We asked Collaborative members and those who work alongside for their highlights and/or how did they get through 2021 and what are their resolutions for 2022.
Anna-Marie Amato, Curator, SHARP Gallery
I am looking forward to widening the scope of the SHARP gallery and strengthening the community we already have in 2022. Welcoming artists, art enthusiasts and anyone and everyone who can benefit from art in their lives. http://sharp-gallery.webflow.io/
Sarah Corlett, Chair, Healthwatch Lambeth
Healthwatch Lambeth along with the rest of the voluntary sector has had another challenging year but we were very encouraged to be able to resume some of our face to face engagement work until the appearance of Omicron, which has been a real disappointment. We are improving our online working but it can never take the place of meeting people in person so this is what we shall hope for. Trustees and staff also really want to complete and launch a new strategy in 2022 that focuses especially on listening to the voices of people in poverty.
Personally I see (from last year’s post) I was aiming to improve my trombone playing sufficiently to join a band and I’m glad to say that in March 2021 I passed my Grade 3 and in September I joined ‘Big Band for Beginners’ at Morley College, which has been a blast, so in 2022 it has to be Grade 4 and definitely more band playing
Alice Dias, CEO, Carers’ Hub Lambeth
As 2021 draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to thank our trustees, our team and our partners for the work they do to support our carers and families. I also want to say a massive thank you to all our carers (young and adult) for everything that they do for their loved ones and our communities. This year has once again been challenging and it is now more important than ever to give carers a voice and ensure that they feel listened to, valued and looked after.
In 2022 we’ll continue to work hard to support Lambeth carers and ensure that carers are everybody’s business.
Julie El-Bahrawy, CEO, Southside Rehabilitation Association Ltd (SRA)
After a tough 2020, we all had high hopes for 2021 and on the whole it has been a good year here at SRA. All the people we support have stayed well and returned after each lockdown with wonderful enthusiasm. We have made great progress in engaging people in digital skills, learning smartphones, computers and navigating the internet. Looking ahead to 2022 we are hoping to build on these skills and incorporate more focus on physical health through a new project which encourages people to have a healthy diet as well as being more active. We will continue to welcome all those who come through our doors and strive to offer the best service and support to all.
Lee Elliott, Employment, Information & Training Coordinator, Mosaic Clubhouse
For me, the last year has demonstrated the resilience and determination of our community at Mosaic Clubhouse in staying open as much as possible and supporting our members as directly as possible. It’s been fantastic to also welcome back into our building our community partners and to see the energy with which our members have supported each other through initiatives such as our digital inclusion project. Whatever 2022 holds, I look forward to seeing our community address all its challenges with the same resilience and creativity.
Ursula Joy, Chief Exec, Ldn Dares Drama Co.
What have Ldn Dares Drama Co. been up to I hear you ask! Well…. let’s see… errr there’s blogs, blogs.., blooogs… adapting to an online course rollout (Oooooh), and more BLOGS! Blog writing has pretty much summed up our year – as those of you who are signed up to our quarterly newsletter or who follow us on our social channels will have noted. We haven’t stopped! We’ve covered everything from men’s mental health; to global body image; to the impact of arts on mental health; to how to feel good over the festive period, to the healing powers of nature; to how to make drama spaces accessible to all; and much, much more.
As a result we are all suffering from very achey writing-handitis. So to rest our wrists we’ve decided what better new year’s resolution than to reach out & invite guests to blog about topics meaningful to them that are linked to body confidence and wellness.
It’s good to talk, share, spread learning, and our communities are stronger together. Sooo – do you fancy it? 🙂 Drop the team a message at: team@ldndares.com
Strength & daring NY magic…
Caspar Kennerdale, CEO, ClearCommunityWeb CIC
For us at ClearCommunityWeb 2021 has really been a year of creating and establishing partnerships across the borough to be able to help some of the most vulnerable residents access critical services and social connections digitally during lockdown.
We now look forward to building and extending these partnerships in 2022 and provide pathways to bridging what has become known as the digital divide.
Matthew McKenzie, Author & Chair of Lambeth and Southwark Mental Health Carers Forum
2021 to me was the year of continuing to connect with others, especially isolated carers. I finished my book ‘Experiencing mental health caregiving’, which highlights caring experiences. I can only hope people can learn from carer identification. It was helpful that online platforms were used for engagement on Lambeth health and social care proposals, but not every carer can get access to online platforms.
Looking forward to 2022 will be tricky since the pandemic is still with us, but I am confident the Lambeth community can see this through.
