Christmas and New Year Opening
Category: Activities
The Recycle Surgery is up and running!
In conjunction with Medway Council’s Recycle Team, the surgery will run on the third Monday in the month between 1-3pm.
Bring along small electrical items for recycling (or taking to the tip as appropriate) and stop for a cup of tea and chat about how to be environmentally friendly. Or just stop for a cup of tea and a chat about anything, we’re easy!
We launched the surgery on Monday, joined by the Mayor of Medway*, Councillor Jan Aldous and her consort Mr. Tony Aldous and were delighted with the response. The Medway Council van disappeared with three irons, two laptops, two tea urns, three printers and a lamp!
Save yourself a trip to the tip and join us on Monday, 20th June.
*Congratulations to Madam Mayor Jan on being elected to office this week for a further year 🙂
Female Focus – our new Women’s Support Group
We’ve set aside the second Thursday in the month for a women’s support group, Female Focus. It will run from 1.30-3.30pm.
Come and join us for tea and cake, more cake and more tea, and a chat about all those issues that affect women (colloquially known as ‘women’s problems’) including – but not limited to – reproductive health (the big one) on and offline safety, and any other subject you as a group decide you’d like to discuss.
Our special guest in June will be a representative from Medway’s public health team to talk about female health problems.
We know how a focus on male bodies has historically led to worse treament for women (the symptoms for hearts attacks, for example, can be very different in women and yet the usual symptoms to look for are those which mainy affect men). So come armed with all your questions to ensure you know what to ask your GP when it comes to your health.
Here’s an interesting article from the BBC, on a new 3D female anatomy model that can be used to better treat women. And they’ve only just put it together in 2022 *rolls eyes*.
Celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The BIG bank holiday weekend is almost upon us, and thanks to the ever-wonderful Kent Community Foundation, we’ve been awarded £1900 to help Her Majesty celebrate!
While maintaining our usual activities, we’ve extended our opening times with bonus editions of arts and crafts with the fabulous Natasha at Creatabot, an afternoon tea, courtesy of WALT, finishing off with live music and other activities in the Big Tea Party.
The full calendar is below, do come along and join us!
Wednesday 1st June: 10am-3pm
Open Cafe with Chairobics at 11am and Creatabot Arts between 12.30-2.30pm.
Thursday 2nd June 12noon-4pm
Waltie’s Open Cafe and Afternoon Tea.
Friday 3rd June 12noon-4pm
Open Cafe with Creatabot Arts in residence from 1pm.
Saturday 4th June 11am-4pm
The Big Tea Party with WALT. All welcome to drop in for live music and activities throughout the day.
We do hope you will join us to raise a toast to Her Majesty 🙂
The Net and WALT Christmas Openings
We have a slightly different programme over the next two weeks and we are limiting numbers at this moment in time, so please call to book.
Move over Hollywood, Weedswood is where it’s at!
The hub recently hosted theatre company, Alternate Shadows, who kindly donated their time and expertise to help our manager Jaye, film a short sketch she’s written.
Called The Donation, it shows volunteers dealing with an unexpected visitor when preparing the hub for a birthday party.
So enthusiastic for the project were Alternate Shadows, there will actually be two versions. The first, the short sketch originally envisioned by Jaye. Second, the longer version, which gathered pace throughout blocking, rehearsal and lighting sessions, as the cast and crew fed off each other’s creativity to expand the idea.
Both versions are in post-production now and we’ll hold a premiere in due course. In the meantime, here’s a few photos, and a teaser video here – no clues, you’ll have to wait and see it!
Huge thanks to Alternate Shadows for giving up their time: Richard, Sophia, Mick, Alex, Mike and Owen, and a special mention for Tracy who worked with us but was unable to attend the shoot.
If all goes well, we’ll look to do more audio/visual projects in the new year. If you want to hire the hub for your own creative endeavours or as a location, please contact Jaye via community@waldersladehub.org.
