Contents Getting the right balance Page 2 Charity concert Page 3 Healthwatch Page 4 Mind Body and Soul Page 6 New Opportunities Page 7 GO! Page 8 12 Days of Christmas Page 9 Crisis and Employability Page 13 Real options Page 16 Women’s Space Page 17 Torbay update Page 19 Volunteering Opportunities Page 21

John Hamblin Chief Executive Shekinah

As we move to longer days and hopefully warmer weather, it’s always good to reflect on what we have achieved over the winter months. For all of us involved in both delivering and receiving services at Shekinah, this Christmas was absolutely fantastic and memorable. As many of you will know, it was the first time we have launched into the unknown with our new Christmas campaign. To say I was humbled by the public’s response would be an understatement and has certainly given us lots of ideas for next year’s campaign. For me personally it was reassuring to see members of the public, many of whom had never heard about Shekinah, offering support. Whether it was food, money, volunteering time or presents, we were all overwhelmed that so many people wanted to help. Whilst there were many golden moments, one that sticks in my mind was a 16 year old girl who came to Bath Street to speak to us. She had just finished her first week’s work and had received her first week’s wages. She had read about the work of Shekinah in the paper and wanted to donate some of her wages to our Christmas campaign. It is moments like this that show me that there are lots of people out there willing to support us, all we need to do is let them know how and what difference their donation will make. As we move forward this year, we also have lots of other challenges and plans for 2016. We have identified that our Drop in Centre in Bath Street is in desperate need of a makeover. So over the coming months we are exploring whether we can undertake a “DIY SOS” type event where local individuals and businesses may be willing to help us achieve our upgrade. If anyone reading this would like to be involved, please feel free to contact us to discuss. As with all Charities, it’s a very difficult time for us all with the continued reduction in funding against a back drop of ever increasing demand on services. Rest assured whatever happens; Shekinah will strive to continue to deliver high quality services to some of society’s most vulnerable adults, who without us, would have very little hope. John Hamblin

Getting the right balance Re:balance - more than an exercise class! “You going Pilates?” is an often heard question amongst us lot in Recovery. It’s our short name for Laura Crewes’, twice weekly, Re:balance class held at Shekinah’s Bath Street premises in Plymouth. Re:balance is a blend of power stretching, core stability, Pilates and relaxation. We are a down-to earth lot who say yes, to tone and exercise our bodies along to excellent music, which makes us feel great and relaxed. But also we go for the community and structure that it provides. No matter what is going on in our lives, regular as clockwork, there is always Re:balance at half past three on Mondays and Fridays, for ‘an hour of loveliness’, as Laura quips! Somehow, for a mere 50p each session, she manages to provide classes that are inclusive and open to everyone, regardless of what shape we’re in, while still challenging her ‘seasoned participants’. You do what you can as long as you’re pushing yourself. I have been attending regularly for a year now and am now far more at home in my body, which I maintain looked like ‘an egg on matchsticks’ on coming out of residential treatment. Yes, we look ridiculous with our bottoms sticking out doing ‘downward dogs’ and our feet in our ‘bits’ doing ‘the pigeon’, but it makes us laugh and regain the often shattered confidence in our bodies. I’ve made many friends and connections through this class. We care for each other. So come and give it a try; start loving and respecting your body and start to feel comfortable in your own skin. ‘To keep our body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear’ Anna King

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Come and join us for an exciting evening of entertainment provided by The Plymouth Area Police Choir with Stonehouse Music School at Salvation Army, Congress Hall, Plymouth

Friday 18th March 7.30pm Tickets available from Shekinah £6 (£5 concessions): Phone Pat Andrews on 01752 203480 or email [email protected] Everyone welcome; come and support your local charity!

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Interesting Findings from a year of Research.. In association with Healthwatch Plymouth, Shekinah held a series of events over the last year and consulted with over 200 people to gather their views and experiences of health and social care services. The strong theme that has emerged from the various consultations is the need for more integration of services; increasing easier access to services, particularly mental health. Inadequate mental health services are the largest theme. Over 70% of the demographic described themselves as having issues with mental health, yet long waiting lists, frequent staff changes and not being deemed as being at risk in order to receive services were resounding themes. ‘I had a CPN but I was taken off the case list as I am unreliable’, is a particularly troubling statement, as the nature of mental health is ‘unreliability’! Better access to Mental Health Services It has been suggested that there seems to be a lack of willingness amongst statutory organisations to take other professionals working in Consistency of Staff – Relationship Building

