Thursday 29th October 2020: Funding Success with Camden Giving

Posted 1:00pm

Absolutely delighted to report that we had a funding application with Camden Giving's Pathways to Employment Fund accepted.  Wow!!!

This is especially pleasing as we had been asked by Kentish Town Job Centre to be part of their intervention with their 18-25 year olds following our incredible feedback back in February, when we ran one of our Ajani courses with some of their users.

The money will cover access to Pancras Leisure (I am chatting with them about studio usage), and the cost of our wonderful Personal Trainer Dean, as well as some volunteer and travel costs for me, as I will also be doing some stuff around mind-set and confidence with them.  It's a real bonus for us, and it is great that others can see our potential.  Now, if we could just find some people who can influence salary funding too, that would be great.

We have other funding applications for various different projects currently pending. This includes for our packs, for other gym studio sessions, and our walks. Even if we could get one more that would be a success, but keeping everything crossed for as many as possible.

Thursday 29th October 2020 - Funding Applications: Health Blog: Accounts software

Posted 12:30pm

Yep, that clipart seem to sum me up at the moment - drowning in paperwork and looking to be rescued.

There separate updates here - some good, some not so much.

We are currently waiting to hear on several applications, and finished another one today. This one is for the Comic Relief Covid Fund, and we are hoping they will fund the health packs from December to February.  We were so grateful to Islington Giving who sponsored for four months from April to July.  Then the Lottery stepped in and sponsored them for the next four months (Aug to Nov). We are really hoping that Comic Relief will then help us for the three months to the end of February.  As always, we believe our application was solid, but it is also very competitive. Keeping Fingers Crossed.

Delighted to be adding to the Health Blog again. In fact, in the packs we claim we add over ten entries a week, so that is a real incentive to find interesting and relevant information and guidance on our four main topics:  mind-set, health, nutrition and exercise.  And I know that they get read, as I can see the access from here. Yay!!!!

Finally, a little tale. We have Sage Accounting software.  I did management accounts for years, and I know how important it is, especially for our funders, that people see we are responsible with our funding and use it properly.  I had an email yesterday from Sage saying they wanted to upgrade me to a newer software, for a 20% increase in cost (from £20 plus vat a month to £24 plus vat a month). The newer software was "better" apparently. However, if I wanted to stay as I was it was going to cost me £25 plus vat a month (increase of 25%0.  In other words, total blackmail.  Transfer to the new software or we will charge more money!!!  And this is legal!!!!  I did argue a bit. Hey ho!! Onwards.

Tuesday 27th October 2020 - A big November ahead for both HMHB and our Lazza

Posted 12:50pm

It's a wet and blustery Tuesday morning/afternoon, so we did not do our daily outdoor session earlier. But, next week it will not matter, as Tuesdays we are back at Highbury Leisure. Yay!!!

November is going to be a busy month for both HMHB and our Lazza.

Sunday 1st November, and every Sunday afterwards, we have Zumba. At the moment it is outdoors on Highbury Fields from 9:30am, but we are hopeful that Highbury Leisure will allow us to run it indoors in a studio soon, probably at a later time.

Monday 2nd November 9:30am, we launch our Kilimanjaro walk challenge around Highbury Fields (all month, not in one day), with the Islington Mayor, Janet Burgess, joining us that morning.  We will walk Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after that from 10:30am onwards.

Tuesday 3rd November, and every Tuesday afterwards, we have Highbury Leisure Centre from 9:30am to 10:30am, which is fantastic.

But our Lazza also has a couple of operations coming up in the month. On Monday 9th he is back to Moorfields Eye Hospital for his 6th, and final, operation following both eyes suffering detached retinas and cataracts over the last three years. This last op is a basic small one.

Then on the Thursday 19th he is having an operation to fix his right knee meniscus cartilage tear, and this has been causing aggravation since April 2019. In fact, tomorrow, he is not only getting his pre-op checks at UCH, but also talking to the consultant about a similar operation to happen on his left knee.

