Supporting Unpaid Carers in Merton - Carers Support Merton

Supporting Unpaid Carers in Merton
December 2010
This year we are very excited to be hosting three events in connection
to Carers Rights Day. Carers Rights Day is all about carers knowing
their rights - finding ‗hidden‘ carers who don‘t realize they have rights;
supporting carers to claim what they are entitled to; and informing
carers of what help is available for them.
Christmas Party
For Carers of People with Mental Heath Problems
Thursday 2 nd December, 6.30pm onwards at Mitcham Golf
Club
Please see our activities brochure for more details
Carers Rights Day Christmas Fayre
Friday 3 rd December. 12.00 – 4.00pm Vestry Hall, Mitcham
See our advert on page 3 of your newsletter
LAUNCH EVENT
Carers Health and Information Drop In
THE WILSON HEALTH CENTRE
Cranmer Road
Mitcham
CR4 4TP
Saturday 4 th December 11.00am to 3.00pm
If you are an unpaid carer living in the London Borough of Merton come
along to our launch of a new monthly drop in service for all carers at the
Wilson Health Centre.
FREE HEALTH CHECKS
FREE THERAPIES AND BEAUTY SESSIONS
HELP AND ADVICE FROM MANY ORGANISATIONS
The monthly clinic will be available from January 2011
You do not need to be registered with a GP at the centre and all carers
are invited
For more information contact Debbie on 020 8646 7515
All the staff, trustees and volunteers at Carers Support Merton
would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.

Age UK has been informed by Police that a
number of ‗distraction burglaries‘ have been
reported where a male and female have
stated that they are from Age Concern in
order to gain access to older people‘s
homes.
While we do not want to alarm anyone
unnecessarily, we feel it important that all
our carers are aware of the situation.
Initially the crimes were being committed in
the Surrey area. However we are now
seeing cases reported across Southern
England.
Please be aware
that Age Concern
Merton would never
visit someone‘s
house without an
appointment.
CAN YOU HELP?
We are often asked by different
organisations to suggest carers
to help them with surveys,
filming, radio interviews etc.
We try to support these requests
as we recognise this helps
people to understand carers and
helps other carers come forward for advice and support.
Often they can be quite specific in their requirements
and may need someone of a certain age or ethnic
background caring for a person with a certain disability.
We can spend a great deal of time phoning carers to see
if they are available. It would be really useful if we
knew which of our carers would be willing to take part
in this kind of publicity.
If you can help please can you contact Debbie on 0208
646 7515 or email debbie@csmerton.org to be put on
our contact list.
Carers Support Merton AGM
Thank you to everybody
who attended our AGM on
Wednesday 28th October.
Our Chair Ann Page
thanked all staff, trustees for all their hard
work over the past year and spoke about all
we have achieved over the past year. Our
CEO Jennie Chapman talked about our
plans for the future and partnership working
with other organisations such as the
Alzheimer's Society. On behalf of our
treasurer John
Williams another of our trustees John Davey was pleased to
report that CSM ended the year under review in sound
financial footing. As in previous years our major source of
revenue was the London Borough of Merton and other
funders included NHS Sutton and Merton, Comic Relief,
Children in Need and the Princes Royal Trust for Carers.
Our young carers put on a terrific spoof of Big Brother which
highlighted the activities available to our young carers.
The meeting was rounded off by a visit from Rachel McLeod
who is the CEO from Sutton Carers Centre who highlighted
the work that they have shared with us.
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Carers Support Merton
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
In aid of
CARERS RIGHTS DAY
‘Know your Rights’
REFRESHMENTS
GIFTS
SUPPORT
LAUNCH OF OUR
RECIPE BOOK
FRIDAY 3rd DECEMBER
12.00pm—4.00pm
The Vestry Hall
London Road
Mitcham
CRAFTS
ENTER OUR
PRIZE DRAW
ADVICE & HELP
BUY OUR
XMAS PUDDINGS
Come along and find out more about your rights as an unpaid carer . Take
the time to browse our craft and gift stalls which include fabulous
Christmas and chocolate puddings, candles, bath items, children's toys,
books, jewellery and lots more. Start shopping for Christmas, and then put
your feet up enjoy a well deserved cuppa, cake and chat!
ENTRANCE BY DONATION
For more information or to book a stall please contact Debbie Kilby
On 0208 646 7515 or email Debbie@csmerton.org
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A massive thank you to Marc
Jones and his AFC Wimbledon
Colleagues and to Grant Webster who
took part in the Royal Parks Half
Marathon and to date have raised a
staggering £3,900 in sponsorship for
Carers Support Merton.