other sectors seriously, despite many highly skilled and professional people working in these organisations. Perhaps there is a ‘spend to save’ argument for funding being directed to these projects which would then leave Mental Health services to deal with the more acute cases? It appears that service users seem to prefer opting out of an unwieldy and unwelcoming mental health service to engage with agencies who are more willing to be flexible and are generally not time constrained; ‘I get support from Hamoaze and Shekinah; gave up on mental health services.’ ‘I get left on my own when I am feeling ‘well’ but that’s when it all goes wrong again. If I had the support during the better times, I might not have so many times in crisis.’ Co-location of Services ‘We need more integrated services; have a number of professionals under the one roof.’ The Cumberland Centre is notable in its willingness to work towards this model. The ‘hub model’ used at Shekinah’s Drop-in Centre in Bath Street, has a number of agencies on site including GP, healthcare professionals, counsellors, housing support and drug and alcohol support, as well as Coach/support workers; this model serves to reduce those in crisis getting bounced around and lost in the system at a critical point. ‘Reduce boundaries and give a quicker and more effective service.’

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Whilst some health and social care staff were mentioned as caring and helpful, sadly this seemed the exception rather than the rule. A picture emerged of an impersonal system. Throughout the consultation, participants mentioned being misunderstood and not listened to by staff. Some people related this to lack of time and funding cuts, but the better services were highlighted when people received a compassionate and person-centred service. ‘Not listened to – no patience with me.’ Time and Flexibility ‘Need more flexibility with services.’ There seems to be a view that ‘Both health and social care services are too big and impersonal; one glove fits all.’ It seems that the sheer size of the NHS and statutory Social Care systems means that in order for the organisations to function anywhere near efficiency, there necessarily has to be processes, systems and measurable targets and outcomes in order for there not be a descent into chaos. Sadly the commodity being worked with is unique and flexible thus ‘one glove does not fit all’! ‘The current system does not work with individuals – need to support individual needs and have time to do this.’

Using expertise and services of local charities to support care plans Despite little or no direct health funding going into these organisations, it seems that many of the participants viewed the charities as plugging the gaps left by other services. This was certainly evident during the Christmas period at Shekinah, where several high risk service users were being supported whilst other agencies were low on staff. ‘It’s the charities who fill the gaps.’ ‘More money should go into prevention, rather than dealing with the consequences - healthy living programmes etc.’ ‘Some of NHS and Social Care funding should go to the charities who do a lot of this work.’ ‘Shekinah offers free professional counselling, no waiting list; Michelle is excellent!’ Over the years Shekinah has come to recognise that in order to support people moving forward in their lives then it is vital that opportunities are given for people to improve both mental and physical health and wellbeing. Listening to people discussing their experiences with local health and social care provision has been fascinating particularly as, it seems, small creative changes could make a big impact on those who need these services the most

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Mind, Body Soul at Shekinah There is emerging scientific evidence suggesting the importance of attending to our physical, emotional and spiritual health in order to feel balanced and content in life. At Shekinah we passionately believe this and thus have many programmes that support people in resolving negative thought patterns, as well as offering a selection of weekly sessions which attend to people’s physical health and wellbeing. We have a brand new revamped Re:fit programme which is now being run by an expert in fitness and nutrition. Participants have the opportunity to explore and address negative lifestyles and unhealthy eating patterns, as well as take part in a variety of fun sporting activities. Re:mind is a brand new weekly session which is a calm blend of mindfulness, deep breathing, gentle stretching and relaxation. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven as an effective remedy for depression and anxiety; it can help people let go of negative thoughts instead of obsessing over them. Training people to experience the present, rather than reviewing the past or contemplating the future, may help keep the mind out of a depressive or anxious loop. Re:active + is a supportive weight management programme. This is a small weekly group for those who feel overwhelmed by their issues around excess weight. The sessions offer support, motivation, practical

tips and a safe space to explore some of the underlying issues. Re:balance is a blend of Pilates, stretching and core stability. It gives people an opportunity to retrain and re-energise their bodies through using body weight resistance, core stability, standing strength exercises and power stretching. A fast and fun session with some awesome tunes! If you would like to rebalance your life, come along and see what is on offer..

