Embracing disability. Empowering lives.
It’s not too late to vote for SoLO in the Skills for Life Category – voting is open until 20th November and we currently have 192 votes – we need more!! Not because we are greedy but because we want to give our members what they deserve.
If you haven’t voted yet, please follow the link below – and please share 🙂
https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-1379
This was a passing comment from a parent as she left the launch of our new build at Walnut Close on Wednesday. What a wonderful thing to hear and it is reflective of how important services such as the ones that SoLO provides are.
We had a marvellous evening opening our new extended base at Walnut Close this week. It marked the culmination of a period of hard work on behalf of the fundraisers who brought in the £145,000 needed to effect the build, the volunteers who painted the entrance and hallways, the builders who put up with the countless changes and ways that we could try to save money and get ‘more for less’, the staff who coped exceedingly well during the constant disruption, banging and moving of desks as well as pulling up their sleeves and helping with the final steps. Finally, we are grateful for the fortitude of our members, their parents and carers as they awaited the move back.
It was a joy to see the new facilities and know what a difference they would make, but the real joy was seeing some of our members, their parents and carers being involved in the launch and knowing the difference it will make. It is also very exciting when we consider the new services that we are currently developing (and a little scary!) So, watch this space for more news on:
If you want to find out more and can’t wait for the next blog, contact us at info@solihullsolo.org
SoLO is in with a chance to be the winning cause in the latest round of the Aviva Community Fund awards. Voting opens tomorrow, 24th October so please spread the word! We have until the closing date of 21st November to get all the votes in!
Please follow this link to vote for us:
https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-1379
We have entered in the Skills for Life category and have a chance of winning between £1000 and £5000 if we are successful.
Thank you for your support – we can’t do it without you!
They say that you can wait for a bus for hours and then three come at the same time – well, the same can be said for Awards in SoLO’s case.
The first award was the MBE, in June, for our CEO, Janet Down, for services to children and adults with a learning disability in the West Midlands (and most of her work has been within SoLO)
The second award was two weeks ago when SoLO was awarded the Community Project of the Year Award from the Brummies 2017 awards programme.
And now, for our third award, SoLO picked up the Solihull Chamber of Commerce Award for most Outstanding Contribution to the Community in their 2017 Awards Night.
It is enough to know that we are providing a good quality service for our members and to see their development as they go from strength to strength, accessing more from life and reaching their potential. However, it is rather nice to have external validation of what we are doing and it is lovely to know that people outside the organisation value what we do.
Thanks so much to Solihull Moors for enabling some of our guys from SoLO to experience a VIP opportunity at the match on Saturday. They had an amazing time and even got to meet Darren Moore from West Bromwich.
It has been so exciting to see the development of our extension at Walnut Close. Our wonderful building team have become part of the family and we love having them with us so much that we are going to try to recruit them as volunteers! Anyone wanting a personal recommendation for a really good, reliable and flexible builder, inbox us!
The upstairs office is now being painted and the new carpet tiles are coming in next week. By the 4th October, when we will have a down tools day in the office, we should be able to move our newly configured teams into their new office environment and with a bit of man and woman power we will hopefully be straight and working efficiently by the end of week.
The downstairs is shaping up – the plasterers will be in at the weekend and then the specialist flooring will be put in during the first week in October.
We are planning to have our members back on site by the middle of October and Walnut Close will once again be the vibrant lively place it is whenever our members are with us. I have to say it beats the drilling and banging that we have got used to over the last few weeks!
Still working to raise the final £35,000 to see the build complete – watch this space!
Forget the Baftas, the Oscars and any other high profile awards ceremony – the SoLO Oscars Ball really cuts it!
What an amazing night! From the planning and organising by the Voice Group, supported by Sarah (our wonderful volunteer organiser) and the staff and volunteers at SoLO, to the setting up in the afternoon, transforming a rather ordinary hotel conference room into a glittering array, and then onto the event itself, it was Oscar Quality through and through.
We celebrated with our staff, volunteers and members their achievements over the past year. Jamie Box won the special achievement award with Robyn Massey highly commended in this category. Emma Hughes was our individual hero of the year, Daylight our team hero of the year, Jan Prior won the Fundraiser category and Glynis Harris – our volunteer photographer, won the ‘Go Getter’ award. So much talent, dedication and commitment all in one glorious, golden glittering room.
