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ISSUE 4

February 2020

Hello from the Northampton Team

Community events

Fishing Activities

Sue Galloway is a Level 2 Angling Coach registered with the Angling

Trust to deliver fishing activities for children, young people and

adults of all abilities in Northamptonshire, including the short summer

breaks activities at Castle Ashby Fisheries. Sue works with other an-

gling coaches and volunteers and has been facilitating fishing ac-

tivities since 2008. This year the fishing calendar has nine events

which will be run at Beckets Park, Northampton, Meadow Lakes,

Rothersthorpe and various sections of the Grand Union Canal in

Northamptonshire.

Fishing activities are tailored for individual needs and the benefits of

fishing are;

• Learning new skills such as casting a rod, baiting, identifying

fish, catching and unhooking fish

• Being patient

• Meeting new people, making new friends and engaging in

conversation

• Enjoying the angling environment

• Taking part in a match

• Obtaining the Angling Trust’s Cast Awards, Starter, Level 1 and

Level 2

For further information on fishing activities and costs, contact Sue

on 07840 005276 or email suziesheriff@hotmail.co.uk

We have a training department up in

Nottingham who run a variety of training

courses and workshops such as Autism and

Mental Health, Autism in Women and Girls,

Autism Training for Practitioners and Autism

Awareness Training. If anyone would like

any training, either personal or corporate,

please let us know.

Best wishes,

Lesley and Zoe

Hi Everyone, and welcome to the February

newsletter. We’re starting to get busy

planning events for the rest of the year—the

office diary is filling up! If you know of any

events where you think a speaker on ASD or

an awareness stand would be useful, please

get in touch.

We’re starting to plan activities for Autism

Awareness Week in the office, which is 30th

March to 5th April this year. We’ll let you

know more about what we’re planning in

next month’s newsletter.

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BBO Project

This month we have;

Arranged training for a participant in Wellingborough.

He would like to become self employed as a

personal trainer but is currently very anxious about being

outside his home. He researched courses that he could

do, and found a Level 2 Personal Trainer course that can

be completed online with written work and video

evidence submitted, along with observations from a

qualified personal trainer. He feels able to complete this, and so we have purchased the training and he

is enthusiastic and can’t wait to get started. “I finally have something to look forward to.”

We have also supported a participant from Towcester at his

first couple of voluntary work sessions at Northamptonshire

Archives, where they have 800 years of Northamptonshire’s

history, people and places, all under one roof.

The participant is helping to catalogue the old photos from

the Chronicle and Echo newspaper archives, and is

responsible for identifying photos, labelling the archive folders

and adding a description of the photo contents to an Excel

database which will become a searchable resource when

complete enabling visitors to the website or the archive itself

to find photos of interest.

We currently have 17 BBO participants spread all across the

county, and are doing a wide range of things with and for

them such as;

wellbeing chats and organising counselling for those who

are quite a way from being ready for

employment

creating CVs, working on interview techniques and assist-

ing with applying for jobs for those who are ready to work

Funding training for those that lack the necessary skills,

confidence or qualifications to work in their desired field

Securing voluntary positions for those that wish to have a

bit more experience of a working environment before

applying for paid employment

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Children and Young People’s Service

Tuesday Youth Club—Northampton

We were straight back into youth clubs on Tuesday 7th January. This was

held at AHoF in Abington Park from 4.15pm – 6.15pm (new time)

feedback from the young people attending was that it was a good time

because they came home from school and straight back out once

dressed, they didn’t feel rushed (although their parents did say the oppo-

site!)

A walk to the local supermarket express shop was needed for snack and

drinks and then back to the youth club, with lots of talking about

Christmas.

Youth Clubs

Saturday Youth Club—Towcester

Because Towcester Youth Coffee House was being

renovated, it wasn’t quite ready for us to use on Saturday

so instead Youth Club went Bowling and Irchester Country

Park. It was a very cold day but we braved the weather and

had lunch outside.

This is a picture of downstairs, there are large

sofas to sit on, smaller chairs and kitchen ar-

ea. Through the door is a smaller room. Up-

stairs is where the pool table, table tennis

and activity tables are set out.

Towcester will be ready for us to use by

Saturday……...I have been told there is now

art work on the walls.

