news@CCS

SPRING 2005

2

news @CCS

head office218 Tulketh RoadAshton, Preston PR2 1EStel 01772 732313fax 01772 768726text 01772 731324

2 Rodney Street, Barrow LA14 1NDtel 01229 870349 fax 01229 813891

Chapel Court, 40/44 Cecil StreetCarlisle CA1 1NT tel/fax 01228 810115

St Gregory’s Presbytery, Furness Rd, MoorcloseWorkington CA14 3PD tel 01900 603663

Our Lady and St Patrick,The Priory, Eaglesfield Street,Maryport CA15 6EUtel 01900 817670

other offices

e-mail: info@catholiccaringservices.org.ukCompany Number: 1596400 Charity Number: 326021

INVESTOR IN PEOPLE

1

partnership with

(Diocese of Lancaster) Ltd

Taking forward plans for greater community involvement, Catholic Caring Services,has successfully tendered for the opportunity to manage a new initiative being organisedthrough SureStart (Fishwick & St Matthew’s). We are keen to be involved in order tobuild on our previous work in the Callon and Fishwick areas of Preston, and to respondto the needs of the young families living on those estates.

every little helps

Catholic Caring Services has traditionally been known in the Diocese of Lancaster forits children’s work, that is, its role in finding foster care homes and adoptive parentsfor children. This work goes back to 1933. Equally famous, though more recent, is theAgency’s work for the deaf and hard of hearing people and its concern for and workwork with those who have learning disabilities, both young and old.

care for the community

“I really enjoyed the afternoon and I’ve notdanced so much for years”

a quote from Norma who uses our 26+ service.

An afternoon of singing and dancing to music from the wartime era was made possible through funding from the HeritageLottery Fund Homefront Recall programme. The daycomplements other activities for their project on the war whichhave included visits to Fulwood Barracks and the War Museum.

new base for ourchildren’s servicesand react

Yesterday was cold, wet and rather miserable.All the people walking along the street looked cold,wet and rather miserable. Today was bright, sunnyand quite warm. It’s strange that there were noneof the same people on the street today.

time to ponder

www.catholiccaringservices.org.ukwww.catholiccaringservices.org.uk

From far left: ‘How to Group’ - rag rugmaking.

Get Together Group makeChinese lanterns.

Trish Taylor, project workerMarsh, giving out fortunecookies for the Chinesenew year.

4

Catholic Caring Services has responded to the Tsunami disaster appeal, not justwith personal donations to the fund but also by offering practical help and support.

Volunteers from React, our FX and 26+ services for adults with learning disabilities took partin Preston City Council’s Day of Action. The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Pat Woods

gave encouragement to the volunteers before they took to the city streets withcollection buckets. Members of the FX project also helped transport aid

collected by the Muse Arts Gallery in Preston city centre tothe International Aid Trust warehouse in Much Hoole

near Preston. The minibus was loaded with boxesof donated goods for the many trips and the helpwas appreciated.

Administration staff at our head office held aCharity Auction in their lunchtime. Donatedgoods were auctioned with a fantastic £350going towards the appeal.

Whilst being a partnership betweenCatholic Caring Services, SureStart andits partner organisations, it is also anew partnership between ourCommunity Services and Childrens’Services in rolling out this challengingand exciting project.

The newly appointed worker, RoseCork, has been involved with ourAgency on a number of fronts not least

through her work for CardinalNewman College as CommunityDevelopment Officer, involvementwith the Karibu Drama Group, andher more recent work as Researcherfor the proposed new CallonDevelopment Project. A trainedteacher and multi-lingual communityworker, Rose brings her vastexperience of work in the Northernarea of Pakistan where she set up

health and education services fromgrass root level, particularly for women.We wish her well in the days ahead asthis new project unfolds.

Indeed for years, the Day Serviceattached to the Agency’s Head Officein Tulketh Road, Preston has been aplace where each day 15-20 learningdisabled adults are supported, andactivities and experiences are providedfor stimulus, education and enjoyment.There is also a Supported LivingService, where learning disabledpeople might have the chance to liverelatively independent lives.

Six or seven years ago the Agency, itsDirector and Board of Trustees, decidedto move into community projects workin response to the growing need for

this kind of work among vulnerableand challenged communities.

So, since then there has been aCommunity Development orCommunity Projects Service, whoserole is to initiate, facilitate, sustain andsupport community projects. Theseprojects could be for older people,such as Marsh AgeLink in Lancasteror the Wesham Interact Project, orthey could be Family Support Projectslike the one in Carnforth. They couldbe a mixture of work with young andold like the brand new project CrossTracks in Maryport. They could

specialise in one area or one issue likethe Community Resettlement Projectbased at Preston, Lancaster Castleand Kirkham Prisons or the Up BeatCommunity Recycling Project inBlackpool. Whatever work they do, theover-riding aim is to bring much neededsupport and help to those in thecommunity in need of help, and toempower these people more andmore to help themselves.

