Community Care News Your Voice Inverclyde Community Care Forum www.yourvoice.org.uk The Inverclyde Community Care Forum Newsletter Issue 19 Winter 2008 Message In A Bottle This initiative is aimed at the older and more vulnerable people of Inverclyde. All your relevant medical and personal information will be stored in a small bottle, which is kept in the fridge for easy access. A sticker will be placed on the fridge door and in a prominent place on entry to your house alerting emergency services that you are part of the scheme. The emergency services will then have immediate access to important on the spot information, if you should be injured or have an accident at home and are unable to communicate with them. To sign up with the scheme you should be over 55 years old, or have a medical / physical disability. e.g. Diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition etc. For further information, or to obtain a bottle, contact any of the following: Jacqueline Johnston. 01475 506001. Email:Jacqueline.johnston2@renver-pct.scot.nhs.uk Jim Percival, Invest. 08007832817. Or collect a bottle at 71/2 John Wood St. Port Glasgow or Inverclyde Community Care Forum, 12 Clyde Square, Greenock. 'The Open Door' The East End New Development Church is working towards opening a new venture sometime in Spring 2008 - ‘The Open Door’. The shop will be made accessible for all so that people can ‘drop in’ and find a warm accepting welcome. A Meditation / Quiet room, pre-school play and library area will be available. We aim to have a rack of ‘good as new’ baby and children’s clothes, toys and books. Tea, coffee, juice and biscuits will be available too. The first few weeks after opening will be spent talking with people to find out what kind of things will be useful to them. The shop is situated at Bridgend Road next to the Newsagents across from Lady Octavia Sports Centre. Donations of baby/children’s clothes, books and toys will be greatly appreciated and can be handed in towards the end of March to Inverclyde Community Care Forum office at 12 Clyde Square, Greenock. Wanted Old Photos We are looking for your ‘old’ photographs of houses, closes, single ends, backyards etc. They will be used as part of a display about the future of housing. We will send the photographs back to you after use. Please either drop them in or post them to ICCF at 12 Clyde Square, Greenock. Your help is appreciated. Financial Fitness Resource Team Financial Fitness Resource Team are a charitable, voluntary organisation established in 1999 to provide free, independent and impartial welfare benefit information and financial support services to the people of Inverclyde. The aim of the Project is to tackle poverty by ensuring local people have access to welfare benefit advice and financial information in their own communities. The Team provide 6 support services: Welfare Benefits Advice Tenancy Support Basic Money Advice Back to Work Service Financial Education Programmes Welfare Benefit Training They currently advise around 3,000 new clients each year and secure around £2,000,000 per annum in unclaimed benefits for these vulnerable individuals. Local Outreach Surgeries The Project continues to expand its service all across Inverclyde by increasing the number of surgeries in the area. Branchton Community Resource and Family Centre Branchton Road, Greenock The last Wednesday of month, 11am - 1pm Craigend Resource Centre McLeod Street, Greenock Every two weeks on a Monday, 12:30pm - 2pm Riverview Centre Mansion Avenue, Port Glasgow Last Tuesday of month, 2pm - 3:30pm Tail O The Bank Credit Union Kilblain Street, Greenock Every two weeks on a Wednesday, 1:30pm - 3:30pm Oak Tree Housing Association Walker Street Office, Greenock, 1st Thursday of month, 2pm- 3:30pm Port Glasgow Health Centre Bay Street, Port Glasgow 2nd Wednesday of month , 10am- 11:30am Clune Park Resource Centre Montgomerie Street, Port Glasgow 2nd Monday of month, 1:30pm - 3:00pm Youth Connections (John Reid Library) Burns Square, Greenock Last Thursday of month, 2pm - 3:30pm New Boglestone Clinic Dubbs Road, Port Glasgow First Friday of month, 10am -11:30am Volunteer Centre Inverclyde 175 Dalrymple Street, Greenock Every Tuesday & Thursday, 10am - 12 noon Auchmountain Halls Burnhead Street, Greenock 3rd Wednesday of month, 10am - 12 noon  7 1/2 John Wood Street John Wood Street, Port Glasgow 3rd Thursday of month, 1pm - 3pm  If you want to visit or refer someone to one of our local surgeries simply call 01475 729239 or e-mail: finfitteam@yahoo.co.uk Dyslexia - ‘10% of British people have it’ Three quarters of British people have very little understanding of what dyslexia is. 10% of British people have dyslexia with 4% being severely affected. Many people with dyslexia feel wary about letting their workmates know that they have