Over the past year we have run three Life Skills courses, of 8 weeks each, in Leiston and Saxmundham. With the help of some wonderful volunteers around 18 participants have been provided with not only the course, but also cakes, lunches, craft activities, cooking skills, people running a crèche for their children and some one-to-one sessions for some to address their specific needs.
They have also been on an outing to Sutton Hoo and had a party with their older children doing crafts and games.
The three courses have been funded by Suffolk County Council Public Health, the ‘Your Needs Met’ fund, which has a focus on improving wellbeing, addressing issues identified as needs in the East Suffolk area, such as sleep, security (including financial), control over lives, making community and food and drink. An ongoing relationship has developed not only between course members but also with the Debt Centre and
many have also attended Money Coaching courses.
As a couple of course members said, ‘The Life Skills group has given me so much confidence, courage and joy’ and ‘I’ve been laughing again – I hadn’t realised how low I had gone.’
With Sue Rugg-Gunn now living in South London, I trained in the Spring and ran the last of the three courses, supported greatly by Sue, Peter and Carolyn, who are experienced in these courses.
Our next venture will be to deliver an adapted version of the Life Skills course for prisoners at Warren Hill
who are due for release. We are consulting those with prison work experience, and would value your prayers for this.
Julia Rose