Two examples might help to illustratethe point. Marsh AgeLink is basedon the Marsh estate of Lancaster inthe Castle ward area of the city.

It is an area which has a lot of shelteredbungalows and houses in amongterraced streets. Older people,though living in sheltered housing,had little offered in the way of activities.The project provides a weeklyGet-Together Group, which has avariety of themes, activities andspeakers. It has a Gardening Groupfor its Community Peace Garden,which the community has developed,a beautiful resource and facilityopen to young and old, disabled andable-bodied. It has also developeda Craft Group which meets once aweek to engage in all kinds of craft

activities, which become a medium forthe gifts of the group.

Carnforth Family Support Projectprovides much needed support forfamilies, particularly Mums with youngchildren, through activities-centredresources like Toddler Groups, Ante-natal and Post-natal groups linked toHealth Services, and a referral systemfor 1-to-1 counselling and support whichis directed mainly through the threePrimary Schools of Carnforth.

Through all its work Catholic CaringServices tries to show its Christian

care and concern for all that are in needparticularly within the communitiesthat our churches serve. Its mission isto be Christ to people, irrespective oftheir creed, colour, race or religion.Community Projects has becomesimply one more avenue to do Christ’swork, however this might be unsaidby those involved in this work. Thefamous parable in Matthew’s Gospelhas people saying:“. . . but we never saw you, we neverrecognised you . . .” And Jesus said:“. . . whenever you did this to oneof my brothers or sisters you didit to me . . .”

3

React has secured new lottery funding!

The project has been successful in obtaining a grant of £45,000 todevelop and up-skill people with learning disabilities as communitychampions and leaders in the learning disabilities field.

The grant comes at a time of great activity as React, a training and consultancyproject led by people with learning disability, expands through the North of Lancashiresupporting people to speak up for their needs and organise themselves. Gainingthis funding is important to the group, as Clare Whittle, project worker with Reactexplained ‘it’s good that our jobs are safe and we can now do different activitiesthat are part of React’s plans for 2005. We can carry on with more of the good workwe’ve done before’.

Project co-ordinator, Samantha Leonard, spoke for all of React when she said,

“young people aged 19-25 who have more complex learning disabilities and whoare excluded from education and employment opportunities will benefit from thisproject. The training will be delivered by people with learning disabilities andoperate in Preston, Lancaster, Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre”.

going back in time . . .1945 revisited

Our Adoption and Fostering teams,along with the React learning

‘What are you worth?’ is the thoughtprovoking title of the Good Shepherdcelebration to be held with BishopPatrick O’Donoghue at St Peter’sCathedral on 18 May 2005.

Besides good liturgy and music, hundredsof primary school children and a growingnumber of secondary school pupils willtake part in a range of workshops thatexplore and make relevant social issuessuch as poverty, disability andhomelessness. For further informationon how your school can join in goto our website atwww.catholiccaringservices.org.uk

good shepherd

contact information

Fr Bernard

Catholic Caring Services’ learning disability services experienced its first Commissionfor Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the final report will be shortly made available.

Martin Layton, Learning Disabilities Services said, “It was hard work preparing for our firstinspection but it was a very positive experience and we are all confident that the high growthof our services to people with learning disabilities will be reflected by the report”. In additionto services in Preston, Catholic Caring Services has recently been commissioned to providea new supported living service in Fylde and Wyre and from April 2005 will also work in Lancaster.

annualdeaf massAnnual Agency Mass led by theDeaf Service with Bishop PatrickO’Donoghue at Lancaster Cathedralon Sunday 5 June 2005 at 3pm isan opportunity for the Agency tothank volunteers.This is our tenthanniversary of celebrating themass in sign language.

an inspector calls

Catholic Caring Services hasa broad range of opportunitiesacross the Diocese, includingworking with older people, hard ofhearing, learning disabled adults,supporting children or in our charityshop. If you have time you couldoffer, phone 01772 732313 and findout how you can help.

interested in

volunteering?

everyone welcome

Adjacent to our main office in Tulketh Rd, the new site was once a Catholic club,built and run by the Knights of St Columba. The building has been refurbished toprovide office accommodation and plans to develop training facilities on the groundfloor with full disability access are afoot.

In addition to the welcome extra office space, the building has excellent potentialfor use as a training venue, with a large ground floor room which CCS plan todevelop into a modern, well equipped facility with full disability access.

disability project, moved into newoffices at Marian House in October.

