Gardening project - learning about soil testing

The Chorlton Good Neighbours gardening project continues. Several of us are taking a course at Hulme Community Garden. This week was about soil, testing it and composting. We also did some work on the plots, crunching up branches to make compost

Day 2 of the Garden/Allotment project

 Day 2 of working on the Chorlton Good Neighbours plot in Mancheter UK. Digging over the ground and cutting some branches off a tree that is overhanging the plot. Plenty of stops for cups of tea and some of Keith's banana cake

The 5 Ways of Wellbeing - what are they?

Manchester City Council Directorate for Adults, Health & Wellbeing now requires all applicants for wellbeing funding for Adult Services to relate to the "5 Ways of Wellbeing" which relate to mental health. As the funding from the Council is important to keeping Good Neighbours going, we decided to ask some of our users and volunteers what they understood by the 5 terms which are supposed to become as familiar to us for mental wellbeing at the "5 fruit & veg per day" is for physical wellbeing


The five ways are summarised as:

• Connect – With people around you, family, friends the community.
• Be Active – By doing some form of physical exercise that you enjoy  and suits your level of mobility.  Exercising makes us feel good.
• Take Notice – Of the things around you and be aware of your feelings.  By beginning to take notice and savouring in the things we can often take for granted, pleasure can be found in the smallest of things.
• Keep Learning – Settings ourselves challenges that can give us a sense of achievement is important to wellbeing.
• Give – By helping a friend, a neighbour, being kind to a stranger or joining a community group it can give us a sense of purpose and be incredibly rewarding.   

This video gives some of the views of our members attending a coffee morning on Marc 8th 2012

Comments written up from this  "5 ways of wellbeing" session

Connect Meeting people Talking Helping eg shopping Walk Go to groups Looking after someone Caring Connect with Services, puts you in touch Memories & talking about them Socialise Enjoyment Advice Company Know help is available Connect with like- minded and new people Connect with organisations Local news & activities You are not  on your own We are all in the same boat together	Be Aware Walk as much as possible Exercising Of the ageing process Watch out for dodgy stuff Someone in need  or who is struggling Of services Danger: muggers, strangers, door to door salesmen Of the weather Shopping Outings Up and about
Take Notice Listen and learn from people Keep an eye on people Notice everything, what is going on Traffic Meeting people Notice when to put the bins out (and which ones) Go for long walks Friendship Respect Information Take care Know help is available	Keep Learning Never too old Join a class or course Reading Listen to music & the radio Listen to people Art classes & go to galleries Keep up with the news (be a part of the world you are in) Education classes (if you can get to them) Keeps  the brain active What is going on through newspapers Exchange ideas Notice own and others wellbeing Something new & new experiences
Give Give to charity, donations Give time Think of their needs Other people come first, those worse off than we are Lots stuck in their house Give small gifts	Give (continued) Smiling at people Give blood Help others (eg by shopping for them) You should not just take, but give Support people with problems Friendship & social support Sharing problems

Talk on Memory Loss and Dementia

Sally Ferris from Alzheimers UK led an interactive session at Chorlton Good Neighbours Coffee Morning on March 1st 2012. This gives a flavour of her talk, which was excellent