Tag: success stories

We’re back with another Options’ Tea Party!

On the 28th of June this year (2024) we will be holding our yearly Tea Party. ‘…dynamic and inclusive communities.’ forms a large part of Our Vision as a non-profit organisation.

Every year, besides the pandemic of course, we have celebrated being part of the community in our little neck of the woods of Liverpool’s City Centre.

The community has changed in recent years through urban development from a largely business area, to a community that now includes a much higher proportion of residential homes. Even with these changes we continue to improve and develop each year with the same aim.

This year, we’re bigger and better with contributions from Greenbank Sports Academy, Baytree Cooking Academy and a few of our very own homegrown crafters.

Our aim is to engage with those working and living in our local area and gives us the opportunity to show who we are, what we do and perhaps more importantly, how the people we support lead us in making this great event happen.

Thanks to Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady & Saint Nicholas we host our Vintage Tea Party in St Nicholas’ Gardens. Not only does this provide us with a beautiful space in which to ‘work our magic’, but also ensures that we get to meet lots of different people who may happen to pass by. Many are delightfully surprised when they happen upon our community event and always go away a little happier.

Take a look at just some of the great photos taken from past events and come back soon for some of this year’s exciting snapshots.

We would like to thank Rob Flynn & Dave Balchin for their excellent photographic contributions and would also like to thank all our volunteers and those helping out on the day.

June 23, 2023
Get Moving!

“Physical activity is not only good for the body but it’s also great for the mind!”

Being active releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good – boosting your self-esteem and helping you concentrate, as well as sleep and feel better. Not bad for something many of us can do for free!

This means you don’t have to take out an expensive gym membership or run a marathon, but finding an activity you enjoy can give you a goal to aim for and provide a sense of purpose. It can be a great way to meet people and gain self-confidence if you find an organised group who also enjoy the same activity as you or you can go solo and take a break from daily life. Do what suits you!

Here, Peter shares with us how running has helped him cope with his Mental Health issues.

However, for some of us it can be hard to be active, perhaps because we have a mental or physical disability or health condition. Exercising with a disability can be frustrating if you’re not able to do the type of activity you want or are used to be able to do, but it’s important to work with your body.

Take a look at how Yoga sessions with Happy Times has helped Krista manage her own stress levels.

The NHS also has advice about getting active if you have a disability or health condition, with tips on building activity into your day and finding accessible activities and classes. Exercise – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

We have recently started collaborating with The Inclusive Hub to promote good health and well-being through fitness. The Inclusive Hub is a great place for everyone to try a get fit at their own pace and ability. See for yourself. CLICK HERE.

Want to know more about Happy Times and other support they may provide? CLICK HERE

May 11, 2023
Sliding into the future.

At Options, we believe that everyone should have new and enriching life experiences. We also recognise that one of the barriers the people we support experience, is not knowing what’s out there when it comes to trying new and enriching life experiences. For this reason, we increased the aspirational focus of everything we do and have set up an Aspirations Fund for the people we support.

Our Aspirations Fund is a pot of money set aside to enable the people we support to achieve something important to them and to help provide a range of different sessions and workshops which focus on trying new things.

Skiing is an amazing winter sport that attracts people from all walks of life. It’s a thrilling and enjoyable activity that offers a sense of adventure, excitement, and joy. However, for individuals with learning disabilities, skiing can be a daunting and challenging task.

With proper instruction and support, people with learning disabilities can enjoy skiing just like anyone else. In fact, skiing can be an excellent activity, as it offers various benefits, including improved physical health, increased self-esteem, and enhanced social skills.

One of the best ways to learn how to ski is through adaptive ski programs, which offer specialized instruction like visual cues, verbal prompts, and physical support as well as equipment designed to meet the unique needs of people with disabilities, such as specialized skis, bindings, outriggers, and sit-skis.

We have in the past held one-off ‘taster sessions’ for skiing, and it’s been popular with the people we support. We were asked by people we support, in the monthly forum we call Voices R Us, if it was possible to try skiing again. So that’s exactly what we did, and the outcomes were fantastic.

From the people who had been before, becoming more able and confident, to people coming to try it for the very first time, our Aspirations Fund enabled seven people we support to go along to the Chill Factore in Manchester for 8 weeks of skiing sessions.

The sessions were led by the team from Disability Snowsports UK who specialize in adaptive Snowsports for people with disabilities. Rory and Sam (Pictured) had never tried skiing before, but they were quick to get into the swing of it, thanks to the tailored support of Disability Snowsports’ instructors.

In the longer term our aspiration is to enable more skiing lessons to happen before heading away on a skiing holiday in 2024! We will of course keep you updated about all of our skiing adventures when they happen.

We want to say a huge thank you to Disability Snowsports and the Chill Factore for the best support and coaching and we also want to say a big well done to the people we support for getting out there and giving it a go!

April 11, 2023
We go “Down The Rabbit Hole” with Anita

Recently, Clara and Christine from our Community Team travelled to Bromborough to meet up with Anita after she told them she had a new job.

