Author: Fran Arnold

Throughout Covid-19, we have put together and sent out activity packs to all our service users and volunteers. This July, we sent out the final one.

Together with our activity schedule and latest newsletter, we also sent activities to do at home, information about getting your Covid vaccine and staying Covid safe as restrictions lift. Included was a letter looking back over the time that we have been sending these packs. The text of that letter is below:

We want to say a very heartfelt thank you to all of you for your involvement with Darnall Well Being, particularly through the last 18 months, which have been a challenging time in so many ways. We are proud of the positive steps you have taken to try and stay connected and safely manage your health and wellbeing, when many of the healthy things we were used to doing, had to change. Darnall Well Being could not have adapted so well without the feedback from yourselves about what was difficult and what could help you through. We are proud to serve this community.

We have all had different journeys through this time, but hopefully we are beginning to come out the other side. It is important to be kind to ourselves and others as we gradually adapt to the new ‘normal’. We were glad to be able to provide activity packs in lockdown and to hear how you had enjoyed them. Please enjoy this final activity pack over the Summer. As our activities are starting up again, we will be focusing our efforts on these and supporting you to continue your journey with us, attending our activities and using the one to one support we provide.

The activity programme has been adapted to make it as safe and welcoming as possible – some activities are in person (particularly outdoor ones) and others are via Zoom (online) or over the phone. Thank you for your support, and your kindness to each other. We look forward to working with you in the months (and years) to come.

If you would like to download the activities from this or any of our previous activity packs, you can find them all on our Activity Packs page.

Yvonne, Jo and Saada from the DWB team were excited to attend the official launch of Beat The Street Sheffield recently.

The launch took place at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park on 19th May 2021. The city-wide physical activity game was launched at an event attended by organisers, local dignitaries, council representatives and Oasis Academy Don Valley.

Beat the Street gets underway from 16th June to 28th July 2021 and challenges schools, workplaces and community groups to clock up as many active travel miles as possible during the six week-game. Beat the Street is open to anyone of any age and ability – children and adults alike.  More than 450 beeping and flashing sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ will be placed on lampposts around the area for the duration of the game. 

Players simply tap one of these Beat Boxes with their special card to start their journey. Walk, cycle, run, scoot, wheel or roll to the next one on the map within an hour to score 10 points. The further players go and the more Beat Boxes they tap, the more points they will score.

Darnall Well Being will have a number of Beat The Street cards to give out to our service users and volunteers, so that they can join with our staff in scoring points for Darnall Well Being!

Over the course of the six-week competition, the teams that clock up the highest number of points will win vouchers for sports equipment or books, and there are ‘lucky tap’ prizes given out to individuals during the game. There are also leaderboards for the highest number of average points, meaning that teams of all sizes are in with a chance of winning prizes.

Beat the Street was developed by Dr William Bird, a GP who wanted to get people active and to get communities walking together.  Since it was developed in 2010, more than a million people have played the game across 103 towns and cities across the UK and internationally. Beat the Street Sheffield is brought to you by Move More and Sheffield City Council. It is delivered by Intelligent Health, with funding from the National Lottery and Sport England, and local partners.

For more information about the forthcoming Beat the Street game, visit www.beatthestreet.me/sheffield or follow @BTSSheffield on social media for more information.

Two updates about our Dementia support

Twiddlemuff Donation

On Saturday 22nd May 2021 Jo-Anne van Levesley, one of our Senior Health and Wellbeing Workers, visited Lilian Beasley to do a doorstep collection  – outside, distanced, and Covid safe!

After knocking on the door, and retiring to the gate,  Jo was greeted with a fabulous donation of fifteen knitted, embroidered and decorated Twiddlemuffs. Each one is unique, and tenderly prepared as a gift and donation to  support  clients and carers with Dementia. These will be used in our sessions, Cafes and allotment work, as we are preparing to  reopen and venture out to meet face to face, once Lockdown is lifted.

Thanks abound to Lilian Beasley, from a branch of Sheffield MU –  who has worked so hard creating these for us.

They have been a real help and a project that has been ongoing for me through times of isolating, and not being able to get out and about in the time of lockdown. I have missed my groups and church,  and am looking forward to getting out and connecting with family and friends again very soon

Lillian Beasley, on making the Twiddlemuffs

New Dementia Activity Packs

Jo has been busy putting together yet another amazing activity pack for our Dementia clients and their carers. These will be delivered through their doors, giving them plenty to keep them busy and amused whilst at home.

Great opportunities to join a new walking football group – in Darnall on Thursdays for men and women, and at Goodwin Sports Centre for women only.

If you’d like to give it a try, contact info@communitywellnessservices.co.uk or 0114 5537 807.

