2023-03-31-annual-report - Family Caring Centre

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FAMILY CARING

CENTRE

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 – 2022 CHARITY NO: NIC107874

Thursday 17th November 2022 at 7pm

1 – 5 Somerset Park, Antrim, BT41 2TE

Tel: 028 9446 4619

Email: manager@familycaringcentre.co.uk

BACKGROUND TO FAMILY CARING CENTRE SERVICES

The Family Caring Centre was established in Antrim in June 1985.

The Family Caring Centre was established in Rathenraw, Antrim in 1985. Its purpose was to provide training, information, advice and childcare services to families in the area who were suffering from social deprivation as a result of deteriorating housing and high unemployment. The Centre has been successfully providing this support through a range of services which have been continuously developed over the years as a response to the changing needs. Today, over 250 families benefit from the range of services that are currently provided.

It is impossible to measure the huge positive social impact the Family Caring Centre has had in the local community over the years. We have certainly contributed to building social capacity within our work with residents of all ages, abilities and backgrounds

All potential employees and volunteers may be subject to Access NI checks before employment can commence and this is then followed by an induction program.

Vision

The Family Caring Centre has a continuing vision that the legacy Antrim Borough area’s will be an attractive place to live, visit and work in. It will have a strong community spirit underpinned by family structures which support members to aspire and achieve. Families will actively choose to live in the area, which will continue to be socially and economically regenerated.

Family Caring Centre Values

The Family Caring Centre has clear values; it believes that “strong families create strong communities” and aims to strengthen families and support individuals in a place where there is warmth, care and support. Nine values are central and surround all the work carried out by the Family Caring Centre.

MISSION STATEMENT

“The Family Caring Centre is a voluntary organisation providing a range of services in a friendly and supportive environment to families and individuals.”

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Confident
Caring Sensitivity
Responsive Empowering
Family
Caring
Centre
Accessible Flexible
Non
Realistic
Judgemental
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CURRENT STAFF

Centre Manager	Louise Goodman
Mental Health Coordinator	Lorraine Ferguson
MHSG Support Staff	Joanne Millar/Eilise Dawson
Admin & GMA Support	Adele Carroll
GMA Coordinator	Libby Higham
ICT Teacher/Accounts	Julie Tinsley

VOLUNTEERS

Driver	Alistair Sha w
Good Morning Antrim	Valerie McConville
	Mairead Cleary
	Martha Grant
	Stuart Chestnutt
	Bethany Kirkpatrick
	John Robinson
	Raymond McBride
	Noreen McClelland
	Leanne Graham
	Pat Moore
	Barry Wilson
	Jacqui Irvine
	Peter Madden
	Yvonne Gilmore
	Paula Shannon
Depression Support Group
Facilitators:	Patrick McIlwee
	Joanne Miller
	Lorraine Ferguson
	Eilise Dawson
	Leanne Graham
	Noreen McClelland
The Learning Zone	Gerald Taylor
	Gillian Crawford

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Honorary Chairperson Honorary Treasurer Honorary Secretary

Noreen McClelland Raymond McBride Jordan McKay

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Gerald Taylor Billy Gould David Blair John Burns Mary McKay Patrick McIlwee Tracy Dewet

FAMILY CARING CENTRE – ORGANISATIONAL CHART

MINUTES OF LAST AGM

Family Caring Centre Management Committee Meeting 30th September 2021

In Attendance

Louise Goodman Reymond McBride Gerald Taylor Patrick McIlwee Jordan McKay Tracy Dewet Noreen McClelland Lorraine Ferguson Adele Carroll Libby Higham Leanne Graham Billy Gould Mary McKay Julie Tinsley Dermott Corr

Apologies

John Burns David Blair Joanne Miller

Minutes

Minutes from previous meeting proposed by Libby Higham and seconded by Julie Tinsley.

Audit Report

Audit report provided by Dermott Corr of DC Corr & Company. A version of this report is available on request.

Appointment of Auditors

DC Corr & Company appointed by Patrick McIlwee for the next year.

Honorary Chairperson’s Report

Hon. Chairperson’s Report delivered by Patrick McIlwee, with reference to Good Morning Antrim, the Mental Health Support Group, new Depression Support Group in collaboration with AWARE NI and The Learning Zone. A copy of this report and annual departmental reports are available on request.

Re-Election of Board Members

The board was stood down to begin re-election. Patrick McIlwee will not be continuing as Chairperson; will be continuing as a general board member.

