Goodbye Summer, Bring on Santa!

Goodbye Summer, Bring on Santa!

Everyone breathe a big sigh of 'summer's over, already?' Yes that time of year has come and gone, we've already hit our first half term of the new academic year. Summer now seems so long ago, and oh so far away! But fear not, we have lots of good news to keep you going through Halloween and beyond. 

Art Exhibition

After our very lively art workshop over the summer we exhibited all of the young people's art at the Merton Civic Centre. Bev Selway  the Virtual Behaviour Service, Strategic Manager opened the exhibition to very proud family, friends and Jigsaw4u workers. Lots of young people came for both the opening and to check their art out for the other days of the exhibition. All of the art produced look very professional, and meant a lot to both the artists, their family and us

here at Jigsaw4u. Can't wait to do it again next year, bigger and better!!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's off to work we go...

We have welcomed a small army of new staff to Jigsaw4u over the last few months. Here's a rundown of the new intake...

Disability Support Officer 

We have recently employed Juan Sanchez as our new Disability Support Officer. Juan will be working a couple of days a week helping our participation officer, Michelle Mullarkey in delivering groups, producing the disabled children’s magazine ‘Our Choice’, and providing mentoring support for the young people in areas such as travel training.

Young Runaways
Sharon McCann, a drug and alcohol counsellor has joined the young runaways team working in Sutton. She is working 3 days helping Patricia Alin to support young people who have runaway from home. The team also now have a volunteer who is helping them organize their databases so all systems go in Team Young Runaways this term!


Home School Links
Our ever expanding Home School Links teams have employed 3 new workers taking their total to 8 members of staff now. Rachael Butler is working in St Mary's Primary School and Joseph Hood Primary School, Jacqui Bird is in Hatfield Primary School and St John Fisher Primary School and T Headley, the only man in the team, is working  in Gorringe Park Primary School, Cramner Primary School, and Abbostbury Primary School.




All enjoy long walks and picnics in the park...

There's no I in Team Day.

The only I in our team day was the London Eye...*get it*??!! Jigsaw4u, bursting at the seams with our fresh faced new staff, took a trip up London for a good old fashioned treasure hunt. Unfortunately the treasure was the gift of knowledge rather than anything of any monetary value, but we had a great time nonetheless. Split into groups we each had an allotted time to find out the answers to questions about a part of the south bank - from St Paul's Cathedral to The London Aquarium, and we made some friends along the way! It was a great chance for the new staff members to get to know the team, and more seriously for us to feedback some of the achievements of the last year and plan out the road ahead for 2013/14.

Volunteering

Our latest volunteering programme is up and running, our current intake are getting the complete tour of all that goes on at 40 Mill Green Road, many are choosing to specialize in certain projects and go on to complete the respective training. If you are interested in volunteering in general email info@jigsaw4u.org.uk or see below for more specialist volunteering opportunities...

Helping Hands - Domestic Violence volunteer project 

The Helping Hands project is currently running first programme of training with 12 volunteers, next due to start beginning of November, still looking for more volunteers for Merton and Sutton. Email emmawebb@jigsaw4u.org.uk if you have any enquiries.

Advocacy project up and running

The Advocacy and Independent Visiting service is now open for referrals. This service is for all Looked After Children 10+ years  and those who are subject to Child Protection and Family Group Conferences.  This is an “Opt-out” service, which means that children eligible will have to state that they do not want an Advocate in order to decline the service. The Advocacy service is still looking for lots more volunteers to be advocates so please get in contact with lailamorgan@jigsaw4u.org.uk or the info email above if you want further information. 

Project updates

New girls group young runaways

The Young Runaways project have started their 7 week Girls Group with 9 young people and 1 peer mentor. Armed with snacks Sindia, Trish and Sharon aim to have fun with the group, whilst providing reliable information, a safe place to talk and encouraging them to share their thoughts and experiences with the each other.

Home School Links

We're all back in school, with three new staff and a few new schools too taking our total across borough to 17.

We've already started to think about Christmas caroling, you can catch us and our lovely Home School Links children at Centre Court in Wimbledon on Saturday 21st December 2.30-4.30pm.

Participation

The Disabled Children’s Participation Service has been working alongside Headliners, a national news agency, where young people aged 8-18 produce articles on issues that are important to them, but of interest to everyone. They have been commissioned to collect the views of children and young people with disabilities, and their parents, about the local offer in Sutton and what they think could be improved in borough. They came in over the summer and taught our young people how to use the film equipment and got them practicing their interviewing skills. Everyone who got involved thoroughly enjoyed it, we may have some budding Spielberg's in our midst. 

Fundraising

• Kongathon is a fitness spectacular being run in collaboration with Calasara Fitness in aid of Jigsaw4u on Sunday 24th November, 12-2pm at Imber Court (McDowell Suite) in East Molesey, Surrey. It is 2 hours of fitness fun for anyone who wants to come down and join in! Visit www.calasarafitness.co.uk for more details and see the picture of the flyer for more detailed info on the day itself.

• On Saturday 19 October members of Team Sally Morgan - TV psychic took part in the Back 2 The Trenches charity mud run in Nutfield in aid of Jigsaw4U. We are still waiting for an update from the team...and hopefully some pictures!! Please do share their JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/TeamSally2013 as any small amount anyone can spare will make a real difference to the children and young people we support!

• Our Macmillan Pre and Post Bereavement Team facilitated another successful Macmillan Coffee Morning. It was a good chance to see some friendly faces and the staff made the most of it by 'taking some home for the kids', needless to say the cakes didn't last long!

• Jigsaw4u's very successful Quiz Night was a sell out with 65 people pitting their wits at Cranleigh Tennis & Social Club, Merton Park. We raised over £530 and enjoyed some lovely fish and chips. Many thanks to the Quizmaster Syd and organiser Jan Wright.

Flourish Presentation

Missy from the Flourish Foundation made a trip to Stanford Primary School to present a cheque to Jigsaw4u staff from their fundraiser. Some lovely year 6's welcomed Missy and our new Vice Chair of the Trustees Maureen Bailey. They shared drinks, cake and stories - a lot of the children spoke about moving on to Secondary School next year. I'm sure they got lots of good advice from Missy and Maureen. The presentation event was a great success, and everyone involved had a great time. Thanks again to the Flourish Foundation for all of their hard work fundraising, it's greatly appreciated here at Jigsaw4u!

Thank you to Peter Webb

We invited Peter in to say a thank you in person for his courageous achievement. He had a true hero's welcome with champagne and Colin the Caterpillar cake. He told us all about his grueling run and his blisters...thanks Pete! All in all a fantastic accomplishment, and everyone at Jigsaw4u is so incredibly proud of Peter, and thankful to him for choosing to support us. We wish him the best of luck with future races, we're sure he won't keep those running shoes hung up for long.

Any Other Business?

AGM 

Over 50 people, who just about squeezed in to our Centre at Mill Green Road, attended our very enjoyable AGM and heard very positive reports about the work over the last year. These included some very moving testimonies from 3 young people and Stanford Primary Head teacher, Keran Currie on the value of Jigsaw4u.

Full reports will soon be available on the website or by email by request.

Grateful vote of thanks were made to retiring Chairman, John Dodwell and Trustee Anna Lubelska, who have both done so much to support Jigsaw4u through difficult financial times. 

And that rounds up our latest installment of J4U News. Hopefully you'll tune in next time to hear all about our Christmas shenanigans and what resolutions we will have all already broken by the time schools start back again!

Until next time...Jigsaw4u Team. x