New Staff – Izzy

Isabel Lean is one of  HELPP’s Development Worker’s

 

Hi everyone!!  I started with the project as a Development Worker on the 21^st July 2008, but have been involved with HELPP over the years through my role as a qualified Fitness Instructor.

 

The staff have made me feel very welcome and I feel as if I have worked here all of my life, the whole 21 years!! Well a woman can dream can’t she!!  I previously worked for Midlothian Financial Inclusion Network and Midlothian Council’s Regeneration Development Team on various projects and have experience of Youth Work and working with Adults and Older People.  I am on the board for both Y2K and Mayfield & Easthouses Development Trust, as well as being actively involved with Newbattle High School on their Parent Council. 

 

My work with HELPP will involve the implementation and running of eight week courses for a Men’s Health Group, WWHAM (Woodburn Women’s Health and Motivation Group), Mayfield Community Health Action Group, Mayfield Walker’s Group and Glencourse Soldiers Wives Group.  I am looking forward to meeting lots of new people and showing them the benefits that a healthier lifestyle can bring, both physically and mentally.

 

I can be contacted on 0131 660 5055 or by emailing Isabel@helpp.org.uk  

Changes

There have been some changes at HELPP recently:

Project Manager: Kenny Richardson who has turned the project round and helped HELPP towards the goal of independence has now. Kenny’s role will be taken over by Andrew Gardiner. Andrew is no stranger to HELPP and has been one of the project’s staunchest supporters at Midlothian Council.

Development Worker: Rob Wannerton has left HELPP to move to London. Rob has been a great help in reinvigorating the project in Woodburn and Mayfield. We’d like to welcome Isabel Lean to the team: Isabel will be taking over Rob’s work but also delivering some of our new projects and programmes including the forthcoming men’s health course.

Information Worker: I’m (Tom) leaving after a fantastic year with HELPP. I’ve had a great time developing the website and providing (all sorts!) of support for the staff and HELPP’s groups. I’ll really miss everyone! But every cloud and all that: Linda Sneddon (who has been concentrating on Choose Life recently) is returning as part time information worker.

Sarah Aitken: Sarah, one of our development workers, is now working part time. She’s still very active with our groups in Penicuik and Bonnyrigg and has recently being working tirelessly to get our new community cafe in Penicuik’s Ladywood Centre up and running.

HELPP – Some Updates

A few updates on HELPP:

Website: Our new YouTube channel will be launching on May 13th with the DVD Who Cares… prepared by the WHO Group in Gorebridge. We’re also launching a Bebo page soon and we’re planning regular podcasts. This should begin with a young people’s focus group being set up by our Community Education student Emma. The Grandparents Parenting Again and Kinship Carers website is continuing to grow and we now have a discussion board/forum that is open to anyone who needs advice, support or information. We’re also working with Catherine Evans, Midlothian Community Health Partnership’s Patient Involvement Worker, to create a website that will provide health centres with information on what is available to patients in their area. The pilot site will launch in the Danderhall area soon.

Glencorse: The Glencorse Healthy Living Group kicks off on Thursday 15th May. The six week course includes yoga, excercise, healthy eating and much more.

Grandparent’s Parenting Again and Kinship Carers: The group continues to develop: they are playing an active role in the creation of a national kinship carers network with a major announcement expected in the next few month. Plans are well underway for the group’s summer programme which this year will hopefully include a sports day for the children.

Ladywood Centre: The community cafe will open in June. Already Susan, the cafe worker, and the volunteers are working hard to get things up and running. Keep your eyes peeled for more info in the local press and menus and more information will be available here soon.

An Independent HELPP: Our community reps are continuing to work hard as we move towards independence. We now have an interim board and we’re hopeful that we will be able to announce a date for independence soon. We’ll keep you posted.

So it is busy time for everyone at HELPP. But we’ll keep you informed through the blog and the main website as things develop and HELPP gets stronger and stronger.

Glencorse – Update

After a successful first meeting we have now planned our course at Glencorse barracks. The course is for the partners of active service personnel.

At the first meeting particpants indicated that they would like to try yoga and this will form the core of the activities.

There will also be healthy eating advice and demonstrations, excercise advice and much more.

The course starts on Thursday 15th May, 6-8pm at Scot’s Corner.

To find out more call Dawn Muir on 07780957291 or email Karen.Muir@mod.uk