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My first month at the Stress Project

26/6/2015

1 Comment

 
Hey, I’ve just joined HNG’s Stress Project as the Administrator. Starting any new project has its challenges and one of mine would be to cover Carol’s (the Stress Project’s Manager) holiday for a week. Covering a holiday, especially when you are new, is rather daunting and made me wonder how an understudy to a famous actor feels? How can I replace Sir Ian McKellan for tonight’s performance sprung to mind. Maybe I was being over dramatic. Most likely.

There’s always many new things to learn when starting a job, from the mundane of ‘where is the coffee’ and ‘what is the photocopier code’, to far more complicated procedures or confidentially issues. However, at the Stress Project there is all that and then some. For example, just learning what all the different keys are for is enough to give anyone a headache.


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The Stress Project - from Mindfulness Meditation and Counselling to Shiatsu and Pain Management.
Carol took me through a comprehensive induction process and the first thing that struck me was the breadth of services we provide, from Shiatsu and Pain Management to Counselling and Mindfulness Meditation – some of which are free. But what really fascinated me were the drop-in services. However, I just couldn’t quite get my head around how it worked - what services we offered, who manned them etc.? 

Over the first week or so I was getting my feet under the table dealt with a few small techie problems and other such issues.  However, the time for Carol’s holiday had arrived, so it was sink or swim time.  Carol had done a great job at providing the ‘rubber ring’ all I had to do was not burst it.  


On Monday, I got to the Stress Project extra early making sure I had time to go through the proper opening-up procedures ahead of our renters arriving. All went swimmingly well - it’s simple I thought, everyone around me knows how things work and they simply get on with it. I’m just here to be friendly and provide support.  All I need to do is follow the procedures put in place. 

After spending most of Tuesday at the drop-in I begun to understand how the service works and gained a real sense of the importance to the local community that such services have - especially to people experiencing distress. I even got a lesson from a service user about the importance of communicating by smiling.  Must remember that!

Thursday rolled around and the cavalry arrived – Damsyn (our office admin volunteer who has a seemingly unending bank of knowledge on all things Stress Project related) was came in! Great news, I had a few things to file that I couldn’t remember where to put and she would instantly know. 

Overall, there were a few bumps in the road, but I’d been able to help with some client referrals and deal with people’s enquiries and I’d certainly enjoyed taking my lunch in the lovely garden at the Stress Project. Most importantly, I’d learnt how the whole project is really held together by our volunteers. Without them our whole provision would have to change and we wouldn’t be able to provide the much-needed services to the local community that we do.  On a personal level I must give a special shout out to Damsyn, and Barbara for their support especially during the ‘holiday week’!

What next, oh yes the Gazebo needs putting up. Never a dull moment here!

If you’d like to volunteer at the Stress Project, please contact us on:

0207 7003839

Daniel 
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The Stress Project and UK Carers Week

24/6/2015

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10th June marked Health and Wellbeing Day – part of UK Carers Week. The Stress Project works extensively with its local community and often with its most in-need and distressed people – many of which have or are carers.  Carers provide a key role in providing much needed services to their community – much like we do.  Ultimately, without the commitment of their carers many people would face a far lower standard of living.

To honor their commitment, and as part of the Health & Wellbeing Day, The Stress Project joined in celebratory activities at Centre 404 in Camden. We gave taster sessions in massage and the feedback has been amazing - especially as many people in caring roles don’t often have the chance or time to receive treatments themselves.

If you’re in need of some massage or talking therapy, are a carer, or finding life generally stressful please come to our ‘drop-ins’. They’re every Tuesday (10.30am – 1pm) and Thursday  (10.30 am– 3pm). We also have a Therapeutic Gardening Club – maybe you could come along and enjoy our sensory garden with medicinal herbs and join in by planting and nurturing a plant from from seed, watch it grow – then take it home?

Also – please join us for our annual summer barbecue on Tuesday 21st July 10am –1pm. Newcomers are very welcome!

Carol 

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Holloway Neighbourhood Group celebrates Volunteers Week 

8/6/2015

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An annual event in the Holloway Neighbourhood Group social calendar is the Volunteers Dinner, where we celebrate Volunteers Week and thank all our volunteers for their contribution. This year there were so many of us that we had to have dinner in the big hall at the Old Fire Station community centre. Luckily, the weather was fine so we could spill out into the garden with our Pimms!

The number of individuals who choose to support our work by volunteering increases year on year. We currently have 50 amazing people, who take on all sorts of roles, including using their skills as therapists, working in the office, maintaining our garden and helping us with marketing. 

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer at the Stress Project, take a look at the opportunities available on our Volunteering page, or contact Carol - [email protected]  020 7700 3938

Carol

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Mindfulness Course starting on June 17th 

8/6/2015

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Mindfulness has rustled up a storm recently amongst those seeking respite from the everyday pandemonium of modern life.

So what is mindfulness, and what’s all the fuss about? Mindfulness centres around distancing yourself from the stresses of modern living by gaining control of your thoughts, feelings and sensations and focusing on living in the moment. By consciously paying attention to the present, you can avoid peripheral thoughts, emotions and anxiety, and better manage yourself. Practised regularly, mindfulness can lift your mood, reduce stress levels, aid concentration and reduce insomnia. 

Interested in learning Mindfulness techniques? An 8-week Mindfulness Course starts at the Stress Project on Wednesday 17 June, 6 to 8 pm. The course, which includes a full-day retreat on Saturday 8 August costs £250.  Find out more and book your place – 020 7700 3938 [email protected]. 

Lucy

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New Website for the Stress Project

8/6/2015

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For more than 20 years, Holloway Neighbourhood Group has been providing counselling and complementary therapies for people with mental health problems and stress-related illness at the Stress Project. We are now proud to release a website dedicated to the Stress Project – its people and services. You can find out about our wonderful volunteer therapists and the treatments they offer, as well as information about our courses, classes and drop-in activities. I would like to say a huge “THANK YOU” to our volunteer Neil Waterson, who created the website for us. 

Why not use the Contact page to let us know what you think? 

Lucy
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