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.

A Busy Week for HELPP

Last week was another busy one for HELPP. As well as Rob joining us last Monday and the first part of our International Women’s Day 2008 events we were also pleased to welcome Councillor Lisa Beattie, Gerry Power (General Manager of the Midlothian Community Health Partnership) and Eddie Egan (Chair of the Midlothian Community Health Partnership) to the HELPP office in Dalkeith.

 Our guests met with three of our Community Representatives: Patsy Cameron and Jim Crombie (Grandparents Parenting Again and Kinship Carers) and Janet Findlay (The WWHAM Group in Woodburn).

A very successful meeting gave Lisa, Gerry and Eddie the chance to find out about what HELPP does and how HELPP has changed the lives of so many people in Midlothian. All three are now looking forward to the chance to meet with our groups throughout Midlothian.