Blog Archives - Page 30 of 49

Annual Information Report: Who did Touchstone support in 2016/17?

On 31 March 2017 there were over 1500 active service users accessing Touchstone services. This suggests that on any given day we have around 1500 live service users across Touchstone. Half of Touchstone’s live service users come from BME backgrounds. All Touchstone services have a BME service user profile above the 2011 Census baseline. The percentage of active service users defining themselves as bisexual, gay or lesbian is about 5%

2020-04-17T10:28:53+01:0021st July 2017|Blog, Data and Statistics, Equality and Diversity|

WHO KNOWS BEST? WE DO!

The 'We' is our service users and they always know what is best. This has been reinforced by what our service users think and say about Touchstone in this years annual service user survey results. The key headlines are: Overall 95% of service user respondents indicated that Touchstone is an excellent to good organisation. Quality of support/service – 94% of respondents indicated they received an excellent to good service in

2017-07-20T13:00:20+01:0020th July 2017|Blog, Feedback|

Free Hugs Day

The first Saturday of July is International Free Hugs Day. Maybe you've seen someone in your town centre holding up a hand-made sign that says "Free Hugs" - and delivering on that promise by hugging anyone that approaches them. Quite possibly you've already seen themusic video below, that shows the advent of this Free Hugs movement. If not, go ahead and take a few minutes right now. The story behind

2020-04-17T10:28:45+01:001st July 2017|Art, Blog|

After the NHS – a CHS?

The election is finally behind us. The Labour Party had most of the eye-catching policies – and community businesses could provide the next big idea, writes our guest blogger Bill Graham from New Wortley. (This blog was originally published on the Power to Change website). One of the ideas was to turn the education system into an NES – or national education service. I suppose some of the thinking behind this

2020-04-17T10:28:43+01:0030th June 2017|Blog, Community, Policy, Social Prescribing|

Wellbeing and Befriending scheme

Steph Lewis from the Community Development Service explains how and why a Winter Wellbeing project has turned into a service that's offered all year round. In January 2017 ELHFA and CDS services jointly started the Winter Wellbeing Project which was based on the very successful Winter Wellbeing Café run during the winter of 2016. The Winter Wellbeing Project recognised that many people living in some of the most disadvantaged areas

2017-06-27T08:00:08+01:0027th June 2017|Blog, Community, Complex Needs, Friendship|

Anxious – a poem by Surrinder Singh

Anxiously waiting, preparing in your mind, for someone to offer a word that is kind. Battle, in your mind, rages and you begin to close its doors, your sweat begins to build and starts running from the pores. You want that moment when you can take a step, without spending hours in a state of prep. Heightened heartbeat, pulse getting faster, you're anxiously preparing for yet another disaster. Constant anxiety

2020-04-17T10:28:33+01:009th June 2017|Blog, Poetry|

Video: 2017 WY-FI Annual Learning Event – Keynote Speakers

Watch the keynote presentations from WY-FI's 2017 learning event, discussing how the project encourages and embodies system change.

2017-06-02T09:00:06+01:002nd June 2017|Blog, Complex Needs, Partnership, System change, Video|

A volunteer's story

What was your situation and background before you became involved with volunteering? I was working as the Exams Officer at a high school in Leeds when I became poorly during 2013. My condition deteriorated and I was admitted to hospital and finally diagnosed in December 2013 with Neuro-sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a rare anti-immune disease which is managed with steroids and other medication. Unfortunately I had to sell my house and

2017-06-01T09:00:32+01:001st June 2017|Blog, Case Study, Volunteering|

Why leaders have difficult conversations all the time

A guest blog from Bill Graham of New Wortley Community Centre - originally published on Power to Change. "Discussions must be in-depth, inclusive and sometimes difficult to make things improve." Bill Graham New Wortley Community Centre We have all sat in meetings where we think just by having the right people round the table a solution or a plan will be formed – then walked away disappointed as the conversation

2020-04-17T10:28:31+01:0026th May 2017|Blog, Leadership|

Dementia journey with my mother – #DementiaAwarenessWeek

Stephanie Lewis from Touchstone's Community Development Service talks about how her mother's dementia impacted on the whole family. I first became aware of Dementia when I studied for counselling back in 2000-2008 however, my first personal experience of this was when my mother was diagnosed in 2005. My father passed away in 1998 and they had been married for nearly 50 years so clearly, they were very close as a

2020-04-17T10:28:28+01:0021st May 2017|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week, Families|