Shout Out @ Ashburn House

Shout Out @ Ashburn
House
Shout Out @Ashburn
House is one year old
this month
January 2015
Support Staff
Val
Ann
Johnny
Tony
Kendra
Mick
Inside this issue:
Welcome
1
Bowling News
2
Bowling News
3
What’s Happening @
Ashburn House
4
What’s Happening @
Ashburn House
5
Free Food
Winter News
Painting News
Parkside News
6&
7
8
9
10
Shout Out @ Ashburn house is one year old this month! Contributions for this publication come from our tenants and local support networks. For all the support in putting this newsletter together over the last
12 months, we would like to say a huge thank you.
Activities and events this month included an on site visit from
Rochdale Fire station. Rod Holmes and his team visited 5 of our flats and
educated tenants on home fire safety risk and prevention. Rod also assessed
our site and will be coming to speak with all tenants in February about general fire safety. All our residents who are due to move on will get the
chance to meet with Rochdale's Community Safety team in their own home
to discuss fire safety.
On January 13th, thanks to the kind donations from Vision Hair &
Beauty and the British Gas Management Team for Residential Operations,
we were able to go Bowling in Rochdale. This was a joint venture with
Parkside and with 10 players the afternoon was a great hit.
On site Health Checks are scheduled for February along with a visit
to The Manchester Regiments home museum in Ashton.
We would like to welcome Parkside to our newsletter this month
who will be a regular feature from now on.
It promises to be another great year and what a way to finish one
and start another with a note given to us by a current resident.
“Not only do you provide stepping stones across a raging torrent, you also carry people across on your shoulders”- Jim 2014
Bowling @ Ashburn House
Bowling on January 13
across the two sites, Parkside and Ashburn House
was a great success. We
cannot thank the kind donation from Vision Hair &
Beauty and the British Gas
Residential Operations
Management team enough.
After two games and much
fun we headed back to
Ashburn for some refreshments.
Page 2
13/1/2015
Bowling @ Ashburn House
Thank you to our sponsors Vision Hair &
Beauty and British Gas.
Page 3
What’s happening @ Ashburn House
Johnny will have worked at
Stepping Stone Projects for
five years in March . He has
a wealth of knowledge in
Support work and resettlement and is a regular willing
participant and organiser of
our Football activities and
Games nights. Last year
Johnny designed and developed our Grow Project.
Ashburn’s Gallery
We are extremely proud of the photo shoot taken of three of our residents late 2014. Celebrating 30 years of work supporting vulnerable people. As a result and after permission and discussion with the tenants we have had a selection framed
and have them showcased in our office for all to see. We are also in the process of framing and displaying some of the great
activities we held last year, as a lasting and motivating memento of the work done here at Ashburn House.
Page 4
What’s happening @ Ashburn House
We now have surround sound in our
Lounge, a great addition to our
games nights. Kindly donated and
wired up the sound is impressive to
say the least. Our games and movie
nights are now not only fun but with
this system realistic!
As you can imagine its now a very
popular place for our residents to sit
and relax with staff
Games nights are on every
week See our calendar of
events for more information.
Staff at Ashburn House took some rice
over to our friends at Middleton ‘s Brentwood Drop in Centre.
Brentwood Drop In has worked with and
supported Ashburn House and its residents for a number of years.
Page 5
Food News
Heywood food bank is now located on Bethel Street, Heywood and are open Monday and Friday
between 10 am and 12pm.
The food bank hands out parcels to those who need help and often include food such as pasta, cereal
and soup.
Father Daly said “We try and offer food that is nutritious and can feed a family. For the more needy
people who can’t cook we offer things like ready meals”
If you would like to volunteer your time to the food bank contact Father Paul Daly at St Josephs
Church on 01706 369777 and he will pass on your details.
Or do you struggle finding cheaper ways to eat? Would you like some help cooking your own food
with our Support Staff?
Pasta is a great cheap food that can last you a few meals, you could save a lot of money! Bring your
pasta or any other food up to the Support Centre and we can help you cook good healthy meals.
Healthy Cooking
sessions take place
every alternate
Thursdays, for more
information contact the
support centre.
Drop in Centre/Soup Kitchen
St James Parish Hall, opposite Ashburn House
Every Tuesday from 12.30 -3.00 pm drop in centre and soup kitchen!
Serving soup and rolls, tea, coffee and possibly beans on toast.
Haywood Baptist Church, Chapel street entrance
Every Wednesday and Thursday 12pm to 2pm.
Facilities provided for showers and laundry, toiletries provided.
Food, tea and coffee available
1/1 cooking sessions
are available , if there
is something you would
like to learn how to
cook one of our
Support Staff will be
on hand to work with
you
Page 6
Free 2 minute
rice is available
to all residents–
speak to staff if
you would like
some.
Warm clothes are
available to anybody
who needs them, talk
to staff if you would
like to have a look at
what we have.
Princes Trust Oldham & Rochdale
Aged 16-25? Unemployed? Looking for something new? Join a Groundwork Princes Trust Team
in Rochdale to gain qualifications , work experience and boost your skills!
13 Action packed weeks that could change your life for the better. Have fun, increase your confidence and gain qualifications, skills and experience. The team programmed is free, benefits
aren't usually affected and daily travel vouchers are provided. So what’s in it for me?