Brainstormz! to receive Coop support
We’re delighted to advise that The Net’s neurological support group, Brainstormz! has been selected by our local Coop as one of their charities of the year for 2021/22.
Brainstormz! was instigated by our volunteer, Sue, back at the end of 2019 and carried on via Zoom throughout the lockdown. However, it’s now back in person and funding we receive from the Coop secures it for another year. Funding from Comic Relief enabled the project to begin.
To support the project, please select Brainstormz! on your membership card. Every penny makes a huge difference!
Come along and join in the sessions, which take place on Saturday afternoons between 1-4pm. A donation of £2 to the group helps to cover any further outgoings. Read more about it here.
Thank you 🙂
Slowly getting back to normal
It’s like 2020 didn’t exist, isn’t it? When I talk of events ‘last year’, I usually mean 2019.
I’m in conversation with the WALT girls about bringing a new or rather, slightly amended programme to the hub, as we work to ensure we keep our visitors safe.
The Medway Youth Service is returning next week, as is our Mourners Group, and we figured we’d keep the larger coffee morning on hold a bit longer, concentrating instead on smaller groups.
We’re also hoping that Medway Council’s Public Health team will bring a drop-in Covid-testing centre to the hub – they’ll set it up outside and anyone local can pop along without needing an appointment. More details will follow when we get dates.
Meantime, I’ve signed up for the Inspire Schools/KM Firewalk again an would be grateful for your help in sharing the fundraising platform (and donating yourself, if you wish?!)
Here’s the link – thank you!
The 2.6 Challenge to raise much needed funds
The 2.6 Challenge is a simple and fun way for everyone to do their bit to help save the UK’s charities.
Sunday 26 April was the scheduled date of the 40th London Marathon, traditionally a huge earner for charities throughout the UK.
Due to the COVID19 outbreak, this – along with many other fundraising activities – has been cancelled. In response, the organisers of the biggest mass-participation sports events across the country have come together to create a new campaign to raise vital funds to help save the UK’s charities.
This is a challenge for all ages and abilities and all you need to do is think of an activity based on the London marathon around the numbers 26 or 2.6.
This could be something as simple as pledging to run 2.6 miles as your daily exercise to doing 26 minutes of yoga or even juggling for 26 minutes non-stop. The only requirement is that the activity must follow the Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.
Thousands of fundraising events across the UK have been cancelled due to Covid-19 with a devastating impact on charity income that means many charities are facing closure. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) CEO Karl Wilding estimates that the UK charity sector will lose £4 billion in income as a result of the pandemic.
This impacts all sectors of society – from children to the elderly – as well as the vital work in areas such as palliative care, serious diseases, mental health, housing support, food supplies and countless others that charities support.
We’ve seen overwhelming support from the public for Medway’s charities and community groups, working with Public Health Medway, to ensure that the vulnerable people we represent are not forgotten during the lockdown. To help us cover some of our income losses due to the hub closing, and to prepare for getting back to normal, please do what you can as part of the 2.6 Challenge and donate to our fund here: https://localgiving.org/charity/the-net-community-hub/
Thank you.
We’re part of the Comic Relief Community!
Our lovely volunteer, Sue, has been rewarded for all her hard work with regard to the Brainstormz! group – our project has received a £3,977 grant from the Comic Relief Community Fund (England), which secures it for the whole year!
Piloted in December, Sue has worked tirelessly to build the group, both physically in the hub (every Saturday from 1-4pm) and on Facebook. It’s open to anyone with a neurological condition (including but not limited to e.g. FND, fibromyalgia) who wants to drop in for a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen or just for tea and biscuits.
Sue hopes to expand the offer of the group, with guest speakers and activities. If you’d like to be involved, drop us an email: community@waldersladehub.org.
The Comic Relief Community Fund (England) provides grants to grassroots organisations to develop their capacity or deliver a project in at least one of Comic Relief’s themes: Children Survive & Thrive; Fighting for Gender Justice; A Safe Place to Be; and Mental Health Matters. Find out more about the fund here.
The Net Community Hub 