Summer sensations with Community Connections
What’s new? Our services are generating more engagement than ever, our volunteers achieving great wonders, our team of five making their mark. But there’s still room for you to get on board. Discover our latest activities below.
We’re absolutely honoured and delighted to announce our recent grant from North Berwick Trust, of £21,900 towards our new Stronger Connections mental well-being project. We’ll soon be announcing several exciting new partnership activities, to help meet the needs of folk whose mental well-being has been under strain. Some of us in the area have found Covid sharpened our struggles with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress, bereavement, the challenges of parenting – or with trying to recover from difficult episodes of these kinds. Our plans are for peer support groups that help with these, so stay tuned.
Date for your diary! Join our friend Eddie at his popular music night on Thursday the 8th of December at North Berwick Rugby Club. Please note the new start time of 7.30pm. 🎼🎹🎤
It's Wednesday and that means Scone Cafe. Join us at Abbey Church Small Hall, 2-3.30pm and, if you like, Scone Walking gentle group walk 2.15-2.45 pm for a bit of fresh air before your scone.
Here's a recipe you might like to try. It's on our list to bake and we'd love to see your photos if you make them.
gettingthere.typepad.com/getting-there/2010/05/recipe-for-a-rainy-daycooked-oatmeal-scones.html
Recipe for a rainy day--Cooked Oatmeal Scones.
gettingthere.typepad.com
So far, this spring has been just lovely weather-wise, and my children have been spending rather enormous amounts of time playing outside, which is wonderful. But yesterday arrived dark and dreary, an...VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Do you have lived experience of mental health problems? Do you have a couple of hours to spare weekday evenings? We are recruiting volunteers for our cafes in Tranent, North Berwick and Haddington. DM us or send an email to keeptheheidcafe@gmail.com for more details.
Volunteer!
Seeking new Volunteers – could this be your moment to step forward as a connector?
The need for support to reconnect folk in this post-pandemic time is greater than ever. Do you have a couple of hours a week spare? There is no minimum commitment and we will support you fully with training. We need help with buddy walks, chumming to the coffee shop or helping out at Scone Cafe. You could make a huge difference as a Community Connections volunteer. Next in-house training this September/October.
Community Connections Services - Gatherings Updates:
SCONE CAFE – We’re thrilled to welcome so many new faces to our core activity, Scone Café (Wednesdays 2-3.30, Abbey Church Hall). But we’re equally delighted to see some of our old friends returning for the first time in a couple of years. Board games now available again – and, as ever, Dorothy’s famous scones. We keep going over the summer – see you there.
SCONE WALKING – NEW! If the sunshine has inspired you to get out walking again, you can also join us for a gentle wee saunter in good company along the gorgeous Elcho Green above West Beach, with our new group walk, Scone Walking (Wednesdays 2.15-2.45pm, please come at 2pm if you are new to us so we can register your details.). There’s still time for a cuppa when you get back!
COFFEE CONNECTIONS continues at the Seabird on Tuesdays (2-3pm) and we’ve ventured back out onto the deck lately, to get the wind in our hair. Just look out for the bright green Coffee Connections sign at our table – or ask Lyndsey if you prefer someone to meet you outside.
BEACON LUNCHES We might also see you at the divine Beacon lunches (Thursdays 11-1, St Andrew Blackadder Church – voluntary donation), run by volunteers there for over 25 years – you will find Carol and Lisa there most Thursdays 12-1 for their wonderful soups and cakes!
NEED A LIFT? No problem – contact our friends at North Berwick Volunteer Car Scheme for a regular lift with a friendly volunteer driver, for a voluntary donation. Contact Scheme Co-ordinator Bex on 07536 388 753, between 9am and 12noon, Monday to Friday.
Scone Café Co-ordinators (volunteer job-share)
Buddy Walks Volunteers
Time for a fresh start? We are still keen to recruit new volunteers to join our incredible team. All details here.
One to One Community Connections Services
BUDDY WALKS – Our one-to-one Buddy Walks continue to be so popular that there’s a waiting list for now. Please note that our new group walk, Scone Walking (see above) is a great option for you meantime – just let us know if you’d like to try them
BEFRIENDING is another option – usually a weekly chat with one of our friendly, PVG-checked volunteers. Phone calls are possible if you prefer. We encourage you to get out for coffee together when you can, and later on you might like to meet some of our other members. But home visits are now possible again, if that’s what you need at the moment.
PLEASE STAY SAFE – there is no pressure to meet face to face until you are ready! We understand that many volunteers and members will prefer to stay at home meantime.
Get in touch with Lisa if one to one support is your preference for the next few months, until you feel ready to meet others again.
COMPASSIONATE NEIGHBOURS is a growing social movement to end loneliness and social isolation for people in our communities with a life limiting condition. Becoming a Compassionate Neighbour can be hugely rewarding and through building genuine friendships you will have the chance to change lives, including your own. We hope you will consider to working alongside us to promote compassion in our local communities.
More information on Truacanta can be found here
Contact a member of the team for future training opportunities.
What We Do
Community Connections tackles isolation and helps people connect to their local community.
Would you like more company, conversations and connections in your life?
We can introduce you to new folk, meet you for coffee, chum you along on a walk and help you make the most of your days, whatever the season!
Is it time to venture back to the cafe and reconnect with others, or make new friends? Say the word and we can help.
In our work we find that the best predictor of your current mental health is your “relational health”, or connectedness.
– Dr Bruce Perry, neuroscientist, 2020
Would you like to collaborate with us, to help meet both your group’s aims and ours? We’re working closely with more and more local groups and increasing our networking reach. Please see our Community and our Partnerships sections.
'Community Connections' Monthly Newsletter
Not ready to take part in our activities yet, want to think about it first, or just want to stay in touch with what we’re doing? Then allow us to send you our cheering, colourful and informative monthly newsletter, by post or email. Just contact Ruth or Lyndsey.
HAVE A HAPPIER YEAR WITH COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS! We’re delighted to connect with you in any way that feels right for you. Just get in touch and we’ll discuss your needs.
Ask for our help
We tackle social isolation in the North Berwick Coastal Ward. Our services include Scone Café, befriending, chumming to new activities, Coffee Connections meet-ups, Buddy Walks, monthly Community Connections newsletter.
Would you like to request our service?
Would you like to refer someone else to our service?
Get Involved
Become a volunteer and make a real difference in your local community.
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