So, November is going to be a busy one!!!!

Sunday 25th October 2020 - Returning to the gym on Tuesdays

Posted 2:15pm

Here is Lazza (me) following his meeting with Mark, the manager at Highbury Leisure Centre on Friday afternoon.  It was fantastic to meet him, and he knows us well.  I got shown around the centre, and they have had to follow some quite strict guidelines on distancing and cleaning.

The swimming pool should be opening up again in January, following the fire in September 2018. It feels like it has taken a long time, but in some ways it has been beneficial, as the pool is newly tiled and the changing rooms have been done. There are even new screens up.  I am definitely looking forward to getting back into the water.

Mark has also been terrific in allowing us our old Tuesday morning slot back - and this time using the main studio. We also have to follow distancing rules, but that is fine or us, as we have been doing so for the last six months on Highbury Fields. We are so grateful to Mark and his team for the continuing support and belief in us.

So we start back there on Tuesday November 3rd.  It is going to be a busy month for us. :-)

Sunday 25th October 2020 - Pack 28 released

in this week's pack Lazza baked Cheesecake (it was so delicious)

Posted 2:10pm

This weekend we have released the 28th of our weekly health packs, and this is an other one jam-packed full of information:  24 pages this time.

In this pack:

Mindset - we have the solution to last week's murder mystery (don't worry - if you did not see last week's copy, or you didn't try and solve the murder, we have put the set-up again in this issue - the set-up is pages 5,6,7 - the solution on page 8 - so don't look at it till you have tried again).  It's about facing tricky challenges and finding solutions to life problems (don't worry if you don't discover the culprit. that's part of life too).

Nutrition:  We have a glance at condiments.

Exercise - this week we cover the abdominal muscles (abs) - all part of your "core" - which is very important to keep strong

Health - it's a topical look at Flu and Pneumonia, with startling facts and information.

Plus, Lazza bakes an incredible lemon cheesecake (honestly, very delicious), his fiendish quiz pushes you to the limit, and a picture game page which everyone should get 15/15 (but I bet they don't come close.)

Plus, news of exercise classes and much more.

We hope you enjoy this issue:

In next week's we look at confidence, esteem: milk varieties: big ball (we offer alternatives) exercises: and our bones.

All 28 packs are on our website in pdf form: as are all our recipes.

November next week:  Have a cracking week everyone. Stay safe, stay active.

To find copies:  www.hmhb2016.org.uk

Thanks everyone.

Wednesday 21st October 2020 - Can HMHB get nominations for "Team of the Year" for 2020 Islington Volunteer Awards?

Posted 10:10am

Hello, we need your help. Please read to the bottom.

Although we are currently actively seeking seed (salary) funding, at the moment HMHB is solely mentor and volunteer led.

Voluntary Action Islington are currently taking nominations for Islington Volunteer awards - which includes the "Team" award, and we were hoping people might nominate us.

I know this probably sounds egotistical, but we do have other reasons. Being a small project, even though our feedback is quite extraordinary (and if you were to read the report on our website of our course with Kentish Town Job Centre and see the quotes provided, you would be demanding we get salary funding) we are struggling to get noticed by the people with chequebooks. This kind of award could help.

During this year, and not just the six/seven months of Covid, we have provided our courses on Mindset to local groups, we were running three weekly FREE gym studio sessions (in partnership with Better Gyms) at Highbury Leisure, Sobell Centre and Pancras Leisure. We were running two weekly health walks in partnership with Highbury Grange Medical Practice and Highbury Leisure Centre.

Since lockdown, we have been running a daily outdoor fitness session on Highbury Fields available to any age and ability (every day - we have missed just five due to downpours), and this includes a new Zumba session on Sundays with an amazing lady called Karina.

