We’re great…it’s official!

18 01 2010

It’s that time of year when we have to ask our members what they think of us. We’ve just sent out a questionnaire on Survey Monkey and the first replies are coming in. Thankyou to those of you who have replied already.

Here are a couple of quotes:

I love the whole ethos of Skills Exchange and the wonderful people behind it are creative, non-judgemental and make each member feel ’special’. It is extremely friendly and a great place to network with like minded people, and also obtain useful information.

My experience with it has been excellent. It’s a fantastic way of equal exchange

  Exchanges through Skills Exchange are a fantastic way of accessing services that ordinarily one may not be able to afford. Also having new experiances such as hypnotherapy which I hadn’t had before and thoroughly enjoyed. It also gives one the opportunity to practice/develop/maintain one’s skills, thereby developing self confidence.

 

More on this later, am just dashing off to my Social Media Course.

Helen





What a year that was!

18 01 2010

As promised bloggers, here’s a bit of a catch up on what we did for the “lost “6 months of last year, and I mean LOST, I shall be much more up to date in future. Please also see a veritable feast for the eyes, a few snaps too to make the page look a bit prettier.

So…since June last year we have signed up 41 new Individual members and 4 Organisations. Welcome to you all, you bring with you many new skills and opportunities for our members to get busy. Over 1000 hours have been swapped between members. Some of the stuff that’s been swapped includes…reflexology, card making, loan of face painting equipment, moving and lifting heavy gym equipment, jewellery repair, gardening, painting and decorating, British Sign Language, catering for social events, helping with mailouts… the list is really quite long :-)

As well as the bread and butter business of Exchanges we also like to do a bit of Socialising!

In August one of our members, Lynne, ran a “Sweet Making” Workshop at our old offices in Hyson Green. Both adults and children attended and learnt how to make fudge, strawberry and apricot creams, truffles and nut clusters. Everyone enjoyed it, got stuck in and had a delicious box of chocolates to take home afterwards ( fancy one now actually).

On July 19th we joined in with the national “Big Lunch”, this was the brain child of the Eden Project, who thought that it would be great to get the nation to stop what they were doing and sit down with their neighbours and have some lunch. We aren’t strictly “neighbours”, but we thought that it would be a good opportunity to get our virtual neighbours together. It was a bit on the rainy side as I recall and the buffet had to be rescued from the rain a few times , but all had a good time. Here are a couple olf lovely piccies to prove it.

One of our resolutions last year was to”read a book you wouldn’t usually choose”. To celebrate the loveliness of books, and reading in general, we held “Telling Tales” in September, an afternoon of stories and delicious cakes. We had a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party buffet, our Book Swap, Ron telling his humorous verse, Sue reading to the little ones and Rosie making stories up on the spot from people’s ideas. The “Book Doctor” from Nottingham City Libraries also came and brought spoken word books and information on books in languages other than English. Our Organisation members, Hyson Green Library, loaned us some rugs in the shape of books which were very in keeping with the event.

Finally, in our fabulous pictorial journey through 2009, we have our Winter Social. This was held at The Vine Community Centre on Friday 11th December. Around 50 members and their children attended. Our plea for food for the buffet was answered with great generosity, table was groaning under the weight of pakoras, mince pies, sos rolls, cake, crisps etc. Thankyou to everyone. Members provided entertainment for the children in the form of craft activities, thankyou to Louise and Wendy. Ron was back with some more of his (very) humorous verse, Lytisha gave a Merengue Workshop ( sorry I didn’t join in, I’d lost my car keys at that point!) and Marc Block ( and Lytisha and Chris) played some music for us. Thankyou to Nico too, who provided the PA. We will be having more of this sort of stuff during 2010. More is just more.

    Thankyou to everyone who got involved last year, here’s to even more lovely stuff in 2010.

Helen                                                                             





Belated New Year Greetings!!!!

13 01 2010

Forgive me Skills Exchange bloggers for I have sinned…it is 6 months since my last blog. Oh dear me. My excuse would have to be that we have been just TOO busy for me to spend time blogging. We most certainly have, as you will know if you are a member. I promise to do a lovely “Review of the Year” catch up blog when I am back at my desk and have access to our archive of lovely photos.

I find myself working from home today, flat battery and school buses not running, so I have an opportunity to do the stuff I don’t generally make time for PLUS I have just started a rather excellent 8 week course via the WEA, Social Media for Small Groups, this has inspired me to get blogging again. If you want some info on that contact Community ICT Project 0115 9858203

So, what’s happening with the Skills Exchange I hear you say. Well….we continue to grow, we now have 181 Individual members and 28 Organisations. I can feel a party coming on when we get to 200 Individuals, shouldn’t be too long. Over 3,000 hours have been swapped, members helping each other with all sorts of stuff….reflexology, caring for a pet when owner away, jewellery repair, sewing alterations, British Sign Language, Geography tuition, Word processing, gardening, decorating…it’s fab.

Lots of exciting ideas for the year ahead:

Already booked in, a Scrapbooking Workshop for 13th March

We are doing the Big Lunch again in July

We’ll have another Coach trip somewhere, maybe the seaside

More Arty Stuff planned with our Organisation member Lakeside Arts Centre

There will be a Big Clear Up for one of our Organisation members

An International Food evening

Probably lots more AND our regular Breakfast Morning continues EVERY Friday 10:30 til 11:30 at our offices 181 Alfreton Road. Yes, we’ve moved as well since I last wrote. I really am a very bad person, fancy not telling you that.

So, yay, I’m off at last with the blogging in 2010. Happy New Year. If you aren’t a member, why not, get in touch and we’ll show you how to do it :-)

Helen





Getting Arty at the Lakeside Arts Centre

30 06 2009

Hello bloggers, forgive me, but I haven’t blogged for ages and I’m now on a bit of a catch up!lovely mono prints

April was the month to “do something arty” and we teamed up with orgaisation members the Lakeside Arts Centre who offered us a Gallery Tour and a Mono Printing Workshop.

I went along to the gallery tour which was fascinating. Ruth showed us around the whole building, giving us some interesting info about it’s history and we got to meet the artist in residence and have alook at her work. The tour finished with a look at the exhibition of American prints, Reuben, our smallest visitor snored all the way through that bit, which gave us all a giggle.

The mono printing workshop on the Friday was attended by several members who really enjoyed themselves and produced some very interesting results. Thankyou to Ruth who organised this for us.

The Lakeside is a fab place for a day out, there are the galleries and cafe. Plus a playpark, lots of paths and gardens to meander through, ducks to feed and boats to row on the lake.

Everyone getting arty!





The Bridge Centre gets a new volunteer

6 04 2009

Mick joined the Skills Exchange in March this year and has a background in catering. When he Is that with mayonnaise?found out that one of our Organisation members, The Bridge Centre, were looking for volunteers he was keen to get involved. The Bridge Centre is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and serves very reasonably priced meals and has a children’s play area and a second hand clothes, book and bric a brac stall.

Mick went along for an interview and started volunteering in the kitchen on Wednesdays. Janet, a worker at the Centre says

Mick has settled in really well. He can turn his hand to anything.

This is just one example of the many and varied things members can get involved with. We have 23 Organisational members, and there are opportunities to pick up new skills and Time Credits at the same time.

Thankyou Mick!