Full of news, views, stories, events and reports, New Directions' newsletter is packed with information about the charity, the people it supports, their families and carers.

1. Community Choices Network’s Sewing
Group have made clothes for the
children of South Sudan. This is the
world’s newest country, created in 2011
where many families struggle to provide
essentials like food and clothes. Joyce,
Susie, Lesley, Anna, Tina and Tracy
enjoyed supporting the children of Ibba
village in Maridi State, South Sudan this
way as this would have been the first
time they had ever had anything
new to wear. Julia Sanders,
Trustee and sewing volunteer
at New Directions delivered
the handmade dresses and
shorts to Western South
Sudan where local pastors in
the village distributed them
to the most needy children.
The families asked that their
thanks be passed on to all
the people supported by
New Directions who had
helped to make the clothes.
Everyday life in South Sudan
Julia presents one of the dresses
Julia and Susie stitching material
on the sewing machine
Sewing Group Supports Children in Sudan
Latest
News
Community Choices Network Sewing Group

2. Jo, her band and Ross entertain
guests with some popular songs at
Richmond Court
Live Music At Richmond Court
Support Workers Ross McAusland
and Jo Litten along with her band
entertained individuals from all
of New Directions’ services at
Richmond Court for an evening of
live music. Richmond Court proved
to be a great venue for this type
of event enabling people to sing
along, stand up and dance and
enjoy the refreshments. All ideas
for events come from the Your
Voice meetings where tenants
meet up and discuss what events
they would like.
Anthony, who lives at New
Directions’ supported living
service said, “I really enjoyed the
night and would attend more
events.”

3. Local BBC Radio Visits New Directions
Jo meets Tina in her own home
BBC radio journalist Jo Tidman visited
Richmond Court during Learning
Disability Week for a close-up view of
our charity’s supported living services.
Jo is BBC Coventry and Warwickshire
Radio’s in-depth reporter for their
breakfast show presented by Trish
Adudu. Jo was given a guided tour of
Richmond Court and Gateway Court.
She spoke with Tina, who is supported
by New Directions in her own home
about what having her own flat means to her and what the support
she receives enables her to do. Jo also interviewed Registered Manager
Carol Payne about the provision of our supported living services.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber
Training (CWCT) recognised the hard
work and achievements of two of
New Directions’ staff members at a
special awards ceremony. CWCT
acknowledged outstanding success
in Health and Social Care by our
Team Leaders Cheri Jones who was
awarded Level 5 ‘Apprentice of the
Year’ and Lisa Barrett who received
Level 3 ‘Progression of the Year’. Both
go above and beyond for the people
we support.
Training Awards For
Two Team Leaders
Cheri receives her award

4. Wish You Were Here:
Holidays 2017
Great Yarmouth: Elaine and Susie
Brighton: Lesley and Colin
Yarmouth: Richard and Rupert
Tenerife: David and Martin
Blackpool: Angela

5. Blackpool: Denise and Ernie
Lanzarote: Katharine
Blackpool: Peter and Tony
Eastbourne: Maureen, Linda
and Janine

6. A pamper afternoon for people
with disabilities who use New
Directions’ services was hosted
by Infinity Hair and Beauty Salon
in Bilton. This provided a little ‘me’
time and a makeover for all the
ladies who took part.
Everyone enjoyed a hair wash,
head massage and blow dry by
owner Kym-Lee Boyz and her
colleague Chloe. Most of the
women also enjoyed having a
manicure.
Leanne, Hayley, Rose, Susie, Linda
and Tina were in high spirits on
the day, treating themselves with
a little bit of luxury and enjoying
the buffet and refreshments.
This special event was organised
by Lisa Barrett, Team Leader at
New Directions
Pamper Afternoon
Boosts Self Esteem
Tina said that she felt so pretty and spoilt
Rose enjoyed having a dance

7. Team Leader Lisa said, “I would like to thank Kym-Lee and the team for
making the day such a special experience for the people with disabilities
we support. Making others feel beautiful is a gift and we could see the
positive and lasting effect that this event has had on all the women
instantly. Events like this help people with disabilities to boost confidence
and self-esteem which in turn makes them feel valued and able to develop
relationships and contribute better to the local community.”
Linda wanted to look different and
looked at hairstyles
Susie was happy and smiling
Leanne felt like a princess
Due to the success of this event New Directions
is now looking at a men’s pamper afternoon.

