Monday 6th September 2021: Papers off to CCG

Posted 12:10pm

Yep, that picture is how I feel sometimes.  lol

I have just emailed our finance spreadsheet and accompanying report to the CCG in regards to our request for funding so we can work with the DWP Un employment, mental health organisations in Camden and Islington, as well as keep providing our plethora of active ongoing work - exercise sessions, walks, zumba, quiz, health pack, social events, outings.  I am keeping everything crossed that dialogue can continue.  Otherwise we will have to stop.

I didn't mention in the previous posting that three of us (Georg, Jazz, and myself) took Rosie's ashes to her mother just over the border in Wales in August.  In fact, it was a lovely way for us to say goodbye, and we stopped off at the Severn Bridge too.  I miss her a lot, as do others.

 

Friday 3rd September 2021 - A terrific month for HMHB

Posted 1:05pm

I am having a quiet chuckle to myself as I read the headline from the last posting at the start of August, where I say that I have to update this blog a bit more.  Oh, the best intentions can sometimes wander off.

So, I say again, I must do better this month.  And it has to be said that August was actually a pretty good month for HMHB.  I will tell all.

Firstly, and most importantly, we had a crucial meeting on my birthday, August 16th, with the local Camden and Islington NHS Trust.  This was us pleading our case for full salary and resource funding.  Something that is becoming more and more vital.

The local Job Centre, my one is Barnsbury, has been fantastic, in that they know we want to be working with their clientele, that we have worked with astonishing feedback, with Kentish Town Job Centre in Camden, and therefore have not been hassling me about looking for work and applying.  That, though, will inevitably change the longer I go without a salary.  And in the end I will have to find a full time job and give all this up.

Thankfully, the meeting went well.  I know we are small, and I can imagine that makes us a risk with the NHS, but we have proven ourselves over and over again, and deserve our chance.  I prepared well for the meeting - which I attended alongside our PT Dean - and there was good vibes at the end.

I have today completed a report to accompany the funding spreadsheet I have finished, which determines salaries and expenses.  I can only hope that we can continue with the dialogue, to start funding at the next financial year.  Wow, that would be amazing, and the culmination of so much work.

But that is not all that was good in August.  We supplied the fourth of our health packs at the start of the month, and have just released number five (September) too.  36 pages of information, news, and encouragement over Mind-set, Nutrition, Exercise, and Health (plus quiz, games, news, classes, recipes, etc).

Our indoor and outdoor exercise sessions are getting new members, and we are even getting people referred to us from the NHS!!!   Wow!!!  To my knowledge, the exercise on referral scheme is on hold due to Covid, so we are the only organisation taking exercise referrals in Islington and Camden.  Not bad for voluntary!!

All in all, we are progressing.  Naturally, the most crucial is the funding conversation.  The be all and end all for us!!  So please cross your fingers and continue to support us. :-)

Monday 2nd August 2021 - I must work on updating this more often

Posted 5:00pm

I am not sure what it is that makes me forget to use the blog.  Every time I remember to update it appears that I have not done for a while.

And so much is happening at the moment.

I will do a proper update tomorrow, but I just wanted to let people know that August is a crucial month for HMHB.  We have an upcoming meeting that is probably the most important we have ever had.  It is with the local CCG around the new fresh approach to mental health in North London - something that we have been doing for the last five years!!!!!!

We need to get salaries and resources.  They clearly have a huge budget as much preparation work has already been done, and they are going to be employing 165 new front line workers - all of whom will need training.

So, we have to be in a strong position.  I am preparing papers for the meeting, and will be very disappointed if we do not end up with at least one year of funding.

Friday 9th July 2021 - Lots to report - I must update this more often!!! :-)

Posted 11:20am

How is it I forget to update this blog so often??  It has actually been a whole month.  And lots has happened.  I am going to try and discipline myself to ensure I add more entries.

Still no news from the DWP re a meeting - despite promises and good words.  However, there is a meeting being arranged with the local NHS Trust and commissioners.  It is all frustratingly slow.

We have secured some small funding from Islington Giving Fund, through Cripplegate and Islington Council, to do another fitness session with Dean, do a year of our monthly health packs, and get a very decent camera to produce online provision.  Very exciting, and we are extremly thankful for their ongoing support.

On a down side, the Lottery turned us down saying we had not involved the "community enough".  I think it has to be how I worded the application, as we are very community based, so I will reapply and adjust my wording.

Our wonderful Rosie, so cruelly taken from us in May by cancer, was featured in the Islington Tribune this week, which was fantastic and fully deserved.  At 45, she was far too young.  We hope it will inspire others to not sit back and wait for things to happen, but to push themselves forward at every opportunity as life is too short.

