Blog

How social prescribing to a gardening project helps to grow health in Dorset

On social prescribing day, we take a moment to consider its importance and celebrate a gardening project that’s growing a great crop of flowers – and health too. What is social prescribing? The NHS defines social prescribing as a type of personalised care, meaning people have choice and control over the way their care is …

Love Surpassing Knowledge – More Than Ramps: Understanding and Implementing Accessibility

Dr Naomi Graham is Head of Accessible Church Ministry for New Wine. In this extract from her book ‘Love Surpassing Knowledge’ she shares her passion that building an accessible church community is about enabling everyone to have a deep knowledge of God’s love – a love that surpasses the things we can cognitively know or explain. A love that does not depend on ability, but on the character of God. A love and that sees value in each and every individual.

‘We all need a little mercy now’, recognising the universal need for grace

In the midst of potentially overwhelming national and local circumstances, Corin Pilling reflects on the difference it would make if, instead of focusing on our differences and labelling people, we remembered our shared need for mercy and grace. He also shares the powerful song that has encouraged and inspired him to stay engaged and look beyond some seemingly intractable situations and stay hopeful.

‘The power of belonging – discovering the confidence to lead with vulnerability’ – an extract

Will van der Hart and Rob Waller believe that authentic leaders are those who have faced their issues of shame, insecurity and loneliness and choose to reveal their vulnerability. Sharing their own stories and exploring the hidden emotions many leaders hide behind, they offer ways to find wholeness, healing and belonging. This is an extract from Chapter 1 which looks at the importance of authentic belonging.

Livability and Poole Borough Council join forces to provide an employment service which runs from a local library

Supporting people grow in confidence and to access better job opportunities, is part of the work Livability’s work in Dorset. The local team have just partnered up with Poole Borough Council and other teams to deliver a special ‘one stop shop’ Employment Advice Service at Hamworth Library every Tuesday. So why is the work needed …

Balance for better – what does the care sector need?

The focus of this year’s International Women’s Day is all about better balance (#BalanceforBetter). Today we’re celebrating the vital contribution that women make delivering care services every day across our charity. But in the care sector, balanced gender diversity needs a boost to see better male representation too. So women and men from our community …

Finding love

When Chris joined Livability’s day service in the East Midlands last year, he was hoping to make friends – but didn’t dream he would meet his wife-to-be. This service provides lifeskills, training and activities in line with government’s social prescribing focus, as part of Livability’s wider services in the region. He struck up a close …

The action men that take on extreme sports

Nothing cheers up February like planning a holiday. Richard had always dreamed of an extreme sports holiday but didn’t think it would be possible. Until staff at his residential care home produced a brochure and arranged a holiday of a lifetime. Extreme sports goals Richard Hooper and Richard Jones are thrill-seekers who share a love …

What it means to be a Support Worker – Karl shares his story

From disco dancing, singing at Asda, or trips to Blackpool – the life of a Livability support worker is never dull. Karl is a Support Worker with the Livability Conwy team, caring for two women with intellectual disabilities. He shares his story. Tell us about yourself I have a bit of diverse background – I’m …

Understanding dementia – from the inside

Jennifer Bute was a senior GP in the UK when she developed Young Onset Dementia. She became determined to use the unique opportunity of experiencing dementia from the inside to find ways of understanding and living with it in order to help others and those who care for them.

This is an extract – looking at understanding behaviour – from her book, Dementia from the Inside: a Doctor’s Personal Journey of Hope, written with Louise Morse.