New Opportunities Even though I’ve only been working at Shekinah for a few months, it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to support clients in exploring new employment pathways and opportunities. One such person is ‘Brian’. After a head injury he required a short stay in hospital, Brian returned home to discover all his possessions dumped on the pavement outside his rented accommodation. He was referred to a local hostel which then referred him on to Shekinah. B had a background in hospitality, but was looking for a new way forward. When an opportunity to volunteer with Shekinah’s social enterprise building and maintenance team came up, Brian embraced the challenge with commitment and enthusiasm. Always hard working and dependable, it was easy to recommend Brian when a local engineering firm offered a four week work experience placement. The feedback from the factory manager on Brian as an employee has been fantastic. Hardworking, reliable and with good timekeeping, Brian has learned a range of new skills and gained experience and confidence in a completely new area of work. Unfortunately it’s a quiet period for the factory, but the manager was so impressed with Brian that he has offered to contact the employment agency they work with directly and recommend Brian for any similar work. He also requested an updated CV to keep on file should he need any additional staff. What next for Brian? Well, the employability team will be capitalising on his new skills and experience, increased confidence and excellent reference, to support him in applying for a wide range of engineering and construction jobs with a view to sustained employment, as well as looking for further opportunities for professional development (including studying for his CSCS card right here at Shekinah). Louise Sharland

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The award winning Employability team at Shekinah have got together with the training team to offer an exciting new accredited employability programme for those who are looking for more confidence and motivation before taking the plunge into employment! The programme aims to offer a safe place to prepare and inspire people to begin that move forward. It is an opportunity to explore fear, self-sabotage and reasons for personal lack of motivation. Themes include personal presentation, effective communication, improving self-belief, choosing daily attitude and making plans to move forward and succeed. The facilitators of Go! will include local business partners, motivational trainers and coaches as well as experts in recruitment. Go! runs for 6 weeks, one day per week, and Shekinah’s employability team will offer additional support throughout the programme as well as on-going support to each participant in their continuing journey into full employment. Some participants may have an opportunity to undertake a 4 week work trial with one of Shekinah’s local business partners

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12 Days of Christmas So Christmas was a resounding success. The plan was to put some fun back and festive cheer into the lives of people that have such little of this. No easy task but with a lot of guidance from the big man upstairs(aka John Hamblin) as well as amazing help from friends, family, neighbours, schools, churches, businesses, recovered people, churches and just good folk we were blessed and had so much fun. Both Mike and Helen Pearce left just before our 12 days of Christmas campaign started. They had worked for Shekinah for many years and will be sorely missed. Mike was a gentle man who taught us all how to love people and help them to deal with crisis in their lives. We wish him all the best in his retirement.

Helen Pearce being presented with her flowers by John Hamblin

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Helen who started working in the drop-in many years ago, became our fundraiser and in the last 12 months, before leaving, she was able to raise awareness in Plymouth and we thank her so much for all her hard work. I can honestly say that since Harvest the donations have not stopped. From car loads of food and toiletries to winter clothes and Christmas presents. One Saturday I accepted cash donations from people just popping in to the centre wanting to help anonymously because they had seen the good work we were doing in the Herald. We are blessed and say a big thank you to everyone that was able to and does help people that are less fortunate and have complex needs. This just didn’t stop with donations; people from all walks of life offered themselves to help in many ways. In early December, we had staff and Managers from local Tesco’s branches who donated Christmas Trees, decorations, food and started the festivities off by helping to make the centre look great; they cooked and served up food for everyone. It was a resounding success and set us all up for the rest of the season. Students, professionals, retired people and people in recovery called me right up to the New Year asking to get involved and help, and this hasn’t really stopped.

The Tesco team with Councillor Chaz Singh and some staff at the Drop-in Centre

Virginia, cook at the Dropin centre, with her daughter

We had a local chef from a restaurant on the Barbican who cooked some beautiful turkeys and local businesspeople who served up a Festive lunch. Christmas eve we had food cooked and donated by Heaven Restaurant. There were Christmas Carols with a lovely man donating his time with a piano and music. Volunteers helped out, regulars and new ones, throughout the 12 days of Christmas. This continued and there was a local Band that came New Year’s Eve and our annual New Year’s Day swim. A fundraiser taking part in the New Year’s swim at Wembury

