May - July 2009

• PASTEL presents "Hip Hop Theatre"

Starting in February, and culminating with a public show in June, PASTEL clients wanted a new challenge involving rap music and street dancing. The PASTEL management eventually found suitable drama, dance and art tutors to help pull a show together, as devised by the PASTEL clients. A “Hip Hop Theatre” production was born- combining music, dance, drama and art. This was a particularly ambitious, and age-appropriate, programme - ably supported by our drama, dance and art tutors.

Below is the link to the record of the latest milestone in the PASTEL public events – to build client's self-esteem, confidence, decision-making, communication and teamwork.

As well as serving their personal development, these occasions also help to educate the public on their abilities.

The concept certainly went down well with our clients… Now visit the programme poster and see the video

… www.pastel.org.uk/evaluation.asp

March - April 2009

• PASTEL Builds Capacity by Replication

PASTEL is developing a DIY "Working Model & Toolkit" for other Parent/Carers to adopt and adapt in their area - capacity building by replication.

And, first off the blocks, is a group in Kent who, with the Working Model & Toolkit and one-to-one support from PASTEL, have successfully formed PASTEL Maidstone Community Interest Company. They are an independent enterprise - using the PASTEL name with our blessing - but already the two companies are sharing resources for mutual benefit.

PASTEL-Maidstone has received initial funding from the European Social Fund and the Learning & Skills Council.

Their project and website www.pastel-maidstone.org.uk went live at the beginning of April.

• Big Lottery Fund - Sustainability Event

PASTEL supported The Big Lottery Fund (East of England) who put together a a one day workshop to help enterprises, who are coming to the end of their Lottery funding, plan for their long-term funding future and the sustainability of their projects and organisation. The day covered such topics as business planning for organisations, social enterprise in practice and commissioning and contracts. Don Tricker, PASTEL CEO, led the workshop on "Becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC)." The event took place on April 2nd (9.30am- 3.30pm) in Cambridge, and was attended by around 80 delegates.

January - February 2009

• Transition Training Workshop Taster Sessions

On the Saturdays Jan.31st & Feb.14th, PASTEL will be running taster sessions for potential newcomers. For further information, please click here and here.

November -December 08

• PASTEL runs "Ristorante Pastella" - December

Fired up with enthusiasm our clients jumped at the opportunity to run their own restaurant and put their new found knowledge and skills into a live scenario! PASTEL arranged for the hire of a community hall on Saturday, December 20th (2008) to run our first lunchtime restaurant - "Ristorante Pastella" . This was publicised and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis (advance bookings only).

Our team of clients prepared and served a five-course meal for 45 covers. There was a suggested donation at the end of the event of £5 per customer, as a contribution to our costs. For more information and the video, please click here.

• Big Lottery Fund showcase film of PASTEL - October

The Big Lottery Fund commissioned a TV production company to make a professional record of a public event staged by the PASTEL Community Interest Company - to help illustrate the breadth and depth of their funding benefits.

• To view the Big Lottery Fund  3 minute video, please click here.

• To listen a 5 minute radio interview, please click here.

• To view the PASTEL extended video diary of the preparations and the show, please click here.

August -October 08

• Big Lottery Fund films PASTEL's Shadow Puppet Show to Showcase its Positive Funding Outcomes

Back by popular demand! The PASTEL clients worked on their own brand new PASTEL Shadow Puppet Show for public showing in the Saxmundham Arts Festival. at 11am on the morning of October 30th. This was during the school half-term and was aimed at the primary school age group. This PASTEL Shadow Puppet Show was an original youth production especially created for the Saxmundham Arts Festival and incorporated shadow puppetry, music, poetry and singing, with a little audience participation.

The PASTEL Transition Training project, funded by The Big Lottery Fund made it to a final ten selected nationwide for a film recording! A TV camera team from TwoFour were on hand to film the event and talk to some of those involved. A DVD will be produced in November and the short film may also be eventually broadcast on TV...

