Busy June

June is a busy month for activities happening across Liverpool and Knowsley…are you going to make time for all of them?!

Kicking the month off we have the ‘Stars in their Eyes’ event being held by AFG Liverpool.

The night will be full of singing and dancing and people are welcome to get up and have a go at performing their favourite song.

It is only £5 per ticket and there will be a ‘bring a plate’ buffet. If you want to join in, you will need to be at St. Paschal Baylon Function Room, Chelwood Avenue for 7.30pm on Friday 6th June. You will need to book a ticket so speak to Ann Marie – annmarie.saltmarsh@alternativefuturesgroup.org.uk

 

Monday 16th June is the start of Learning Disability Week and the LEAF Project is celebrating!

Over the last 12 months, the LEAF Project has been working with adults with a learning disability to enable them to access meaningful activity within their community. The community links surrounding Alternative Futures Group and Mencap Liverpool has grown and grown meaning more people can access more of what they want in their local community. So, it is only fitting that the LEAF Project celebrates this year’s National Learning Disability Week!

The theme for this year’s National Learning Disability Week is ‘Celebrating Families’ and for many that have been involved in the LEAF Project or have had more opportunities to access their communities in the past 12 months – the informal network of support they have built is definitely worth celebrating…it is their new Family of Friends.

So, the LEAF Project would like to invite you along to the Family of Friends event in Lion Court on Monday 16^th June, 10.30am – 3.30pm.

You can be involved in a chair based exercise class to see how you can get some gentle exercise without leaving the comfort of a chair! Or you may want to be part of the sensory hour where you can relax to music and excite your senses with lights and textures. There will also be arts and crafts, delicious cakes, a chance to ‘sew a seed’ (and spend the summer watching it grow!) and the opportunity to hear about what people supported have been up to as part of the LEAF Project.

The LEAF Project would love to see you come along and celebrate the new Family of Friends AFG has developed by being part of the LEAF Project.

 

A trip to the Museum of Liverpool to celebrate Learning Disability Week

The Museum of Liverpool is hosting a brand new exhibition that explores how people with learning difficulties have been excluded from history.

Mencap Liverpool and Alternative Futures Group are coming together to run a social trip to the Museum to see the exhibition on Wednesday 18th June. We will all be meeting at the Museum at 11am and going round as a group before enjoying lunch. There is a cafe at the museum but please feel encouraged to bring a packed lunch so we can sit together.

 

Last but not least, there is the Mencap Liverpool Walk With ME fundraiser!

Get your walking shoes on and join Mencap Liverpool this June to raise funds and awareness of their cause during National Learning Disability Week with a family fun 5k sponsored walk!

The walk is for families, individuals, all ages and abilities, and for anyone who wants to join Mencap Liverpool to make sure the city knows all about them and celebrates those with a learning disability in Liverpool.

The walk is on Saturday 21st June at 11am for a relaxed 5k walk. The meeting point and start of the walk is by the Arena and Convention Centre (waterfront side) and the route goes along the waterfront to Otterspool Park.

It is £5 to enter and Mencap Liverpool would love it if you could raise sponsorship money too! Try to aim for £30

There is a fun fancy dress theme (only if you want to!), a medal for taking part and lots of fun and energy to keep you going along the way

If you would like to take part, Mencap Liverpool can send you the sponsor forms, the theme for the day and lots more details just contact fundraising@mencapliverpool.org.uk or call 0151 707 8582

 

Happy June and Learning Disability Week!

NEW – Social Groups in Liverpool

There are some new and exciting groups beginning around Liverpool for adults with a learning disability.

You will find information on four new social groups happening around Liverpool on both this post and the Events Calendar so…

Liverpool Links

Liverpool Links is a branch of Creative Support and they offer a drop – in centre for adults over the age of 18 with learning disabilities, mental health or other needs. The centre had a wide range of facilities and runs weekly activities.

