The Sharp End was an immensely successful health and wellbeing project for older people. It closed in 2023, leaving a massive hole in the lives of hundreds of users who depended on it. Some of them talk about their personal feelings of loss - and the campaign to restore the activities, ethos and fellowship that they miss.
You can listen to them talking on their own blog post - I don't want to lose that fellowship.
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| Podcast corner at Mildmay Community Centre |
This is a good example of why you need to be organised and visible, so you can take advantage of an opportunity like this as soon as it pops up. It is obviously aimed at small businesses - and possibly startups with evidence that they have started something. An online presence, however simple, would be part of that evidence. I think two of the current Inclusion Lab people would be eligible.
Hackney Council has launched a £700,000 business support programme to provide a range of hands-on business help, including one-to-one coaching and mentoring, group courses and networking, and grant funding opportunities.
This programme will be delivered by Hackney Impact, a partnership led by Allia working with local organisations including East End Trades Guild, Hackney Cooperative Developments, Hackney CVS, Better Futures and Social Founders to ensure it reaches across Hackney's business communities.
More information and registration on the Hackney Impact website.
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Everyone reading this post (if you can claim Islington residence) could apply for this, because you all have great ideas. Decide what you can offer, then put it in your blog. The closing date for applications is Monday 20th May.
The Make It Happen fund is a small grants scheme for Islington residents that offers funding up to a maximum of £500 for people to act on things they care about locally. The purpose of the fund is to bring people together and do something that makes them feel proud of where they live.
The fund is to support activities and events that support local people by bringing joy or making a difference to the community. Projects could bring a new idea to life, help residents to put on a community event or support ongoing work of local groups. Examples include cultural cooking sessions, a community arts festival, parent and family support groups, mental health support initiatives, a community book club, a community art installation, health and wellbeing initiatives, and festive celebrations.
More information and registration on the Islington Giving website.
We needed a large backlit screen to replace the dropdown projector screen - urgently. Although the projector is very good, it can't compete with the sunlight streaming through the skylights at Mildmay Community Centre.
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| Left to right: Hardeep, 43" screen, Louise |
The new screen is a TV - not a computer monitor, which would not have been bright enough.
It just about fits in the basement cupboard (inside a protective case). On Friday afternoons, we can move it around on the MCC tea trolley.
Verdict so far: excellent use of Good Things Foundation funding. It can be seen by 8-10 people - exactly what we need at Friday afternoon Inclusion Lab.
Our original intention was to buy a refurbished interactive whiteboard - but the minimum 55" size would not fit into the basement cupboard. We have not abandoned that idea, but we would have to move Inclusion Lab to a new venue first.
Some really nice feedback from the CSR volunteers who joined us from NHS Property Services (NHSPS) during March.
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| Zhané and Elizabeth at Mildmay Community Centre - 27 March 2024. |
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| Colin and Julie at Mildmay Community Centre- 27 March 2024. |
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| Zhané, Hardeep & Charlie - 13 March 2024 |
CSR = Corporate Social Responsibility - a formal name for the kind of volunteering that was a frequent feature of the 50+ Digital project before the COVID pandemic wrecked everything.
For the previous 10 years we had been hosting a stream of enthusiastic volunteers from city forms - mostly young, always very clever - sometimes individually, sometimes in small teams - and remarkably effective.
We have been lucky this month. Every Wednesday, we have had 2 or 3 brilliant volunteers from NHS Property Services - helping older people solve a digital problem, achieve a digital ambition, or learn something new - in addition to our regular and experienced long-term team.
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| Walter & Zhané at Mildmay Community Centre - 20 March 2024 |
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| Patricia & Rupert at Mildmay Community Centre - 20 March 2024 |
In the photos - Charlie, Rupert and Zhané. Missing from the photos - Calum, Leo and Ola - but only because we didn't have a camera handy.
Here's an idea from 50+ Cathy ...
Instead of 'must have a non-digital goal', would you prefer this as an alternative starting point for Inclusion Lab?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
The final lines of a short poem by Mary Oliver - The Summer Day.
Easy to find on the web - or you can listen now ...
A reminder of our CSR volunteering ethos - November 2017.
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| Mama Gifty's Kitchen - 2019 |
If she were still with us, Gifty Naa DK would be a key contributor at Inclusion Lab (one of the current Lab Learners wants to start a street food business).
Gifty had a thriving street food stall near Liverpool St station - until COVID wrecked her business instantly. Here she is, talking about her plan to start up again - eventually. We couldn't help her re-build - but we did help her get it started - 12 years ago.
Gifty was a performer, and not the least bit interested in digital anything - but she had to pass several online courses in food hygiene before she could get a market stall license - and she needed basic skills for email and web. We helped her do it.
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| Mama Gifty's Kitchen - 2019 |
“Doctors' appointments, job applications, personal banking, key services and more are today mostly managed online. While the UK government details its plans for a digital future to transform public services, one in seven Britons are forced to live without the internet.”
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An excellent 8-minute documentary about digital exclusion in the UK. The first contributor - Bel (pre-digital senior citizen) - is typical of our 50+ Digital group. The other two contributors are Joel (homeless asylum seeker) and Jeanette (housebound).