David Monk, Chair, Lambeth Living Well Collaborative
Talk a little less, Listen a lot more, and make time to daydream!
Sabrina Phillips, Alliance Director, Lambeth Living Well Network Alliance
Firstly I want to thank all alliance staff for their hard work over what has been for all a challenging year. Thank you for your dedication which has ensured we have kept services open.
For 2022 I would like us to celebrate what we have accomplished as an Alliance, and commit to making changes that will add value to the people of Lambeth and improve the access experience and outcomes for disadvantaged communities especially those from racialised communities.
Cameron Russell, Head of Service, Adult Social Care Mental Health, Lambeth
It’s been a challenging year but I am very proud of our social care staff, each of who has challenged themselves in order to continue to provide Lambeth residents with a mental health social care service we can be proud of. In terms of resolutions we’ll continue to provide our service and further embed our flexible working, which for us now includes a combination of working at the Civic Centre, at the various Alliance offices, and at home. We’ll do so now and going forward in such a way that with Covid or without we’re still providing services to those in need. We want to try and further reduce time spent in hospitals as well as care homes as well as we are aware people are best served in less intrusive environments as much as is possible. Happy New Year to Everyone!
Alastair Smith-Agbaje, Chief Executive, Lambeth & Southwark Mind
2021 was a challenging year for Lambeth and Southwark Mind. Very impressed with the positivity, creativity and resilience demonstrated by staff, trustees and volunteers to ensure we provide an optimum service to all residents. We moved to new premises last year, which enabled us to provide an increased service provision. 2022, our aim will be to continue to grow, and provide sustainable services and increase our provision to more residents within Lambeth and Southwark.
Margherita Sweetlove, Public Health Specialist – Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lambeth Public Health, Adults and Health
2020 and 2021 have been difficult years for everyone. In 2022 we will continue working with the community to support people to find ways to maintain good mental health and to ensure everyone knows what support is available when needed. We’re also going to work with communities and partners to fight mental health stigma and normalise talking about mental health.
On a personal level, I would like to go for runs and practice yoga more regularly and possibly find the time to play the flute again (if I remember how!).
Sarah Tayleur, Senior Innovation & Evaluation Coordinator, Fullfilling Lives LSL (Lambeth Southwark Lewisham)
Looking back over the past year, I am really proud of what we have achieved at Fulfilling Lives LSL despite the ongoing COVID-related challenges. As we go into the final stages of the programme, I am excited to deliver on our programme of events, including about informed approaches and supporting women experiencing multiple disadvantage – watch this space!
Sadly I was not able to do a marathon in 2021 because of ongoing knee and ankle issues… hopefully I will get there one day! Faced with such uncertainty, it feels difficult to make concrete resolutions about 2022, but I am hopeful I will finally be able to go abroad on a holiday that keeps getting put off for obvious reasons!
Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive, Thames Reach
Another tough year in which I’ve been even more impressed by people’s resilience and resourcefulness. The environment has meant that we have spent a lot of time and energy responding to new ways of working and new problems.
In 2022, I’d like to see us making time to think about how we can do more around prevention and early intervention, and how we can get to grips with some of the structural problems we face in staffing services.
Ronnie Wilson MBE, Chief Executive, First Step Trust
As with everyone else 2021was a difficult time but it did give us the chance to think hard about what we do and how we can improve things going forward. We spent a long time with the people who come to our project and social enterprises discussing how we could make learning more accessible to those who struggle most with written exams and formal tests / interviews. This work has been going on for quite a while now e.g. please see our concept video from 2019 https://youtu.be/GuQxkiRN5LY
2021 gave us the space to deep dive into the development of a Virtual Reality training programme enabling our workforce and service users from elsewhere to find new ways of learning and consolidation their skills and knowledge.
For 2022 our aim is to expand the range of VR ad other technologies to create new opportunities for our own workforce and that of other Collaborative partners.
Charlie Wright, Counsellor and former Solidarity in a Crisis peer supporter
2021 has been a strange one (similar to 2020 just a bit more optimistic). Setting up and going live with my website to offer a mental health service and private practice counselling. Having limited face to face contact with friends and family hasn’t been easy.
2022 is already making me feel overwhelmed with excitement as I look forward to starting a counselling job in a school. I endeavour to study teaching English as a Second Language course (just in case) and keep being creative at an amazing Atelier studio. And to top it all salsa lessons in Brixton! Did I mention Everest Base Camp in October? Well I just did !
Most important is to foster and develop relationships that are good for me, and stay away from ones that aren’t.