News Gallery - Autumn 2011
Off the Record's Counselling Service Receives £12,500 From Bath Boules Tournament
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For more information click here
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Spring / Summer 2011
Fundraising - Bath Choral Society
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Bath Choral Society have recorded a double CD of Handel's Messiah which is on sale for a very reasonable £10. Proceeds from the sale of the CDs are being donated to Off the Record! For more information and to order your copy please click here. |
Autumn / Winter 2010/11
Advocacy Service Wins Gold Charter Mark
In February, Off the Record's Shout Out! Children's Rights & Advocacy Service was presented with the Children’s Society Gold Charter Mark by the Mayor of Bath, Councillor Shaun McGall.
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L to R:- Helene Jewell (Advocacy Worker); |
Shout Out! has been working with vulnerable children and young people in Bath & North East Somerset for 7 years, supporting those who are in or have left care, face homelessness, are subject to child protection conferences or are disabled. Shout Out! enables young people to get their views heard and be represented when decisions are made about them. One 17 year old service user reflects: “Shout Out! helped explain things to do with my housing that I didn’t understand – I was homeless and they helped me get placed in a B&B. It’s a brilliant service, it’s a great help for children of all ages and more so for children that don’t have the support of families and friends. It’s good to know that you have someone there supporting you.”
The Children and Young People’s Rights Charter is about enabling children and young people to have a say. The award celebrates the good practice of organisations that ensure children and young people contribute to making decisions about services that affect them. It is based on Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and is split into three levels; Bronze, Silver and, the highest level, Gold.
Sonia Mainstone-Cotton of the Children’s Society visited Shout Out! at the end of last year to assess the service’s commitment to the Charter. She said “Shout Out! have demonstrated some very good examples of how the staff listen to the Children and Young People and involve them in appropriate decision making. The staff have demonstrated and evidenced that they are working at Gold standard.”
Shout Out! were marked on how well they listen to children and young people and involve them in developing the service. For example, young people who use the service are involved in staff recruitment and induction as well as helping to produce and develop publicity about the service. Recently this included producing a DVD about the role of an Advocate. Children and young people were involved in creating and designing the DVD, which is used to explain the service to new users, and to other professionals. Shout Out! Manager, Lisa Nicholls, comments: “We’re delighted that our commitment to working with young people and listening to their views has been recognised by the Children’s Society.”
Nick Beazley-Long and Friends on Epic Cycle Ride
Nick and his friends cycled from Joan O'Groats to Lands End and raised over £700 for our Counselling Service. A big well done and "Thank-you" to all concerned from everyone at Off the Record!
Thank-you from Off the Record to Joel & Fi for raising money for Counselling Service
In September, Joel Ali and Fi Sexton raised nearly £500 for our Counselling Service! Joel ran the Bristol half-marathon and Fi donated all her hairdressing tips. They also organised a collection at their local pub.