8. As part of their continued
support for our charity, Rugby
Group Benevolent Fund Trustee,
Ian Southcott presented New
Directions with a cheque for
£10,000 toward the sensory
garden at Richmond Court.
The garden is designed for
accessibility to everyone’s
needs. The sensory garden will
consist of paved areas, raised
beds for flowers, herbs and
vegetables, a water feature,
interactive materials, wind
and wall chimes, mosaics and
wall art.
Richmond Court Receives a Boost
For New Sensory Garden
Finance Manager Jo and Sophie receive
the cheque from Ian Southcott
Relaxing in the communal room
at Richmond Court
Supported living accommodation
available at Richmond Court
COMING SOON:
Lifestyle photographs (left) by
local photographer Annie Johnston
will be featured in a video about
Richmond Court’s development.
Welcome Donations

9. ss
Rotary Club of Rugby
Saturday Breakfast Club
Rugby Rotary Club Dunsmore
The Rotary Club of Rugby Saturday
Breakfast Club donated £300 to
New Directions and took a tour of
Community Choices Network to see
how these funds will benefit the people
we support.
David who attends Community
Choices Network said, “It was lovely
meeting new people. Thank you.”
Community Services Manager
Carol Payne said, “We are raising
funds towards interactive sensory
equipment which the people we
support will engage with by moving
on or over projected images. These
experiences will encourage learning,
exploration,stimulationandinclusion.”
Rugby Dunsmore Rotary Club
were invited to Richmond
Court to present their
donation cheque of £500
and meet some of the staff
and residents. The funds will
be put toward planting trees
in the sensory garden and
pay for other benefits for the
tenants.
Mike Folly, the Chairman
of Fundraising for Rugby
Dunsmore Rotary Club said, “We were most impressed with the
facilities which are so important to give the best quality of life to the
residents and to meet some of the dedicated staff who contribute so
fully to helping these young people reach their full potential.”

10. The people we support who completed our 2017 satisfaction
questionnaire and their families provided us with some really useful
feedback about the services we provide. The results of this survey
demonstrate what we are doing well as an organisation and the
areas that we will need to focus on going forward in response to the
needs and wishes of the people who use our services.
These are the areas
that we are doing well
• People supported by New
Directions feel listened to and
able to make choices about
things they would like to do
with their lives.
• Individuals feel safe in their
own homes.
• People said that they know
who to go to if they are not
happy about something.
• People feel involved in making
decisions and choices and have
a good relationship with their
key worker.
These are the areas that we will
be working on in 2018
• Keep service users up to date with information that affects the
decisions that they make.
• Continue to develop external activities that respond to the changing
needs of the people we support.
• Support the people who use our services to make suggestions
through accessible processes.
What The People We Support Say
About Our Services 2017

11. Vicarage Road residential service
has received an ‘Outstanding’
rating by the Care Quality
Commission for being ‘well-led’
and developing systems that
ensure excellent standards of care.
The unannounced inspector
praised the positive culture of
the home which encourages the
people who live at Vicarage Road
to take part in the running of their
own home, to live the life they
choose, make decisions, pursue
interests, maintain independence
and be part of their community.
The report said that staff gain
confidence from sharing good
practice and feel their opinions
are valued, they are supported,
motivated and able to make
suggestions for improvements.
Feedback from one relative said,
“It (New Directions) is an extremely
positive, forward-thinking charity.”
Registered Manager at Vicarage Road, Dean Crawford said, “We
are thrilled with the results of our latest CQC inspection at Vicarage
Road. We are aiming toward an overall ‘Outstanding’ result and
will continually identify ways to improve the quality of care that
we provide.”
Care Quality Commision
Rates Vicarage Road
As Outstanding

12. In the Community
Ernie: Gardening at home Denise and Maureen:
Attending a concert
Susie: Visiting a
Wildlife Park
Kelly: Fundraising
Ian: Sea Life Centre Visit Brian: Reading
meeting minutes

