Our Trip to Windermere on 21st July



Enjoying the boat ride on Lake Windermere

With the money we made at our Easter Craft Fair
we decided at our service user meeting to pay for a trip to Windermere at the request of popular vote.
We organized and paid for a minibus and also subsidised the cost towards the boat ride across the lake.
It was a highly anticipated event that was enjoyed thoroughly by all. The ferry company gave us substantial discounts towards the costs of the seats on the boat also.


 some service user quotes of the day!


"It was really good, all the staff were great. What more is there to say!"


"It was great i love the boat, there were great views it was fun and i saw a castle from the boat"


"It was an enjoyable day!"










Paint effects over photocopied photographs, experimentation in our art class.

Sports and recreational activities in the local area

 We offer a great range of sports and recreation activities and can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. We have had great success and enjoyment from service users who have participated in these sessions.

          The sports and leisure activities change from week to week

Some of the activities we provide include Snooker, Badminton, Table Tennis, Crown Green Bowling, Swimming, local bike rides around our beautiful surrounding countryside and many more. We are always open to suggestions as they are greatly appreciated and we will always try to run any activity that has been suggested.

On one of the cycling trips to Glasson Dock from The Helm this summer.

                          

Confidence Boosting Course at York House in Morecambe

                                                               

For Moving Forward – Skills for Life Class
Friday 1pm till 3pm at York House  in Morecambe

"A Mind once stretched can never return to its original dimensions." 

 Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The value of a mind stretched is that you have far more options in there than you could imagine.

Soaking up knowledge from the world around us is something we take for granted.  What happens to it when we need to retrieve it – where has it gone?

Well it is always there in our mind, we just need to know how to access it.

Our classes on Moving Forward – Skills for Life show that each part of our lives is recorded and saved in our internal programming system (or as we know it, our brain) Therefore we have access to a wealth of inspirational data and useful tools to build, mend or adjust whatever is needed at the time.

Our skills for life may have become damaged or mislaid through our habit of collecting and storing lots of useless information or corrupted data, and we lose track of what it is we are hoping to achieve.

Well we have some great tools for you, delivered in a simple, direct and fun way, so that you are able to recognise the clutter and empty it out, leaving behind only those things that are useful.

The class covers issues such as Confidence to believe you can achieve.

Self Reliance to become more independent

Creative Thinking abilities to stretch it further

Memory and its value toward higher self esteem

Stepping out of your comfort zone and amazing yourself

Quitting bad habits and learning the truth about how they began

…..and much more.

Great fun, serious learning and a passport to success.

Creative Writing and Poetry Course

Creative Writing and Poetry on Wednesdays

 At York House in Morecambe 1pm till 3pm

 

"Logic will get you from A to B,

Imagination will get you everywhere."  

  Albert Einstein.

We are good at getting from A to B most of the time, and we do this in many areas of our life.

Here Einstein talks about logic, but what if logical thinking is something you cannot access.  If your logical processes are damaged through anxiety, depression, illness or trauma, all you have is the hope that someone else can give you guidance.

At Creative Support we are constantly challenged to use our imagination and find new or easier paths for people to travel.  And when those accessing our service realise they too can change direction, using their imagination, then we can look forward to finding many more ways to address problems of any size.  One way is by attending our Creative Writing classes.

Expression through verse or short stories, diary writing or regular columns in the newspaper if you have interesting things to say, can prove extremely beneficial to the writer as well as the reader.

Our classes are led by the students and supported by Creative Support staff with a keen interest in personal development for all.

The programme is rolling so that whenever you attend you will easily slip into a great discussion on many topics, and the opportunity to discover new ways to express your thoughts.

We welcome new starters and we look forward to many new discussions.

New sessions running from The Helm in Lancaster and York House in Morecambe as from 11th July

Monday

Advice and Guidance all day at The Helm 10.00am to 4.00pm

Leisure Activity The Helm

1.30pm till 4.00pm

Sport and Leisure activities, different each week

for example cycling and swimming. Suggestions welcome.