If you would like to make a donation to
Carers Support Merton visit
www.virginmoneygiving.com and search
our name or charity number 1085761
which you can do anytime. You can also
raise money yourself. To find out how –
see the cartoon below…..
CAN YOU HELP US SAVE
VITAL FUNDS BY
RECEIVING THIS
NEWSLETTER AND OUR
ACTIVITIES LEAFLET BY
E-MAIL ??
PLEASE E-MAIL :
info@csmerton.org
OR CALL OUR
OFFICE
ON 020-8646 7515
NEW DATABASE
You may receive a phone call
in the next few months from a
member of staff at CSM to
check your personal details.
We are currently in the process
of setting up a new database
and want to make sure that we
have everything absolutely
correct.
Please be assured that these
details are treated as
confidential and for our own
use only and will not be passed
on to any third party without
your permission.
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A Day with the Dons!
A team of 14 Young Carers spent a day in their half
term experiencing football as it should be! Forget
the glamour, forget the WAGs, forget the scandals,
we wanted to see real football, at a club at the heart
of it’s community, where passion and not money is
the Club’s focus. And that is exactly what we got
when we visited AFC Wimbledon at the Kings
Meadow Stadium in Kingston.
Young Carers
were treated to a tour of the grounds, we went into
the changing rooms to meet the players who chatted
away to our young people like old friends, we got to
train with one of the Club coaches before the match
and then prime position on the terraces for kick off!
Unfortunately the Dons failed to score, with
Darlington winning 2-0, however it was the taking
part, for us at least, that counted.
Many of the Young Carers told us this was the first ever real life football they had been
to watch, some were surprised at how different watching a live game is to watching one
on TV but everyone agreed that even standing up through the 90 mins game on a late
October afternoon was well worth it, especially with the chips at half time!
We are establishing firm links with AFC Wimbledon
in order to offer similar opportunities in the future.
Children aged 5-10 have been invited to their Xmas
Bash on Sunday 19th December– don’t forget to
send in your reply slips ASAP to secure your place!
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Merton Young Carers on
Children In Need!
A few weeks ago 18 ever so lucky Young
Carers had their names pulled out of a hat and
were subsequently offered a place on a day out
to Raceway Go Kart track in Docklands..... It
gets better....... When they and MYC staff got
there we were
s u r p r i s e d t o
meet.. Can you believe it.... Lewis Hamilton and
Jenson Button!!!! What a fantastic opportunity! Though
possibly the staff may have been more star struck than
the Young Carers!! Our fastest go karters were able to
race the celebs around the track in a relay race.
Though it was close, it was
Team Jenson that took first
place on the podium! Well done
to them and to everyone else that took part.
After meeting the boys, posing for several photos, having a
chat with Helen from Blue Peter who was presenting the clip
and the work we do at MYC, being interviewed to camera by
the Children In Need director and having lunch... We were all
whisked away to the McClaren factory in Woking for a tour
showing us how and where the million pound cars that Lewis
and Jenson usually drive are developed and made. We saw
how many people are involved in each stage of the process, all
the different things that have to be done to make the car race
ready and we got to see and touch old champion winning cars from as recent to as
far back as 1972 including Bruce McClarens first ever prize winning racing car that he
built at the age of 12 in his back garden with his Dad! Amazing!
The whole day was put on for us by Children In Need who fund the post of Family
Support worker in our team at MYC.
Everything we did was filmed by the BBC and will be shown
between 7 and 10pm on Friday 19th November as part of the
main Children In Need
programme... Please
watch to show your
support! 3 Young Carers
have also been invited to
appear in the audience so
you might actually see
them live on television!!!!
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New project for Young Adult Carers!
Tom and Donna are starting up a new project for young adult
carers aged 16-24. We will be offering support and services
aimed at this older aged group. If you are still under 18, you
can carry on attending young carers club and events too.
Here are some of the services we‘ll be offering –
Education, Training & Employment...
We can offer support and advice if you would like to get
involved in further education or training and are worried about
how this will affect the caring you do at home. We can also
assist you to make job searches and applications
Socialise...
Enjoy the opportunity to meet other Young Adult Carers and
relax during social events and activities the project organises
Emotional Support and Planning...
Working together with you and your family, we can help you
plan your future and support you to move on from caring if you
would like to become more independent
If you are interested in
getting involved in this new
project please call :-
Tom or Donna on
020 8646 7515
The Princess
Royal Trust
for Carers
Needs Your
Help!!!
http://
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/6C2CG2H
Or
http://www.youngcarers.net/
Please access one of these
sites on the internet and
complete the Young Carers
Survey about how the
added pressures of
Christmas affect you and
your caring role.
