Suite 2K

North Sands Business

Centre

Liberty Way

Sunderland

SR6 0QA

Tel : 0191 514 8520

Fax: 0191 5101827

www.neraf.org

Head Office

Issue no. 32 November

NORTHEN ENGAGEMENT INTO RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION FOUNDATION

Friday 15th November was Children in

Need Day, a day in which communities, workplaces, friends, family etc come to together and raise money. Therefore,

Shellie Nichols, from South Tyneside, Jen-nifer Wilson, from South Tyneside and Gateshead offices, and Christine, Jude

and Adam from Head Office put on their comfiest onesies for a day at

work and raised money for Children in Need. To quote ‘it was the comfiest day

ever at work and cannot wait for the chance to do it again’ In addition to doing this Shellie also baked cupcakes and a Pud-sey Bear cake and sold them in the office as tasty treats for all

the staff. Altogether a total of £167.00 was raised by both Shellie and Jennifer would like to thank everyone for their

kind donations towards this wonderful charity and for giving them the chance to have a very comfy day at work.

Gateshead

9-19 Jackson Street

Gateshead

NE8 1EE

Tel: 0191 4785422

It has been a busy month so far in Gateshead and South Tyne with

Jim attending the STARR Project at Bede’s World in South Tyneside

and the Anti-Social Behaviour Conference at the Dryden Centre in

Gateshead.

It was also Alcohol Awareness Week this month, with Nikki Lee

working with the Gateshead Safer Communities team at

Wrekenton Co-op and Kelly & Shellie at Whickham Library conduct-

ing a survey with the general public throughout the Borough. In

addition, Kelly worked with NECA on the Saturday morning at the

Gateshead In2change where there was food on and various activi-

ties for the clients to get involved in.

Two members of staff; Jennifer and Shellie have signed up with

Ingeus to undertake further vocational training in Business Admin

and Health & Social Care.

Unfortunately our new member of staff Nikki has decided that she

will be returning to her previous job role working in Retail, so she

will be leaving us at the end of the week. Many thanks to Nikki for

her hard work, enthusiasm and approach with the clients, she will

be sadly missed by all and good luck for the future from all the

team at NERAF.

Another sad farewell this month goes to Joe Holmes who has been

a stalwart of the mixed groups in Gateshead and South Tyne. Joe

has moved into full-time employment back to pastures old as a

butcher which is his professional trade. Joe has been the NERAF

Quizmaster during his time with us in the groups and has devel-

oped a portfolio of quizzes which he has kindly donated to the

NERAF groups. We wish Joe well for the future and hope that he

can find time in his new and busy life to pop in and visit us when he

gets the chance. Joe has written a letter which with his permission

I would like to publish as I feel it is a letter from the heart and

sends us all hope. Thanks Joe and good luck from all at NERAF.

(Joes letter is on page 7)

The women’s group enjoyed a lesson in making cake toppers this

month to get ready for the festive season. I mean let’s remember

Christmas is the time for cake and what better way to get ready than

making an edible Santa.

I have been learning the dark art of cake decorat-

ing at college for the past few weeks and what bet-

ter way to practice than with a bunch a fabulous

ladies eager to learn. We started off by colouring

the icing into the colours that we needed.

The next step was to create the Santa’s head and his round tummy,

now this sounds harder than it is but Santa likes to be a bit tubby so

rolling the icing in to ball was all we needed to do. We then created

sausage arms and legs, little

boots and mitts. Now by this

point the women were in

there element and did not

need assistance in giving him

eyes, noses and beards, in

actual fact they were helping

each other......I think they

had all been secretly practic-

ing at the weekend before

they came in.

The women had a lovely time and they found the

icing was a very relaxing way to relieve stress

however I have now made more work for myself

as they want to learn other things using icing....u -

oh.

If you wish to join in the fun at our womens

group don’t hesitate to pop along. It is ran every

Friday 1pm - 3pm at Cookson house, South

Shields .

South Shields

5-7 Cornwallis Street

South Shields

NE33 1BB

Tel: 0191 4974600

South Shields

5-7 Cornwallis Street

South Shields

NE33 1BB

Tel: 0191 4974600

Friday afternoons at the NERAF womens group have been very busy for the past couple of weeks. We have had Jo from South Shields Museum and Art Gallery within the group and she brought in lots of arts and crafts items, ideas and goodies. The first week when Jo was with us we created button can-vas pictures. The idea behind this was to cre-ate a unique personal piece of art which could be taken home and displayed for all to see and to remind the clients of what they have achieved and can achieve. While we were creating the button canvasses there was one in particular which proved particularly challenging to complete. The Green Star.

