`Posted 3:35pm
This is a monumental month for HMHB - the first of our pilot 9 week programs (as long as we find the money for insurance) will start with Disability Action Islington on the 23rd March. After first coming up with the idea around 8 years ago, this has taken a huge amount of time and effort, numerous meetings, and extreme persistence.
We also got confirmation that we will have the second of our pilot 9 week programs starting on the 20th April with Single Homeless Project, and I am very excited about that. We know we are being watched by the NHS and Public Health, as well as Islington Council, and will be looking for contracts with the DWP too.
With the insurance issue in mind, we will be featured in the local Camden and Islington Journal, with a plea for some small sponsorship of around £2000. This would also cover some printing and hardware/software. If we are lucky at least one person/company will get involved - even better would be two of three, which would mean we could provide an even higher quality service. To be so close is very exciting. Lady Tanni Grey Thompson has agreed to make some quotes for the feature, which should boost our chances. Without insurance we cannot start - it is as plain and simple as that!
Luke and myself have been working on the actual content of the program, and it is coming together nicely. Very important to me is being proactive, interactive and fun - but at the same time providing quality information so that our service users can make good choices. We are not telling people what to do. Responsibility for choices needs to be with the service user. But what we want to achieve is showing people how to think about themselves (even being selfish) and deciding what are the better choices for their short and long term health, and quality of life.
We met with Kacper on Friday, going over the website - I am so thankful to have someone that I can rely on, who actually understands the fundamentals of social media. The website has thrilled me, especially when you consider it has been created for very little cost - although adequate recompense will be made in time.
I am very excited to be working with Adam, and we will be meeting in around ten days time to spend quality time prior to the 23rd March first program day. He is very professional, and has given me fantastic support and encouragement, with both the project and my own personal fitness struggles.
So this week ahead is going to be vital. DAI have paperwork for clients, and we need to find out how the uptake is going. I am adjusting the SHP paperwork to show the new start date - and I want to get posters and flyers to them so that their service users can start getting information about the upcoming project. I am meeting with SHP bosses towards the end of the month - but I want to ensure their clients are well advised about our project in advance.
We are continuing on the content, and I would like to have all that finished by the 15th - just so we can concentrate on how we are going to deliver it, professionally and informatively.
I am again updating all social media, and making any changes that are necessary. Part of the project will be encouraging our service users to use our Youtube, Twitter, and Blogs - as these will continue to be updated even after the 9 week (or 13 week) prigrams are over - so users can continue to get assistance from us. Not only that, they can be aware of any social events we will be running.
Excitingly, the DAI group will be visiting the Emirates Stadium on a special guided tour on the 20th April. I think this will be particularly uplifting for our users. The SHP group have a free first aid course from the Red Cross to look forward to - plus three free gym visits we have organised with Camden Council and the Pancras Gym.
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