We have also been the only health provider (including mega funded ones) who have been producing weekly health packs focusing on the four main areas - Mind-set, Nutrition, Exercise and Health - as well as including a quiz, a game page, a recipe page (every week Lazza cooks something he has never ever done before, as an example of trying new things), a news page, and much more. This health pack can not only be downloaded from our website, but also be printed and posted for people not on the internet.  Nobody is doing that, apart from us!!!!!! Our six month issue 26 was 28 pages. Last week, number 27 was 24 pages (and includes a murder mystery to solve as part of our mind-set section). Check all 27 out on our website - www.hmhb2016.org.uk

And we are volunteers.  It would mean the wold if we could be nominated.

I have tried to copy the link - I cannot.

It will just take a few moments to email Voluntary Action Islington (VAI): 

meera.jobanputra@vai.org.uk   or marta.aparicio@vai.org.uk   

and ask them for the form to complete (and it is team of the year, not us as individuals).

Lazza, Luke and Dean have worked very hard to build Healthy Minds, Healthy Bods up.  We hope you will take a small amount of time from your day and help us out, if you feel you can.

Many thanks

Lazza  :-)

Wednesday 21st October 2020 - Local Fund application

Posted 9:45am

So that is a map within a map within a map.  The small map in the corner shows all the London Boroughs, with the small red dot being Islington.  That i then the large red blob, and my ward (Highbury East) is shaded with the green lines.

I am very lucky to have three very supportive councillors who, in alphabetical order, are Osh Gantly, Sue Lukes and Caroline Russell.  Over the years I have met all three a few times, and they have been helpful and many ways.

One of them being the Local Initiative Fund in Islington.  According to the Council website:

"Local ward councillors have an annual budget per ward for small grants that deliver benefit to the residents of their ward (subject to the final agreement of the Voluntary and Community Sector Committee).  They can go towards a variety of locally run activities."

Over the last three/four years we have benefited a couple of times, and we have been encouraged to apply again. During this Covid period, the application process is quite fluid.  We have put in for around £900 to continue our walks from Dec to May in Highbury Fields.  I am due to have three operations as some stage, and also have days when I cannot attend. We have asked for volunteer funding for three days a week (£10 a day) to do the walk (which we will continue to do daily), so I can get someone else in to lead it on those three days, which is very important. Peace of mind, and we continue to deliver a great welcoming service.  We also asked for £25 a month for a one off sit down tea/coffee with the group which I am sure we will be able to do safely - obviously following all local current regulations and guidelines around the Covid pandemic.

Monday 19th October 2020 - A fun Zumba session yesterday on Highbury Fields

Posted 12:30pm

I quite like the picture we have promoting this blog entry, as it shows the full diversity of people who can enjoy Zumba.  We have people in their 70s and 80s joining in, which is fabulous.

It was a bright morning, although a little nippy, yesterday, but we still managed to get a decent number onto Highbury Fields for our Sunday session.  And before anyone says otherwise, as we were outdoors we were allowed more than the "Rule of 6" currently in operation as London is in "Tier 2" of this Covid epidemic.

We ensure social distancing was monitored, and Karina once again led us in around 8-10 different songs and moves. It really is a great way to get fitter, and a laugh as well.  We even had some new members come along, which included a couple in the 70s. What was special was that afterwards their daughter, who had popped along to watch, came up and thanked us for allowing her parents to take part. How nice!!

Even Lazza led us in a version of Proud Mary, where we all did our own versions of Tina Turner, which was one of the campest events of the day I would imagine.

Sunday 18th October 2020 - Pack 27 distributed: includes new game exclusive to HMHB

Posted 9:45pm

Sunday night, and I have just done my email distribution of our weekly health pack number 27, which, as always, is jammed packed full of content.

And for our mind-set section we have produced, what I think is amazing, a quite unique game, setting the challenge of a murder mystery. I have never seen this incorporated in any mental health intervention before.  It is all about dealing with a challenge, trying to see the relevant facts, and deducing just how to solve a problem, something we all come across in life (well, maybe not a murder mystery itself).

