Autumn Update

Back in November we issued our latest newsletter to all of our subscribed supporters. For those that may have missed it, here is a summary of its contents:

Volunteer Plus

During our Annual Celebration we had some great feedback from one of our Volunteer Plus participants who shared his experience of being on the programme and how it has ‘changed his life’. From volunteering in our workshop - which reignited his passion for mosaic art! - to the many interactions with other volunteers and staff making him feel welcome and part of a community, it is fair to say that Changing Lives has had a significant impact. Access to a mentor to guide him with practical goals, and counselling to enable him to safely process his past have also proved beneficial - and his is just one story of many who have engaged in our Volunteer Plus programme.

We are also a few weeks into the third running of our 18-week Life Skills course. We run it for those wanting to break cycles, increase their self-awareness and learn new skills for life such as self-care, healthy thinking and effective communication to name just a few of the topics we cover.

Andrew House

We are pleased to announce another creative achievement from the residents of Andrew House: ‘Addicted to Words’ - a collection of writing, which is now available to buy online and in our shops.

We are extremely grateful to our volunteer June for leading the creative writing sessions, Clevedon Community Bookshop for funding the book and That Copy Shop for bringing it into print.

Aside from their creative writing, the residents of Andrew House have further been embracing their creative sides thanks to the time and enthusiasm of our volunteers, Steve and Sandy. These art sessions (pictured below) have proved incredibly popular, providing the guys with another expressive outlet, whilst showcasing an amazing range of talent!

What’s more, through the relationship that our gifted artist/driver, Rich, has developed with some of the residents when they have been volunteering on the delivery/collection vans, he has also got involved and some exciting ideas are being discussed, so watch this space…

Retail News

This year, we’ve been thinking of different ways to promote the Charity in the run-up to Christmas. While our shops are full of high-quality, preloved Christmas stock (be quick as it is selling fast!) I thought to myself ‘What can we do differently?’

My starting point was the incredible mural that Rich (who is a seriously talented artist, as Jess alluded to above), was asked to create for us. The original of this mural currently hangs in the recreational room at Andrew House. So we asked Rich to give his mural a slightly more festive feel and - boom! - our very first Christmas card. The art work itself represents the journey that Changing Lives is all about - from helping people when they are broken to rising up to see their potential. And if you’re very familiar with the Charity you may even spot some of our team in the artwork.