@CCS

SPRING 2005

2

head office218 Tulketh RoadAshton, Preston PR2 1EStel 01772 732313fax 01772 768726text 01772 731324

2 Rodney Street, Barrow LA14 1NDtel 01229 870349 fax 01229 813891

Chapel Court, 40/44 Cecil StreetCarlisle CA1 1NT tel/fax 01228 810115

St Gregory’s Presbytery, Furness Rd, MoorcloseWorkington CA14 3PD tel 01900 603663

Our Lady and St Patrick,The Priory, Eaglesfield Street,Maryport CA15 6EUtel 01900 817670

other offices

e-mail: info@catholiccaringservices.org.ukCompany Number: 1596400 Charity Number: 326021

1

partnership withTaking forward plans for greater community involvement, Catholic Caring Services,has successfully tendered for the opportunity to manage a new initiative being organisedthrough SureStart (Fishwick & St Matthew’s). We are keen to be involved in order tobuild on our previous work in the Callon and Fishwick areas of Preston, and to respondto the needs of the young families living on those estates.

every little helps

Catholic Caring Services has traditionally been known in the Diocese of Lancaster forits children’s work, that is, its role in finding foster care homes and adoptive parentsfor children. This work goes back to 1933. Equally famous, though more recent, is theAgency’s work for the deaf and hard of hearing people and its concern for and workwork with those who have learning disabilities, both young and old.

care for the community

“I really enjoyed the afternoon and I’ve notdanced so much for years”

a quote from Norma who uses our 26+ service.

An afternoon of singing and dancing to music from the wartime era was made possible through funding from the HeritageLottery Fund Homefront Recall programme. The daycomplements other activities for their project on the war whichhave included visits to Fulwood Barracks and the War Museum.

new base for ourchildren’s servicesand react

Yesterday was cold, wet and rather miserable.All the people walking along the street looked cold,wet and rather miserable. Today was bright, sunnyand quite warm. It’s strange that there were noneof the same people on the street today.

www.catholiccaringservices.org.uk news @CCSwww.catholiccaringservices.org.uk

From far left: ‘How to Group’ - rag rugmaking.

Get Together Group makeChinese lanterns.

Trish Taylor, project workerMarsh, giving out fortunecookies for the Chinesenew year.

4

Catholic Caring Services has responded to the Tsunami disaster appeal, not justwith personal donations to the fund but also by offering practical help and support.

Volunteers from React, our FX and 26+ services for adults with learning disabilities took partin Preston City Council’s Day of Action. The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Pat Woods

gave encouragement to the volunteers before they took to the city streets withcollection buckets. Members of the FX project also helped transport aid

collected by the Muse Arts Gallery in Preston city centre tothe International Aid Trust warehouse in Much Hoole

near Preston. The minibus was loaded with boxesof donated goods for the many trips and the helpwas appreciated.

Administration staff at our head office held aCharity Auction in their lunchtime. Donatedgoods were auctioned with a fantastic £350going towards the appeal.

Whilst being a partnership betweenCatholic Caring Services, SureStart andits partner organisations, it is also anew partnership between ourCommunity Services and Childrens’Services in rolling out this challengingand exciting project.

The newly appointed worker, RoseCork, has been involved with ourAgency on a number of fronts not least

through her work for CardinalNewman College as CommunityDevelopment Officer, involvementwith the Karibu Drama Group, andher more recent work as Researcherfor the proposed new CallonDevelopment Project. A trainedteacher and multi-lingual communityworker, Rose brings her vastexperience of work in the Northernarea of Pakistan where she set up

health and education services fromgrass root level, particularly for women.We wish her well in the days ahead asthis new project unfolds.

Indeed for years, the Day Serviceattached to the Agency’s Head Officein Tulketh Road, Preston has been aplace where each day 15-20 learningdisabled adults are supported, andactivities and experiences are providedfor stimulus, education and enjoyment.There is also a Supported LivingService, where learning disabledpeople might have the chance to liverelatively independent lives.

Six or seven years ago the Agency, itsDirector and Board of Trustees, decidedto move into community projects workin response to the growing need for

this kind of work among vulnerableand challenged communities.

So, since then there has been aCommunity Development orCommunity Projects Service, whoserole is to initiate, facilitate, sustain andsupport community projects. Theseprojects could be for older people,such as Marsh AgeLink in Lancasteror the Wesham Interact Project, orthey could be Family Support Projectslike the one in Carnforth. They couldbe a mixture of work with young andold like the brand new project CrossTracks in Maryport. They could

specialise in one area or one issue likethe Community Resettlement Projectbased at Preston, Lancaster Castleand Kirkham Prisons or the Up BeatCommunity Recycling Project inBlackpool. Whatever work they do, theover-riding aim is to bring much neededsupport and help to those in thecommunity in need of help, and toempower these people more andmore to help themselves.