More news to follow. :-)

Wednesday 9th June 2021 - A Zumba problem solved

Posted 2:35pm

We love our outdoor Zumba sessions on Sundays on Highbury Fields.  They really bring people together, we have a lot of laughs as we sweat, and we even have a picnic afterwards that is very social.  Everyone who walks passed is smiling, some are dancing, and some even join in.

Apart from one couple who live on Highbury Park road, and they have not liked us from the beginning.  Well, last week they made an official complaint to the council, and we received an email from the parks department saying that if we are playing amplified music we need to make an official event application and pay a fee.

I wrote back explaining who we are and what we do,  I also said we knew about the couple who had complained and, in fact, every week I do a sound check, which I video, from outside their property and they cannot hear the music.

Anyway, the parks people came down on Sunday to see us.  The bloke was fantastic.  He said the sound levels were fine, we had a terrific group, he loved what we were doing, and he would report back that he could see no issue with our continuing.  I got an email yesterday saying that we were fine.  No events applications, and no fees.

Absolutely delighted.  I know the good it is doing our users, and within the local community.  Fun things like this need to be encouraged, not cancelled.

Yay!!!

Wednesday 2nd June 2021: Outdoor exercise sessions going well

Posted 12:35pm

 With the good weather upon us, I am delighted at the people coming along to our outdoor exercise sessions, and our walks.

The picture above was from a circuit training we did in Highbury Fields last Saturday, with 10 separate pieces of equipment.  Was a huge amount of fun.

Outdoor exercise is really good.  It has been shown to help people work harder, push themselves further, and also help with their mental health at the same time as they are working on their physical health.

Working in a group is also fantastic.  We are always supportive.

Wednesday 2nd June 2021: Lottery Funding Application:

Posted 12:30pm

We have just completed an application for the National Lottery Awards For All Fund, asking for money to pay for six Ajani courses in four London Boroughs.

We are still waiting to hear from the DWP following our pitch in March (I have followed up a couple of times and will again after this), so what we want to do are four DWP courses, one each in Islington, Camden, Haringey, and Hackney, to demonstrate our outcomes and show we can help improve esteem, confidence, and energy levels in people who are unemployed.

The other two courses we can do with a couple of mental health organisations or local community projects, which would be fun.

We ate hopeful of success as we have people wanting to work with us, as well as the incredible feedback we have received.  But the whole purpose must be opening dialogue with the DWP about our aims and courses.  Fingers crossed.

Monday 31st May 2021: Monthly Health Pack Issue 2 - June 2021: Released

Posted 1:10pm

We have just released the second of our monthly health packs. 36 pages crammed full of encouragement, motivation, and information, for you to use as you wish.

Mind-set:  We look at how we can deal with disappointment.

Nutrition:  Carbohydrates and added sugars.

Exercise:  We have some stretches, and then we talk about our friendship with the brilliant US based Walk With A Doc, encouraging people to get outdoors and walk, before we review three more basic exercises: plank, lunge, squat thrust.

Health:  what is physical health, mental health, emotional health, and social health?

Plus, three recipes (two from the weekly packs and one new one - Dorset Apple Cake - it was the first time I had ever bought cooking apples in my life).

Our fiendish quiz, a film-based photo game page, a letter game page, and details of some online exercise classes (UK time).

Plus, we discuss Healthy Minds, Healthy Bods, who we are, why we are doing what we are doing, and more.

It is an absolute delight to do these, even though they are time consuming.  We have applied to local Islington Giving for funding to provide another twelve issues.

If you want to see a copy - they are in PDF form on our website:  www.hmhb2016.org.uk

Thanks

Thursday 27th May 2021 - Our Thursday walk is going strong

Posted 1:10pm

Lovely photograph from this morning's walk in Clissold Park.  We left the health centre with five of us, picked up two on the way to the park, met one at the park, and then three joined us in the park as we walked.  A smorgsaboard of walkers!!!

Weather was fab, and we made it down to the ponds this time, to actually see the ducks, and ducklings. What a terrific group.  And we had several regulars missing due to being away, so we are really picking up the numbers.

Wednesday 26th May 2021 - a tribute to our Rosie

Posted 3:45pm

Rosie is sitting on the wall, with the white top  This photo was almost four years ago exactly, on the canal between Kings Cross and Highbury, as we walked to Islington Museum for an afternoon visit.

Rosie was on our first ever course, and had changed her life around, but very sadly was taken from us on Monday 24th May by cancer.  She was only 46, and this was a sad day for all of us.  She had taken part in so many of our exercise sessions and walks, and had become a real friend of HMHB.