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Children and Young People’s Service cont...

Youth Clubs

Saturday Youth Club—Raunds

We ran our first youth club in Raunds and what a lovely venue

and town and we found the best park!

The train track was out, Lego, cars and colouring but we also

wanted to explore, so after lunch we went to find some parks.

We went to two parks and the second was fantastic, with equip-

ment we (the staff) have never been on before.

Raunds has some fantastic shops and cafes that we will be able

to visit with small groups throughout the year.

Sunday Youth Club—Nether Heyford

We had a busy day on Sunday with a few visitors and new families visiting, along

with some role play, building and baking.

February Half Term

Monday 17th February—Nether Heyford

Tuesday 18th February—Nether Heyford

Wednesday 19th February—Elgar Centre,

Upton, Northampton

Get in contact if you would like to book a

space or book a visit, there are still some

spaces left.

Trips

February—West Lodge Farm

Other trips are: Thorpe Park, Conkers, Twin

Lakes, Whipsnade, Legoland and many more

All young people attending a trip must already

attend a Youth Club or Holiday Club

Get in contact to find out more……………...

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Family Hubs

The hubs are free to attend, and are drop-ins so you can come along at any point during the session and

stay for as long as you like.

As well as the usual toys and games, there were a variety of activities

for the children at each hub in January such as;

Creating a bird feeder from seeds and lard which were then

pressed into the gaps in a pinecone. Some of the children en-

joyed getting messy, and some not so much but there were

wipes on the table for cleaning hands afterwards! There were

two levels of bird spotting sheets to take away with the bird

feeder, depending on the age and ability of the child too.

Bird themed crafts and colouring, with bird masks, feathers

and stickers

The children could also make snacks in

the shape of caterpillars or snails, to fit

with the nature theme

It’s the aim of the hubs to be friendly, relaxed, fun events for the whole family to access. There’s an

opportunity to pick up information about other SEN/ASD friendly services in the local area, or have a chat

with a staff member if information, advice or guidance is needed.

The next hubs running are;

Leicester (Thorpe Astley Community Centre, LE3 3RU) – 10am-1pm, February 15th, March 21st and April 18th

Northampton (Kingsthorpe Baptist Church, NN2 6QF) – 4-7pm, March 2nd and April 6th

Loughborough (Gorse Covert Community Centre, LE11 4RZ) – 4-7pm, March 10th and April 14th

“Having fun making” Child “Helpful, supportive advice workers.”

Parent

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE OFFICE

www.autismeastmidlands.org.uk

35 Burlington House, 369 Wellingborough Road,

Northampton, NN1 4EU

Telephone: 01604 239404

Email: Northampton@autismeastmidlands.org.uk

Autism East Midlands is a registered charity, number 517954 and a com-

pany limited by guarantee.

Registered in England number 2053860. Registered Office: Unit 31 Crags

Industrial Estate, Morven Street, Creswell. Worksop. S80 4AJ,

Our Vision

“A world which recognises, understands and values

people with autism, and where they, and their

families, receive the services and support they need

throughout their lives”

Our Mission

To advocate, provide and develop high-quality

services, information and support, in partnership with

others, for all those whose lives are affected by autism.

To recognise and respond to the needs of the

individual, enabling people with autism to live their

lives with dignity, choice and independence.

TEAM NEWS

DATES FOR THE DIARY:

COMMUNITY EVENTS YOUR FEEDBACK

In January we have attended:

Young Carers 'Mental Health'

Wellbeing Information Event and the

Autism Champions Meeting

The Children’s Flexible Support Team

attended training

in January.

Monday 2nd March - Northampton Family Hub

Tuesday 3rd March - Evening Youth Club—Northampton

Tuesday 10th March - Loughborough Family Hub

Saturday 14th March - Youth Club—Towcester

Saturday 21st March - Leicester Family Hub

Saturday 28th March - Youth Club—Raunds

Sunday 29th March - Youth Club—Nether Heyford

I’ve had the best

day ever

YP at Raunds YC

ITV Anglia came to video a piece on Autism in

Women and Girls,

this was shown on

Anglia West

“I loved doing the snacks. I

loved playing with friends.”

Child