Tuesday

Art for Relaxation  11.00am till 12.30pm then 1.30pm to 3.30pm

A good opportunity to unleash creative talent through any medium you like, including painting, crafts or mixed media. We are working towards an exhibition displaying at

The Dukes Theatre for World Mental Health Day. We are also working towards other small projects for other local services.

Local Photography/Walk 2.00pm to 3.30pm

Local walks taking photographs of places of interest with a small group combined with light exercise and a drink in a café.  Bring your own camera if you have one!

Wednesday

Creative Writing and Poetry at York House in Morecambe  - 1.00pm to 3.00pm

All aspects of writing covered, from poetry and verse to short stories and beyond.  Photography and other mediums to stimulate the creative senses.  Trips to the library and around the town to elicit creative ideas.

Thursday

IT Support / Board Games 11.00am till 12.30am

Computer support available as well an opportunity to work through some basic computing skills through My Guide (Recognized Nationwide Computing Programme)

Service User Meeting 2.00pm till 2.30pm

A chance to come along and be involved in decisions made as to the running of the service and present ideas as to future progressions.  Also an opportunity to be up to date on current plans on the weekly schedule!

Quiz—2.30pm till 3.30pm

The weekly quiz always stirs a lot of excitement at The Helm.  Teams compete for the prize which is a free snack and drink from the café for each of the winning teams.

Friday

Baking Class 2.00pm till 3.00pm

Gentle cooking session baking pies or cakes and also making homemade lemonades and soft drinks to eat here or to take home.

Gentle Exercise Class 2.00pm till 3.30pm

Some gentle stretching exercises along to music to ease tension, keep fit and aid relaxation.  Also an opportunity to enjoy yourself and have fun.

Confidence and Relaxation at York House in Morecambe 1.00pm till 3.00pm

Ways to look at your skills and experiences and how to use them to have more options and make better choices.  Discussions that involve the group in offering ways to deal with everyday situations.  Simple but effective solutions to gaining confidence and raise your self esteem.

Please note all sessions are at The Helm in Lancaster apart from the two sessions in Morecambe at York House in Morecambe on wednesday and friday.

Contact Details

Creative Support
The Helm,
1st Floor,
Telephone House,
Lancaster LA1 1AB

thehelm.lancaster@creativesupport.org.uk

The Helm              01524 840521
Head Office          01612360829

Photography Sessions running from The Helm on Tuesdays at 2pm



 Artwork in the Storey Gallery





Tying a bit of knotwork at The Maritime Museum

 

An old fishing boat in the Maritime Museum



Old staircase in the Cottage Museum

  



Photographs taken on tuesday afternoons during our Photography/Walking sessions.

These are increasingly popular and we walk to local landmarks when weather is changeable otherwise go out into the countryside around Lancaster.

Market Stall to promote The Helm in Lancaster

On Wednesday 29th June we had a promotional stall in Lancaster Market. This included examples of the service and sessions that run at The Helm including a display on art, a mini exhibition of a service user's work, an example menu and craft items by people that were made for our recent craft fair.
It was a fruitful event and lots of members of the public came and talked to us as we were located just outside the library, it was a glorious day and a great opportunity to build awareness about what our service we can offer.
As a result of this we have had a number of new introductions into The Helm and have built some new links with other services and also people coming forward offering volunteering in different areas of expertise.
Many service users were present during the day to talk to passers by about the benefits of the service and how it has helped them. We are holding another stall in The Arndale Shopping Centre in Morecambe to promote there also and another in Asda later in the month.




 

IT Support Sessions

The IT sessions are aimed at helping those service users who have little or no experience of using computers and the internet and enabling them to gain more experience and confidence.
To do this we use a programme called MyGuide which is a learner guide.
It teaches user the basics of using a computer, how to search the internet, paying bills online and how to use social networking sites, also to qualify for a basic computing qualification. It follows a simple easy to read format that has audio options for those who struggle to read a screen. We also have various aids to enable service users who have dyslexia to use the computers. These include screen overlays and a magnifying tool to enlarge text on web pages.
The people who are currently enrolled on the programme have alll said they find it easy to use, simple to follow and they feel more confident in using the computer

These are run every Thursday morning from 11am. Feel free to drop by!