“May 2022 Parent / Carer Newsletter”

There is so much going on at Spectrum and here is a snapshot of some of the main events.

Queen’s Silver Jubilee – Party and Closure Dates

On Wednesday 1^st June both Centres will be holding a Jubilee Event for service users. We have been making bunting and displays for the day and looking forward to a fun occasion. We would remind you that the Spectrum service will be closed on Thursday 2^nd and Friday 3^rd June and will re-open on Monday 6^th.

Collection and Delivery Times

The Spectrum opening hours are 9.00am to 3.30pm and within these hours we deliver a wide range of activities for those attending. To ensure that the service users gain maximum benefit from their day with Spectrum, we would ask that arrival in the morning is between 8.40am and 9.00am and the afternoon departure is between 3.30pm and 3.45pm. Thank you for your assistance.

A Date for Your Diary

We missed the opportunity to have a 50^th Anniversary celebration at Spectrum Northants, so instead we are celebrating our 50+1 Anniversary by having an Open Day at Berrywood Road on Wednesday 20^th July. More details to follow, but would ask at this stage you note the date in your diary.

Gardening at both venues

In recent months we have increased our focus on our open space. At William Street we are having a wonderful make over, with the fences painted, new raised planters, forest bark replacing previous flower beds and we will soon be installing new seating.

At Berrywood Road work has continued with the Friendship Garden and we have been active tidying. Both Centres have contributed to our new allotment, where fruit and vegetables are growing well. It has been great to see active participation of service users in these tasks.

Egg Incubation Project

Our line with Home Farm has resulted in eight chickens being born at Berrywood Road and three chickens at William Street. The initiative has sparked real interest from our service users, and it has been a delight to observe their enthusiasm.

Healthy Lifestyle Course at Spectrum

The sessions include, looking after our mental wellbeing, benefits of exercise and eating healthy foods to promote a healthy weight, a healthy BMI, and the barriers to achieving this. Each week, we cook together a healthy meal from scratch and service users can taste, so encourage healthy choices and cooking at home where possible. It has been a positive experience for everyone.

Engaging with the Local Community / Increasing our Activities

We have continued to be active in engaging with the local community:

• Service users from both Centres are visiting Barratts Snooker Club every Tuesday.
• Musical entertainment, Tai Chi, Dance and Yoga are continuing.
• Small groups have attended cricket at the County Ground, accessed the local shops to purchase ingredients for cookery sessions and visited the Knife Sculpture in the Town Centre

In the summer months, we will introduce some further activities:

• Using the cars to enable small groups to go to the Zoo and other outings. We are committed to ensuring all who wish benefit from a day out.
• Recommencing the Canal Boat trips for both Centres.

Follow our Activities on Facebook

Since the last newsletter we have been active in posting about our activities in Facebook. During the period we have seen an increase in the numbers liking our page. If you are not already following Spectrum Northants on Facebook, we would encourage you to do so.

We have also sent home with service users information from Northamptonshire Carers – for more details of their services - www.northamptonshire-carers.org