Posted 2:30pm
A terrific week of progress - as we come into the end of April and the Bank Holiday weekend. So a lot to put in this entry.
First, Luke and I attended the first of a four week course run by Bags Of Taste last Wednesday. It is a service that we are going to encourage our service users to be involved in, so I thought it would be a good idea to attend myself. We really like their outlook. Like us, they are very much about proactive assistance. They are encouraging people to get cooking instead of using takeaways, and also showing that is can be done a lot cheaper. On Wednesday they first demonstrated how to make a chickpea curry, as well as special rice. We then got an opportunity to cook it ourselves at the venue, as well as buy the ingredients to do it at home (for a total of £3). I duly did that, and a photograph of my efforts is the picture at the top. Quite proud of myself. I am looking forward to the next three sessions.
We have followed up with Single Homeless Project on the pilot program starting on the morning of Monday 8 May - and they have said they are excited to see how this ball pans out. So far we have 11 or 12 people signed up - we have advised them we would like between 10 and 15 so this is ideal. I think the initial prelim meeting is a superb idea, and gives us a chance to get the forms completed, as well as discover targets and find out what people themselves are hoping to get out of the experience. So we are all set for this pilot.
We then followed up with Disability Action Islington on the pilot we are running with them starting on the afternoon of Monday 8 May. We discussed the outcomes they are looking to achieve themselves. Naturally it is a slightly different dynamic, but we see this as an excellent opportunity to see how our program can help different people. We have about 7-8 people on this program. We wanted a smaller number just because of the dynamics. We know there will be two or three wheelchair users, as well as a mix of mental health service users. I am hoping this can be the start of a great relationship with DAI.
We had terrific news from Elizabeth House who have allowed us to use a room in their facility in Highbury so we can do a course starting on the 6 June with people from the Job Centre. This can only be for 7 weeks due to the summer holidays starting in July, and the availability of the room. But that is something we can work with. It is a pilot after all. I will be busy over the next couple of days sorting out all the paperwork for this, so that the Job Centres can start promoting it from next week.
I have sent in an application to the Gunners Fund this week, and part of that covers the cost for the Elizabeth House room - although they have kindly said that if we do not achieve the funding they will allow us a one off free allowance, which is an amazing gesture, However, they are a charity and I would much rather pay our way if at all possible. We also applied for money towards travel, insurance for our Personal Trainer, essential stationery we need, shirts for our Izzwalkz volunteers as we provide more walks, and finally. and importantly, First Aid course for myself and Luke. This is required as we will be doing events on other days - including day outs.
I met up with Julia from Single Homeless Project Camden. She is very interested in walking, and we want to provide a weekly health walk in Kings Cross. We are going to meet up towards the end of May and tryb out a couple of routes and then do three or four walks in June and July to test them out with SHP service users. Once we find a good route I will then officially start a weekly health Izzwalkz KX.
So the next nine days before our opening pilots are going to be very busy.
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