The Bren Project News

Video now live!

2011-06-27T14:10:00.008+01:00

As reported earlier in the year we received some funding and assistance from National Starch and BDB to produce a short video highlighting our work. I'm delighted to report that the video is now available from the You Tube link on our home page alternatively it can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOrCw-ZpE_A&feature=youtu.be

We would like to give a big thank you to everyone that was involved in the financing and the making of the video.

Trustee news

2011-03-02T16:06:00.002Z

We are very fortunate at the Bren Project to have a very highly skilled and dedicated Trustee board. One member, our Secretary, Steve Brayford was recently featured in his employers company newsletter (https://www.nationwide-members.co.uk/news/2011/2/15/nationwide-employees-offer-their-services-in-your-community).

In the article Steve highlights the benefits of being a Trustee.

'.......I feel that I am giving something back to the community. Without this charity these young people would not be getting the experience and confidence that they gain from the work experience placements the charity arranges.'

Your Turn - a pilot project

2011-02-09T11:01:00.003Z

A major unexpected outcome for us during project work in 2010 was that we identified that we worked with several beneficiaries, who experience mental health issues in addition to their learning disabilities. Most notably depression, affected and increased by social isolation - this was a previously unseen element of our work.

In response, for 2011 we are developing a bespoke post placement programme called Your Turn for some of our adult beneficiaries to help tackle exclusion and depression whilst focussing on achieving employability. The programme is based around developing employability skills beyond purely a work experience placement. During the placement key employability skills required by the beneficiary for their chosen area of work will be identified. These skills, for instance communication; problem solving; team working; organisation etc, will be developed through a Duke of Edinburgh type programme structured around different elements such as health & fitness; contributing to the local community; new skills and adventure.

Intensive job searching will be incorporated into the programme including interview techniques, media/electronic CVs with video clips from placement & audio employer reference. Advice on any reasonable adjustments required to employ our beneficiaries will be offered to potential employers as part of the programme. A supported job trial will also be offered to employers interested in recruiting a Your Turn candidate.

Outcomes will include full time and part time paid employment; voluntary work, a greater sense of well being and social inclusion.

The programme is a natural progression of the placements we already deliver and meets the needs of an ever increasing number of beneficiaries who feel lonely and have depression.

We are running a small scale Your Turn pilot project in 2011 with a view to expanding delivery into a full scale project in 2012, subject to funding.

Video funding and support success.

2011-02-09T10:00:00.005Z

We have recently received some funding and support to develop a promotional video from National Starch (link) and we are working with BDB (link), a leading marketing and communications agency to produce the video. The aim is to produce a short video that shows the work of the Bren Project to encourage more employers and funders to work with us.

Our work really makes a difference to the lives of the people we work with. We record the experiences of our beneficiaries in written detail but often this does not fully show the impact that our work experience placements have on the lives of individuals - we hope that the new video will show this. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

The video will appear on our website over the next few weeks.

We would like to thank the staff at National Starch and BDB for supporting us.

Bens Blog - the final installment.

2010-12-01T16:14:00.004Z

Here is the final excerpt from Ben's blog:

Ben’s Blog 8

So, my final week on work experience at LIVE! is finally here. It’s come around so quick, even though I still feel like it’s been ages since I did anything else on a Tuesday morning.

Hopefully I will still continue to come to LIVE!, but in the meantime I would again like to thank everybody who has helped me throughout this period and will miss you all.

Hopefully I can get more work opportunities in the near future, no matter how different they may be to LIVE!

Scary success

2010-12-01T15:49:00.006Z

With the support of several volunteers in seasonal fancy dress we managed to raise a total £440.45 on Halloween at Sainsbury's Chester. We had a bag pack, lucky dip and cake stall on the day - so a massive thank you to everyone that took part. Above are some photos of the day.

Scary volunteers needed!

2010-10-22T09:20:00.003+01:00

On Halloween - Sunday the 31st October we are holding a fancy dress bag pack at Sainsburys Chester (10 - 4). We'll also be face painting and we'll have a cake and Christmas card stall. We need some extra scary faces to help out on the day, so if you can spare a few hours please contact us for more details.

Thanks

Cycle race fundraiser.