Despite a heavy downpour on the morning of the show, with accompanying thunder and lightning, the cast all showed up, along with an audience of around 70 children, parents and grand-parents, and the PASTEL Shadow Puppet Show went on. It was well received by all and the cast had plenty talk about when at home and back at school/college!

The PASTEL clients had worked together as a team, communicating their ideas and making all the key decisions. It was very much their own show and their self esteem and confidence was boosted by the enthusiastic audience response!

Here are some photos...

It all began by brainstorming the story and characters, and went on to creating the set, the props and some shadow puppets...	The cast arrived on the day for the full dress rehearsal at 10am - using the actual stage for the first time!	The cast also helped with setting up the PA system, the screen and props...	And, before the live public show at 11am, there was still time for the film crew to record the opinions of some parent/carers.

April -June 08

• PASTEL becomes recognised Open College Network Training centre

PASTEL registers as an Open College Network training centre ready to offer national accreditations for the progress of its clients.

• PASTEL's Food Hygiene/ Preparation/Catering workshops and Accreditations

The first series of workshops in 2008 focused on food hygiene and prepararation, with the opportunity for clients to gain the national Level 1 Award in "Food Safety in Catering", awarded from The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. Working in competing teams - the Green Peppers vs the Red Tomatoes - clients had fun learning not only about food hygiene and food preparation but also addressing the PASTEL desired outcomes of building their self-esteem and confidence and gaining skills in communicating, decision making and team work. For a fuller case history, please click here.

January - March 08

• PASTEL's Transition Training

PASTEL launched its 2008 Transition Training workshops programme on Saturday , March 15th - and this will run fornightly throughout the year until Saturday, December 6th These workshops are for young adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities ( aged 11-25). Referals can come from parent/carers, Youth & Connexions, Social Care or JobCentrePlus. For more information, click here.

• PASTEL's Best Practise used for National Research

PASTEL has communicated some of its learning and best practise from the transition training programme, in the form of a case study, to help raise the profile of the work that PASTEL is doing to involve our clients in the programme. The research was conducted by Voluntary Action Westminster on behalf of the Government sponsored Performance Hub, which has culminated in a publication, in which PASTEL are credited, entitled “Centre Stage? Making choices about involving users - available from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

September -December 07

•  PASTEL signs Suffolk Compact

On Wednesday November 7th, PASTEL attended the launch of the Suffolk Compact - in the lecture Theatre at the Cathedral, Bury St.Edmunds - to acknowledge and celebrate the commitment of PASTEL in signing the compact. PASTEL was presented with a certificate recognising the social enterprise as a founding signatory to the the Compact in Suffolk.   The Compact is a set of guidelines and principles for voluntary and community organisations and public agencies to adopt in order to improve working relationships between the two sectors. Having a robust Compact in Suffolk ensures that effective partnerships can develop and thrive, working together for the benefit of communities in Suffolk .

•  PASTEL delivers uplifting Arts Festival Performance

On October 25th, the PASTEL team delivered their shadow puppet show,"The Princess and the Penguin", to an audience of around 60 children, parents and grand-parents - as part of the week-long Saxmundham Arts Festival. The group had come up with an original fairy story, created the characters, puppets and props and acted in the final performance.

Meanwhile, a video made of the show will be making its way on to this website early in the New Year...

• PASTEL becomes a Community Interest Company

On October 12th, PASTEL converted from a Company Limited by Guarantee to a Community Interest Company. The name changed from PASTEL (Personal Development) Ltd to PASTEL Community Interest Company. This move is designed to reassure future stakeholders and funders of our committed community interest and benefits and paves the way for enhancing operations and expanding future activities.