I am very proud of our game, and hope it goes down well.

For nutrition we cover the tricky subject of Alcohol. We were very proud to do some work with Single Homeless Project with their substance abuse clients, and this naturally involved people overcoming issues around alcohol. So we have tried to cover the subject sensitively, but also objectively.

For exercise we looked at "Mobility", something vital for all age and abilities.  It is imperative as we get older that e all try and keep as mobile as possible, and that involves working your muscles over a period of time.  Lazza is pictured demonstrating a few easy exercises for people to try.

For health we have a good look at the "liver" - what it is, where it is, and what it does, and how we can keep it healthy. It is one of the busiest organs of the body and, apart from the skin, the largest.

Lazza bakes his first ever Millionaire's Shortbread (which was gooey and divine), and there is the usual picture game and fiendish quiz, plus much more.

All the 27 packs are now on the website (I put this one on earlier), so pls download them and have a gander. But we implore you to try the murder mystery - the solution is printed in next week's pack - number 28.   www.hmhb2016.org.uk 

Friday 16th October 2020 - Outdoor fitness during Tier 2 lockdown news: Plus blog success

 

Posted 10:10am

I was seriously worried this week when it was announced that London would be entering Tier 2 lockdown measures from 12:01am Saturday morning - just 14 hours away.

I was not worried for me. I, like many of us, am being sensible, masking up when appropriate, social distancing as much as I can, but also trying to live my life as best as I can.  I am typing this at the "office", White Swan Wetherspoons Highbury, upstairs away from most people, and will be here for at least eight hours today.

I was concerned about our terrific daily fitness sessions, that are still popular. I did read that the Rule of 6 was applying to exercise sessions.  That means, according to the government website:

"It is against the law for people to gather in a group of more than six, whether indoors or outdoors, unless covered by an exemption. This limit does not apply to meetings of a single household group or support bubble which is more than 6 people"

However, there are exemptions.  And I was delighted to read this morning that "outdoor" exercise sessions are fine, as long as social distancing rules are adhered to, which we have been doing since April.  I messaged everyone this morning to explain the rules, and hopefully this means we will continue to sweat together for a while longer.

Finally:  I was sort of surprised to realise that this is the first week this year - so in the whole of 2020 - when we have made blog entries on every week day. I am really trying to make every effort to keep up with social media. We have been posting Facebook and Twitter entries a lot more recently, and have also been adding back to the health blog. Yay!!!

Thursday 15th October 2020 - A lovely morning for exercise

 

Posted 12:55pm

It was a glorious morning today, and here is our group of intrepid exercisers after completing the usual session.  The sun, as you can see, was shining brightly, although it was a bit nippy at the start. We soon had everyone warmed up.

We have managed to keep going since April, and I am so proud of everyone who comes along and stretches themselves. There is a core group who come nearly every day, which is amazing, including Angela, who is in her mid-eighties.  We ensure social distancing rules are abided by, and most importantly make everyone welcome, regardless of age or ability. We also have a lot of laughs, mostly at my expense I think!!!

Another plus is that we get people who have seen us as they walk past and then come back and join in. That is great. I know myself how hard it can be to self-motivate, and being able to work out with a group of friends can only be a good thing.

Well done all!!!!

Thursday 15th October 2020 - HMHB is climbing Kilimanjaro with Walk With A Doc

 

Posted 12:50pm

According to Wiki

"Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has 3 volcanic cones:  Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world: 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level and about 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) above its plateau base.

Kilimanjaro is the 4th most topographically prominent peak on Earth. The first people known to have reached the summit were Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller in 1889. It is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is a major climbing destination."

No, we are not literally climbing it. I am not sure we could travel to Tanzania.  We are joining a challenge with Walk With A Doc, and it is online. We have to travel around 40 miles in the month of November, charting our progress, and hopefully that will get us to the summit.