2010-10-14T09:10:00.010+01:00

The 22nd September saw the first ever Bren Project V Sainsbury's Chester cycle race, with 2 teams going head to head over a 10 mile circuit. It was a close run thing with the Bren Poject eventually winning by 2 minutes in a time of 1 hour 2 minutes.

The race raised over £400 and was the first event in our year as the stores Local Charity Partner. A big 'thank you' to everyone that took part in this 'fun event in the sunshine'!

Bens Blog - the latest installment.

2010-09-29T10:38:00.003+01:00

Ben's Blog 6.

Last Friday, we were doing street dancing. I was literally just a spectator but nevertheless it looked very cool!

Today we're just putting finishing touches to our questionnaires. I've learned how to put smiley faces on there and more. Then after today, we're all off for two weeks and the Centre is booked solid and we cant even come to MIMO or Friday Night LIVE.

We're now coming to the end of the work placement and I have really enjoyed it so far. Like I said, it was a bit slow to begin with but finally we're getting there!

Ben's placement blog - continued

2010-08-27T14:18:00.004+01:00

Here is another installment of Ben's blog!

Ben's Blog 4

Things went more to plan this week.

This week, we mostly did questionnaires for the young people, parents/carers and the staff about whether they enjoy coming to/working at Live! I'm very pleased with the result and hopefully we can get loads of feedback.

I went to the fair with Friday Night LIVE! last Friday, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The music was too loud so I didn't feel much like socialising and also, the rides weren't very wheelchair-accessible, and I wouldn't have felt safe because I'm not a thrill seeker.

Signing out
Ben

Paul secures paid employment!

2010-08-18T13:47:00.009+01:00

Left to right, Tony Whitley, Paul and his workmates Shaun Stockton and Des Joslin at SCA

You may have read about Paul's progress elsewhere on our website (http://www.brenproject.org.uk/pauls_story.html). We reported about how well he had equipped himself and how he had worked hard to become one of the team at SCA Packaging in Ellesmere Port.

We are delighted to report that late last month Tony Whitley, Plant Supervisor at SCA called to offer Paul part time paid employment. Paul and his family were over the moon with the news and Paul began to work completely independently at SCA on Friday 13th August.

This is a massive achievement for Paul and represents a major step forward in his development towards a career and fuller independence. The staff at SCA have been fantastic in the way that they have supported Paul and provided him with a platform to move forward with his working life.

Everyone at the Bren Project is delighted for Paul and we are grateful for the support of SCA Packaging.

Ben's placement Blog - Week 2

2010-08-17T16:22:00.012+01:00

Below is the second installment of Ben's New Scene placement blog:

BEN'S BLOG WEEK 2

THE WEEK BEFORE LAST, I KEPT PONDERING OVER WHETHER BREN PROJECT RULES WERE THAT:

1: IF I MISSED A WEEK OF WORK EXPERIENCE, THE WHOLE THING WOULD BE EXTENDED OR

2: I WOULD HAVE TO MISS ONE OF THE EIGHT WEEKS

THE REASON? BECAUSE I WAS ON HOLIDAY WITH MY SCHOOL LAST WEEK

I WENT TO THE BEAMSLEY PROJECT IN YORKSHIRE FOR A WEEK AND SPENT A LOT OF THE TIME SINGING SONGS, PLAYING GAMES AND, ER, SLEEPING....

ON THE MONDAY, SOME OF THE STAFF LEFT BEFORE WE DID. WHEN WE GOT THERE, WE SPENT THE REST OF THE EVENING IN THE CENTRE.

ON TUESDAY WE WENT TO HESKETH FARM IN SKIPTON. WE FED ANIMALS, COLLECTED EGGS, WENT ON A TRACTOR RIDE AND LOTS, LOTS MORE!

ON WEDNESDAY WE WENT FOR A LOVELY WALK ON THE STRID, WHICH IS A RIVER, AND HAD A NICE COOL PICNIC OF......ICE CREAMS!!!!!!

THEN ON THURSDAY WE WENT TO TROPICAL WORLD IN LEEDS, WE SAW BIRDS, MAMMALS, ANPHIBIANS, FISH, AND LOTS, LOTS MORE!! THE WEATHER WAS A BIT RUBBISH THAT DAY AND WE WERE PLANNING TO HAVE A BBQ THAT DAY, SO WE HAD TO MAKE DO INDOORS.

