Wednesday 8th May 2019 - Hackney Funding

Posted 1:15pm

We have started on our Hackney Funding application - this on the recommendation of the Head of Service for Hackney Public Health.

We had to draw up a spreadsheet first - the funding is available for the period of September 2019 through to the end of March 2020 - so a seven month project.

We are proposing to work in the two residential housing units we have visited for Anchor Hanover, in Newington Green and Homerton, for one morning a week in each venue, two hours a time.  We would do our mixture of games, quizzes, exercise, health information, nutrition guidance and promoting a healthy lifestyle, all in our pioneering unique delivery.

The spreadsheet includes the following:

• volunteer costs for Lawrence at 4 hours a week
• volunteer costs for Dean at 4 hours a week
• an amount for exercise equipment and games
• mobiles
• insurance
• travel
• stationery
• accounts software
• website costs
• domain/email/logo costs
• first aid training
• a cost for a once a month extra payment for an event at each venue, covering food etc.
• general expenses - covering weekly coffee/tea/milk/biscuits/fruit etc

Total we will be looking at is £4982.00

I will be completing all this before the closing date of next Tuesday, but hope to be able to let inside people see it before Friday for amendments.

Meanwhile we continue to send out corporate letters asking for sponsorship.

Tuesday 7th May 2019 - First application completed and sent

Posted 12:30pm

I have, today, submitted our application to the Highbury East Local Initiatives Fund, managed by my local Councillors, Osh Gantly, Sue Lukes, and Caroline Russell.

We have applied for £867.00.  This covers the cost of Dean for our new fitness session launching next week (I'll do a separate blog posting around that later), at £10 a session - plus three Roller Banners to promote the new walk, also launching next week - that in partnership with Islington Central Medical Centre and Better Gyms - both of them will get a banner to display, and we will have one for promotion purposes.  They are £99 each from Vistaprint.  We have also asked for £50 for flyers for the new walk too.

The closing date was next Tuesday, but I have other paperwork to get on with so decided to get the application in, and copied in the three Councillors on the email. We had to include other paperwork too - including insurance documents, safeguarding policy, constitution, copy of accounts, plus copy of latest bank statement.

I hope we get this - it could really help us at this time.

Friday 3rd May 2019 - Islington Taster Session with Peabody

Posted 2:30pm

Had a really good discussion earlier with my own Housing Landlords, Peabody. We met at their Angel offices and talked about Healthy Minds, Healthy Bods, and we asked if we could do some work with their tenants, especially with our lottery application coming up.

They recognized that we are "peer led" and that made us attractive - especially as we have gone through mental health problems ourselves, and have also used substances to try and alleviate issues in the past.

Delighted to announce that they would like to experience a taster session - as we said to them, there is nothing to be lost.  So hopefully we can organize that for the end of May, and then talk about how we can try and build on that relationship.  It is a promising end to the week.

Thursday 2nd May 2019 - Camden HealthWatch Blog Entry (HMHB + Food)

Posted 3:10pm

I recently was interviewed by Radio 4 for an item on Food Poverty, organised by Healthwatch Camden. They also asked me to provide a blog entry for their blog, with my experience, and they also allowed me to talk about HMHB.

The entry is detailed below:

For our impact of Food Poverty social media project we asked people to give their views on what holds them back from eating a healthy diet.

Here’s what Lawrence had to say:

“I guess I’m not what people would perceive to be the typical person who would struggle with life issues, and therefore need to use a food bank, but things happen to us all – how often do we hear about celebrities struggling?

Coming from a successful career in business management and finance, a few years ago I found myself with difficult mental health issues after several life problems hit me – I had a terrible unexpected break up, was seriously assaulted leaving me HIV+, and a friend and his partner conned me out of my life savings, leaving me penniless, severely depressed, and thinking there was no future. It can happen quickly, and to anyone. I don’t want sympathy, but it is important to understand how life can hit you.

I did find some amazing help – I live in Islington. Starting with Icope, I went to various organisations – the best was probably Single Homeless Project. Some good courses, but also having one to one with a key worker that genuinely appeared to want to help me, was a blessing. I just wanted to get better and have a life.

Naturally that takes time, and you have to live off benefits – which itself is very stressful. It feels like people are judging you very much, that people think you are happy sitting on benefit, and just don’t want to work. Well, I am on Universal Credit - £317 a month – that is for everything (electric, gas, water, travel, tv licence, wifi, phone, mobile, food, clothing, toiletries, etc.). I can assure anyone reading this that everyone I have met, who is receiving benefit, wants to work, be independent, and have control.

I am also trying to get my own business off the ground, and that has taken money from me, leaving me poor most months. And that leads to sacrificing things, which has led me to food banks, which I have had to use a few times. This can be embarrassing, and make you feel rotten inside, as you think “I can’t even feed myself”, and can lead to major stress and anxiety.

Healthy Eating is important. To me, good nutrition is a basic need. I know, from researching, that if you are unemployed, or going through mental health issues, one of the first behaviours affected is nutrition – you tend to eat more takeaways or processed foods, as you do not have the energy or desire to cook. You don’t think about the protein, carbs, fats, sugars, vitamins and minerals you need to consume daily to stay healthy and energized. If I feel I am progressing, I tend to think more about cooking, and not having so many of the so-called “bad for you” foods.

Mood, finance, and feeling hopeless, all affect my decision making when it comes to how I look after myself. Even poor sleep, lack of exercise, and loneliness can make me make poor choices. It is a fundamental human desire to have realistic targets, dreams, and happiness, but I also need to feel I am moving in the right direction.