We will be walking around Highbury Fields, from around the first of November (the challenge is actually over 14 days, but with our various ages and abilities I want to give us the best chance possible of completing). We aim to to around 2-3 km a day, and will be incorporating some exercise into that too.

Wednesday 14th October 2020 - Updating health blog today

Posted 5:20pm

Had quite an enjoyable day. I answered quite a few emails and was reviewing some work on our health packs. And realised part of our "health" pages in the packs promotes our health blog and, despite all the best intentions, I have seriously neglected adding new entries over the last few months.

So today I decided to put that right, and thought I would spend one day a week, and a Wednesday is as good as any other day, to add as many entries as possible. I have therefore been researching and reviewing studies around aa lot of subjects and trying to pick the most interesting I could find. I also wanted to add things that I would find relevant to me around mind-set, nutrition, health and exercise.

I am delighted to have added ten new entries today. And the subjects are quite diverse. But I wont put them here. Instead I invite you to take a peek for yourself. And if you do find anything interesting, it would be great if you left a comment or something too.

And if you could maybe promote the blog on your own media that would make my day.

www.healthymindshealthybods.blogspot.com

Tuesday 13th October 2020 - Issue 27 completed - photos and cooking

 Posted 12:30pm

I can tick the box on the next Health Pack - completed this morning.  This is issue 27, and is 24 pages. The extra two from the normal is because we have an extra page on Mindset and Health this week.

The Mind-set page is because we have got a really fun game to focus on the Mind-set of a challenge. I think this is unique for HMHB, an something I definitely never came across when I was coming through recovery. At HMHB we like to push the boundaries and be as proactive and interactive as possible.

We have created our own murder/mystery puzzle. We have set up the synopsis, created the characters, given all the information, and the reader than has to solve the crime by working out which person did the murder and also how they did it.

(when I say we created it - I have to admit I have based it heavily on an old crime novel of one of my favourite authors, but I will not say which person or book - but I have confessed in the pack that the idea has been used before).

When I came through my depressions I found that so much of the intervention was formulaic, and delivered by people that, in my own opinion, were not exactly passionate about the subject. It felt like they were going through the motions. HMHB was set up to be the opposite, and the feedback demonstrates that our systems works.

Last night I baked my first ever Millionaire's Shortbread for the recipe page. The caramel was maybe not thick enough, so it has remained a little gooey, but that adds to the outcome I feel. Tastes very sweet but delicious.

Finally, our wonderful Rosie took some photos of me at the "office" - White Swan Highbury - for our exercise page, where we are covering mobility.

It's great to get this sorted so early in the week, which allows me to do other paperwork that is essential.

Monday 12th October 2020: Funding Applications

 Posted 2:25pm

Have recently completed three small funding applications: nothing for salaries though.

We are looking to restart our indoor fitness sessions, available to all ages and abilities, that we have had such success with in the past. That would be back at the three Better gyms we were using prior to lockdown:  Sobell Centre and Highbury Leisure in Islington, and Pancras Leisure in Camden.  Contacting Better is a bit of a nightmare, but we are hopeful of success.  The funding we have applied for would cover the cost of the studio, plus the cost of our Personal Trainer, and a contribution to some equipment (we cannot use the gym studio stuff due to Covid), and insurance.

We have also just finished an application to a London Groundwork fund, re our Izzwalkz, to get them properly started in 2021. It would cover the two current walks we were doing prior to lockdown in Clissold Park and Highbury Fields, plus a new one in Finsbury Park in the first year, and a further new one in Kings Cross in the second year (2022).

Funding applications can be quite stressful, but I think we produced some good ones, and as we have not developed some crucial links with local organisations and centres, I am hopeful that at least one or two, and maybe all three, can be successful.

Of course, ultimately, we need to find seed funding.

Monday 12th October 2020: Six Month Anniversary Health Pack released: Number 26

 Posted 2:15pm

Wow!!!  Six Months.  Back in April I would not have envisaged completing 26 of our health packs, and here we are promoting it today.