Here she is with me last December, at Highbury Corner, as we had finished an exercise session on Highbury Fields, and had come down to have a coffee and chat with others, and take some photos for our weekly health pack exercise pages (hence my shorts!!).

We all have our demons, and Rosie would be the first to say she had not dealt with them well in the past.  But in the last four years she had overcome many problems, made a lot of friends, and we are all heartbroken at her being taken from us at quite a young age - she had not even reached 50.

This is one of the last photos of her, taken last Saturday 22nd, just two days before she passed.  It was at the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead, and we were sitting in the garden, still having a laugh, not thinking at all of the illness, or the pain she was so clearly going through.

I just wanted to do a tribute.  Working in health intervention, we are bound to come across tragedy, and it is something that will come to all of us.  But we will miss our Rosie very much.  She was a real character!!!  Hugs and kisses and cuddles!!

Wednesday 26th May 2021 - Monthly Pack 2 completed today

Posted 3:30pm

Absolutely delighted to finish the second of our monthly health packs, following the success of the 50 weekly health packs we produced between April 2020 and March 2021.

We produced our first Monthly Health Pack for May 2021, and the second is now complete.  This one is also 36 pages full of information, news, and fun, focusing on Mind-set, Nutrition, Exercise, and Routine.

In this pack:

News - we focus on HMHB and who we are

Mind-set - we look at dealing with disappointment

Nutrition - carbohydrates and added sugars

Exercise - we look at walking - as well as he plank, lunge, and squat thrust

Health - we cover physical, mental, emotional, and social health

Recipes - three: one new one of Dorset Apple Cake, plus Beef Stroganoff and Toad In The Hole

Quiz, Game, Classes and much more.

We will be publishing it on Monday 31st May, and emailing out and printing copies then for distribution.

Wednesday 26th May 2021 - back at the gym

Posted 3:20pm

Here I am back in Highbury Leisure, and it is not just myself.  Mark and his team have allowed us to use their large studio every Tuesday from 9:30am to 10:30am.

This is fantastic news.  We have our amazing Personal Trainer (PT Zombie) Dean, who comes along to put us through our 

Wednesday 26th May 2021 - Great feedback from course.

Posted 3:15pm

We finished our course in Haringey - and the feedback was superb.  In fact I am going to put here the full feedback from one of the participants, called Alex.

"absolutely life changing course.  Clear, unpatronising, friendly, inventive, funny, informative, and crucial approach to self-care, nutrition, and exercise.   Lawrence is a gem, and both he and Oliver were born to be communicators, both are highly skilled at imparting information with great humility, humour, and both possess a wealth of knowledge and great soul.  They seem to understand how to incorporate these vital life survival skills whilst inside the mind of depression and debilitating anxiety, without ever being anything less than empathetic and caring.  Wonderful people.  I am so glad I got myself to attend this course."

Wow!!!  That just about says it all.  It really was a great course, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with the clients at Haringey Well-Being Network.  Absolutely superb!!!  That alone should be able to get us salary funding!!!

Tuesday 11th May 2021 - Lots of news to share

Posted 12:25pm

One of our amazing users has sadly been transferred from UCH to a hospice in NW3 this week.  It brings home how cruel a disease like Cancer can be.  She was only diagnosed around five weeks ago, and we have been doing our best to support her during the last few weeks.

This has had a knock on effect with the group too, as she would take part in our walks and exercise sessions, and we first came across her when she attended our first ever course four years ago and she has come such a long way.  It's another example of how we must all strive to improve ourselves, stay as healthy as possible, and keep aiming for targets.

Lazza cooked a terrific Dorset Apple Cake last night, for our June health pack recipe pages, and he handed out slices after our Tuesday Highbury Fields exercise session, managed by our wonderful Personal Trainer Dean.  I believe that both he and the cake went down well.

One of our users, Georg, piloted a model boat on "Islington Boating Lake" (the puddle that forms at Highbury Corner opposite Pret A Manger, The White Swan etc.)  We posted the video online and it got hundreds of views.  That led to the Islington Tribune giving us a call and lo and behold Georg featured in a story on Page 3 at the end of last week.  We had a mention too.

Thursday 6th May 2021 - Quiz night comes to HMHB

Posted 3:10pm

We like to try and add more our portfolio, especially for some of our older users, but also want to be able to have anyone enjoy themselves.

So, we at HMHB, have started a quiz night with a difference.  It is one where you really do not need to have a lot of intelligence - in fact most of it is guesswork.  We wanted to create a fun experience for all participants which was more about laughter and friendship, with a little bit of competitiveness too.

Lazza prepares three rounds of ten questions:  it could be around "what age was ..." or "what year did ..." where the answers are obscure.  This week we have one "what is/was the cost ....".  