Chairperson: Noreen McClelland Proposed by Patrick McIlwee and seconded by Raymond McBride

Honorary Secretary: Jordan McKay Proposed by Louise Goodman and seconded by Adele Carroll

Honorary Treasurer: Raymond McBride Proposed by Louise Goodman and seconded by Tracey Dewet

General Board Members

Gerald Taylor proposed by Julie Tinsley and seconded by Noreen McClelland

Patrick McIlwee proposed by Libby Higham and seconded by Leanne Graham

David Blair proposed by Jordan McKay and seconded by Gerald Taylor John Burns proposed by Gerald Taylor and seconded by Patrick McIlwee Billy Gould proposed by Julie Tinsley and seconded by Tracey Dewet Mary McKay proposed by Lorraine Ferguson and seconded by Raymond McBride

Tracey Dewet proposed by Louise Goodman and seconded by Noreen McClelland

Any Other Business

Patrick McIlwee given a gift as a token of gratitude for his service to the Centre.
Louise Goodman provided an update on the elevator – the project is currently with building control.
Noreen McClelland gave introductory remarks as Chairperson, sharing her vision for the Centre.
Adele Carroll is now the longest serving member of staff, coming up to 25 years.
Julie Tinsley given recognition for her work in helping with the accounts.

Next meeting will be Thursday, 27th January 2022.

CHAIRPERSON’S ANNUAL REPORT

Chairpersons report - Family Caring Centre

Good evening, everyone and thank you sincerely for giving up of your time to join us for the Annual General Meeting this evening.

Firstly, may I thank Patrick McIlwee who deputised in my absence and very kindly delivered last year’s report. As always Patrick delivered a firstclass account of the year’s activities and events. May I at this stage also congratulate Patrick on his recent marriage and wish him and his wife every happiness.

I would like to start by paying tribute to the staff for another excellent year. You continue to show commitment and endeavour in working with service users, and all who avail of the services of the Family Caring Centre.

Our volunteers are first class, they give one hundred percent commitment to this organisation and for that I am so grateful. Without our volunteers, who come from all walks of life, we would not be able to continue to deliver the first-class service the FCC has become known for, across the community.

As we get back to the new normal after two years of Covid and the effects on everyone in the community, we continue the task of ensuring our services are available to all.

The Good Morning Antrim programme grows from strength to strength with new referrals being made on a regular basis. This programme is available for so many and often those who receive the calls tell volunteers how much this service means to them, for some being the only contact they have in a day. They say they are comforted in the knowledge that they are not alone; their emotional well-being is important and they will be supported in times of crisis.

Last month the GMA volunteers were recognised in the Spirit of Volunteering Awards, organised and run by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. These are extremely prestigious awards and I am delighted to say the one of our Volunteers, across several services ‘Leanne Graham’ won the “Newcomer to Volunteering” award and Good Morning Antrim won the Covid l9 Community Impact award. I congratulate all who were nominated and those who won awards.

I would further like to pay tribute to our volunteer of 29 years Joe Maguire who was also nominated on the evening and received a nomination award. Joe has given diligent service to the FCC as our driver, Joe is ill at the moment and we send our very best wishes.

The Depression Support Group, is an excellent addition to our services. The use of the Family Caring Centre for this group is a place where those attending feel safe and secure and indeed have been very vocal in expressing how much they have benefitted from the service. The Facilitators offering a listening ear and allowing the members to talk and listen in a safe, compassionate, non-judgemental environment.

Our Mental Health Support Group which is our longest standing service, continues to flourish with regular referrals being received. The groups have been able to access a range of holistic therapies and continue to enjoy door-to-door transport and outings, with the use of our minibus. One of our long-standing staff members, Joanne, is currently on sickness leave and we wish her a full recovery. Joining the staff team ‘Eilise Dawson’ has established good working relationships with staff, volunteers and those attending the centre. I wish her well in this role.

The Learning Zone which is a fully accredited training centre, along with Community Advice NI, assisted the Antrim & Newtownabbey Loneliness Network regarding a Digital Inclusion program. This was aimed at those who feel isolated from their friends and family by not having the means and the know-how for today’s various forms of communication, specifically online communication. Further to this, we have just advertised new ICDL classes with the aim of starting them in January 2023.

In addition to our core services, we support various organisations from the community/charity and statutory sector by providing a suitable environment for them to deliver their services. These include;

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Antrim Foodbank
Nexus (Counselling)
Antrim Looked After Children’s Team
Children with Disabilities Team

By helping each other, we build greater and stronger social capacity for all our community.

*Additional information from the various departments is contained within the Annual Report.

This year we were able to hold 2 significant fundraisers, which was our ‘Night at the Races and the Alison 0’Neill Memory walk. Both were extremely well supported by staff and participants raising almost £5000 towards our ‘LIFT Fund’.