For this special issue:  28 pages full of fantastic content.

Mind-set:  We look at building and growing that Growth Mind-set.

Nutrition:  We look at "optimal nutrition", plus Selenium as an "essential mineral".

Exercise:  We invite everyone to do a Tabata HIIT exercise, with demonstration.

Health: We cover Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and if we can try and reduce the risk of it.

Plus, Lazza cooks a very creamy luxury rice pudding (which I promise you was divine)

We have a tough picture game page (I know nobody will get all 15), plus Lazza's fiendish quiz to drive you to distraction. A research news page on Covid vaccine. Details of online exercise classes. And more.

Next week - issue 27 - we will be doing a really interesting game around Mind-set. I promise you it will test you, so pls pls look out for that. It is enormous fun and will make you think.

All 26 issues are now on our website in PDF form. We are also hoping to interest a publisher now too.

Check them out at   https://www.hmhb2016.org.uk/mental-health-packs

Tuesday 6th October 2020 - Pack 25, Publishing

Posted 11:45am

We released Pack 25 yesterday morning, and I am delighted with how they are going.

We release to a lot of people now, via email, post and hand delivery too.

This pack was 22 pages of content.

On Mind-set we looked at "worry", and how it can be both good and bad. It can help us look after ourselves; for example, if we have pain we may go to the doctor because we are worried about what it could be.  But also we have to be wary about allowing worry to make us over cautious.

On Nutrition: we looked at deficiencies: as well as why we need to have a healthy diet.  Plus we had an overview of the essential mineral Zinc.

On Exercise, we took the time to look at how it affects or mental health for the better.

For health we looked at Dementia: what it is, and what we can be doing to lessen the risk of getting it in the future.

I produced a fun Star Wars based picture game; our usual fiendish quiz which is guaranteed to make you think; the recipe was a proper Shepherd's Pie - I had only ever used shop bought mixes before. I didn't make enough mash, but it mattered now.

On our News page we looked at suicide - this due to the fact we lost a friend recently to it very sadly, and I felt it was important to touch on the subject in a compassionate way.

Someone also mentioned to me that they thought that we should try producing a book based around the packs. A kind of "self-help" book for three months, using each week as a new target. I have contacted quite a few publishers to see what they thought. A couple have said he idea sounded good, but they did not think it was for them.  I hope nobody steals the idea.

Friday 2nd October 2020 - Blog entries: Pack success: Better Gyms

Posted 4:15pm

I only did one Blog entry in September. What is wrong with me? I have been typing away, just about every day, and for some reason have neglected the blogs. That will change this upcoming week, and I will explain how and why.

I am well ahead in my production of packs, which means I am free for the next week to work on our social media and funding. So I am absolutely determined to ensure plenty of entries.

So much has happened.

Our packs go from strength to strength. I remember someone discussing them with me when I was on Pack 7. They asked me if I would be able to keep providing quality content for another three or four. It did make me think, so I sat down and prepared all the content up to Pack 16.

However, when I got to 14, I realised I had lots of subjects to cover.

Delighted to say we published Pack 24 at the start of this week, I finished Pack 25 on Tuesday, being released this Sunday night, and have already completed the following celebratory issue (number 26 means six months!!!) to go out on the 11th.  Extra pages, and the usual fantastic content.

Not only that, but I have already planned out the next six after that, numbers 27 to 32.

All 24 so far are on our website - do check them out!!!  www.hmhb2016.org.uk 

With it now being October, we are anxious to get our fitness sessions indoors again. We were rained off this morning, and this is just going to continue. It's also darker and colder. I have contacted Better gyms several times to discuss the return to our studio sessions at Pancras, Sobell and Highbury. You cannot talk at the venue, but nobody seems keen to contact us. I will persevere.

I will definitely be using the blog a lot more.  Yay!!!!