Latest News Activities across the Cedar Foundation Youth Matters team build with a virtual treasure hunt The Youth Matters staff as part of our zoom Team meeting this week took part in the MR X online treasure hunt from Escape Rooms Durhum. It was a great opportunity to build our team work skills and catch-up. We did it in 43 minutes with no hints! if you would like more info about our Youth Matters services go to https://www.cedar-foundation.org/youth-matters https://www.cedar-foundation.org/youth-matters Keeping minds active with the Transitions Team The Transitions Team hosted their bi-weekly virtual quiz again yesterday on Zoom. The team challenged the young people with a Pixar Observation Round but the staff found it more difficult than the young people! They also had a round of guess the brand logos and a general knowledge round which put everyone's geography knowledge to the test. Congratulations to Ronan who got the most correct answers this time! for more information about our Transitions service go to https://www.cedar-foundation.org/transistions-services Building lego models a great distraction for the mind ABI Choices service user Ross has been keeping very busy with his wonderful Lego creations during the lockdown period. He has built a James Bond Aston Martin and a Millennium Falcon to his credit. Very nimble fingers required 😀 Do what is Right4U during lockdown The Foyle Right4U🙂 Peer Group recently took part in the Middletown Centre for Autism Webinar. This featured Adam Harris in a talk entitled ‘What works for me’. Four of the group were involved. The group was encouraged by the talk and they took away lots of his tips for self-care and have put it into action by implementing them into their daily lives. They followed up the talk with a discussion of their own helpful tips. The group was impressed with Adam's presentation and said that it made them realise they "were not alone" dealing with the isolation caused by COVID-19. They also shared that "self-care was really crucial at this time". As a result one of the group even took a day off work to recharge their batteries; something they would have been reluctant to do in the past. https://www.cedar-foundation.org/specialist-asd-services Right4U quiz keeping the minds alive and active The Adult Right4U🙂 Quiz is in its 8th week with 11 participants this time, plus David and Heather. 4 of the service users were very competent Quiz Masters and went the extra mile by providing interesting facts after each answer. Topics Included literature, Football, TV Shows, and history. Well done to all 😄. https://www.cedar-foundation.org/specialist-asd-services Right4U create mindful and creative activities during Mental Health Week During Mental Health Awareness week we are celebrating the talent and mindfulness activities with our Right4U🙂 service users. David has painted a 'cat in a jewelled collar' Gavin has shared some photographs of views from his window. Leigh is a keen cyclist and has enjoyed some stunning nature spots on her travels and Rachel has almost completed her puzzle - all excellent ways to keep active during the lockdown 🌈🚴♀️🎨🧩 https://www.cedar-foundation.org/specialist-asd-services IncLUSIon Matters share some crafty and tasty ideas over coffee Some of the participants from the Inclusion Matters Service in the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust area have been coming together every Friday via Zoom to take part in recipe sharing, coffee catch-ups, lunch, quizzes and to share some arts & craft projects that they have been involved in. Lockdown isn't going to get in the way of these social butterflies 🦋 coming together. https://www.cedar-foundation.org/inclusion-matters Star Wars Q&A with US film Critic Damon Blalack It's #funfriday so here's a video clip taken on #internationalstarwarsday for all the Star Wars fans out there. It features a Q & A with US film critic Damon Blalack and some of our young service users from Youth Matters and Right4U:). Enjoy and 'may the force be with you' 😀 Hillmount Supported Living support our Carers The Hillmount team and service users from our Living Options site in Finaghy were clapping for carers and the NHS last week. They will be out again tonight showing their support. 👏👏👏👏 https://www.cedar-foundation.org/hillmount Right4U service users test their brains with a Quiz about the American Civil War The Right4U🙂 team recently held a Social Activity Quiz with a record number of 14 adult participants. They joined Project Officers David and Heather, for week 7 in the popular series. This time it was the turn of 2 service users, William and Andrew to be the Quizmasters. They asked questions they had developed themselves about the American Civil War and TV Shows. They had certainly done their research! https://www.cedar-foundation.org/specialist-asd-services Inclusion Works Quiz get competitive Inclusion Works have enjoyed another Zoom Quiz which happens every Thursday and is hosted by one of our service users Conor 😃. It was won by one of our volunteers Chris, who has a very strong track record on winning. Next time it will be in a 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' format with 2 teams and break out rooms! Getting very competitive 😆 https://www.cedar-foundation.org/training-and-employment Inclusion Works fun filled activities Participants from Cedars Southern Inclusion Works team have found fun ways of keeping themselves busy at home over the past two months while in lockdown. Most of our inclusion works participants attend work placements, social enterprise or social inclusion groups on a weekly basis, so finding ways of filling a full week of free time at home has been a challenge, however they have risen to it well. Participants are enjoying spending quality time with the whole family; some are taking part in Joe Wicks exercise morning and loving fancy dress Fridays and above all many have discovered hidden talents along the way. The case workers from the learning disability team developed a resource pack of activities covering areas such as, gardening, mindfulness and wellbeing, cookery and employability. Participants get a new pack each month with new activities. So far, activities have included word searches, bird spotting, baking banana bread, planting and trying out new coping strategies. Everyone has been having a ball giving new things a go and learning new skills and we at Cedar have enjoyed a constant stream of happy photographs keeping us up to date on who is doing what. Learn more about Inclusion Works CEDAR GROWS ON A group of Inclusion Works participants in the Northern area have been developing skills and experience in horticulture and ‘grow your own’ by taking part in a pilot scheme, the Cedar Grow Project. Emma Gordon-Devlin, Inclusion Works Case Officer who is co-ordinating the project said, “We had just started the project before social distancing measures were introduced. Everyone involved was really keen to get growing and we were looking forward to spending time together, enjoying the outdoors and growing our own food and flowers. When we were required to stay at home, I offered to take plugs, seeds and compost to them and carried out a doorstep drop delivery to the participants. Since the end of March, they have been growing potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, beans, herbs, strawberries and flowers. We are keeping in touch every week on Whatsapp and Zoom, sharing photos and video of how our plants are coming on. Participants feel that growing together and staying connected is having a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.” Emma is supported by colleagues Jayne Rosborough and Virginia Convery from the Northern Inclusion Works team. The Cedar Grow Project has shown fantastic resilience and continuity of service. Participants are continuing to work towards OCR qualifications in Horticulture and Environment & Community at home, as well as enjoying the added wellbeing benefits of getting outside and experiencing the therapeutic effect of nature. For further information about referrals to the programme contact [email protected]. Inclusion Matters lift the spirits while teaching a new skill in languages Inclusion Matters service users in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust have been engaging in various online activities including Spanish lessons. Claire is a Social Inclusion Navigator and a former Spanish teacher and has been teaching beginner level Spanish via Zoom. One service user has been doing more advanced Spanish with Claire in preparation for doing a part-time degree in Spanish with the Open University in September. Service users have said it is a good opportunity to learn something new and to keep their brain’s active. Bien Hecho!!