All personal info will be held
in private and treated as
strictly confidential.
Everyone that completes
the survey will automatically
be entered into a
competition to win a Black
Nintendo Wii bundle and 4
games!!!
Michael Newman spent two weeks in the Young
Carers Office on work experience. This is what
he had to say….
I have really enjoyed working at Merton Young
Carers, all the staff are really nice and made me feel
welcome from the moment I started. I have been
working here from the 4 th to the 15 th of October for
my work experience. I have gained many new skills
from working at MYC as well as improving on the
ones I already had. I was given work from all
different aspects in the offices at MYC including the
amazing opportunity to attend one of their activities
Tom, Michael and Joe
on Thursday the 14 th when we went go carting and looked around the McLaren HQ (could have
done worse), so I got to see all the different parts of office work such as: filing, photo copying and
printing, and IT work like making flyers and spreadsheets on excel. It will be a shame to leave since
everyone has been so kind and helped me when I wasn‘t sure what needed to be done.
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OUR WOMEN’S SUPPORT GROUP CELEBRATES
MERTON’S HERITAGE
The “River and Cloth” project, funded by the
Heritage Lottery Fund and organised by London
Borough of Merton, celebrated the worldwide
influence of the Merton textile industry which was
based around the river Wandle from the 14 th century
until the 1940s; in 1805 the Wandle was described
as ―the hardest worked river for its size in the world‖
due to the large number of water mills located along
its banks.
By the second half of the 19 th century the market for
exotic goods, silks and printed cottons was
enormous, and the place to purchase them was
Arthur Liberty‘s shop in Regent Street. A large number of Arthur‘s own distinctive textiles were
produced at Merton Abbey Works, now the site of Merton Abbey Market. However, the greatest
designer of the time was William Morris. In 1881 he took over a site north of Merton Abbey Works,
and opened a factory to house vegetable dyeing workshops for cloth printing, textile and carpet
weaving, and tapestry making. This location was made famous in some of Morris most distinctive
textile and wallpaper patterns such as ―Wandle‖.
The River and Cloth Project encouraged community groups to get involved in learning techniques
based on these traditional textile processes – and that‘s what the Women‘s Support Group did.
With help and encouragement from artist Sandrine Case we made block printed ―leaves‖, inspired
by the paisley patterns Arthur Liberty made so popular. However, our blocks were made from
polystyrene foam and ball point pens, a technique undreamed of in the 19 th century! Our ―leaves‖
were displayed on a painted ―Tree of Life‖ and it was amazing how different the designs were. We
The river Wandle meanders its way through Morden Hall
Down to Merton Priory which used to stand so tall,
Alas the Priory is long gone but the Wandle still flows past
The water is so clean now and the fish are swimming fast.
Henry the sixth was crowned there such an important site
The Chapter House was buzzing well into the night,
By the time Henry the eight was king and wore the crown
He had issues with the church and knocked the Priory
down.
William Morris then did block printing on the site at Abbey
Mill
Using the power of the Wandle which was never still,
He did the prints for Liberty’s a famous London store
He printed material for the Queen’s dress that’s for sure.
Follow the river back along the path to Deen City Farm
The kids can see the animals, play, and do no harm,
Then back to Morden Hall and see the old snuff mill
They made snuff for the gentry who lived up Wimbledon hill
Written By Terry West Nov 2008.
also reproduced our prints on
pieces of fabric which meant
everyone had something to take
home.
Over thirty schools and community
groups made their own Tree of Life,
while other groups took part in
dyeing and stitching workshops. In
September the results of all this
labour were displayed in a
wonderf ul e xhib i tion, held
appropriately at Merton Abbey
Markets. The Women‘s Group
went to visit it and we were amazed
by the beauty and originality of the
craftsmanship on display –
including a colourful panel stitched
by our own Young Carers. We
were very proud of our own Tree,
which we felt more than held its
own against the other ones, as you
can see from the photos! Even
better, we get to keep it as a
permanent memento of an
inspirational project.
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Each Newsletter we will tell
you more about the therapies
and treatments that we offer
as part of our respite service.
Paul Murphy, a third year shiatsu
student, is offering carers a 40
minute shiatsu massage at
Carers Support Merton‘s offices
in Vestry Hall.
WHATS ON!