13. Goodbye: Therese
Therese who was supported by New
Directions until 2016 sadly passed away on 3rd
September 2017 and she will be sadly missed.
She was a kind and gentle lady, great
company, bubbly and outgoing and loved to
socialise. A visit to town for a cup of coffee
and cake, and meals out with friends were
something Therese really enjoyed. Therese also
enjoyed outings and holidays; she had great
fun in a caravan in Skegness and was more
than happy to be going out in the evening for
a game of Bingo.
Therese’s friend Alison who lived with her at New Directions said,
“Therese was a great person to be with and I liked living with her
at Richmond Lodge. She always helped when somebody needed help.
I miss her laughing and talking. She was a great lady.”
Therese at a garden party
Bob moved in to his own
supported living flat at the end
of 2017. He has made new
friends and is enjoying feeling
more independent with support
from New Directions. Bob is trying
new activities and has become
a representive at the local
Learning Disability Partnership
Board where he will be speaking
up for people with disabilties. He
will be talking about his new role
in a presentation soon.
BOB BEGINS A NEW CHAPTER
IN HIS LIFE IN HIS NEW HOME
Bob said, “It’s really good having my flat. I moved in before Christmas
so I had my first Christmas here. I liked the New Year’s Eve party
with music and dancing. I get on well with the staff and I feel listened
to. I like the tenants’ meetings. We talk about keeping safe and things
that help me. I now do my own bills with support.”

14. Proud To Be Rugby FM’s Charity of the Year
Rugby FM presenter Jason Moss
visited New Directions to present a
cheque for £1,615 raised at the Pride
of Rugby Awards night fundraiser for
our charity. We are delighted that
New Directions is Rugby FM’s Charity
of the Year.
Jason interviewed Kelsey who is
supported by New Directions and is
also a fan of his show. Later he met
Manager Dean Crawford to ask
about the services that New
Directions provides. It is a pleasure
to open up our doors to local radio
representatives who have given us
the opportunity to raise awareness
of our vital charity and the people
with disabilities who we support into
the hearts and minds of the local
community.
The achievements of local Rugby businesses, charities and volunteers
were celebrated once again at the annual Pride of Rugby Awards. The
awards are supported by Cemex and hosted by Rugby FM.
Jason presents the cheque to Kelsey
and Senior Administrator Tracy
Jason interviews Kelsey for his radio
show on Rugby FM

15. The local branch of Handelsbanken
in Rugby raised £155 for New
Directions at their annual drinks
reception. Funds raised by the bank
were donated toward our 65th
anniversary celebrations.
Handelsbanken Corporate Manager
Nigel Wood said, “Handelsbanken is
delighted to be associated with a local,
growing charity as New Directions
embarks on the next stage of its
journey.”
Handelsbanken Make A Difference
An awards evening hosted locally
by Bridget Jones’ co-star Sally
Phillips recognised the talents,
stories and families of parent
bloggers of children with disabilities.
This event is organised by two
organisations Bringing Us Together
and My Family Our Needs celebrating
the bloggers’ achievements and
their valuable contribution to raising
awareness of additional needs within
this SEND community and in the
wider society. Two New Directions
reprentatives attended.
Blogging Awesome
Awards Ceremony
CEO Doreen, Jo and Nigel
Representing New Directions Abbi
(left) and Laura (right) with
actress Sally Phillips (centre)
Working With RAN On Instagram
In 2017 New Directions worked in partnership
with Rugby Autism Network to raise awareness
of Autistic Pride Day with a series of Instagram
posts promoting inclusion and equality. We
look forward to working on other projects.