ON FRIDAY IT WAS STRAIGHT ON THE BUS AT 11:00 FOR A LATE LUNCH IN SCHOOL AT HALF PAST ONE.

OUR MEALS WERE COOKED AT BEAMSLEY BY SUE, WHO IS OUR VERY OWN GORDON RAMSAY. AND THANKS TO THE REST OF THE STAFF FOR LOOKING AFTER EVERYONE SO WELL.

AT PRESENT, I AM CURRENTLY AT LIVE!. BUT NOT EVERYTHING HAS GONE TO PLAN. WE DIDN'T HAVE A COMPUTER FOR A WHILE, AND SANDRA CANT WORK WITH US UNTIL 12:00,

BUT I AM STILL ENJOYING IT. AND THIS FRIDAY, I'M HOPEFULLY GOING TO THE FAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBERS NEEDED TO BE IN BY 30TH APRIL (WHICH WAS WHEN I WAS GOING HOME FROM BEAMSLEY). WE COULD HAVE ASKED KAREN, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SHE'S ON A FIRST AID COURSE TODAY....

Emma's success.

2010-08-17T16:03:00.005+01:00

Emma is a student at Park Lane Special School in Macclesfield and she recently completed a very successful placement at the British Heart Foundation shop in the town centre.

Emma worked with the one to one support of her Jobcoach initially but over the course of the placement she became more and more confident as she learned the work tasks and got to know staff and volunteers at the shop. As such, the Jobcoach was able to withdraw her support gradually and with this Emma became more and more independent.

Everyone was over the moon when at the end of the placement the Shop Manager asked Emma if she would like to carry on volunteering for one day a week, independent of the Bren Project's support. Emma was delighted and she will be volunteering one day a week from the beginning of the new school year in September.

This will help Emma to further develop her skills whilst increasing even more her new found confidence. Well done Emma!

Bens placement blog - Week 1

2010-08-11T10:55:00.011+01:00

Ben working on his blog at New Scene

Ben, a student at Dorin Park, recently completed a successful placement at LIVE! New Scene Youth Centre in Chester. During his time there he compiled a blog for us to put on our website. Below is the first installment .... There will be more to follow over the coming weeks.

Ben’s Blog 20^th April 2010

For a very long time (I think it was about 2000-ish), I’ve been attending a youth club in my home town of Wrexham called Dynamic. After a long, hard day at school, I wanted nothing more than just to go there and chill out.

I started attending Dorin Park School in February 2007. One day, I heard one student utter the word “MIMO”! I thought “Who’s Mimo, Elmo’s new sibling on Sesame Street?” I then quickly realized that it was a youth club in Chester. I then found that MIMO was actually called LIVE!. And then I found out it’s real real name was actually the New Scene Youth Club. I then discovered that quite a lot of kids from Dorin Park attend LIVE! I then thought this would be something for me…

One day, I was at the Summer Scheme at Dynamic, when we were told that we were going to actually go to LIVE! (I was actually on holiday when I found out) I could hardly contain my excitement! So we got there, had some wild fun, had lunch and socialized.

I went a second time a couple of months later for a disco.

I first heard about the BREN Project at the start of this year. Beforehand, when I first heard the term “Bren Project”, I thought they were something to do with horticulture. So it really widened the gap when I found out they were actually a charity specialising in work experience opportunities for people in Chester and the surrounding areas. I was seen at my house by two men called Derek and Peter. They asked me and my mother loads and loads of questions regarding interests, health, personal needs, etc.

One day at school, I was asked whether I was doing a newsletter for LIVE! I thought it was a wild rumour at first. A few weeks later though, I found out I was actually starting work experience at LIVE! I will be doing the placement for eight weeks, and when Sandra Pollitt, who is the manager of LIVE!, comes back from her holidays, then the hard work really begins…..

Not only have I started work exp., I have also started to attend “Friday Night LIVE”. It’s definitely wackier than Dynamic, but I love it!!!!

At least the face paint is off me (for the time being)

Obtaining membership of LIVE! is easy-peasy lemon squeezy. You can pick up a membership form from LIVE!, fill it out (it’s fairly easy to understand) and give it in on your first day there. MIMO is quite different though. Because it is a straight-after-school club, they give members a passport so bus drivers and escorts know whether or not to drop them at New Scene after school.