My favourite was when we had a whole bunch of choristers singing acapella in a room full of people that I know have got difficult lives. As I looked around, teary eyed, I felt so grateful for our lives and for all of the people in the room; it was beautiful. So 2016, and now March 2016, has come so quickly. The fun has continued but so has the therapeutic groups that were started last year. We have a new member of staff, Andy Mitchell, who is learning the ropes and settling in nicely. His warmth, experience and willingness to learn is helpful to us all. We also have Ria Knight who is shared between the drop-in centre and Training teams. She has tidied up some processes as well as organising the office and me in particular! Welcome to you both. The Women’s Space, Men’s Group, Art/Craft Session, Cooking groups, Re:balance and Re:mind sessions are becoming an integral part of the centre. Their popularity is growing and we are looking to start a quiz session as well as a weekly session for over 50s. The lack of activities

and somewhere safe to go for those that are lonely and depressed is a particular problem that we are trying to resolve within our new solution-focussed and recovery approach. All staff have now had training in this approach and an ongoing focus to staff supervision and support for all staff, with weekly team meetings and regular supervision is a valuable part of the week. The Saturday Brunch has become a very busy few hours and at this point I would like to give a massive thank you to a bunch of amazing professional volunteers who have been great. Without naming names, Simon, Craig, Caroline, Sam, Vicky, Diane, Anne, Aine and all the Kitchen volunteers. So what’s next?, More therapeutic groups, Age UK, physical changes in the drop-in centre, more fundraising, continuing to work in partnership plus the thing I said right at the start – Let’s bring some fun into a world that can be unkind and painful. It’s a lot easier to move forward then, not just at Christmas. Nabs Mirza – Team Leader

Nabs Mirza, Team leader, with Laura Fraser-Crewes, Head of Operations on Christmas morning. PAGE 12

Following a successful end of year for the employability team, we are delighted that the early indications are that 2016 is going to be just as exciting! Following our annual Christmas Lunch that is supported by Plymouth’s most socially responsible businesses, the Employability Team has recruited 2 new business supporters offering work placements and employment opportunities. Additionally, Re:work has supported 105 candidates into employment in Torbay over the last 3 years! What have we achieved in the last 6 months? 

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Welcomed the start of a positive partnership with Crisis, national homeless charity. The official launch in November was supported by Plymouth City Council, Livewell Southwest and Torbay NHS. Consistently delivered a quality employability service to people who have experienced homelessness. The employability team have started some outreach work at various agencies across Plymouth including Job Centre Plus. Used Shekinah’s Painting & Maintenance Enterprise to engage with 15 clients to help develop practical maintenance skills aswell as team building and personal development skills Had our most successful annual Christmas lunch (ever!) supported by local businesses! Engaged with 6 new business supporters. Our painting & maintenance social enterprise is growing and we are successfully working with Plymouth City Council, car parks and private landlords in securing a more sustainable future for the enterprise.

Our candidate took this job knowing that the pay was much lower than in his previous work: “My ego does not touch me anymore, because at the end I know for sure that I have got everything I was wishing to have in life already here. I was blessed to be born with some skills, but for other people it is a lot harder than it was for me. And it is my duty to support anyone, just like other people did for me in the first place.” A member of HR quoted “he is such a lovely person and brings energy and fun to the job; please recommend any more people like him to us” (Torbay NHS).

“Doing things like this makes you so aware of just what is going on in the city and the plight some people find themselves in. To help Shekinah is the best Christmas present ever!” Mike Turner, Founder of the 6 o’clock club ‘Helped me to realise my potential’ JT (female) ‘Ushered me into full-time employment after 3 years of unemployment’, DD (male) ‘Very insightful, good advice, experience, training’, DD (male) ‘Offered to help, being understanding and not judgemental’, JE (male) ‘Being able to do different courses has been a god send; gave me confidence. Met new people and had opportunities to try new things; brilliant’, AS (female) ‘Having mental support, someone to talk to, eased all pressures’, AS (female) ‘Felt like an equal – support, self-confidence, motivation and a feeling of worth’, AK (male)

‘I’ve seen some dramatic changes in my life. Last year I was reunited with my son, something I would have never thought possible.’

Being a part of the Shekinah/Crisis UK partnership has been a hugely exciting and rewarding experience. For readers who aren’t aware, my post of Work and Learning Coach at Shekinah is funded for a three-year term by Crisis UK. The post is not just about providing 1:1 employment support for clients however; it’s also about sharing good practice. Crisis are particularly interested in our 75% employment rate and our innovative approach to supporting clients into sustained employment. This includes our building maintenance social enterprise, in which Shekinah members take part in a range of building maintenance and painting and decorating opportunities for clients such as Plymouth City Council. It’s a great feeling to be able to share our successful innovations which a large charity such as Crisis. We may be a small team but we pack a punch!