Your mini guide to events, groups
and activities
Regular Events
Women‘s Group
Men‘s Group
Carers Café
Parent Carers Group
Young Carers Clubs
Dementia Help Group
Special Events
Mental Health Carers Christmas
Meal. Thursday 2nd December
Carers Rights Day/Christmas Fayre
Friday 3rd December 2010
Shiatsu is a traditional hands-on Japanese
healing therapy. The philosophy underlining
shiatsu is that vital energy, known as ―Ki‖ in
Japanese, flows throughout the body in a series
of channels called meridians. For many reasons,
it is believed that Ki can stop flowing freely and
this produces a symptom such as tension, or
back and joint pain.
Shiatsu practitioners consider each client‘s state
of health, and the symptoms they are
experiencing, and will use a variety of techniques
to improve the energy flow. These may include
gentle holding, pressing with palms, thumbs,
fingers, elbows, knees and feet on the meridians
and, when appropriate, more dynamic rotations
and stretches. As the quality of Ki changes,
shiatsu practitioners believe the symptoms
associated with the lack of flow will gradually
improve. Shiatsu aims to work on the individual
as a complete being, not just the physical body
but also the emotional and mental level.
To book an appointment with Paul please contact
Susan Bowman on 0208 646 7515.
Wilson Health Centre—Launch
Event, Saturday 4th December 2010
Parent carers Christmas Shopping
6th December 2010
Adult Carers Christmas Party
16th December
Workshops
Courses for Carers, Friends and
Families of people affected by a
Mental Health Condition-
22nd November 2010
6th December 2010
20th January 2011
7th February 2011
7th March 2011
For full details of all our events
please see our Activities
Brochure and this Newsletter
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FREE COMPUTER COURSE
Pollards Hill Library are offering a free 10-week course on computer skills for a class of up to 12
carers.
This course covers
Basic computer use such as using Windows, opening files and folders,
starting programs, minimising and maximising windows etc.
Using Word to write letters and documents .Typing, controlling the format
of a letter changing fonts, sizes, margins etc, adding pictures, saving and
opening files.
Using the Internet to access information such as accessing and using
websites, basic operations with Internet Explorer such as using back and
forwards, using favourites etc as well as searching for information using
search engines.
Using email (signing up for an email account, sending and receiving emails, using CC/BCC,
using attachments)
Dates are yet to be set but if you are interested please contact Debbie on 0208 646 7515 or email
debbie@csmerton.org to be added to the waiting list.
CONCERT OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC
By ex Cambridge Choral Students
18th December 6.00pm
St Johns Church
Spencer Hill
Wimbledon
SW19
Tickets £15.00
Refreshments will be served
Proceeds are in aid of
Carers Support Merton and Home-start Merton
Tickets are available on the door or in advance
Please send your payment to
Mrs L Carlton-Jones
72-73 Denmark Road
Wimbledon SW19 4PQ
For more information call Lesley on 0208 947 2932
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The Carers Support Merton Team
Jennie
Chapman
Chief Executive
Officer
Karin Sensier
Office Manager
Debbie Kilby
Administration
Support
Anne Webster
Finance
Manager
Denise
Whitelocke
Book Keeper
Paul Murphy
Volunteer
Mariya
Petrova
Volunteer
Miriam Gausi
Volunteer
Sue Batley
Adult Services
Manager
Susan Bowman
Adult Activities
Co-ordinator
Shelley Lynch
Family Support
Worker
Pavlina
Skoutela
Mental Health
Carers Project
Worker
Daniela Meloni
Adult Support
Worker
Opal Lindsay
Family Support
Worker
Donna Perkins
Adult Support
Worker
Hazel Daniell
Young Carers
Project Manager
Monique Smart
Family
Assessment
Officer
Joe Collins
Young Carers
Youth worker
Tom Lambert
Family Support
Worker
Rachelle Jones
Young Carers
Play coordinator
Ann Leaver
Young Carers
Admin support
Ann Page
Chairwoman of
CSM
Betty Redpath
Trustee
Zoe Penny
Trustee
John Davey
Trustee
John Williams
Trustee
Martin Faeirs
Trustee
Lesley Carlton-
Jones
Trustee
Ann
Crossingham
Trustee
Brenda Iley
Trustee
Carers Support Merton is a Company Limited by Guarantee (England) Reg No. 4164966 Registered Charity No: 1085761 registered Office as below.
Carers Support Merton
The Vestry Hall
London Road
Mitcham
Surrey
Tel: 020 8646 7515
Fax:020 8646 7192
E-Mail: info@csmerton.org.
Website: www.csmerton.org
Supported by
OUR MISSION
Carers Support Merton values and listens to unpaid carers of all ages from our diverse community and
provides high quality services and advice .
OUR VISION IS:
We want unpaid carers of all ages to have real choices to improve their quality of life and to receive the
respect, support and recognition they deserve.
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