A better chance of moving into work, education or training.

An opportunity to use your skills and gain new ones

Nationally recognized qualifications

Help with job hunting and writing your CV

The chance to make a real difference in your community.

For more information come up to the office and talk to one of our Support Workers.
Ask staff for more details
Discount Furniture
PETRUS COMMUNITY STORE
LATEST NEWS! SALE NOW ON!!
We are now open
Tues to Fri, 10am – 3pm and Sat 10am – 2pm
We have had a great start and want to continue this. We are keen to develop our customer base and especially
partnership work with relevant agencies. There are great bargains to be had for people in need around our
borough at the moment. We want furniture to be in homes where it’s needed rather than sitting in our store.
Please do contact Claire Jefferies (tel. no. 01706 341189) to discuss this further.
The Petrus Community Store is situated on Hamer Lane, Rochdale, OL16 2UL which is between the new Rochdale Fire Station and the Croft Shifa Health Centre.
We currently have A LOT of baby and toddler equipment and clothing which we are especially keen to ‘rehome’. Baby items are in the SALE at the moment.
(See photos of some of the cots, prams, chairs and highchairs now available)
Cots,baby carriers,cribs
High chairs in different styles
Prams and buggies
Baby ‘Recliners’
The Pass it On Scheme
Run by Rochdale council and available to 18-24 year olds second hand furniture at a very reasonable cost is available with free delivery. For more information about furniture on this
scheme come up to the Support Centre.
Page 7
Where to turn this winter
The Home Heat helpline 0800 336699
free phone is a service for vulnerable
customers struggling to pay their bills.
It is funded by energy suppliers and
provides information on grants, payment schemes and benefits that may be
available to you.
Charis Grants www.charis.grants.com
has details of schemes run by energy
suppliers to help some customers in
debt.
Stepchange Debt Charity 0800 138
1111 for advice about your options of
how to deal with debt.
Free Rice, come to the Support Centre.
Winter Healthy Cooking, alternate
Thursdays in the Support Centre.
Cold Weather payments, normally
paid automatically when the temperature averages 0 degrees for seven or less
consecutive days.
Warm Home Discount if you are on lo
income you could depending on your
energy suppliers criteria receive £140
Page 8
Wednesdays @ Ashburn House
Staff and residents at Ashburn House have been using Wednesdays for group activities on site. Clearing the garden, litter
picking, sorting the shed and painting the lounge of flat 9 was some of the activities undertaken in January.
We are hoping that as this initiative rolls on through the year and all residents get involved in some of the housekeeping
we have planned for Ashburn House, we are proud of our site ! A big thanks to Jose and Mathew who helped staff paint
the lounge of flat 9.
Page 9
Shout Out @ Ashburn
House
Parkside Press
Dave Quinn Middleton's local Community Policeman
often pops into Parkside for a chat with Jean and the residents.
Having local support in the form of a Community Police
Officer gives residents a sense of security said Jean.
The first 2015 tenants meeting held at Parkside was a
great success going for well over two hours as residents
planned for the year.
A large ladies clothing donation was received this month,
shared and distributed to the residents by Jean and a couple of helpers.
Bowling on the 13/1 was a joint venture, a first for
Ashburn and Parkside and a great opportunity for staff
and residents to share ideas for the coming year.
Parkside has had two new residents since December who
are settling in well, supported by the Male only staff team
and Jean we are sure that their stay will be successful.
Ground news in the form of three new posts to aid the
bog that surrounds Parkside, hopefully people will now
keep off this area!
Peter has just moved into the bungalow at Parkside and absolutely
loves his new home. A long term
residents and contributor to life at
Parkside Peter was busy getting
blinds fitted in his flat as we arrived.
What a pleasure it was seeing and
hearing how passionate Peter is in
regards to the work and commitment Stepping Stone Projects provides for not just him but all tenants.
Thank you Peter for allowing us
into your home.
Page 10
Page 11