June - August 07

• PASTEL delivers Inclusive Team Training

On Saturday August 4th, The PASTEL team — clients, volunteers and members of the management committee took part in a very successful and well-received day's training in first aid – together. This training was delivered in partnership with The British Red Cross and was designed to produce an innovative workshop with a more flexible approach to suit all the team's wants and needs. Very importantly, this course recognised that everyone's a potential lifesaver. However, as with all PASTEL Transition Training workshops, this first aid-course was not just about learning first aid skills, it also helped our clients to increase their confidence and their ability to act independently.

The day's training covered a wide range of subjects from incident management, calling the emergency services, caring for an unconscious casualty who is breathing, caring for a casualty who is not breathing normally, management of blood loss and shock and management of burns and scolds.

Students were observed in practical skill tests as well as interviewed individually to test their knowledge.

All the students received a Candidate Record Book as a record of their achievement and a certificate. Everyone enjoyed themselves so much on the day that they voted to repeat the exercise as part of their ongoing training programme!

•  PASTEL Newsletter produced (to view, click here)

• Help on the way from PASTEL
  Ipswich Evening Star
  11 July 2007
  
  

Youngsters of the PASTEL group enjoy a Punch and Judy show at the Riverside Centre in Stratford St Andrew

A HELP group for youngsters with learning difficulties set up by parents and carers today vowed to help other families who feel left out in the cold.

Last month, headteachers from the three Ipswich special schools which cater for youngsters until their late teens lifted the lid on the lack of opportunities for their students once they leave education.

Today, leaders of the PASTEL education and training social enterprise, based in Stratford St Andrew, offered to help out in the wake of the schools' concerns.

Don Tricker chief executive of PASTEL, said not only would it open its doors to new families, but it was also willing to share its expertise and research with other parents wanting to set up their own groups.

PASTEL was started in 2005 by parents and carers in the Saxmundham area who felt isolated from facilities because of their rural setting.

The group, run by volunteers, now has funding to provide fortnightly workshops for the next three years, and said it can help others do the same.

Mr Tricker, who has an 18-year-old son Dominic with Downs Syndrome, said: “I agree with the schools in that children with learning difficulties are on a conveyor belt and, while they learn some excellent life skills in their education, the statutory world loses interest with them after school and they fall off the conveyor belt, transferring all the responsibility back to families.

“Out here in rural east Suffolk these youngsters suffer a triple-whammy - they are not only disadvantaged by personal impairments and the attitudes of others, but also their general environment.

“As a parent/carer, with the help of some others, we found the only solution was to form a social enterprise, bid for funds and get on with it ourselves.

“Now we are in a position where we can provide a working model to be replicated elsewhere, by other parent and carers.

“Anyone who wants to set up an enterprise like this can talk to us and we will help them.

“There's no point just sitting back and complaining when services are being cut. This way we are doing something about it.”

Pastel runs fortnightly five-hour workshops for 11 to 25 year olds with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Workshops use performing arts and other fun activities, delivered by professional tutors at the Riverside Centre at Stratford St Andrew.

See www.pastel.org.uk or call 01728 604944 for details.

•  New website launched
•  New promotional leaflet produced
•  PASTEL becomes a member of Social Enterprise Network Suffolk (SENS).

March - May 07

• Set Up Progress

•  Venue for PASTEL Transition Traing Programme secured
•  Tutors selected and contracted
•  New promotion flyer/poster circulated to all stakeholders
•  First four Volunteers recruited.
•  New Transition Training Programme launched
•  First ten Clients recruited/referred

February 07

• Lottery Bid

Following the successful completion of a pilot trial, running from March to November in 2006, PASTEL successfully submitted a Full Application to the Big Lottery Young People's Fund to underpin a full launch and a sustained three year transition training programme - for young adults (11-25) with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Click here to view PASTEL's press release.

The programme kicks off with the first taster workshop on Saturday, March 31st at The Riverside Centre, Stratford St.Andrew (on the A12). This will be the first of a succession of fortnightly 5-hour workshops (10.30am - 3.30pm, with bring-your-own packed lunch).