Our members pulled out all of the stops and were dressed to the nines – our staff and volunteers were similarly attired and looked quite amazing. However, what really did it for me was watching the interactions between our members with their friendship groups, seeing the dedication of our staff and volunteers enabling the guys to have a great time and witnessing first hand the quality that SoLO staff and volunteers deliver.
The Abba girls were great and reported that they loved coming to the SoLO event more than any other gig they do!
Great times!
I am not sure which part of my job description covers ‘climbing through a window’ but it has made me reflect on how diverse my job is. When my children were younger, they thought that when you made it to manager you just sat in an office and told everyone else what to do whilst you drank coffee…… I wish!
So, here is a reflection on my day – if anyone is interested! Most of the morning, I spent refining the papers for the trustee board meeting ensuring that they captured everything that needed to be reported on in a concise way with just enough information to inform, but not so much that they all fall asleep! Next came my window climbing feat – as the only safe access to our new extension is through the office window (unless of course I wished to climb the scaffolding which I declined!) there followed a discussion with the electrician – did we want industrial lighting fittings with 5 year guarantee but without replacement bulbs? Or do we go for a more domestic style where you can replace the bulbs when they blow? Whilst 5 years seems a long time – we are now coming up to 5 years at the Fire Station and it has flown by. Would I want lighting at the Fire Station that I have to pay an electrician to change, or would I prefer the option of changing a lightbulb? Clearly the domestic option was chosen. Then decisions about where we want the wall to go and then back through the window to the next task.
I didn’t expect this to be rescuing a small boy from a tree – however, when I went to my car and discovered a very small boy stuck up the tree in the land adjacent to ours, I couldn’t just leave him there. Our lovely builders came to the rescue and the small boy went safely on his way, but not until I had given him a short lecture on health and safety!
Next job – celebrate with the childrens team as the last day of holiday activities is here and the success of the programme is evident. The lovely Deb brought in some fizz and we all had a very small glass (we are at work after all!) together with chocolate.
Now, for the last part of the day, I will be tackling my filing – I could ask one of the admin team to do it for me, but it needs sorting and in the whole scheme of things, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. Sometimes, even when you get to management level, you still have to do some filing to keep yourself in order.
Thrown in, during the day, for good measure – checking that the ball welcome drinks have been sourced (well done Maria!) touching base with Alison on whether the extension will be done in time for the JLR visit (sorry Alison – still not sure) confirming how many smoke detectors we will need and where they need to go, sorting out the bank mandate and checking the financial controls policy, amending the recruitment policy and chasing a few funding bids. Oh, and of course, responding to the emails that constantly ping in front of me and are just too tempting not to respond to.
Just a pretty normal day really!
What a great day was had by all of who attended the SoLO Fest on Thursday 24th August. From a germ of an idea with Katie and Alison sat at the kitchen table in Walnut Close discussing how they might make it work, it developed into a wonderful day showcasing all that is good about SoLO:
Our SoLO members, most of whom were teenagers or young adults were given the opportunity to experience, first hand, the Festival Experience and, from the obvious enjoyment that was displayed and the active involvement, they were clearly fans of the event.
It is days like this that make me burst with pride over our wonderful staff and volunteers.
What an absolutely brilliant time we had on Thursday with Sunny and Shay http://www.bbc.co.uk/sunnyandshay.wm recording live from the SoLO Daylight Project on their afternoon show. If you want to pick it up you can do so on the above link 11/08/17 or listen below, and please take a few minutes to vote for SoLO.
The reason? SoLO has been shortlisted for their community project of the year award within the Brummies 2017 (previously known as the Pride of Birmingham Award). The show is part of a three part showcase of the different charities that have been shortlisted and even if we don’t ultimately win the accolade, the experience yesterday was a prize in itself.
Sunny and Shay were consummate professionals but so approachable and quickly put us all at ease. They encouraged our members to carry on as normal which was great as they were having a SoLO’s Got Talent Afternoon – how they were able to concentrate with the noise levels, I will never know.
Our guys were interviewed and, even those with communication challenges, were involved and treated with the same level of respect as everyone else which was great to witness. The highlight for me was when one of our members who was about to leave to go home, completely ignored the fact that Sunny and Shay were interviewing Jamie, the Project Leader, and quizzed him, live on air, about what was happening the following week and what arrangements were in place – priceless! Fortunately, Jamie was able to remember and gave her everything she needed to know. Just love it!
Voting starts later today (Friday 11th August 5.00 pm on the bbc website http://www.bbc.co.uk/wm and will be open until Friday 18th August). So please do share this information with all your friends and family and get voting!
