Annual Report
The
Queen's Golden |
This page contains the most recent annual report of our association written by our President Pam Jenkinson. Previous annual reports can be selected from the menu above.
Annual Report November 2004 to October 2005
I am happy to report on an excellent year for the Wokingham and West Berkshire Mental Health Association. All our services have been very well used throughout the year and have resulted in excellent outcomes for our service users.
CRISIS BEDS
Nine guests have stayed in our crisis suites throughout the year. I report on their achievements as follows. (guests names have been abbreviated to protect privacy)
"LE"
"Le" did well. She completed her Cranstoun Alcohol Detox Programme and moved into a shared house with support from REAP after a stay of nineteen months in the crisis house. She is very happy with her accommodation and is now pursuing a Beautician’s training course as part of the Cranstoun ‘Progress to Work’ Programme.
"LO"
"Lo" also did well. She came to us at the beginning of March 2005. She was already well established on a heroin addiction detox programme under the supervision of the Probation Service, but was homeless and destitute – having nowhere to live without threat of violence. At our Drop-In Centre "Lo" met a new partner. She moved in with him after a stay of two months at the crisis house. They have now been together for six months. "Lo" completed Probation in September 2005. She is expecting to resume custody of her two teenage children in the near future and is also expecting a third child.
"SJ"
"SJ" did less well. She completed the Cranstoun Alcohol Detox Programme but failed to maintain progress once this ended. After a stay in the crisis house of eleven months we decided that since "SJ" was not achieving goals, she should return to live with her family. Since the family proved not to be loving and supportive, we paid for "SJ" to stay in local bed-and-breakfast accommodation until more permanent arrangements could be made for her.
"T"
"T" did well. He came to us in April 2005 - suffering from depression after the acrimonious breakdown of his relationship with his girlfriend, "K" – with whom he had been sharing a flat for two years. We arranged for "T" to get treatment for his depression. He then returned to work and resumed a normal social life. He met a new girl, "V", and since she was in August 2005 moving to Devon to work and to live with her mother, "T" decided to move with her since the mother was happy to accommodate both of them. They are now both working in Devon and are doing well.
"A" and "S"
"A" & "S" completed their heroin detox programme at the beginning of June 2005 – by which time "S" had also completed Probation and both had returned to work. "A" completed Probation in September 2005 and then flew out to Australia to be reunited with his delighted family who had not seen him for twelve years. "A" stayed in the crisis house for nineteen months. "S" is staying with us for a time while she decides her own future. "A" and "S" did spectacularly well and are fortunate in having loving, caring and supportive families who backed us to the hilt in all the work that we did with them to achieve such a success – after what had seemed to be a hopeless situation of many years duration.
"SA"
"SA" came to the crisis House in July 2005. She had already completed a heroin detox in Thailand but had failed then to settle in Tokyo where her parents live and work and so decided to return to the UK where she has a brother and a former boyfriend. "SA" was depressed and isolated living in a lonely squat in Camden and so came to the Wokingham Crisis House in order to be near her brother and her boyfriend, "D". She has now settled in with us, is less anxious and agitated and has returned to work. "SA" now just needs some time with us to re-establish her life in this country and to find permanent accommodation.
"J"
"J" came to the crisis house in September 2005. He had recently been discharged from Prospect Park Hospital where he had received treatment for depression. Before coming to us he had been living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation. "J" has good local support in that an ex partner lives nearby and is willing to involve him in activities such as gardening and home decorating and who will in return cook him a meal, so he is thus enabled to keep busy and active. "J" needs some time with us to continue his treatment and counselling for depression , to maintain recovery, and then to find permanent accommodation.
"S"
Throughout the year "S" has from time to time accessed our emergency crisis bed [for stays of a night or two] in order to get respite from a very difficult marital situation with a husband who threatens violence. We have been helping "S" for more than two years and understand that there are no simple solutions to her problems. "S" is undergoing treatment for depression and her situation is complicated by severe financial difficulties. "S" will resolve her problems in time, but is likely to need our ongoing support for a considerable while.