16. Innovative technology that
supports independent living
for people with disabilities was
the focus of a vital Assistive
Technology Event, hosted by
New Directions and presented
by Warwickshire County Council
Assistive Technology expert Julia
Murphy.
People supported by New
Directions, their families, carers
and employees were invited to
attend workshops on the day to
learn more about assistive technology, what is available and how it can
be accessed. New Directions, which supports learning and physically
disabled people, worked in partnership with the Warwickshire County
Council to facilitate this highly informative and pioneering event.
Julia (centre) with some of the people
who attended the event
Above: Susie and Kelly at the British
Motor Museum
Below: Kelly at Cosford Air Show
Kelly and Susie who are supported
in their own homes by New
Directions visited the British Motor
Museum in Gaydon this year for
the Military Weekend. Kelly likes
anything to do with transport.
Kelly said, “It was like going back
in time with soldiers and nurses
in uniforms from the 1940’s.”
Kelly also took a trip to Cosford Air
Show and stayed in a hotel for the
weekend.
Kelly said, “It was good and the
planes were flying in formation.”
Taking Time Out At
Transporting Events
Technology Event Supports Independence

17. Lindsey Crompton, Tesco’s Head of Community said, “We’ve been
overwhelmed by the response from our customers. The great thing
about Bags of Help is that local people are invited to decide how the
money will be spent in their community. We can’t wait to see the
projects come to life.”
We are thrilled to announce that we
have bagged £4,000 from the Tesco
#BagsOfHelp Initiative and £2,000 from
The Co-Operative plastic bag funding
scheme toward our sensory garden
at Richmond Court. These grants are
raised from the 5p plastic bag levy in
these supermarkets. They are awarded
to thousands of local community
projects every year.
Work is ongoing bringing the sensory
garden at Richmond Court project to
life. Plans include the practical use
of raised beds for flowers, herbs and
vegetables, a water feature, wind
and wall chimes, interactive materials,
mosaics and wall art.
Thousands Raised For Sensory Garden at
Richmond Court
The sensory garden area
at Richmond CourtImage from our Facebook appeal

18. Young People Help Out With Drama,
Fundraising and Raising Awareness
A group of young
people completed
their National Citizen
Service (NCS) with
New Directions and
raised £477.72 for our
charity.
NCS is a government-
funded initiative
aimed at 15-17 year
olds across the UK.
The NCS Team Reiss
used drama based
activities to engage
with the people supported by New Directions.
They then organised a successful sports day for
six of them at Rugby College.
Team Reiss also delivered a campaign in Rugby
town centre inspired by New Directions. The
purpose of the campaign was to make people
aware of diversity and challenging stereotypes
about disabilities. Team Reiss then created a
tree and asked members of the public to mark
a thumbprint on the canvas tree trunk. As well
as this the team provided a bag of sweets to
members of the public with an inspiring quote.
Sports for all at Rugby College with Team Reiss

19. Anthony and Philip travelled by
train with Support Worker Denise
to Seaton in Devon to stay in a
caravan for a week in the summer.
The weather was very hot and
they enjoyed days out by bus to
the donkey sanctuary, open top
bus and tram rides, days on the
beach, chips on the seafront,
cream teas and meals out at
the local pub. Philip also went to
Chester with Denise and stayed
in a hotel. He enjoyed having his
breakfast cooked for him, visiting
the zoo and seeing all the animals,
especially the monkeys.
Anthony and Philip in Seaton
Philip in Chester
Anthony and Philip’s
Adventures
Trips To Twycross Are Just the Ticket
Twycross Zoo is a popular place
to visit for individuals supported
by New Directions. There are
plenty of animals to see with some
that can be petted like ‘Chucky’
the bird with Sue here. People
who spend time at our short stay
service, Milner House like David
and Charlotte seen here can also
get involved. The zoo is accessible
to people in wheelchairs and
everyone enjoys a day out.

20. Contact Us:
New Directions (Rugby) Ltd.
Head Office
27 Bilton Road
Rugby
CV22 7AN
Tel: 01788 573318
Email:
admin@newdirectionsrugby.org.uk
Registered No: 2647131
Registered Charity No: 1005302
Website: www.newdirectionsrugby.org.uk
New Directions Rugby Ltd
newdirectionsrugbyltd
@CeoRugby
New Directions Rugby Ltd
Families Get Together at
Sensory Garden Barbecue
Friends and families were invited by people
who are supported by New Directions in their
homes near Richmond Court to share a late
summer barbecue. This event was also an
opportunity to showcase their sensory garden
which was recently renovated by volunteers
from Handlesbanken. Keith, Trevor, Janine,
Maureen and Linda welcomed guests and
the barbecue was a great success.
Friends from Vicarage Road
Keith greeting guests