The Grove Centre Social club is a club for people who have had or are experiencing mental health problems; held on Thursday evenings 7pm – 9pm at the Grove Centre House Jews Walk SE26. The club is run by VCC trained volunteers and managed by the VCC coordinator.The club is supported by SLAM NHS Trust who provides mental health awareness training and a professional worker to facilitate the monthly volunteers support group meetings. The trust has supported the club for many years as they recognise and value the need for a social environment that enables service user to get involved in decision making and to practice and develop social and practical skills.
Capital Volunteering
Capital Volunteering is a London programme which aims to tackle issues of mental health and social inclusion, through volunteering. The programme is funded by the Treasury, through its Invest to Save Budget (ISB).Capital Volunteering principles and values:
- Valuing service users as people who have skills, knowledge, and time to contribute to their local communities
- Building projects and activities around service users’ interests and passions
- Championing and investing in projects for black and minority ethnic service users, and for refugees and asylum seekers
- Working with local partners to transform vocational services and support
Identifying the Need for the Clubs Development
Members and volunteers at the club are able to feedback on club issues and developments at the quarterly members meetings and the monthly volunteer support sessions as well as through the VCC coordinator. In a recent review of the club both members and volunteers expressed that they had benefited socially and in personal development from the club.However, both groups felt that they and the club would benefit from increased membership and a more ethnic and cultural diversity. Members also requested an increase in club activities, including the number of food nights and additional outside games and competitions.
Grove Centre Social Club Capital Volunteering Project
Using the club feedback the VCC successfully sought one year’s funding from Capital Volunteering to employ a part-time worker (Loraine Johnson) to facilitate the clubs development.Loraine has experience as a volunteer at the club and is currently studying to be a social worker; her hobbies and interest are watching documentaries, wildlife & comedy programmes, reading, outdoor activities, socialising and cooking.
Loraine says “I enjoy working with people and gain a lot of satisfaction out of successfully supporting people as I recognise the importance of self-belief to our well-being. I enjoy and am good at networking; I am a strong advocate for the club because I have seen how valuable it is to the members & volunteers”
Loraine’s challenge is to facilitate the development of service user volunteering, to increasing club membership and volunteering opportunities for excluded ethnic minority groups and individuals. Loraine will also enable the expansion and improvement of club activities by sourcing training for both new and existing volunteers in practical tasks such as first-aid and food hygiene and public speaking.
Project Activities
- Research and develop a signposting file and database to enable the club members to access information in the supportive environment of the club.
- Develop new publicity materials to promoting the club to increase membership and to raise awareness of the supported volunteering opportunities.
- Work with other voluntary and statutory groups to reach BME excluded individuals or groups enabling them to access the club and the volunteering opportunities.
- Recruit and support a least six new volunteers to the club within the year; of which 3 of the new volunteers will be service user volunteers and an equal amount will be from BME excluded groups.
- Develop a schedule of promotional talks to supported homes within the area and with the assistance of user volunteers deliver the talks promoting the social club and supported volunteering opportunities.
- Source relevant training for all volunteers and to ensure volunteers are trained appropriately to enable the expansion of activities within the club.
The project also aims to strengthen links and raise awareness of the project with SLAM mental health trust, Minddlift and Mind (Greenwich) and APCMH (Association for Pastoral care in Mental Health) and to develop links with other groups as identified through the project research for the file and database.If you would like further information about the Grove Centre Social Club or would like to be supported to volunteer at the club or to help with promotional talks contact Loraine on a Monday of Friday on 0208 291 1747 or e-mail loraine@voluntarycarecentre.co.uk