Darnall Well Being is the Lead Body for the People Keeping Well (PKW) initiative for Darnall, Tinsley, Acres Hill and Handsworth.

We are pleased to announce that applications for Community Activities (A) and Dementia Activity (B) Small Grants are invited from local groups for activities in the local areas listed above.

Community Activity (A)

This funding can be applied for to support the following:-

• Build the capacity of local groups to either improve their delivery or reach
• Help provide some new equipment or resources.
• Address a gap in provision in the area
• Support groups that are encouraging people to connect and move more.
• Applications may include requests for funding to make groups Covid safe or to purchase equipment to run group activities remotely

Dementia Activity (B)

This funding can be applied for to support the following:-

• Reviewing existing Dementia Activity
• Make a Group activity Dementia Friendly
• Provide a Dementia Activity
• Provide equipment to assist with Dementia Activity (this funding is for groups and applications regarding individuals are not allowed)
• Applications may include requests for funding to make groups Covid safe or to purchase equipment to run group activities remotely

Terms

• Projects MUST be for the benefit of residents within:
  • Darnall, Tinsley, Acres Hill and Handsworth
• The fund is for groups only (not individuals).
• Must have own bank account
• One Application per organisation
• Funding awarded needs to be spent in full and evidence provided with a Report and Receipts by the dates indicated for each fund. 

Applying:

• Complete the following form and return it to enquiries@darnallwellbeing.org.uk

by 12 noon Friday 21st May 2021.

Timescales:

• Closing Date for Applications: 12 noon Friday 21st May 2021.
• Organisations will be notified of the outcome by w/c 7th June
• The Dementia Activities (b) grant to be spent by 6th December 2021 and monitoring submitted by noon 13^th December.
• Community Activities (a) grant to be spent by 28th February 2022 and monitoring submitted noon Friday 12^th March 2022.

Any Questions?

• If you’d like to have a talk about your idea before you apply, or want any advice then please get in touch via email enquiries@darnallwellbeing.org.uk leaving your phone number or ring 0114 249 6315 and someone from the Team will call you back.

Our AGM took place online on 22nd February 2021, covering the period 1st April 2019 – 31st March 2020.

It was a simpler meeting than our normal celebrations, keeping to the main business required, namely appointments and our annual report for the above period, consisting of a report of the Chair of DWB, report of the Project Manager (Maternity Cover) of DWB and presentation of the 2019-2020 Accounts.

We also took the opportunity to record thanks to Jean Pickering, who has stood down as a trustee after a number of years. Other trustees talked about how much they had enjoyed working with Jean, describing her as “consistently engaged and supportive” and “an absolute stalwart” – descriptions which were met with plenty of agreement from others on the call. Although no longer a trustee, Jean remains an active volunteer for DWB and is looking forward to getting back to helping to run our health walks as soon as it is safe to do so!

This AGM was quieter than our usual large meetings, but we hope to celebrate our 21st year in Darnall later in 2021 with a much bigger event – watch this space!

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic person for the post of Move More Development Worker. Would you like the opportunity to help address health inequalities and improve lives at a local level? Are you passionate about working with communities by leading on group activities that improve the health and wellbeing of people?

The post holder will:

• Deliver a range of activities that may include one-to-one work and leading on group activities that improve the health and wellbeing of people living in the area served.

• Key in championing user involvement and engaging and supporting volunteers to build skills and confidence within the locality.

• Work closely with health professionals, service providers, local community, voluntary and faith organisations to enable clients to achieve improved and sustainable physical and mental health and wellbeing.

• Work to enable Darnall Well Being to quickly redesign its physical activity offer, within its pre-existing People Keeping Well, Community Wellbeing Programme, to engage and meet the needs of adults across the Darnall and Tinsley areas of Sheffield.

The successful candidate will work in the Darnall, Tinsley and Acres Hill areas of Sheffield (S9).

We are looking for someone who enjoys a challenge, well organised and able to act on their own initiative. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an exceptional team and an organisation with good standing both locally and citywide.

For more information, please see the job description and contact details below:

To make an informal enquiry or to request an application pack, please contact:

Yvonne Witter or Natalie Duffy on 0114 249 6315 or email admin@darnallwellbeing.org.uk

Closing date: midnight on Monday, 1^st March 2021

Applications to be received via email – admin@darnallwellbeing.org.uk

Darnall Well Being is holding its Annual General Meeting on Monday 22^nd February 2021, 10-11:30am.

We will be reporting on  the activity  that took place between April 2019 and the end of March 2020. 

Unfortunately we will not be holding our usual festivities due to the current Covid restrictions. We will be following the usual business format of an AGM.  We hope to do a celebration when restrictions allow. 

If you would like to join us, please contact us on dwb.enquiries@darnallwellbeing.org.uk and we will send you the Zoom details.