Two examples might help to illustratethe point. Marsh AgeLink is basedon the Marsh estate of Lancaster inthe Castle ward area of the city.

It is an area which has a lot of shelteredbungalows and houses in amongterraced streets. Older people,though living in sheltered housing,had little offered in the way of activities.The project provides a weeklyGet-Together Group, which has avariety of themes, activities andspeakers. It has a Gardening Groupfor its Community Peace Garden,which the community has developed,a beautiful resource and facilityopen to young and old, disabled andable-bodied. It has also developeda Craft Group which meets once aweek to engage in all kinds of craft

activities, which become a medium forthe gifts of the group.

Carnforth Family Support Projectprovides much needed support forfamilies, particularly Mums with youngchildren, through activities-centredresources like Toddler Groups, Ante-natal and Post-natal groups linked toHealth Services, and a referral systemfor 1-to-1 counselling and support whichis directed mainly through the threePrimary Schools of Carnforth.

Through all its work Catholic CaringServices tries to show its Christian

care and concern for all that are in needparticularly within the communitiesthat our churches serve. Its mission isto be Christ to people, irrespective oftheir creed, colour, race or religion.Community Projects has becomesimply one more avenue to do Christ’swork, however this might be unsaidby those involved in this work. Thefamous parable in Matthew’s Gospelhas people saying:“. . . but we never saw you, we neverrecognised you . . .” And Jesus said:“. . . whenever you did this to oneof my brothers or sisters you didit to me . . .”

lottery react to new project

3

React has secured new lottery funding!

The project has been successful in obtaining a grant of £45,000 todevelop and up-skill people with learning disabilities as communitychampions and leaders in the learning disabilities field.

The grant comes at a time of great activity as React, a training and consultancyproject led by people with learning disability, expands through the North of Lancashiresupporting people to speak up for their needs and organise themselves. Gainingthis funding is important to the group, as Clare Whittle, project worker with Reactexplained ‘it’s good that our jobs are safe and we can now do different activitiesthat are part of React’s plans for 2005. We can carry on with more of the good workwe’ve done before’.

Project co-ordinator, Samantha Leonard, spoke for all of React when she said,

“young people aged 19-25 who have more complex learning disabilities and whoare excluded from education and employment opportunities will benefit from thisproject. The training will be delivered by people with learning disabilities andoperate in Preston, Lancaster, Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre”.

going back in time . . .1945 revisited

Our Adoption and Fostering teams,along with the React learning

‘What are you worth?’ is the thoughtprovoking title of the Good Shepherdcelebration to be held with BishopPatrick O’Donoghue at St Peter’sCathedral on 18 May 2005.

Besides good liturgy and music, hundredsof primary school children and a growingnumber of secondary school pupils willtake part in a range of workshops thatexplore and make relevant social issuessuch as poverty, disability andhomelessness. For further informationon how your school can join in goto our website atwww.catholiccaringservices.org.uk

contact information

Fr Bernard

Catholic Caring Services’ learning disability services experienced its first Commissionfor Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the final report will be shortly made available.

Martin Layton, Learning Disabilities Services said, “It was hard work preparing for our firstinspection but it was a very positive experience and we are all confident that the high growthof our services to people with learning disabilities will be reflected by the report”. In additionto services in Preston, Catholic Caring Services has recently been commissioned to providea new supported living service in Fylde and Wyre and from April 2005 will also work in Lancaster.

Annual Agency Mass led by theDeaf Service with Bishop PatrickO’Donoghue at Lancaster Cathedralon Sunday 5 June 2005 at 3pm isan opportunity for the Agency tothank volunteers.This is our tenthanniversary of celebrating themass in sign language.

an inspector calls

Catholic Caring Services hasa broad range of opportunitiesacross the Diocese, includingworking with older people, hard ofhearing, learning disabled adults,supporting children or in our charityshop. If you have time you couldoffer, phone 01772 732313 and findout how you can help.

interested in

volunteering?

everyone welcome

Adjacent to our main office in Tulketh Rd, the new site was once a Catholic club,built and run by the Knights of St Columba. The building has been refurbished toprovide office accommodation and plans to develop training facilities on the groundfloor with full disability access are afoot.

In addition to the welcome extra office space, the building has excellent potentialfor use as a training venue, with a large ground floor room which CCS plan todevelop into a modern, well equipped facility with full disability access.

disability project, moved into newoffices at Marian House in October.