We have had some fabulous answers so far (we have been going around five/six weeks) and welcome anyone along.  The scoring system gives you points just for writing something down, so nobody could possibly end up with zero.

We are using "Google Meets" for this, not Zoom, but it is very similar.  Every Thursday at 7:30pm start.  If anyone is interested just email HMHB and we can ensure you get the link.

hmhb2016@outlook.com

Yay!!!

Wednesday 5th May 2021 - Funding opportunities and the DWP frustrations

Posted 1:50pm

As always, funding is the bane of organisations like ourselves.  We love what we do, and everyone praises our work, but salary funding is so elusive.  We clearly provide a cracking service, so why is it so hard to get paid for it?

I am currently looking to apply to around ten different organisations which I have ascertained we fit the criteria for their funding wishes.  Naturally, if we get anything is down to pot luck.

During the Covid pandemic we have been lucky enough to get certain pieces of funding for various projects, and I have just applied to Cripplegate for help with monthly packs, exercise sessions, and some video work.

Our main focus is the DWP.  On March 11th, Lawrence promoted HMHB to over 100 representatives of the North London DWP, which we were told after went down very well.  We were recommended by Kentish Town Job Centre, and even Jeremy Corbyn sent in a terrific letter asking them to help find us the resources we needed to work with the Job Centres in multiple boroughs.  We have still heard nothing back, despite the praise.  It is SOOO frustrating.

I will chase them up after making this posting.  We deserve our chance. We deserve salaries.  Why is it so so hard????

Wednesday 5th May 2021: Website gets updated - do check it out

Posted 1:45pm

After giving the blog a good dusting off yesterday and updating everyone on three month's of progress and change, I thought I should glance over the website too.

I have adjusted several pages, and even added a new one (this the first time I have ever done that, so I was very proud of myself - it's the simple things in life!!!).

We looked at the walking and exercise pages to make sure we now were able to advertise our Highbury Field outdoor sessions, and the two walks we currently provide.  I also set up a new page for the Monthly Health Packs, adding content and a PDF, and ensured the new recipe for that pack was included on that page.

Finally, we made adjustments on the news page so that we were completely up to date now lockdowns are being eased.

Tuesday 4th May 2021 - HMHB launch outdoor Zumba on Sunday mornings followed by a Picnic

Posted  1:45pm

With the fantastic help of our amazing Zumba instructor, HMHB decided to bring our Sunday Zoom Zumba session into the outdoors, so a couple of Sunday's ago we started on Highbury Fields at 11am (a time that we all agreed as much better).

At the top of the main field, near the closed off road, and also near to two benches so some of our older users could relax and rest, we have enjoyed some brilliant dancing (I use that term loosely), and it definitely makes you sweat!!!  Hopefully, some of my extra tummy built up over lockdown can get reduced!!!

And after the zumba, from 12pm, we are having a support group picnic, with distancing, that enables people to get together, and just have a good time, safely.

It feels terrific to be providing FREE exercise, and group social to our users.  I am so proud of what HMHB is doing.

Tuesday 4th May 2021 - Outdoor Fitness Sessions are going again

Posted 1:40pm

 It feels fantastic to be back on Highbury Fields with our exercise sessions.

Last lockdown, in April, we actually started doing daily sessions, which ran all the way through to December, and then of course came the big lockdown.

We have restarted on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings at 9:30am, on the large field on Highbury Fields, near to the closed off road in the middle, the Highbury Place side around two benches down (that sounds so complicated, but anyone can find us).

Om Tuesdays, due to funding from Camden Giving, we have our incredible Personal Trainer Dean (PT Zombie) putting us through our places, and on Wednesday and Saturday our very own Lazza takes over and makes us all sweat.

Now, all I need to do is start losing my lockdown weight!!!  Lol

Tuesday 4th May 2021 - Izzwalkz is back again - great to be walking

Posted 1:25pm

Absolutely delighted to report that we have managed to restart our walks, as we are officially a support group too, so can have more that the two households and rule of 6.

Here we are last Thursday in Clissold Park, and what a fantastic group we had.  Yes, some of the group have mobility issues, and the average age is something I dare not think about, but we all have a laugh, chat, and get outdoors and are social - isn't that what it's all about?

We walk every Thursday, meeting outside Highbury Grange Medical Practice, Highbury Grange, N5, at 11am, and normally get back to the practice around 12:15pm after taking a route into Clissold Park.

This Thursday walk is quite leisurely, due to the mobility, but nobody seems to mind, and in fact it is delightful to get everyone together.

We have also started a walk around Highbury Fields (which is a little faster doing three laps) on a Friday morning, for people who are in more of a hurry.  We meet outside Highbury Leisure Centre at 9:30am. :-)