Louise Sharland

Nathan Gardner from Shekinah with Becky Saxton from PATH and Alice Ashworth from Crisis PAGE 15

REAL OPTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME. Hello, my name is Michael. I am sitting in the Drop-in centre with a coffee, writing my testimony. My life has been very dysfunctional due to the lack of integration as a child and exclusion from mainstream society as an adult. I have consequently spent most of my time floating around the scenes at the fringes of society. These are the places I learned my social skills. It was nice, mostly being at so many parties but everyone else had a life to live in between partying. I have always wanted a life of my own! Over the years I have used drink and drugs to manage my anxieties and frustrations but I have been clean for a few years now. I have been in Plymouth for about a decade and I have made and maintained friendships with people from all walks of life but have been unable to make a life for myself. I was really struggling to cope when I started using the Drop-in centre, having spent the last two years trying to get an official diagnosis (I am on the Autistic Spectrum – not a disability but a differability!) I started spending more and more time at the centre, the staff are lovely and it is great to see everyone who walks through the door treated equally. It was nice to make new friends, I really enjoy lunch times there, it is nice to come together for food and chats. I started spending more time there and joining in with some of the group activities (which did me a lot of good). I normally find Christmas a really hard time of year but it was nice to enjoy a Shekinah Christmas last year. I am currently cleaning the offices at number 24 as a volunteer, my first real work experience ever! This has shown me that with understanding and acceptance, I am just as capable as anyone else. I have also started seeing a counsellor at shekinah, I am not sure what shape the life shekinah is helping me make for myself will take, but I am feeling like I have real options for the first time! For now, I am just going to enjoy being the office cleaner. Thank you shekinah.

Michael with members of the Drop-in centre team

Michael with Linda at Union Street Charity Shop

Women’s Space @ Shekinah; Not just a knitting circle! We ladies in Recovery - a minority group - have long felt the need for a women-only group. When Shekinah, alongside Trevi House and The Eddystone Trust, met this need and launched Women’s Space in the autumn last year we were really excited: finally we had a space to call our own. There’s something magical about a group of women without blokes around we speak freely, laugh loudly and relax totally. The vibe is warm and friendly. We find when we’re engaged in an activity, our hands are occupied and our talk is uninhibited. Not to mention there is coffee and cakes galore; always a bonus!

We have complete ownership over our group and have been involved in the planning throughout. Some of the groups are facilitated by us clients ourselves or by the welcoming, encouraging, positive Shekinah staff, and specialist female staff come in to lead sessions at other times. Some of the groups we’ve had so far are: card making, clothes swapping, nail painting, creative writing and cake decorating. But before you form a stereotype in your mind, it’s not all ‘girlie stuff’- we’re going to have a DIY session, a selfdefence class and a ‘Women Got Talent’ day. We plan to have some focussed discussions too; subjects we’re passionate about. Sometimes we just sit and catch up, sharing our successes, worries and supporting each other. We’ve even had a trip out to see heart-throb Tom Hardy at the cinema, which caused a stir as you can imagine! PAGE 17

If you are a woman in recovery, on Probation or you feel isolated, alone or marginalised in any way, then you qualify. You make friends, get new connections, find new Facebook pals, form ideas and make plans together. You may have a particular skill or hobby that you’d like to share. New ladies come all the time and there is a friendly core of us who attend religiously. It’s our weekly therapy. Come along! Bring others! It’s at Shekinah, Bath Street on Tuesdays at 2.30pm. Anna King For more information; 01752 220330 or [email protected]

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Update from Torbay The Rapid Relief Team visited our Leonard Stocks Centre on the 11th February. They provided a breakfast for the residents and rough sleepers in Torbay. They attended with a team of volunteers and everyone had a fantastic afternoon. Thank you to the team.