If you want to be involved in any of the great activities you need to go along and meet Liverpool Links (which is at 181 – 185 London Road) and fill in a simple referral form. You are then a member and there is no cost to this! Once you are a member you can access the following great activities…

Mondays – Arts and Crafts 2pm – 4pm for £1.50 per session          The theme of the sessions change on a weekly basis so that you can develop new skills and learn more about different art forms (booking is essential)

Wednesday – Cooking Session 11am – 1pm for £3.50 per session          The cookery sessions run in blocks of six weeks and each week you can learn something new, developing a range of skills as you go along. Each block of six sessions will cover something new so you can sign up as many times as you like (booking is essential)

Thursday – Coffee Afternoon 2.30pm – 4pm for £1 for unlimited tea/coffee and biscuits         Enjoy the opportunity to make new friends or socialise whilst enjoying the tea, coffee and biscuits on offer

Friday – Breakfast Club 10am – 12.30pm for £3.50 for a full English breakfast     Join the breakfast club where the menu is varied with items ranging from porridge and toast to a full English breakfast.

Friday – Walking Group 1pm – 4pm for free          The walking group begins and ends at Liverpool Links. It is a great way to get fit and healthy with friends. You will be asked to complete a short risk assessment form before going on the walk.

If you like the sound of these activities, contact Hailey who has referral forms and leaflets – 07914 716 322 or hailey.wood@mencapliverpool.org.uk

P.A.C. Club

P.A.C. is a new social club at The View in Everton (off Everton Road bus routes 14, 17 & 19). The club is open every day of the week! They are having their Grand Opening on Monday 12th May from 10am – 4pm where there will be free entry, a raffle, chicken curry and singers. Everyone is welcome to go along and learn more about this new club

Once the club is up and running you can go Monday – Friday 10am – 12noon, 12.30pm – 3pm or 7pm – 9pm. Each time you go it is £2 per person. The club will be opening on Saturdays and Sundays in the near future so keep looking out for more information!

The club has a pool and darts room, raffles, bingo, bands, play your cards right, discos and karaoke! Go along on the 12th of May to learn more

Your Direction Social

Your Direction is a new social club on Mondays and Tuesday 9.30am – 2.30pm in St Johns Church Hall, Knotty Ash. The sessions are member led so you get a say on what you do each week! You can take your own support at the cost is £15 per session. There will be fun activities as well as skill-building activities like First Aid training and Healthy Living

Lime Hub Activities

The Lime Hub in Kensington is opening its doors on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with some new exciting activities

Mondays at 1pm is the Knit and Natter group! Go along to make new friends, learn new skills and share your passion for knitting. The wool is provided!

Tuesdays at 1pm is Bingo! Entrance is £2.50 per person which covers the cost of 5 games of bingo!

Thursdays at 12.30am – 1.30pm is Dance for the over 50s! The session costs £2 and is a chance to meet new people, enjoy music and dancing and get healthier!

For more information on activities happening at the Lime Hub contact them directly on 0151 233 5085

If you would like any more information on any of the activities get in touch with Hailey – 07914 716 322 or hailey.wood@mencapliverpool.org.uk

Enjoy being out in your Community!

Celebrity Disco!

Last night the LEAF Project hosted a celebrity themed disco for people supported by Alternative Futures Group and Mencap Liverpool.

Over 40 people attended with support staff to enjoy the party at St Agnes Parochial Club in Huyton! We had the wonderful DJs playing everyone’s requests and taking pictures of everyone enjoying themselves – especially some shots of people posing in the fun glasses that were left lying around like the ones the disco ball is wearing above!

There was also a buffet full of delicious sandwiches, sausage rolls, pasta and pork pies followed by cakes and muffins all washed down with some drinks from the bar. Thank you to everyone that brought along food to add to the buffet!

Cheers Cliff!

On sale last night were raffle tickets at £1 a strip. We had 6 lucky winners who won pamper sets, a cupcake making kit, a spirograph kit, mugs and bubble baths!

The night was rounded off beautifully with three brave people singing karaoke songs by Alicia Keys, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston – we wish there was time for an encore!

The LEAF Project would like to say a big thank you to St Agnes, the DJs, everyone that helped out and everyone that attended last night. I hope to see you all at the Easter Disco on Thursday 24th April!