With regards to the installation of a disabled lift, this is ongoing, however we are pleased to announce we have raised enough funds to purchase the lift and are currently awaiting confirmation from NIHE regarding the structural work required, which is quite significant.

We were also able to pay homage to the centres founder Sister Mary Clements, whom I’m sure you would agree was revolutionary in her time, creating a strong foundation, since 1985 with the formation of the Family Caring Centre, making us one of the longest standing charities in the borough.

As this is my first AGM with the Family Caring Centre, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Louise Goodman and her team. Louise has guided the organisation through very trying times over the Covid period, strives to obtain funding for the centre and is continually working to full capacity.

I would like to extend my ‘congratulations’ to Louise Goodman BEM who was listed on the Queens 2022 New Year’s Honours list to receive the British Empire Medal; for her services to the mental and physical wellbeing to vulnerable people in Co Antrim.

I would also like to say thank you to our Board for your commitment and dedication to the Family Caring Centre and all those who use the service. It is my pleasure to work with you all. I look forward to your continued support and thank you sincerely for your help and encouragement.

Kindest regards and best wishes,

Noreen McClelland Honorary Chairperson

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP COORDINATOR ANNUAL REPORT

The Family Caring Centre Adult Mental Health Service continues to provide a wide range of structured activities and programmes designed to build confidence, raise self-esteem and provide social inclusion/interaction for individuals referred to our service.

The service is based on core principles of support, acceptance and understanding and referrals are received mainly from Social Work Teams and Occupational Therapists although we also accept self-referrals.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions we have had to change the structure of our days and opening times, to allow for more people to avail of our services. This has proven to be a positive change and we will continue to operate this way for the foreseeable. We have all procedures in place to maintain the safety of all our service users and staff as we move forward.

As always, we provide door-to-door pick up for our service users, where requested in various localities including Antrim, Randalstown and Crumlin.

We have various professional tutors/facilitators providing various courses/sessions including Emotional Well-Being classes, Flower Arranging, Arts & Crafts, Painting and Mindfulness Breathing and Physical Activities. These are well attended and provide much needed support and respite to our users.

The staff provide an excellent professional service and they also help to plan, deliver and monitor all aspects of the service so it operates to a consistently high standard. Service Users are regularly consulted regarding courses and activities.

Our group has had the misfortune of losing our long-term volunteer bus driver ‘Joe Maguire’ due to ill health. He has been a valued member within the Family Caring Centre and will be missed by all. We would like to thank Alistair Shaw for stepping into this role for us, as our members rely on the bus service to attend the group. Also due to ill health Joanne Miller (Staff member) has had to take absence for treatment and recovery due to her illness. We all wish Joanne a full recovery. Welcome to Eilise Dawson who is our new MHSG Support Worker and she has already put fresh new ideas into practise to decorate the groups activity room allowing the group to express themselves.

On behalf of The Family Caring Centre, I would like to offer my appreciation for the continued financial support provided by NHSCT and the ongoing support from all the Family Caring Centre staff.

Lorraine Ferguson MHSG Coordinator

GOOD MORNING ANTRIM CO-ORDINATOR ANNUAL REPORT

‘Good Morning Antrim’ continues providing services from Monday to Friday, covering Crumlin, Templepatrick, Parkgate, Randalstown, Toome and Antrim.

This is our 14th year of continued and uninterrupted service, supporting our recipients with daily calls.

The service helps anyone who is isolated or lonely and/or experiencing mental or physical health issues. Good Morning Antrim will also sign post to local charities, statutory services and community groups. Our team is keeping up to date with things like Government heating payments as a lot of people are finding the ongoing ‘cost of living crisis’ very hard to manage. The team continue to have calls needing referred to social workers and other services such as Lifeline and Aware NI. This is due to our callers expressing suicidal tendencies and/or depression. This has impacted on our service making calls longer and after care for all involved is more important than ever.

Good Morning Antrim have currently 15 Volunteers and continue to recruit to support the ever-increasing new referrals. These calls continue to be a support to both those receiving them and also their families who benefit from the alert aspect of the service. During the year a number of lives have been saved by alerting the Nominated Contact or on one occasion the emergency services that calls remain unanswered and those in need where able to get the emergency care needed very quickly.