We would also like to mention our continued gratitude to friends of factory row for supporting our residents and rough sleepers through the new drop in service. The new service runs from 8.30am to 10.30am daily at Leonard Stocks Centre. Currently Leonard Stocks Centre is in a process of change and we are implementing lots of things that residents have asked for, from photography to art classes, therapeutic classes, group work and also more football and pool sessions keeping the residents happy and healthy is our main priority Danny Crowley PAGE 19

Endeavour House As the new trainer / coach at Endeavour House I have been spending some time looking into the best courses and activities for us to run in Torquay. We have already established a craft group on a Wednesday afternoon between 1-3pm where we have made scented candles, tea light holders (out of drinks cans) and button canvases, we also have many more ideas of what we can make moving forwards. It is a very exciting time for us as we have many more ideas and plans that we would like to develop. I have been lucky enough to spend some time in the Plymouth office with their trainers who have given me some great ideas to roll out into Torquay. We are working closely with the other Torquay projects, Leonard Stocks hostel and Growing for Life in order to maximise what we can offer to people coming into Shekinah. I hope that over the coming months we will begin to see Endeavour House grow and offer the kind of support to people that shekinah Plymouth is already doing. In the meantime I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and also the staff of Shekinah for making me so welcome.

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The ‘bike Force’ Project The bike project, called ‘Bike Force’ has been running at Endeavour House since last summer. It is run to benefit Military Veterans who have substance misuse and mental health issues and their families. It takes bicycles which have been recovered by the Police or local authority, repairs and refurbishes them and send them back out into the local community at a modest cost. They are available for sale to anyone as an inexpensive alternative to public transport and pretty good way to get some exercise and maybe enjoy a bit more of the scenic treasures of our beautiful part of the world. It is also a relatively inexpensive way to teach the kids the rules of the road and help them to develop a bit of road sense; which is always a good thing. The project is managed by Paul and David, of In The Same Boat CIC, from the workshop at the back of Endeavour House. We currently have two volunteers working on the project but we are always looking for extra hands. There are a number of other projects that are running in the workshop; woodworking/carving, arts and various crafts, a creative writing group is currently running and there are also plans for a video based Oral History project. David Woodhead, Director In The Same Boat CIC. [email protected] 07933272809

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VOLUNTEERING If you would like to support Shekinah by volunteering your time, there may be a position that will interest you. We have a variety of volunteering opportunities available and they are all listed on our website. Volunteer forms are available at our Bath Street Drop-In Centre reception or on line on our website. FUNDRAISING There are many ways in which you can help us to raise vital funds for our many projects. There is a pack on our website with a wealth of ideas or you can ask for one to be emailed to you. Simply contact us at Shekinah for a pack. EVENTS Shekinah have been incredibly lucky with many organisations organising events for us to raise money. Perhaps you could organise an event? We will help to promote it on our website and where possible attend to support you. DONATION For those of you who would like to make a donation to Shekinah please use the donation slip within this newsletter, alternatively you can give on line via our website. CORPORATE SUPPORT We are constantly looking for support so perhaps your company or employer may consider supporting our work. Perhaps you would consider making us your charity of the year, some companies organise dress down days to raise funds for us. We are also keen to hear of any company that can support our cause with services. WEBSITE There is a wealth of information on our website about our work and our projects, please do take a moment to have a look. For all Fundraising and Volunteering enquiries contact Shekinah on 01752-203480 PAGE 22

Would you like a guest speaker? We are very keen to promote the work of Shekinah and inform our many supporters of the on-going development of our projects. Whether it is the Drop-in Centre, the Training Centre at ‘24’, Shekinah Pathways (Probation/Shekinah Teams), Employability Programme, Social Enterprise Scheme, Charity Shop, or any other aspect of our work – find out more! Ring 01752-220330 and book a speaker now!

Training news from Shekinah Plymouth New Year 2016 RESULT! @24 - weekly drop-in A safe and friendly place to find out about jobs, courses and benefits. Help is given with planning long and short term goals. CVs, letters, job search & applications, health & safety certs, training, signing up to our courses, voluntary/ work placements and Benefits’ advice. Free tea/coffee and all welcome. Every Friday 12.30pm – 3.30pm

Re:construct Basic practical Construction programme, delivered on and off-site; offering live classroom experiences. Gain meaningful skills and get help to move positively forward in your life. AptEd accredited. 2 days in the workshop, 1 day CSCS & 1 day on-site. 3 flexible days a week; Monday to Wednesday for up to 10 weeks + 1 Friday taster day beforehand:

CSCS – Health & Safety Awareness in a Construction Environment Every person wishing to work on a construction site has to have their site-safety CSCS card. This now comes in two parts; an online test at Pearson Professional Centre, Princess Court in Plymouth and the Health & Safety Awareness Module. Shekinah are offering the module as well as preparation towards the on-line test. Fee: £50; please discuss with Shekinah staff.