This was particularly challenging as we ran out of green buttons ¾ of the way through creating the star. This resulted in the group members and staff routeing about through the button boxes, their pockets, their bags and asking other people in the building if they had green buttons on them. Eventually we found some and the star was complete much to the relief of the staff and clients. It was a fun, relaxing and sticky afternoon. The second week Jo was with us we created Survival Kits. The initial idea of creating these came from Sam (NECA) who works

alongside Shellie who runs the ladies group. The Survival Kits are treasure chests which we decorated and personalised ourselves using all the crafty bits and pieces Jo brought along with her. There was glitter glue, sequins, buttons, Christmas stickers, gems and coloured marker pens. Each treasure chest when finished was then filled with items which were personal to the clients, those who were going to receive the Treasure chest and staff. The treasure chests were filled with a candle- to light the way when things get dark; A penny- so you’ll always have money; Glit-ter- so there is always some sparkle in life; A Marble- for when you lose yours; A Paperclip- to hold things together when things fall apart. It was again a fun, messy, relaxing after-noon.

Sunderland

8 Mary Street

Sunderland

SR1 3NH

Tel: 0191 5656688

Fax: 0191 5656715

On Thursday 31st October otherwise known as HAL-LOWEEN!! NERAF at Mary Street Sunderland

turned the af-ternoon mixed group into a spooky Hal-loween party! I was also allowed out of my office to participate which is enough to give anyone a fright!

We had ghosts and ghouls on the walls and even scary spiders and flies on the buffet! But that didn’t stop everyone helping themselves to the delicious food which Norma and Pat very kindly made. So after everyone was settled with a nice cuppa and plate of ghoulish grub we started the quiz. Tom the quiz master Coates once again kindly offered his services and had everyone with their thinking caps on as we started the quiz. We separated into groups of three and there were four separate teams. Everyone really got involved and we had a good laugh at some of the ridiculous answers put forward at the end!!

But there could only be one winning team which just so happened to be MY TEAM (and a few peo-ple did comment that my team always wins the quiz, it must be because I am so knowledgeable).

So big well done to team The Three Ladies even though most of the team were male! All in all it was a great afternoon and lots of fun. NERAF would like to say a massive thanks to everyone who helped out. Sonia for decorating the room, Pat and Norma for making the food, Tom for an excellent quiz and not forget-ting everyone who came to take part because we wouldn’t be able to have a quiz without you!!

BY Claire Tomlinson

56 John Street has been a hive of activity these past few weeks. Decorating in the stairway and on the first floor is now complete, chimneys are clean, windows repaired, lights are all working, we have heating, roof is repaired, carpets are fitted and staff are moving in!

Lifeline are running their PSI groups from one of our group rooms and their PSI staff team are soon to be based here also. NERAF FLOAT staff are working from John Street although until building work is complete, one to one sessions will continue to be at Mary Street.

All NERAF groups are still being held at Mary Street and will continue to be there for the next few weeks.

Anybody wishing to contact Mary Street or the FLOAT workers Lynn and Michelle please con-tinue to use the same number (0191 5656688).

Look out for a further update in next month’s newsletter.

Darlington

The Gate

John Dobbin Road

158-166 North-gate

Darlington

DL1 1QU

Tel:01325 267230

Fax:01325 243377

The Recovery Centre is now open 5 days a week and is manned by 2

members of staff. The members can take part in a number of activities

and with the support of the staff they are responsible for finding their

own resources and funding. Some of the activities delivered at the mo-

ment are relaxation, art, job search and CV building, breakfast club and

book club. So far the members and staff are getting really involved and

the Recovery Centre continues to grow.

The YMCA has an outreach group delivered at the residential YMCA Building. Connected Recovery have teamed up with SWITCH (the young person’s substance misuse team) to provide a drop-in service where people can come and get advice and information on their substance misuse as well as other aspects of their life. We have delivered various activities such cake making, pizza making, walking along the Tees and hopefully in the New Year we will be setting up a sporting activity of their choice. The feedback from young people and the YMCA is that these drop in sessions really work and the young people have a safe fo-rum to discuss their issues in.

First, I would like to thank Steve Scott who first introduced me to NERAF. I was at rock bottom when I initially met him, living in a hostel and he introduced me

to the Trinity Mixed Group and although it took me a while to get to know every-one, I was made to feel welcome from the start, made a few friends and started to go on the organised trips. One of the other clients (George) taught me how

not to catch trout!

I felt relaxed in every meeting that I attended, so I started to attend meetings every day and started to interact with other group members. I then started to

design quizzes which very quickly became popular and had a regular spot at every meeting at the Trinity Group and for over Two years now I have enjoyed

every group.

