• In London, Bedfordshire, Leeds and Tameside, projects are holding conferences, presentations and workshops to encourage people to speak about dignity in care

• Arts and crafts sessions focused on the theme of dignity are being held throughout February in Hartlepool

• In Bradford and Liverpool events are being held at projects to get people reminiscing about their lives and talking about the importance of being treated with dignity

• Nationwide, we will be filming service users speaking about their lives and the importance of dignity, and Creative Support projects in the North East are making their own film focused on Dignity Day

If you would like to get involved in any of these events, please call Suzy Kennedy on 0161 236 0829 or email suzy.kennedy@creativesupport.co.uk

We have also gathered together a range of resources for use during Dignity Month:

Dignity Challenge Poster

Dignity Cartoons

Choice and Control Factsheet

Communication Factsheet

Eating and Nutrition Factsheet

Pain Management Factsheet

Personal Hygiene Factsheet

Practical Assistance Factsheet

Privacy Factsheet

Social Inclusion Factsheet

Dignity Challenge PowerPoint Presentation

Dignity Questionnaire

Easy Read Dignity Questionnaire

Dignity Champion Flyer

On 28th January they are showcasing their first full length routine ‘Shake The Tree’ at Dance City in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The show tells the story of George, a young man with a learning disability, on the verge of adulthood and faced with many important choices.

Tickets cost £8 or £5 for concessions and are available online from the Dance City venue. To find out more about The Flex Dance Company, visit their website.

On 19th March, So Many Words theatre company are hosting a special event called ‘On a Starry Night We Met’, celebrating disability arts at the Lowry Studio Theatre.

The group are seeking contributors to take part in the show. They are interested in theatre, music, dance, film or any other artwork created or performed by people who have disabilities.

To get involved call Jamie Patterson on 0161 921 2898 or email jamie_patterson@btinternet.com. More information about the event, including how to buy tickets, is available on the The Lowry website.

Accommodation is offered in Bond Hotels, which are fully accessible and offer a range of facilities to cater to guests’ needs.

Bond Hotel Group owner Shaun Atkinson says:

We sincerely believe that everybody should be given the chance to enjoy a short break, and we offer all our guests the chance to have fun and create happy memories which can be remembered for a lifetime.

Blitz is now accepting applications from individuals, families and groups who wish to book a holiday.

For more information or to apply, visit the Bond Hotels website or call Karen Burns on 01253 341218.

The event took place on January 12th in the Legends Lounge at Ewood Park stadium, and trophies were handed out by Sweden international and Blackburn Rovers FC star midfielder Martin Olsson.

Café Hub, which supports people in recovery from drug and alcohol misuse, were crowned league winners, beating James Street Elite to the title on goal difference.

Gaz O’Hara (pictured left, receiving his award) of James Street Elite, which provides supported accommodation for people in Darwen, was named player of the year, and The Fountains Hospital, which specialises in psychiatric rehabilitation for men in Blackburn, picked up the team of the year award.

The Mental Health Football League provides opportunities for participation in friendly football competition, while further contributing towards encouraging and supporting individuals to make healthier lifestyle choices. It also seeks to promote self-confidence, self-esteem and peer support amongst service-users taking part, as well as social interaction, community cohesion and partnership working.

More information is available on the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust website or by calling Elliott Noble on 01254 296 256 or Paul Hardman on 01254 664 975.

Their calendar is based upon lunar cycles. Celebrations are set to begin with New Year’s Eve on 22nd January just before the moon reaches its darkest phase, and continue until 28th January, which marks the end of the Spring Festival as the moon is at its brightest.

People come together to share feasts with friends and family, giving money in red envelopes to symbolise good fortune, cleaning the home to sweep away bad luck, lighting fireworks, and performing the spectacular ‘dragon dance’. In towns and cities across the UK, public events will also be held by Chinese communities to mark the occasion.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be brave, confident and strong. Famous ‘dragons’ include Martin Luther King, John Lennon and Bruce Lee!

To find out more about Chinese New Year, and discover which animal represents the year of your birth, read the feature on page 9 of the latest issue of Creative Life.

This introductory meeting will give group members a chance to get to know each other, talk about their favourite films, view movie clips and take part in a fun cinema quiz.

For more details see the poster here, and to book your place contact Ben Thomas at Head Office by calling 0161 236 0829 or emailing ben.thomas@creativesupport.co.uk.