So anyone who’s never been from Dorin Park, I highly recommend trying it out. You may just make some new friends…..

I had my first day at LIVE last Friday which was 16^th April. The group had about 15-20 people (including the staff) First we played a lot of games, including running races, a sing-off, a competition to build towers from marshmallows and spaghetti and more!!! The only downside I can think of, the only person I knew from school was Chris. But it wasn’t so bad because he’s one of my own friends too….

If anyone from Dynamic ever reads this, I just want you to know I haven’t lost all faith!

Hannah blooms!

2010-08-10T14:32:00.015+01:00

Hannah is a student at Dorin Park School in Chester and she has recently completed a placement at Carolannes Florist in Ellesmere Port with great success. Bren Project staff worked with Hannah on her profile back in the spring of the year and it was clear at that point that she wanted to work in one of two main areas, either with horses or flowers!

We had worked with Carolannes before and we felt that it was a really supportive and interesting place to undertake a placement and as such it would be ideal for Hannah.

She began her placement supported one to one by her Job Coach, Karen. As the weeks went by it soon became clear that Hannah had a real aptitude for the work, undertaking a wide range of tasks with great success and competence.

As the placement drew to a close it was clear to Hannah that floristry was the career for her. As such she is planning to undertake a dedicated floristry course at college and furthermore Carolannes were so impressed that they have agreed to allow her to continue in a voluntary capacity up to and during her course with a view to her securing paid work in the industry in the fullness of time.

As well as developing a wide range of work based skills and settling on a career path, Hanna's confidence has grown immensely and this has reflected really well in her school life with Dorin Park staff reporting that she is more bubbly, outgoing and confident than ever before.

John's a star volunteer!

2010-08-10T13:36:00.010+01:00

We are delighted to report that one of the Moving On project's beneficiaries, John, has moved into ongoing unsupported volunteering for 2 days a week after completing his 8 week placement with us.

John recently completed his placement at the PDSA Charity Shop in Chester town centre after showing that he was able to become a comfortable, able and productive member of the workforce at the store. The shop manager Barry Spencer said 'Johns a real asset, he's done really well while on placement and we are looking forward to him continuing as a volunteer'. John is also now working towards his NVQ level 1 in retail.

Below is an excerpt from John's Job Coach report:

Week 1. John was quiet, tense and nervous at first but gradually relaxed thanks to friendly support of volunteers and store management.
Week 2. John was quickly interested in what he needed to do and why – settling down to learn and willing to undertake tasks as requested by other staff and volunteers.

Week 3. John had started to show initiative and decision making in the sorting out and correctly hanging up of hangers which was appreciated by the senior volunteer.

From week 4 John quickly became confident in what he was doing, and why, settled in with volunteers working alongside him and felt comfortable with working on his own for long periods time. Very much more relaxed.

From week 5 John worked on his own with job coach fully acting as another volunteer which gave John the independence and confidence to become a valued and well thought of volunteer who asked questions only when he was unsure of what he needed to do.

Week 6 John was so well thought of by staff/managers he was offered the opportunity of working for a Level 1 (foundation) NVQ in retail which they believed he could attain.

Week 7. Manager needed extra volunteer for Mondays and asked John if he would like the opportunity of working the extra day for them.

During the 8 week placement John received increasingly good feedback from Managers and staff which resulted in him being asked to work an additional day and given the opportunity of taking a qualification along with other volunteers.

John works at a steady pace, continues going and attracts good feedback for his readiness and willingness to do what he is asked. A revision of his duties early on in the placement reduced distractions and John worked exceptionally well and went from strength to strength. This allowed John to form his own volunteering role over the remaining 4/5 weeks which he thoroughly enjoys, he asks questions only when he doesn’t know what to do and he is now a fully fledged member of the volunteering team.

With the revision of duties John’s confidence, concentration and communication significantly improved week by week and he is a more comfortable now with speaking to customers as well as volunteers he meets for the first time. As he continues to grow in confidence I think John will naturally and easily begin to develop an ability to do his job and chat to others without becoming overly distracted.