The Volunteers of Good Morning Antrim won the ‘Covid 19 Community Impact’ award as well as one of our Volunteers Leanne Graham who won the individual ‘Newcomer to Volunteering’ award. This was hosted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council at Mossley Mill. A number of our Volunteers attended the Glitz and Glamor ceremony as well as the Coordinator and had a fantastic evening. The Family Caring Centre Manager Louise along with our ICT Teacher Julie Tinsley both came along to further support our team. This gave our team a moral boost and the volunteers are all extremely proud to be recognised and rewarded.

Over the year we have held events such as a Volunteer appreciation lunch at Dunadry Hotel and a Tea Morning for our recipients also in Dunadry hotel. Both events had a really good impact on both Volunteers and recipients. With the help of Covid Funding we also purchased 100 x £10 café vouchers that where distributed in all our areas to help our recipients

to get back into the community after the pandemic. Our next project is to collect and distribute a package of useful information to help our vulnerable and isolated recipients stay safe in their homes over the winter months. This includes information from the (PSNI) regarding Cold Callers, keeping warm over winter and fuel saving ideas from the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough council and a handy list of numbers for other suitable groups in our area. We also are planning to invite a number of our recipients to a tea morning after the Christmas period to ease loneliness as the long winter months approach.

Good Morning Antrim and our award-winning Volunteers will continue to serve the community with an uninterrupted service that is delivered to an excellent standard.

Libby Higham

Good Morning Antrim Coordinator

THE LEARNING ZONE ANNUAL REPORT

The Learning Zone delivers accredited computer courses and is registered with British Computer Society (BCS) and Oxford & Cambridge and RSA (OCR).

First of all, congratulations to Lorraine Ferguson our MHSG Coordinator on completion of her ICDL Core – well done!

The next ICDL (currently EDCL) is planned to begin on Tuesday 13[th] January 2023. We are hosting an ‘Introduction to ICDL’ event on Tuesday 22nd November 2022 between 10 am – 12 noon.

From this ‘open day’ I will be carrying out training needs analysis to ascertain which of the courses below would be most suited to the individual as we aim to provide flexible learning to all ages, at the individual’s own pace.

In addition to the ICDL Core (7 Units) we will also be offering ICDL Flexi – 3 units or single unit ICDL.

Our Centre Manager Louise Goodman is currently in the process of seeking funding to reduce the cost to students.

Currently The Learning Zone has been working along with Community Advice NI, assisted the Antrim & Newtownabbey Loneliness Network (A&NBC LN) regarding a Digital Inclusion program. This was aimed at those who feel isolated from their friends and family by not having the means and the know-how for today’s various forms of communication, specifically online communication. A&NBC LN acquired funding to purchase 80 Samsung Tablets which have been distributed by Community Advice Antrim & Newtownabbey to those who met the criteria.

Thanks to Gerald Taylor and Gillian Crawford for their volunteering support throughout the year.

Julie Tinsley

The Learning Zone Tutor

DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP ANNUAL REPORT

The Depression Support Group first established in June 2021 continues to operate with the support of 6 Facilitators.

Members can attend voluntarily and without the need for a referral. Everyone is welcomed into a confidential, safe environment and will receive a welcome/information pack, providing details on group guidelines, and other internal and external services.

Peer support is given and received from people experiencing various forms of depression, currently or in the past. Sessions run every Thursday morning at the Family Caring Centre, 9.30-11am and are supported by 2 trained Facilitators.

Some comments from members have included the group has been ‘a lifesaver’ and after some of sessions they have felt ‘listened too’ and ‘less isolated’.

Members continue to attend the group, demonstrating the need, for this worthwhile service. Facilitators also receiving support and extra training where necessary. Facilitators attended both ‘Self-Harm’ training through ‘ZEST’ and more recently Refresher Training with Aware NI.

As a team, we will continue to review the meetings to ensure the successful and effective running of the group.

Having gathered significant experience in the last year, we are currently researching options around additional support groups for those experiencing post-natal depression and for our young people.

Louise Goodman Centre Manager

CONTACT DETAILS

NAME	DEPARTMENT	EMAIL
Noreen McClelland	Honorary Chairperson	chairperson@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Raymond McBride	Honorary Treasurer	treasurer@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Jordan Mckay	Honorary Secretary	secretary@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Louise Goodman	Centre Manager	manager@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Adele Carroll	Admin	admin@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Julie Tinsley	The learning Zone	thelearningzone@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Libby Higham	Good Morning Antrim	goodmorningantrim@familycaringcentre.co.uk
Lorraine Ferguson	Mental Health Support Group	mhsg@familycaringcentre.co.uk

Website: www.familycaringcentre.com Facebook: @familycaringcentre.antrim Telephone: 028 9446 4619 - Address: 1 5 Somerset Park, Antrim, BT41 2TE