Re:fit – Exciting New Revamp with New Tutor! A fun, informal and practical accredited programme for anyone wanting to move forward in their lives. Healthy Living and physical activity; supporting people in addressing negative lifestyle choices. The programme blends a variety of fun sports, healthy eating and emotional wellbeing as a step towards positive progression in all life areas. Wednesdays for 7 weeks 9.30am – 3pm

Re:balance - twice weekly A blend of Power Pilates, Stretching, Core Stability and Relaxation for all fitness levels and abilities. Retrain your body to give benefits in every area of your life. Energise yourself, sculpt your body and still your mind. Every Monday at Shekinah, Bath Street at 3.30pm. Every Friday at Bath Street 3.30pm. 50p per session.

Re:mind - weekly- NEW A gentle blend of stretching, relaxation, breathing & mindfulness. Every Wednesday 4.00-5.00pm NB. Shekinah, Bath Street. 50p per session.

Re:vive A safe place to sort out the painful things in your life that hold you back! Personal development programme for those wanting to look at their self-esteem and confidence, relationships, anger, as well as explore the roots of negative behaviours. A chance to begin resolving past issues and make plans for the future in a safe and informal environment. Run by fully trained counsellors. AptEd accredited. Monday & Tuesday for 6 weeks

Stress and Anger – 2 day workshop Learners will become aware of the effect their anger may have on them and other people and be shown practical ways to appropriately deal with it.

Relationships – 2 day workshop The quality of your life is closely tied to the quality of your closest relationships. Understand why we behave in certain ways, and often move from one destructive relationship to the next. Find out how to have a healthy relationship and improve the quality of your life.

Recovery - 2 day workshop For those people who are in, or considering, recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. Offers motivation as well as practical tools and steps to remain strong in both mind and body. An opportunity to identify and explore a variety of potential support networks and methods.

Anxiety & Depression - 2 day workshop For those wanting to take practical action in putting in strategies to manage depression and anxiety. This workshop will help people to understand the roots of their behaviours but importantly will give people the power to make positive choices for themselves.

IT – from Scratch! Don’t feel ‘left behind’! IT is now part of everyday life – Benefits’ claims and job search rely on people being IT savvy. Get to know the basics, or improve your skills; come along! Fridays – 10-12 in the morning – please phone for details

Re:active+ Weight Management Support Informal support exploring the link between weight, healthy living and emotional wellbeing. Lots of nutritional advice, guidance, support; includes a fitness session. Fridays – 10am – please phone for details

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GO! This exciting programme aims to be a safe place to prepare and inspire people to begin moving forward and remove personal barriers to employment. It provides an opportunity to explore fear, self-sabotage and reasons for personal lack of motivation. The programme benefits from the support and engagement of local employers. The skilled team can undertake individual support and facilitate meaningful unpaid work trials with full support throughout. If you feel that you are work ready, we would like to give you extra help to find a job. If you are interested please contact Louise on 01752 223185

Women’s Space Weekly safe space for women to come and ‘hang out’ with other women. There is often an activity, agreed by the group, but alongside there is conversation, tea, cake and laughter. Informal support with various networks available. Every Tuesday from 2.30pm – 4.30pm at Shekinah, Bath Street Phone Nabs on 01752 220330 or [email protected] at 24 Stonehouse Street for more details Pop along to Friday afternoon’s Result! @24 to find out more and sign up

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SHEKINAH Charity Number 1097409 Company Registered in England: 4687832

CONTACTS Re-solve Training (Torbay & Plymouth) 24 Stonehouse Street Plymouth PL1 3PE 01752 220330

Fundraising & Volunteering 24 Stonehouse Street Plymouth PL1 3PE 01752 220330

Leonard Stocks Centre Factory Row Torquay TQ2 5QQ 01803 217890

Employability Team (Torbay & Plymouth) 24 Stonehouse Street Plymouth PL1 3PE 01752 223185

Drop-in Centre Bath Street Plymouth PL1 3LT 01752 203480

Growing for Life Preston Down Road Paignton TQ3 1RN 07833 051819 07702 388915

Re-Store Charity Shop 142 Union Street Plymouth PL1 3HL 01752 203486

Shekinah Trading Ltd Bath Street Plymouth PL1 3LT 01752 601993

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