To mark the occasion we’ll be  providing Community Involvement Grants of up to £200 to enable projects to get involved by organising events such as conferences, workshops, consultations and fundraisers, as well as encouraging people to sign up to the Department of Health’s ‘Dignity Champion’ initiative, and making a video of service users talking about their life experiences and describing what ‘dignity’ means to them.

For more details see the Dignity Action Month flyer, call Suzy Kennedy at Head Office on 0161 236 0829, or email suzy.kennedy@creativesupport.co.uk.

The league, funded by Creative Support for the next three years, will recommence this month with each competition running for six months. The timing of the league will be the same as previously, on the second Friday of each month, from 11.00am to 3.00pm.

However, the first league meeting of 2012 on Thursday 12th January will start earlier at 10.00am, as we are holding an official presentation for the 2011 season. All players and staff members are invited to attend this event which will be free of charge and be held in the Legends Lounge at Ewood Park immediately after the matches have concluded. The presentation will end at approximately 4.00pm and will include a buffet and an appearance from a Blackburn Rovers player.

If you have any queries or questions regarding the league please contact Elliott Noble on 01254 296256 or Paul Hardman on 01254 664975.

To celebrate the arrival of the new year, Creative Support’s 2012 calendar is now available.

The calendar is ideal for brightening up your wall and keeping track of all those important anniversaries, birthdays, plans and events in the coming months. Inside are twelve fantastic pieces of artwork created by our service users, which were chosen from the many entries we received as part of a competition held in autumn last year.

All staff and service users should soon receive a copy, and more can be requested by contacting marketing@creativesupport.co.uk.

Throughout December we have held regional parties for service users nationwide. See below for a selection of photos from celebrations in Leeds, London, Manchester, Morecambe, Scunthorpe and Warrington, and at our Breakthrough service. We look forward to receiving reports and pictures from all the other parties and to sharing these with everyone in the New Year!

2011 Regional Festive Parties

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The day began with an inspiring presentation by Chief Executive Anna Lunts, who shared her pride in Creative Support’s women’s projects, followed by Karen Harrison, the Service Manager for the Women’s Domestic Abuse Helpline, who talked about the support they provide.

The workshops included a ‘10 ways to feel better quickly’ session, pampering treatments and a discussion on how we as individuals can help women suffering from domestic abuse. Participants were also invited to share, on film, their views on what it means to be a woman in today’s society.

One of our service users was  brave enough to stand up and share her own personal experiences of domestic abuse, and Claire Terry, Unit Business Manager, spoke about the positive achievements of our women’s projects this year.

Attendees were also encouraged to sign petitions to raise awareness of  domestic abuse and gender violence, and the day ended with a consultation on what Creative Support can do in the future to better support people’s needs.

Everyone agreed that it was an extremely interesting and useful day and although it covered some very serious topics, they also enjoyed themselves thoroughly. We look forward to next year’s event!

The event is held annually on the same date that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948. The UDHR outlines the broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all men and women are entitled. It also provides the foundation for protecting vulnerable groups such as disabled persons, indigenous peoples and migrant workers. It is the most widely translated document in history, available in over 380 languages and dialects.

In 2011 these issues are especially significant, as many people all around the world organised and protested to demand change and protect their human rights, making headlines during the past twelve months.

To find out how you can get involved in Human Rights Day, visit the United Nations Website.

Everyone tucked into a delicious feast of stew, Christmas pudding and mince pies, and the entertainment included a quiz, raffle giveaways and a disco. Santa made a surprise visit and obviously everyone had been good this year as he handed out presents to all of the partygoers. Take a look at the photo gallery below to share in the fun.

And don’t forget that regional parties are taking place across the country in the coming weeks, so be sure to look out for posters advertising your nearest event or ask your support staff for details.

Festive Fun at the Frog and Bucket, Manchester

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As well as the Creative Support parties, people across our services will be enjoying the following seasonal celebrations:

December 20th – 28th is Hanukkah or Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. It dates back to two centuries before the beginning of Christianity. In the western calendar Hanukkah is celebrated in November or December. The word Hanukkah means rededication and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history, the victory of the Jews over the Syrian Greeks, and is celebrated by lighting a hanukkiah, or menorah, for eight days, eating latkes (potato pancakes), and playing dreidel (a game played with a spinning top).

The Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, is celebrated on the 21st of December. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day, and longest night of the year, and is the traditional time to celebrate the truly important things in life: your family, your children, your home and looking forward to a wonderful year to come. Yule is a time that honours love and new birth. Just as Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, Yule celebrates the birth of the Sun God – child of the Goddess in the Pagan belief system. Many people associate the Winter Solstice, or winter itself with death, as it is the season in which nature is dormant, and in which many plants die off and crops are scarce. But as the Winter Solstice is the longest night, (boasting more than 12 hours of darkness), it is also the turning point of the year, from this point on the sun grows stronger in the sky and the days become gradually longer once more. Thus the Winter Solstice is also a celebration of rebirth.

Christmas or Christ’s Mass is one of the most popular Christian celebrations as well as one of the most globally recognized mid-winter celebrations in the Northern hemisphere. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The birth is observed on December 25th, which was the Roman winter solstice. Universal activities include feasting, Midnight Masses and singing Christmas carols. It is also well known for the encouragement of good deeds and the giving of gifts, in the tradition of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus. Many observe the holiday for twelve days leading up to the Epiphany on January 6 which celebrates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus.

December 26th is Boxing Day. In the UK, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect ‘Christmas boxes’ of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. This custom is linked to an older English tradition where, in exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners’ Christmases ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the 26th off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses (and sometimes leftover food).

December 31st is New Year’s Eve, known as Hogmanay in Scotland, where the name derives from the old Scots name for Yule gifts of the Middle Ages.

This is important for us all as more than 90,000 people in the UK are living with HIV and globally the number of peope is estimated at an incredible 33.3 million people. Between 1981 and 2007 more than 25 million people died from the virus. This makes it one of the most destructive diseases in history.

Researchers across the globe are searching for a cure and many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment. A lot of work has also been done to raise awareness and uphold the rights of people who have HIV and AIDS, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we better understand the condition and how it affects peoples’ lives. Despite this, there are still people who do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others from HIV, and stigma and discrimination are still a serious issue for many people living with HIV.

World AIDS Day reminds the public and Governments all over the world that HIV is still a serious issue and we need to continue to raise money for research, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

Donating even just a small amount can have a very positive effect. And wearing the ribbon helps spread the word.

We are supporting George House Trust, the largest HIV Health and Social Care Charity in the North West of England, an organisation which supports people living with or affected by HIV and campaigns for the best quality of life for all people with HIV. Please visit their website for more information.

This year, Creative Support is backing the campaign with a series of events.

Staff in head office are organising fundraising activities including a cake sale and raffle with proceeds to be donated to the Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Helpline.

Our South Manchester Women’s Project and Lone Parents Projects are hosting a themed Christmas event next week. Participants will have the chance to join workshop activities, visit information stalls, and hear guest speakers discuss issues around domestic violence. Service users and staff will also be invited take part in a consultation to share their views and experiences of services for women and help us to plan our service provision for the coming year. Refreshments will be provided.

For details of these activities please call Charlotte Flattery on 0161 236 0829 or email charlotte.flattery@creativesupport.co.uk. You can also visit the World Health Organisation website for more information on the campaign, and be sure to look out for events happening in your area.

Two of the balloons floated over the English Channel, came back down to Earth, and were found by people far away in Europe.

The first balloon travelled almost 230 miles from Scunthorpe, to the city of Den Helder in The Netherlands, where it was found by Rob de Vroome. In his message to Creative Support, Rob said:

It’s been a joy to get to know your organisation. I wish you all the best.

And amazingly, another balloon has just been found by Julia Wolf in Osnabrück, Germany, nearly 400 miles from where it started and 6 weeks after it was sent up into the sky. Julia was impressed:

A far journey for a little balloon! Congratulations!

This is your opportunity to learn from the experts about topics including songwriting, performing, starting a band, and putting on gigs.

The courses take place on various dates between November 2011 and March 2012 at venues across Salford. For full details visit the Music Industry Learning website.

To book a place call Tony Pearson at Music Industry Learning on 0161 788 8300, or email tony.pearson@musicindustrylearning.com. Places are limited so please respond quickly to avoid disappointment.

Residents at Belle Vue Grove in Middlesbrough invited staff and friends from nearby projects to join in the fun at their pyjama party (pictured left). Everybody wore their comfiest nightclothes, baked cakes, and sold raffle tickets. The event raised a total of £50.

And service users at Hebden Road in Scunthorpe held a collection during their weekly reading group.

The tenants felt really happy and proud that they helped out.
Brenda Moss, North Lincs Administrator

If you would like to donate, there’s still time. Visit the Children In Need website for details of how you can contribute.