We entered Down the Rabbit Hole to see a riot of colour and an eclectic mix of gifts and artwork on sale. First things first, we get our personal tour of the shop from Anita. After grabbing our seats, coffee in hand, we asked Anita if she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about her work at Down the Rabbit Hole and if she had any advice for other people thinking about volunteering.

Anita takes a minute to pose for us while at work.

So, Anita thank you for meeting up with us to talk about your new role. Can you tell us a bit about Down the Rabbit Hole?

Down the Rabbit Hole is a gift shop. It’s quite unusual and quirky and it has lots of unique gifts and second-hand clothes, bags and shoes. It’s part of Phab Club which is a place where people can go and get involved in lots of different activities. There’s lots of Phab Clubs up and down the country, but I go to two different clubs on the Wirral.

On a Wednesday night I go to one in Pensby. Some of the activities we do there include taekwondo, Zumba, quizzes and we have a news corner where members say what they have done throughout the week. They also have another community hub in New Ferry which has a furniture shop a second-hand clothes shop and a food shop. I go here to do my drumming lessons on a Tuesday from 1:30 to 2:30pm. I have been going to Phab Club for quite a long time now and I have met lots of great people here.

It sounds like a great place to get involved with. How did you find out about the shop and when did you start volunteering here?

I was on holiday with Phab Club in Bendrigg and while I was there, I spoke to Lorna who works for Phab Club. She told me about the shop, and I told her that I had been thinking about volunteering and had some availability during the week if she wanted me to come down and help in the shop.

After I came back off the holiday, I started volunteering there the following Monday. It’s now been about 3 months since I started and I’m loving it.

Have you learnt any new skills since you started in your job?

I’ve learnt lots of new things since I started. I’ve been learning how to make lattes, and something called Bubble Tea which uses cold tea with extra flavours like strawberry and cherry.

It seems like you’ve learnt lots in such a short space of time. What are some of your other jobs?

There’s a bit of general cleaning duties like washing up and making sure the shop stays lovely and clean. I’ve also been trying to build up my skills using the electronic till. I’m still trying to get the hang of it, but I’m going to keep practicing.

I also serve the drinks and cakes that we have in the shop and there is a seating area at the back where people can sit, and I can bring over their orders.

What advice would you give to someone else who is thinking of volunteering or getting a paid job?

Go for it! It gets you out there, meeting new people and learning new skills.

Down the Rabbit Hole is a community focused non-profit shop selling unique and wonderful gifts for all occasions. Located on Bromborough Village Road in the Wirral.

“We would encourage anyone to go take a look as we came away with some great gift ideas.”

(Clara Preston & Christine Bithell)

November 14, 2022
Dennis’ Volunteering Advice

Dennis talks about his volunteering journey and his advice for anyone thinking about getting a voluntary job.

Dennis at Inspire Community Cafe.

At Options, our vision for the future is ‘a better world where people with disabilities contribute as unique and valued members of dynamic and inclusive communities’. In line with our vision, we believe that people with learning disabilities should have the same chance to contribute to their communities through voluntary or paid employment as everybody else.

Recently, our Inclusion Coordinator Clara met up with Dennis (who is supported by Options) to hear all about his volunteering journey. Clara sat down with Dennis at the Inspire Community Cafe in Wallasey – where Dennis volunteers – for a cup of tea and chat. Here’s what Clara asked Dennis:

When did you start volunteering?

I was one of the first volunteers to work at the Inspire Community Cafe, and have been here for around 4 years.

What does your role involve?

The first thing I do at the beginning of a shift is to make sure the kitchen is well-ventilated. I then make sure the cafe is clean and the washing up is done. At the end of the day, I help to wash the coffee machine to make sure it’s ready for the next day. I also help to look after a vegetable patch outside of the cafe.

During lockdown, me and my colleagues made up hundreds of meals for the local community, for people who needed them the most. This made me feel really proud, giving back to my community is very important to me.

How did you find out about the cafe and the voluntary job?

I think I heard about the cafe through one of my support staff, and then visited to see what I thought. After having a lot of different jobs in the past, I had a lot of experience and understood what would be expected of me in my voluntary role. I fitted right in and love working at the cafe!

What skills have you gained from volunteering at the cafe?

Volunteering has improved my confidence and my independence. I really enjoy chatting with regular and new customers. Some people really appreciate having a good conversation with me, because they don’t get to see a lot of people outside of the cafe. I have great relationships with the other people who work at the cafe.

What advice would you give somebody who’s thinking about getting a voluntary job?

My advice to people is to just get out there and try lots of different things until you figure out what you enjoy. Another top tip is to always go and see what a place is like before deciding if you want to volunteer there.

Dennis contributes to the cafe and his local community in many ways and is a valued member of the Inspire team. We want to say a huge thank you to Dennis for taking the time to sit down with us. We hope this story inspires others and shows how contributing to our communities can create an enormous sense of well-being – both for ourselves and for others around us!

December 20, 2021