Our crisis service has thus throughout the year proved invaluable to all these guests with whom we have achieved excellent results.
THE DROP IN CENTRE
Our Drop-In Centre has been very well used throughout the year – with us providing excellent support for numerous people in crisis as well as for our ‘regulars’. They are fortunate not only that we are prepared to put so much effort into maintaining such a pleasant environment, but that we have an abundant supply of that rare commodity – time – and are always available to lend a listening ear.
ADVICE AND INFORMATION
Our library and advice and information service have been well used throughout the year with some very practical outcomes being achieved. We have, for instance, succeeded in getting Disability Living Allowance for a number of our mentally ill users who are entitled to this Benefit, but who had no idea as to how to go about claiming it.
BEFRIENDING
Our Befriending Service has gone well and we have during the past year added a new dimension to it in that we are now visiting patients in Prospect Park Hospital. This new service is greatly appreciated by the patients.
HOLIDAY CARAVAN
The Holiday Home has enjoyed an excellent season with users reporting having a lovely time and appreciating the improved facilities at the caravan site. Phil Green is to be congratulated on continuing to provide this invaluable service.
VISITS
Throughout the year the Wokingham Crisis House has continued to attract numerous visitors from the Wokingham area and beyond. This year we have been visited by Danny Miller, Town Mayor of Wokingham, Councillor Iain Brown, Chairman of Wokingham District Council, and by Lady Elizabeth Godsal, High Steward of Wokingham. All three appreciated the excellence of the voluntary service that we deliver. In addition we have had visits from a Carers Group from Harrow, representatives from Hillingdon Primary Care Trust – who are looking at setting up a crisis house – from Mike and Richard who are involved with the EAST/WEST Detox Programme and who are making a Channel Four Documentary on the subject of Addiction, and from a number of people who are involved in the local mental health services.
TALKS
We have given talks at Wellington College, at the Harrogate Centre for Excellence in Mental Health Care Conference, and at a Conference entitled ‘Women Like Us’ – run by the Black Women’s Mental Health Project.
FUND RAISING
Throughout the year we participated in the Mayor’s Market in November 2004, our own street collection in May 2005, and in the Alexandra Rose Day in June 2005. All these fund raising events did better than in the previous year.
PETS AS THERAPY
Our new family of cats have settled down well together. Cuddles, now eleven years old, remains as Head of the pets household. Chloe, having come from a Cat Rescue and from a background of abuse, took a long time to settle but is now a completely relaxed, friendly and happy cat. "A" and "S" are to be congratulated for nurturing her so well. Smack and Crack – who came to us as kittens a year ago - are now confident, happy adult cats. We have also added some budgerigars to our menagerie. These pets provide excellent therapy for our users and are extremely popular and well loved.
DONATIONS
We are grateful for all donations – both large and small – and both in money and in kind. Frances continues to provide her invaluable service of organising donations of furniture for people moving into the community. Our larger donations throughout the year have included a generous gift at Christmas from a Clinical Psychologist who admires our work, donations made to us instead of flowers at the funeral of a mentally ill young person, and a handsome donation from the Masons. These enable us to do things not covered by grant revenue. We are grateful for the continued financial support from Wokingham District Council – which enables us to maintain and run Station House, and to the Town Council for financial support for the caravan.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee met eleven times throughout the year and continued to conduct the Association’s business with cheerful efficiency. Thanks are particularly due to Gilbert, Frances and Phil, Vice Presidents, to Edward, Andy and Denise, Chairmen and Vice Chairman, to Martin, Treasurer, and to Sinead, Committee Secretary. I conclude with a vote of thanks to all our committee members, volunteers, drivers, befrienders, crisis workers, and to everyone who contributes to making the Wokingham and West Berkshire Mental Health Association such a success.
Pam Jenkinson October 2005
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Registered charity number 1043426 |