How cool would it be for us to win…
You know the term ‘Put your best foot forward’? Well, this is exactly what the Get Active members did!
On Saturday 24th June Get Active held a sponsored walk around Earlswood lakes. The group were very grateful that their wishes had come true and on the morning of the session the sun was shining, with a few clouds to keep everyone cool. 16 young people supported by 5 staff put their best foot forward ploughing all their energies into completing the walk. The group spent the whole of the walk laughing, encouraging each other and even crossed the finish line together. In order to celebrate the group made the most of it by taking a well- deserved rest with a slice of cake and hot chocolate at the coffee shop. Members of the public were so impressed with the group’s achievements they even donated cash. Get Active raised a massive £720 on the day!!
For the final session of the term the members chose to take a trip to Drayton Manor Theme park. Which was partly funded through the sponsored walk. The group had some firm favourites when it came to the rides, and even the staff didn’t escape the thrills of the Pirate ship and Ben10.
The group are already thinking about their next fundraising challenge so watch this space!!
Were you aware that SoLO doesn’t just provide meaningful daytime activities for people with a learning disability? We are pleased to say we now offer overnight breaks and supported living opportunities as well in direct response to requests from the families we support…..
After extensive research and planning we are now in the exciting position of securing our first property from which to run a Supported Living service. It is envisaged we will support 2 or 3 adults with a learning disability to lead independent, interesting lives in their own home and out in the community. We are in consultation with Social workers and Commissioners to identify our first tenants, and if this is something you are interested in please do contact us so we can look at potential options together. Funding for this support will generally come from Social Care and will require a financial assessment and support plan. If successful this model of care & support will be replicated in other properties, which could include those owned or rented by the individual themselves or family.
We believe that our longstanding relationship with many families and range of recreational activities, gives us a unique advantage over other providers, not to mention our commitment to excellence. The same quality which runs through our existing schemes will be clearly visible within this new service and our Values (Safe, Trusted, Adaptable, Resilient) will continue to be demonstrated on a day to day basis by the passionate and competent staff we employ.
If you want to find out more, please give us a call.
At the Members Ball on 8th September, the Voice Group will be awarding some amazing people with awards, but first they need nominations in the following categories
1. Overall Hero of the Month – Picked from the winners since the last members ball.
2. Special Achievement award – For a member who as achieved great things during the year or to highlight a particular success that a member …or members have had?
3. Go getter award or Social Butterfly award – For a member, volunteer or staff member who has boundless enthusiasm or is really involved in SoLO activities.
4. Fundraiser award – A volunteer who has raised money for SoLO.
5. Long Service – Awards for anyone who has volunteered for SoLO for more than 10 years
So, do you know a SoLO staff member, volunteer or member who fits in any of the above categories – if you do, e.mail across to janet@solihullsolo.org the name of the person, the category that they fit and why they should be considered for the award.
Nominations need to be in by 17th August – so get thinking and nominating!
Within life we will always be faced with problems. They can be as simple as ‘we have run out of milk’ and the solution is equally simple ‘go to the shop and buy some more’.
The issue occurs when we don’t own the problem. So….. with the milk scenario – ‘we have run out of milk, but it is not my fault because I wasn’t due to buy it this week, so I am not going to do anything about it’. Possibly a justified reaction, particularly if you are the only person who bothers to buy the milk. However, the result from this action, is that we have no milk. The problem remains unresolved. Also, the problem gets bigger because it now isn’t just a case of ‘we have no milk’, but now ‘we can’t have a hot drink’ and next ‘we are all very ratty, because we can’t have a hot drink’.
Move this into a work situation and the issues become more complex. The problems we have are often more complex than running out of milk, but the issue of ownership is the same and the results of us not owning the problem have the same outcome – unresolved. Even worse, the problem can become compounded.
For example (and this is only an example, not a real situation – we hope!), a parent rings up because they have had a letter stating that they haven’t paid their invoice. However, they are a little put out because they brought a cheque in the week before and gave it to someone (and they can’t remember which member of staff it was). The person answering the phone is someone from the adult team, but the payment is for a children’s activity programme. The internal reaction is ‘I am really busy today, this is not my fault, therefore, not my problem’. The external response is ‘Sorry, there is no one in finance or the children’s activity team, can you ring back later’.