Well Done John!!

Bag packing volunteers needed!

2010-08-10T11:48:00.003+01:00

As previously reported we have been named as Chester Sainsbury's Local Charity Partner for the year. As such we are planning a number of fundraising events such as bag packs, a cycle race, Halloween and Christmas fundraisers, a quiz and a sponsored hike type event to round the year off. Most of these events will require volunteers to help us out - and thats where hopefully you will come in!

We are currently looking for bag packers for packs on Sunday 12th September and Sunday 31st October (Halloween fancy dress) ............... for those not 'in the know', this involves standing by a checkout and asking customers if they would like their shopping putting in bags in return for a donation into a strategically placed bucket.

The packs will be from 10 - 4 on both days and we will probably aim to split the time into 2 x 3 hour shifts. So if you are available to help at one or both events, please let us know.

The Bren Project named as Chester Sainsbury's new Local Charity Partner 2010/11

2010-06-24T10:13:00.004+01:00

We are delighted to announce that we have been chosen as the Chester branch of Sainsbury's Local Charity Partner for 2010/11. The initiative starts right away and runs through until May 2011.

We have worked with Sainsburys for over 2 years during which time they have provided several placements in store and we have developed an excellent working relationship with them. This latest news will help cement further our partnership.

We have lots of fun fundraising activities pencilled in for the coming year including a cycle race, Halloween fancy dress bag packing, a Christmas charity fundraiser and a grand expedition type finale to the year!

If you would like to get involved with any of the fundraising activities, please get in touch! .... updates to follow.......

Liams Big success

2010-06-24T09:30:00.011+01:00

Pictured above, Peter Sackett (Bren Project), Val Martin (Job coach), Liam Kenny and Rob Cunningham (Duty Manager, The Old Trooper).

Below is an extract from a recent press release as sent to Cheshire newspapers:

Liams Big success

Liam Kenny, a student at Dorin Park School has recently secured paid work at the Old Trooper, Harvester Restaurant, Christleton thanks to the help of Chester based supported employment Charity, the Bren Project and their Big Lottery Funded ‘Moving On’ Project.

Liam recently completed an 8 week placement at the Old Trooper, supported by his Bren Project Jobcoach, Val. He impressed the management so much with the quality of his work and commitment that they decided to offer him a permanent paid job.

Liam is the first beneficiary of the Moving On project to secure paid employment. The project started in January. Moving On is an innovative project that helps people with learning disabilities in Chester to boost their prospects of employment. The project was awarded £147,635 from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The Bren Project provides tailored, one to one supported work placements to help people overcome barriers to workplace inclusion. The Bren Project received funding for their Moving On initiative through BIG’s Reaching Communities programme, which supports people most in need and helps build stronger communities.

Peter Sackett, the Bren Project’s Charity Manager said ‘The Bren Project offers people the chance to experience the real workplace in a supportive and encouraging environment. Its very difficult for people with learning disabilities to get a foot on the ladder with employers and this project will give people the chance to show what they can achieve’

One of the key elements of the Bren Project is the provision of one to one support for people in the workplace while they ‘learn the ropes’. Anyone interested in finding out more about the Bren Project can contact them on 01244 313473 or visit their website at http://www.brenproject.org.uk/

We are all really delighted for Liam, his hard work and dedication have really paid off and hes now looking forward to a career in the catering and hospitality industry - Well done Liam!!

A new face at the Bren Project

2010-06-24T09:15:00.009+01:00

Everyone at the Bren Project is delighted to welcome Carol Wilson as our new Project-coordinator. Carol began working with us for 16 hours a week on the 24th May and she will be concentrating her efforts on working with Beneficiaries in the East of the County.

Carol has worked in the field of disability for over 25 years initially as a Special Needs Careers Adviser and more recently as a:

manager of a training unit for people with severe learning difficulties and physical disabilities
manager of the Equalities department at Salford University establishing services for disabled students
co-ordinator with the National Disability Team supporting disability related projects & undertaking disability related research projects

Carol also established a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for 6 severely disabled young people with all 6 successfully completing the Award.

Latest funding news!

