Posted 2:00pm
Well, we are finally here - just three days away from our first pilots. Words are really difficult at the moment to describe just how exciting it feels. We need to grasp the opportunity. We need to demonstrate to everyone who we hope to get contracts with - DWP, Council, Organisations, NHS, Public Health, and importantly Islington Commissioners - that we can produce the outcomes we say from our new unique proactive and interactive programs.
This week has been busy behind the scenes. Both pilots start with "prelim" weeks - getting paperwork signed, introducing the course, introducing us, establishing targets and outcomes for the service users.
We attended the second week of our "Bags Of Taste" cookery course - and they have asked us to see if we can refer anyone to their courses too - which is brilliant. This week I cooked "Singapore Noodles" and "French Onion Soup" - and have to say I was very proud of my efforts.
We had confirmation from London Catalyst that our application for a small amount of funding - £4800 - is being passed to the adjudicators - obviously these grant making people get a large number of requests - but it would be nice to get recognised for what we are achieving on absolutely nothing so far.
We are putting in an application for a small grant of £500 - this is for a published event in June called the Great GetTogether - I believe it is based around the very sad and dreadful death of the MP Jo Cox from last year - and is being used as a way of bringing people together. Our application will be joint with Single Homeless Project and Disability Action Islington to do a picnic between us for all our service users. That would be amazing!!!
We have arranged to meeting with the "LivingCentre" in Camden, who appear to be a large signposting company for service users - Camden is another borough I would really like to get into, and this could be a way of getting our feet in the door. We will be applying for money through the Job Centre in that borough too. As well as Islington and Hackney - where we may have found a terrific link - I do not want to go into details quite as yet.
We have also established links with Voluntary Action Islington in regards to our Izzwalkz - naturally I will not be able to attend every one - and we need to start growing volunteers to come along and manage the groups. Another thing for the "to-do" list!!!! But we tweeted with them, and got some email addresses. Let;s see what comes up.
We have sent in the necessary forms to Ian Smith at the Islington Job Centres to start a program with them on the 6 June - it can only be for 7 weeks due to the venue - but as it is free we have to work our way around them.
Finally - thanks to everyone who may read this - who has followed us along this rocky road. There have been some downs, but like our mindset base we must only concentrate on the many ups. To finally get to the opportunity to deliver the programs is amazing. Persistence, luck, and effort all count here.
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