Funnily, a lot of people believe eating healthy is expensive, and cannot be done on benefits. That is rubbish. Yes, you probably cannot buy Salmon and such like. But if you shop around – which itself can help lift depression – and prepare recipes in advance – it is not difficult to be healthy. It may mean sacrificing some food products while you are sorting your life out.  Again, a lot is down to mental health, and not allowing life issues to overwhelm you.

We are inundated with various pieces of advice around nutrition. As a nation, we are getting fatter – research and studies clearly evidence this. It does not help when we are told one day that certain foods are bad for you, then the next day they are good for you.

We need better advice from professionals, but also more opportunities to discuss this, get people together, and share knowledge and awareness. It’s okay to be told to eat better, but provide some sessions where people can join up, interact, and you can learn much more that way. Giving people leaflets around healthy eating will do little – and the same goes for Apps and Online (will many of the people in real poverty and real need use these?). It needs a lot more face to face action, a more proactive intervention.

I am happy to say that I am in a much better place now, mentally and physically – although not financially. For the last four years I have been fervently setting up a project around Mindset, Health, Fitness and Nutrition – developed and designed empathetically from my own experiences, with a pioneering fresh unique approach to delivery on mental health. That has kept me focused, and through research I have learnt so much about myself, and life. It is called Healthy Minds, Healthy Bods, and we are passionate about helping others, especially after going through my own problems. We want to provide opportunities for people to be more active in a group, have fun, but also improve their Mindset.

Funding is our only problem. We have done voluntary programs in Islington, Hackney and Haringey – everyone loves us – I had my MP Jeremy Corbyn sit on my sofa and tell me it could bring “significant benefits”. We need sponsorship for our free fitness session and healthy walks – naturally we have overheads like insurance, marketing, travel, and website costs ( www.hmhb2016.org.uk ) . Part of what we do is talk about nutrition – and feedback is extraordinary. We are desperate for some sponsorship/funding – please email us at hmhb2016@outlook.com if you can help.
Thanks for reading my story. I hope it may help someone else.

Thursday 2nd May 2019 - Izzwalkz CP; Peabody; Public Health

walkers 2nd May 2019

Posted 2:45pm

We have not mentioned our walk for a while - even though it happens every week without fail, regardless of weather, holidays or numbers. We have had 15, and we have had 2. But they are always inclusive, fun, with lots of laughter and has forged friendships.

We were joined by a new member today - Denise - who was referred to us from a health centre in the borough, and we had a lovely stroll around the fantastic Clissold Park (technically Hackney - right on the border).

We do advertise the walk extensively, and to be honest I am surprised the numbers are not larger, especially with the warmer weather coming in. It is amazing how many people will sit at home kin front of televisions not really learning anything - just being sedentary. Instead we have a great walk outdoors, combining benefits in physical and mental health.

We also can announce a meeting with Peabody tomorrow - with whom we want to do soe work on estates in Islington with the lottery bid money we are applying for - and need to get their backing. Ads it is a win win for all concerned I am hopeful.

Finally, we have a meeting with Islington Public Health next week - again it is important to get backing for lottery.

Wednesday 1st May 2019 - Personal Goals and May's difficulties

Posted 2:10pm

I think people can forget that behind all the effort, focus, hard work and persistence, there is still a human being trying to just have a life. We have an amazing pioneering project, with incredible feedback on our unique, fresh design and delivery, but ultimately we need to know all this effort has been worthwhile.

May wasn't an easy month, personally - and I apologize if this appears self-indulgent or selfish to post this. Actually, even if you do not carry on reading, it is therapeutic for me, but I hope you do. Understanding what drives HMHB to carry on in its bid to be established is important.

I am getting older - 52 now - 53 in August - and I came up with HMHB when I was 42. It has been 10 years in development (off and on). In between there was some work, a second major depression (following one from Jan 2004 to Feb 2006) and life in general. But I want me children to be proud of me, and what we are doing, and not just wondering if "dad's project" is going to start!!!

I have yoyoed up and down in weight - I now understand how I used food as a comfort (and still do occasionally), and there is frustration that I cannot seem to get to my target. I will succeed this year though. February and March were great months - April I put weight back on. I need to get back in track in May!!! I hate how I look in the mirror - but it is my responsibility to make better nutrition choices.

We ask service users "where do you want to be in six month's time?"  It is about emotional/mental health, not physical. So the general consensus is "happier, healthier, fitter, stronger, more energized and looking forward to getting out of bed in the mornings." - Is that not everyone??  It is certainly my goals and targets.

I think April dragged me down a bit. Great successes - Haringey, Hackney contacts, Lottery dreams, etc. But also some incredible frustration - finances (the poorest I have ever been - plus the company finances), time things are taking to happen, meetings I have to beg for.

Ultimately, it is that "i want to want to get out of bed", "i want to believe it will happen", feeling. This is the Growth Mind-set mentality we press. I do believe we will get there. I know we have something good that can make a difference in people's lives. All this effort has to lead somewhere, doesn't it?

Wednesday 1st May 2019 - stuffing envelopes; applications

Posted 2:15pm

We have already had 50 Corporate letters go out, and tonight I will be stuffing another 100 envelopes, with a further 100 on Thursday evening. I have not as yet found someone willing to post them off for us, but will be begging over the next couple of days. At second class it is just over £120 of postage - but as HMHB has no money spare, and I myself am currently in receipt of Universal Credit, we are relying on the charity of others. My powers of persuasion will be tested. But if I am successful, it will mean 250 corp letters dispatched. We are aiming to do another 150 next week, and a further 150 the week after - it is a massive effort, and maybe nothing will happen, but we must try.

Funding is the ultimate nightmare. I should finish off the Local Initiative Fund one tonight - which is for under £900. And will then start on one for Hackney Community. There are a few others I an get on with too. And of course we are preparing for lottery too.

I wish this stress would disappear!!!