2010-01-15T10:05:00.005Z

We have recently received news of 2 significant new grants towards our Moving On Project. The first was a grant of £22,900 over 2 years from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales and the second was a grant of £10,000 from the Westminster Foundation. We have received funding previously from both organisations and we are extremely grateful for their continued support.

Paul, the final beneficiary of 2009.

2009-12-22T14:08:00.008Z

Pictured above is Paul (right) on his last day at SCA Packaging Industrial Division, Wirral. in Ellesmere Port with staff member Shaun. Paul was on placement every Friday for 15 weeks and he finished on the 18th December. He performed really well during the placement, developing lots of new skills, in addition he managed to work without the support of his Job Coach by the end of the placement. We aim to work with Paul again in 2010 to help support him with his ongoing developement.

Sainsburys support the Bren Project!

2009-11-17T11:48:00.009Z

Derek and Peter of the Bren Project with Store Manager, Steve King and staff members, Monica, Andrea and Kath at Sainsburys, Chester.

The Bren Project was nominated by staff at Sainsburys, Chester as the recipient of their flower wrapping donations for the summer months and as a result they have kindly donated £300 to the charity.

The Sainsburys store has been a close partner since we began organising placements early in 2008, indeed they hosted our first ever placement! Since then we have had a number of placements at the store and we have always found the staff and management at the store to be very supportive, inclusive and encouraging.

We look forward to a continuing relationship with Sainsburys in the future.

Rebranding underway - New Logo

2009-11-03T09:37:00.009Z

We have recently been working with a marketing consultant on re branding, developing marketing materials and devising a marketing strategy for the Bren Project thanks to consultancy support from BCT Regenesis via their Thrive Project .

To assist in the project we were joined by Ben Lowe, an undergraduate Management with Law student from the University of Chester, on a work based placement during the summer and he contributed greatly to the work (Ben liked it so much at the Bren Project he is now a very active volunteer!).

Added to this team is our Chair of Trustees, Jeremy Keeling, a freelance graphic designer and illustrator (see http://www.jeremykeeling.co.uk/). We have worked to develop a range of materials and have devised a new logo (above). In addition Jeremy is working on a new website as I type.

We will have new style brochures and leaflets available over the next few weeks - please contact us if you would like to receive any.

Peter

Job Coach opportunities at the Bren Project

2009-10-27T09:32:00.000Z

In preparation for the new Moving On Project we are looking to recruit more Job Coaches. We have already had several people approach us in the Chester and Ellesmere Port area and we are now looking to increase our numbers in Crewe, and East Cheshire as a whole. We will be advertising in this weeks Crewe Chronicle.

You can find out more on the 'work with us' page of our website. If you would like to find out more information or have a chat about whether Job Coaching is for you, call Peter or Derek on 01244 313473

Lottery Success

2009-10-15T08:47:00.001+01:00

As you will see from the newsflash on our homepage, we have been awarded £147,635 from the Big Lottery towards our projects for the next 2 years. This is fantastic news and we are now busy working with the last of our 2009 beneficiaries and are beginning to get everything in place for the 4th January start of the 2 year Moving On project.

There will be lots happening at the Bren Project over the next few months and we will keep the blog up to date with latest developments.

The Bren Project in cyberspace

2009-10-02T16:29:00.001+01:00

We have now discovered how to 'blog'. This brings us into the modern age! From now on you will be able to keep up with latest news and developments at the Bren Project by visiting this blog regularly or by subscribing for regular updates.

Peter

Funding from St James' Place - Press Release

2008-06-08T16:10:00.000+01:00

Chester based charity, The Bren Project, have recently received a cheque for £8750.00 from the St James’s Place Foundation towards their project work.

The Bren Project provides tailored, one to one supported work experience placements for people with learning disabilities with the aim of helping them overcome barriers to workplace inclusion.The charity initially secured funding from a wide range of sources to run for an initial 12 months and this latest contribution from the St James’s Place Foundation will help with the year 2 project costs.

Peter Sackett, the Bren Project’s Charity Manager said ‘The charity offers people the chance to experience the real workplace in a supportive and encouraging environment. It's very difficult for people with learning disabilities to get a foot on the ladder with employers and our projects give people the chance to show what they can achieve’

Pictured, is Peter Sackett of the Bren Project (left) and David Jamieson, Associate Partner, St. James’s Place Wealth Management.