Group. Its been an honour to watch them grow into a group that is building better ties with their social landlord and organising social events for their community as well as creating local partnerships within their ward. I look forward to attending their launch of the group next year.”
Emma Reeves, Community Development Worker – Tarner & Eastern Road
“This year I came back from maternity leave to a brand new project on Social Prescribing – linking people to community services and groups to improve their health and wellbeing. As a BME engagement worker I have always felt the need to provide dedicated one to one support to the BME individuals we worked with over the years and this project has given me the opportunity to work more closely with them. I am looking forward to connecting further with the wider BME communities and strengthening the existing relationships.”
Sayanti Banerjee, BME engagement and link worker
“It’s been a busy time over the last 12 months with lots of sessions, events and trips provided for young people in North and East Brighton
We started a new Yoga for Teenagers Project in February, had a fantastic Sports Festival for Young People back in June and a packed Summer holiday programme in July and August. We also launched the Youth Café in Whitehawk in July. This is on top of continuing the Young Women’s Group and Thursday Youth Club in Moulsecoomb and the Young Women’s group on the traveller site.
I am especially proud of my fantastic team of Youth Activity Workers and volunteers. Many of the YAW and volunteers are new to TDC and it’s been brilliant to see the team forming and getting on so well together – this then has a positive impact on the work they do with young people. They come to each youth club session with ideas, enthusiasm and a real desire to bring out the best in the young people we are working with.”
Caroline Vitta, Community Worker with Young People
“My highlight would have to be the production of the Moulsecoomb & Bevendean Neighbourhood Action Plan. A testament to the hard work going on between services and volunteers in these communities. It was my privilege to capture this and help begin planning future projects through many conversations and many coffees…”
Kirsty Walker, Director of Neighbourhood Projects
“This year I have particularly enjoyed working alongside our TDC Youth Team in developing our detached work across East Brighton as well as supporting the launch of a new Youth Café in Whitehawk. During the summer holidays we also tried offering weekly Sports drop-ins at local green spaces which proved popular, so will be planning to grow that offer in 2019!”
Claire Burchell, Senior Community Worker with Young People and TDC Detached Co-Ordinator
“There were so many highlights for me this year – Mish and Maha speaking at the Equality Symposium, our BME wellbeing event, the Moulsecoomb Bangladeshi Women’s Group London Trip and our BME Wellbeing Projects Volunteer Louise joining TDC!”
Ratna Jan Bibi, Community Development Worker – BME Communities (Wellbeing)
“I had a great time working with St George’s Hall Committee this year, trying out different activities for the community and neighbourhood in North Moulsecoomb – and most of all celebrating together at St George’s Hall Summer Party in June!”
Anke Thurm, Community Development Worker – Moulsecoomb, Bevendean & Bates estate
“I have met so many wonderful people through the monthly coffee and croissant hub networking sessions I’ve been facilitating in Moulsecoomb & Bevendean and East Brighton. It has been inspiring to hear all about everyone’s sparkle moments and to help to build links between services.”
Kaye Duerdoth, Director of Training and Research
“A highlight this year for me has been seeing local residents take up the opportunities to bake bread at the Stoneham Bakehouse. Through funding provided by Healthy Neighbourhood Fund and a taster session held for the Older People’s Festival small groups of residents connected with others in their community and learnt to bake bread and chat in a relaxed atmosphere.”
Mark Drayton, Community Development Worker – Portslade and Portland Road
“A highlight of this year for me has been the Hollingdean Community Catch Up, particularly the project ideas and new collaborations that have sparked from the event.”
Céza Da Luz, Community Development Worker – Hollingdean and Saunders Park
“My highlight of the year was growing our youth work offer to the Pride Festival weekend. We worked with close to 1,000 teenagers over the Saturday and Sunday ensuring that the whole event was as fun and safe as possible for the benefit of the whole city.”
Adam Muirhead, Director of Youth Work
“This year we started a new ‘Community Navigation Plus’ social prescribing project for people from BAME communities, in partnership with Impetus – this is a really valuable and exciting addition to our BAME work, with more in the pipeline for 2019. We are really pleased to have partnered with Impact Initiatives in their successful bid to deliver the new Ageing Well service for older people across the city and we organised 8 events across the city for the Older People’s Festival this year, a new record!”
Lyndsay Macadam, Director of Equalities
“A highlight for me this year has been working with May Road residents to help them to take back ownership of their road after several years of serious anti-social behaviour that affected the whole street, leaving them feeling isolated and disenfranchised. The residents formed a group that have organised clean up days, produced a newsletter which was delivered to all households in the road, and applied for funding to help beautify the street which they have used to plant flowers and plants along the whole road. Several residents of the May Road also now attend local community association meetings, have joined the association committee and participate and are helping to run several new and existing local activities.”
Amy Allison, Community Development Worker – Pankhurst area and Craven Vale
“I’ve only been with TDC for a few weeks, but the highlight for me has been meeting everyone and hearing about all the amazing work that’s going on with communities across the city – it really brings it all to life. I’m currently organising the move of TDC’s head office into a spacious new office ‘suite’ at Community Base and I hope TDC’s new home for the new year does justice to all the great people who will work there! “
Sarah Thomas, Project Manager
“It’s been a great year in my Older People’s work and my work for the Dementia Action Alliance. I have now created 310 Dementia Friends and a highlight was delivering to the Tarner Young Women’s group who took part enthusiastically. It is also lovely to see the DeMob Dementia Peer Support group thriving.
For the Friends of Downlands Court at Peacehaven it was a coup to secure a second round of Co-Op Community Fund funding amounting to over £11.000. This is due to the strong links that the group supported by me, has forged with the local community.
I have nearly completed my first year working out of New Larchwood to lead on the Older People’s work in North and Central Brighton. I am happy to say I work with a great bunch of volunteers. A particular highlight has been supervising this year’s tranche of Occupational Therapy students, one who is just completing her placement and two who have just completed their pre-placement visits. These trainees bring such a lot to our facility with their enthusiasm and ideas for activities: we really miss them when they go. One of our highlights was our launch party in October for the Intergenerational Supper club, as part of the Older People’s Festival.
It is such a privilege for me to be working in a job that gives me so much pleasure and which brings me into contact with great people. Let me wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.”
Sue Sayers, Senior Community Participation & Development Support Worker