I must thank Steve, Kelly Shellie, Jennifer, Jim and all the staff at NERAF for help-ing me to turn my life around. I still have the odd drink, but everything in mod-

eration.

I have moved on from being someone who could not be trusted with a Shandy to a guy who has turned his life around; if I can do it anyone can.

I wish you all the best of luck for the future with A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE

STAFF AT NERAF and A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE INMATES.

NERAF FLOAT service and support groups will be running as normal over the Christmas Period with the ex-

ception of

Christmas Day – CLOSED

Boxing Day – CLOSED

Friday 27th December – CLOSED

Support groups on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve will run from 11am

until 1pm

Sometimes people in recovery find the Christmas and New Year period difficult. Every-

body seems to be having a great time and you’re feeling worried or finding it difficult to

cope. It can be worse when you have problems with drugs or alcohol, because you are

trying to keep yourself safe when other people may be drinking and having parties. In

addition to this, the services that you use may have closed or be limited for the period. YOU ARE NOT ALONE, many people find the holiday period difficult.

We have put together some hints and tips to help you keep yourself safe and well over

the festive season:-

Talk to your support worker or key worker about what help you might need over the holidays. Come up

with a plan for how you will cope and what you can do to keep safe and well.

Make sure you have contact numbers of the out of hours and emergency services that will be available. Put this

near your phone, or somewhere you can find it easily. Remember that the services will be open again in a few

days.

Check out the things that are on in places like local churches and community centres.

Go to the library the week before the holidays. Stock up with books, DVDs, music - things to keep you going.

Some nice things to do alone:

Watch a favourite film that takes you feel nice - and you can cry or laugh along with it.

Play your favourite music.

Get some nice smelly, pampering bath stuff. Then have a long soak - and do it each day if you want to.

Go for a walk to your favourite place, or somewhere you want to see but haven’t been to before

Have your favourite food.

Keeping yourself safe and well at parties and gatherings:

Take a friend with you who will stay sober. Ask them to tell you, and get you to leave, if they think you

are at risk of drinking, or if they feel the party is beginning to get a bit too wild or there is too much alco-

hol.

Be in a safe place where people will respect that you are not drinking and won’t encourage you to drink or take

drugs.

Leave when you are ready to go

Take your own soft drinks.

If you are visiting a friend or relatives who you know will be drinking, go earlier in the day before they have

started drinking.

Plan for a shorter visit, tell them you’ll need to be away early.

If you know that there could be a problem – which could be people who get you upset as well as alcohol or

drugs there – don’t go. Or go but only for a short time. Remember that even if you have changed over the past

few years, they might not have changed.

Email:

info@neraf.org

Any one wishing to

make a donation to

the NERAF Charity

may do so by contact-

ing

Adam Matthews at

our head office on

Telephone number

0191 514 8520

www.neraf.org

We are on Facebook !!

You want to find out

when the next groups

are but all you have

handy is Facebook write

on our wall and we will

get back to you !!

Please feel free to write

what ever you like on

our NERAF page. Please

feel free to create a new

discussion and chat with

people who are going

through or been

through the same as you

or even just those that

are there to help you.

CALCULATING UNITS Bottled or canned alcohol drinks do not always tell you how many units are in the container it tells you the size of it and the strength of the alcohol (%ABV alcohol by vol-ume) contained in it.

1 container/glass does not necessarily mean 1 unit. Strengths and meas-ures of alcohol vary so much and makes calculation of units awkward but here’s how to do it. A bottle of wine contains 750mls of 12% ABV. Multiply the volume of the drink by the %ABV then divide by 1000 750ml x 12% ABV = 9000. 9000 divided by 1000 = 9

Unit

How to refer

Referring in to NERAF couldn't be any easier.

Coming in to the office.

If you drop in to one of our offices we will take a referral from you there and then we will fill in the form for you and make you an appoint-ment with one of our Recovery Coaches.

Phoning our offices

We take referrals over the phone, if you call any of our offices we will be more than happy to help and take a referral from you, we will fill in the form for you and make an appointment for you with one of our Recovery Coaches. Even if you are just wanting to get a bit more information about NERAF we are more than happy to help.

Other agencies

We do take referrals from other agencies who think the client would bene-fit from our service. As long as the client has agreed to engage with our service we are more than happy to take a referral from you.

Groups

Our groups are a drop-in service, there is no need for a referral . You can just turn up to any of our groups and you don't need to stay for the whole time the group is running, you can pop in for 5 mins or 2 hours it is com-pletely up to you. Our groups are just about getting to know people who are going through the same as you, so you know you are not alone in your road to recovery.