Advocacy In Wirral
Hands Up For The APEx 60k Challenge!
AiW's Advocating Physical Exercise (APEx) group has firmed up its plans for a special Challenge that will be kicked off when the Olympic Torch reaches Wirral on 1 June 2012.
AiW's Chief Executive Chris Shaw will be carrying the Torch on part of the route, so APEx have come up with the challenge as a unique way to celebrate his involvement.
The 60k Challenge involves completing all the flat running races in the Olympics - actually 60.195 kilometres, including the 100 metres right up to a marathon.
But the good thing is, you've got 100 days to do the challenge, which runs down to 9 September when the Paralympic Games officially closes. That means you only need to complete an average of less than 600 metres a day - a trip round the block for most people.
And APEx are organising lots of new activities to tempt you to take part in the Challenge - more details will be appearing on the APEx pages here, on the APEx Facebook Page and on the 60k Challenge website.
So, hands up if you want to take part in this fun challenge!
Carrying The Torch For The WirralAnyone who knows Chris Shaw, Advocacy in Wirral's Chief Executive, knows he has a passion for the Wirral – as well as for keeping fit!
For more information on this great news click on these links:
Investing for the FutureAdvocacy in Wirral this week learned it has been awarded Investors in People status, after a successful assessment of the organisation in January 2012.
His view was confirmed by the IIP assessor, Janine Mulvaney, who described the staff and volunteers at AiW as “A positive, motivated and enthusiastic workforce who are passionate about the work they do and focussed on meeting the needs of service users.” She went on to say “There is a strong sense of team spirit and people work together striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients.” Janine also commended the way AiW develops its staff and volunteers: “People accessing the services of AiW are encouraged to take on volunteer roles and are supported, developed and encouraged to take on paid roles." The benefits of this showed through by creating "a diverse workforce with staff who have first hand experience of the services offered and allows employees to have empathy and understanding of their service users.” |
Wirral MP Praises AiW's Approach to JobsEsther McVey, MP for Wirral West, made a visit to Advocacy in Wirral's Woodside offices this morning (13 February 2011) for an update on how services are developing.
Both Esther (left) and Maria (right) were keen to learn more about Advocacy in Wirral’s uniquely successful model for helping people experiencing mental ill health, alcohol or substance misuse issues get back into work. AiW has a successful track record of enabling people back into work through volunteering and peer support. Esther McVey said she was hugely impressed by the work of the organisation, and recognised the important role AiW was playing in helping people recover and move into employment, and said she hoped the Work Programme providers on the Wirral would connect with us - something Maria Miller had also emphasised during her visit.
The opportunity was also taken to showcase the work of The Quays project, jointly supported by Wirral Drug & Alcohol Action Team and Advocacy in Wirral, which in a matter of months was also having similar successes. First Aid First For AiWChris Shaw, AiW's Chief Executive has collected a prestigious new award from Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA), the body which aims to improve mental health literacy throughout the country.
If you are interested in organising MHFA training in the Wirral, please contact Tony Lawrence on 0151 650 1530 to discuss further. |
47 year old Chris has lived in Wallasey since 1970 and moved to Egremont Promenade in 1997. His passion for sport embraces walking, swimming, running and cycling. Last year, he completed his third Cross-Mersey swim, raising hundreds of pounds for his charity, Advocacy in Wirral.
Chris Shaw, Chief Executive of AiW, said: “This is great news – it confirms something we have always known about the special way we develop people here at Advocacy in Wirral. It’s not unusual for our clients to become volunteers and then to become paid members of staff – a tremendous personal journey for them, and it makes us a much more person-centred organisation!”
Her visit came just a week after a flying visit to AiW by her ministerial colleague, Maria Miller MP, Minister for the Disabled in the Department of Work & Pensions.
Staff and volunteers from across a wide range of projects were able to explain how their own recovery had been enhanced by AiW, as they had made the journey from service user to volunteer and then to paid employment and even management – something which was underlined by our recent achievement of Investors in People status.
“Over the last year, the overwhelming majority of our staff and volunteers have undertaken the two-day training course in Mental Health First Aid,” said Chris. “As a charity working to help people with mental health conditions, it is vitally important that everyone has a basic knowledge and understanding of common mental health conditions and how they can help people. Our aspiration is that every new and existing member of staff should receive this training.”