Outcome of this phone call, the worker who has answered the phone, breathes a sigh of relief – problem averted, no more time taken up and she/he can get back to what she/he was working on. Parent leaves with problem given back to him or her, but now the problem has grown larger. When the parent rings back later, there is every chance that he or she is not going to tolerate any more delay and if the issue remains unresolved, the problem will grow and grow.
In the NHS there is a term called ‘Local Resolution’ and when I had the role of Complaints Convenor this is what we strived for, wherever possible. A problem that is dealt with straight away, won’t have the opportunity to grow out of proportion. The problem holder won’t be more stressed than they need to be and the problem solver will spend less time on the issue than they would if it is allowed to grow.
At the point that we receive the problem, it is of no consequence who caused it – it just needs solving. At a later time, when it has been resolved, we might wish to deal with the root cause so that we ensure that it isn’t repeated, but in the first instance, we need to solve it for the customer (parent, carer or whoever that might be).
Within SoLO, my desire is that every staff member will become the first problem solver for the person who is presenting with the issue, whatever that might be. Firstly, it is the kind thing to do – to care for the person who has the issue and help resolve it. Secondly, it is the most effective thing to do – it saves time in the long run.
It is a clear case of ‘a stitch in time, saves nine’ Something my mother used to quote and we all know that mother knows best!
We love to share good news!
We were very pleased to receive a visit from our local community police. Ellen and Mo Patel visited us to discuss some possible fundraising opportunities from the Active Citizen Scheme. It was lovely to see them both and we have invited them back to meet our members, but not before Janet was given the opportunity to find out just how heavy those vests are – 1.5 stone! Wow – the police deserve a medal just for wearing the uniform.
It was great to be able to show them around the new build at Walnut Close which is now reaching the first floor – photos to follow later in the week.
We look forward to seeing Ellen and Mo at another time whilst they are busy policing the area and keeping us all safe.
What an honour…. to share that Janet Down CEO of SoLO Life Opportunities has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. The MBE is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community. This will have had a long-term, significant impact and stand out as an example to others. This absolutely sums up what Janet has done for SoLO and its members over the last 17 years.
Janet has been a pivotal part of the growth of SoLO from a “kitchen table” charity in the beginning to a charity which now offers so much to its members. Her leadership and her enthusiasm have been a shining example to so many together with her desire to provide quality experiences and fun for its members, despite many challenges along the way.
On behalf of SoLO members, parents, carers and staff many congratulations Janet and we’re so pleased that your many achievements and deep commitment to support the lives of people with Learning Disabilities has been recognised in such a way. We celebrate your honour mindful that with the recent sad loss of your Dad, someone so special to you, is unable to celebrate with us, but we know MBE or no MBE he was a very proud Dad and rightly so.
Jan
Chair of SoLO
What a lot has been achieved within a week – goes to show what you can do with a bit of hard work, grit and determination.
We now have the first storey of our new extension in place with walls all around and next week will the breaking through into the main building and the steel put in place.
Such excitement as we plan for the range of activities that we will be able to offer our members when this new facility is open – I will keep you updated with its progress!
We are very grateful to Sainsburys Dorridge for a fabulous year of fundraising! Today we were presented with a cheque for £2263.83 and a trolley full of goodies!
We have been working with Sainsburys for the last year and have enjoyed a huge amount of support from their staff and customers in that time. We have held bag packs, we have been able to showcase our SoLO projects in store and have benefitted from the generosity of shoppers donating Easter eggs in season.
We pay tribute to Jane their community champion, Karen the store manager and the whole team of amazing staff who have gone over and above to support us as a charity. We look forward to working together in the future and to enjoying maintaining the links we have created together.
We wish every success to the Alzheimers Society who will be their next charity of the year!
Very excited to report that the foundations for our new extension are currently being laid. It now seems real that the extension will soon be a reality – what a long journey this has been!
Watching the care that has gone into laying the foundations, with the precise measurement and calculations has reminded me that without this attention to detail, the building will be no good and not fit for purpose.
It is with the same amount of care, that we lay the foundations for the delivery of the services that will come from this new building. Our recent refresh of our values, our work on determining the behaviours that will emanate from these values and the organisational refresh that is also happening are the important building blocks to ensure our services are also fit for purpose. No good having a wonderful new building if the quality of care, support and empowerment for our members is of a poor quality.
So looking forward to seeing this building come to fruition and filled with fun and interaction with our SoLO members.
Will keep you updated!
We are delighted to be involved with, and enjoy the support of, all of these organisations and more.
