New Staff at Enable
After interviews on Tuesday 3rd August, Enable is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members of staff. Steve Ford has been appointed as the new Senior Advisor and Pam Griffin as the new Advisor. Both took up their positions on Thursday 12th August 2010.
Steve is originally from the St Austell area but currently lives in Plymouth, although he is hoping to move further west and currently has his house on the market. He has a background that includes time working for the Department for Work and Pensions and, more recently, in the Education Sector.
Steve said, "For some time now I've been seeking to relocate back to Cornwall and gaining this job with Enable is great for me in so many ways. I'm looking forward to working with Pam, facing the undoubted challenges ahead, and continuing the sterling work of the charity.
Pam Griffin lives in St Austell and for a number of years worked with voluntary and charitible organisations. She helped set up a number of projects for disadvantaged young people in Cornwall. Pam is a qualified trainer and ran her own training and consultancy service for Third Sector companies.
Having had her own health blip, Pam is now back on track and looking forward to working in the west of the county as an Advisor for Enable.
Welcome to Enable Pam and Steve.
Published: 23 Aug 2010
Staff, trustees, clients and friends of Enable in Cornwall had a great day at the Priate FM Garden Party on Saturday.
We set up stall at 9.30 in the famous cowshed at the Royal Cornwall Show Ground at Wadebridge with hundreds of other charity's from Cornwall. The day whizzed by as we set about selling our wares and networking with the other charities.
Sarah and Danae were kept busy on the cup cake decorating table. You name it Sarah had bought it, sparkles, dinosaurs, footballs, squirty sauces and icings. It was extremely messy but popular with the older teenagers and plastic gloves were necessary to hold the finished result. Gordon looked after the Lions and seemed to know most people at the Garden Party so spent a lot of time chatting! Pete was an absolute superstar and has discovered a new skill in sales. He zoomed out amongst the crowds and sold quiz sheets to everyone, well done Pete. We also had help from Elaine and her sister Alison who bought along her beautiful hand made cards to sell and Michael who kept busy helping everyone and holding the fort while the rest of us enjoyed the other stalls and entertainment.
By 3.30 we were all shattered and ready to go. We made a total of £244 all of which will go to clients to enable them to access training and work.
Well Done Everyone.
If you bought a quiz sheet from Pete or Michael don't forget to send them in by 20th August , we have some great prizes for you to win all donated by local businesses.
Published: 30 Jul 2010
User Survey 2009-10
The results of the User Survey which was undertaken earlier this year can be viewed by following the link below.
www.enableincornwall.co.uk/uploaded/UserSurvey2009-10Report.doc
We would like to say thank you to all the people that completed and returned their survey questionire to us.
Published: 26 Jul 2010
Fundraising at Asda, St Austell
On Friday 16th July, Pete Skea, Enable's Vice Chairman, and Sarah Warne, a Board Member, were at Asda in St Austell raising funds for Enable.
The public gave generously and a total amount of £262.62 was raised. Every penny of this money will be used to support clients in improving their opportunities of accessing education, training, paid or voluntary work.
Thanks go to Pete and Sarah for giving their time and to all those that kidly donated, thus making this fundraising event a success.
If you wish to make a donation you can contact the office direct or meet Members of the Board who will be out fundraising again at Morrisons in Bodmin on Friday 6th August.
Published: 26 Jul 2010
My Voluntary Work Placement by Michael Bradford
My placement that Enable got for me is the Bodmin and Wenford Steam Railway station.
To get there, rather than pay for a taxi, I make use of my free bus pass. Someone always helps me get my wheelchair on the bus, no problem!
I arrive. I do two afternoons a week usually and sign on for duty as a non-paid employee. I had to join their Preservation Society and, of course, obey the Health and Safety rules in order to work there. I get "perks" like free train rides and a free cup of tea at break times.
The work I do there is quite natural and enjoyable for me, it's gardening. The "garden" is a rather steep embankment which runs the entire length of the platform. It has been extensively colonised by that feral garden escapee the Wild Rhododendron.
When I began the job in March, brambles were growing down the slopes and smothering a lot of plants on the lower slopes. So, with my long handed cultivator, I raked these so I could pull them out of the soil if possible. I did this all along the platform and then in April and May a mass of plants did come through like the native primroses and celadines. After I had got it looking nice for the tourist season which was beginning it was time to plant up the hanging baskets.
I advised the station Manager which compost to buy, the sort with water storing granules and granular plant food mixed in. I bought the plants from a nursery which had them delivered to the station. I was reimbursed of course.
I stood the hanging baskets on buckets while I planted them up and watered them in really well in this "flaming June" we had this year. I left them like this for about three weeks while they grew together. I had to hose them down on hot days. Finally, another volunteer hung them quite high along the station.
After that I kept pulling and digging out with a trowel more brambles that had grown but I left some to flower and fruit for the wildlife. Next I turned my attention to the rhododendrons whose rampant growth and large leaves shaded out more delicate and native plants. I'm busy lopping all the branches I can reach as it is an alien plant which acidifies the soil even more - a menace.
Well this is about where I am at the moment dealing with the heat and humidity. Now I know what the gardeners in the Rainforest Biome at Eden face.
Michael Bradford.
Published: 23 Jul 2010
Kay Osberg
Kay is partially sighted and has been a client of Enable for 3 years. During those 3 years Kay has attended Link into Learning to improve her English and maths skills and become a volunteer at the Flicka Horse sanctuary in Mebe. This week Kay received a certificate from Learning South West for being a South West Adult Learners week award winner. Kay received her award on Monday 17th May at Woodbury Park Hotel and golf Club in Exeter.
I attended the presentation evening with Kay and Martin, her support worker from CWLD in Truro. Martin nominated Kay for this award and due to her hard work and perserverance she was selected as the Individual Award Learner for this area.
The evening was a truly wonderful and an inspiring experience. The location was beautiful, the food was very fine and the stories of some of the award winners were moving. Kay was presented her award by Linda Bellingham who some of you might have watched recently in Strictly Come Dancing. Kay had an opportunity when she went onto the stage to receive her award from Linda to tell her story of her achievement. Kay received a massive round of applause when she accepted her certificate and further learning voucher.
Well done Kay you have worked hard and deserved this recognition.
Published: 27 May 2010
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Published: 22 Sep 2007