it. Dyslexia can vary greatly between individuals causing problems with spelling, writing, reading, numeracy, spatial awareness, organising and understanding instructions. It is classed as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act, and this means that employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Dyslexia Action Support offers testing to confirm whether someone has dyslexia or not. Research carried out by The Learning People indicates that there could be 2 million British people who are unaware that they have dyslexia. It is better to know that you have dyslexia and get the support rather than to pretend there is nothing wrong. Dyscalculia People with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. However unlike dyslexia, little is known about its causes or treatment. In summary, dyscalculia and dyslexia occur both independently of each other and together. What to look for- signs of Dyslexia: Thinking in pictures or feelings/Not words Problems with handwriting Spelling problems Time management Remembering number sequences Telling left from right Poor short term memory Numeracy problems I’m Not Marking This Mess Mark Chivers (12) I can see his face ready to blow he shouts so the whole class will know ‘Sir, Sir I’m stuck, I need more time.’ ‘I told you what to do, don’t step out of line’. I find it hard and embarrassing with him yelling about my reading writing and spelling. ‘Hurry up, get on with it, I’m not marking this mess’ I say, ‘I need more time, I’m doing my best’. He tells me little kids can do better than me ‘I’ve seen better from my daughter, she’s only three where’s your full stops and capital letters? now go and sit down until you do better.’ It’s hard to do my work I find I never rest, it’s always on my mind then I get frustrated, rude and angry because he doesn’t understand me. © ‘The Inner Hurt’ 1996 For further information on dyslexia and dyscalculia the following contacts may be of use: British Dyslexia Association Website: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk Telephone Helpline: 0118 966 8271. Dyslexia Action Tel: 01784 222300 Email: info@dyslexiaaction.org.uk If you are interested in a free consultation or an online test for dyslexia you may contact: The Learning People Tel: 08000272657 Website: www.thelearningpeople.co.uk calling all Your VOICER'S... Feedback from the recent ‘your VOICE’ jamboree suggesting more get togethers, has led Inverclyde Community Care Forum to set dates for ‘your VOICE’ open house drop ins… This will be an opportunity for all those who have participated in the ‘your VOICE’ course to come along, catch up with one another, listen and share our knowledge, skills and life experience, whilst putting the world to rights…or at least thinking about it. As ever, flexibility is a must, hence dates and times are varied, no need to book, just drop in when you can, look forward to seeing you, tea/coffee and baking/biscuits provided. DAY DATE TIME VENUE Friday 8th February 2008 1.00pm - 3.00pm ICCF Monday 3rd March 2008 10.30am-12.00noon 12 Clyde Square Wednesday 9th April 2008 1.00pm-2.30pm Greenock Thursday 8th May 2008 10.30am-12.00noon Tel: 01475 728628 This is ‘your TIME’ and ‘your VOICE’ and ‘your COMMUNITY’ So, what have you got to say about it? ACUMEN INVERCLYDE ‘HAVE YOUR SAY’ Did you know that the short stay psychiatric unit at Inverclyde Royal is being re-designed? ACUMEN Inverclyde in partnership with ICCF is organising a series of meetings to find out service users’ and carers’ opinions and to ensure these views help to shape the redesign. If you would like to take part please contact: ACUMEN Room 2015 Mile End Mill 12 Seedhill Road, Paisley, PA1 1JS e-mail: enquiries@acumennetwork.org telephone: 0141 887 9103 Alternatively: Phone John Moody on 01475 728628 The first meeting is yet to be arranged. It will be held at a venue in Inverclyde. Travel expenses will be reimbursed for service users’ and carers’ Inverclyde Asthma Group Inverclyde Asthma Caring Group is hosting a concert to celebrate their 25th anniversary. This voluntary group has provided a nebuliser service to individuals in the community. The group runs with no funding and would like to take this opportunity to thank businesses and local residents for supporting the group for the past 25 years and allowing the service to be provided. The concert will be held in: Greenock Town Hall on 11th March 2008 at 7pm Tickets £5 are available from schools and at ICCF office (also available on the evening) The following acts will entertain: St Kenneths School Choir Notre Dame School will perform a play ‘At school with the Millers’ St Patricks School ‘2nd World War Theme’ Hillend Family Centre ‘Action Songs’ Local band ‘Revelation’ Local duo ‘ Reid & Hutcheson’ ‘Linda Jackson Dance Academy’ ‘Tirconaill Irish Dancers’