CEO News

A very busy summer has kick off with the CAPITAL team promoting what we do at Chichester Pride. Members and some of the team were able to show off our new publicity materials as it was the first time out and about since Covid at such an event.

We’ve now got lots of exciting and LGBTQI+ relevant materials, cards, leaflets, stickers, rainbow sweets, as well as some updated CAPITAL T-shirts and caps!

This will all keep us ready for future community events we take part in. If you have any ideas about events that we could be at across West Sussex, just let a member of the team know and we’ll look into it. Also let us know if you’d like to be part of helping us out at events!

During the last month I’ve been involved Pathfinder review panels which are where services in Pathfinder peer review each other. I was a part of the moderator panel looking into the whole process. I was disappointed to see a lack of user voice in the process and that I am keen to look at how this may be improved. We’ll work with Pathfinder partners to improve this!

We’ve also continued involvement this month in Changing Futures, the South East Network of Disabled Persons Organisations, development of Pathfinder and future contracting arrangements (as our main funder for CAPITAL’s work – this is vital!)

Just hot footed off the back of our fabulous members event in Worthing that took place in June. This was a great day to work on membership development and group agreements , and to look at the future in CAPITAL’s emerging strategy. Feedback was very positive … we hope this will become a regular feature in the CAPITAL calendar as we look toward the future.

The newsletter is shorter this month ….and we’d like in the future to think about how we communicate with you about our work.. If you’d like to help us think about this please let us know. This will also emerge from the work that is going on as part of our engagement review with members.

If you’re not already part of our focus groups looking at how we work with members, please let Helen know (helen.hayward@capitalproject.org)

Coordinator News

Members Event Update - A huge thank you to everyone that attended our Members Event on Wednesday 28th June at Field Place, Worthing. It was great to see so many of you there. Those that attended, worked so hard to update our CAPITAL Group Agreements. We will be sending you the revised version for comment shortly. Please do take the time to give us your responses as these agreements are so important for us to run all our events so that everyone is valued and included.

Recruiting - Peer Group Facilitator Volunteer We are looking for more members to volunteer to help run our weekly peer led Art Group and Yarn and Yabber groups based at Safe Haven (our Head Office) in Bognor Regis.

If you would be interested in volunteering one day a week for a couple of hours to ensure our groups can keep running regularly, please contact Helen on 07522 227945.

Focus Group Update – Following on from your recent great work and participation, the staff team have lots of work to undertake to start to make the changes you have highlighted to improve our communication with our membership. Therefore we need to ‘pause’ the meetings until the team can make the changes already raised in line with CAPITAL’s business strategy. We will be up and running again as soon as we are able. We will keep you posted.

Yarn and Yabber Group – Due to lack of volunteer facilitators to run the group at present, we are having to cancel all future Yarn and Yabber sessions until we have enough volunteers in place. Please do let us know if you are interested and we will get the group back u and running as quickly as possible.

On a personal note, after much thought and consideration, I have resigned from my role as Learning and Development Coordinator for CAPITAL Project Trust. It has been a tough decision to make, especially because I hold you all so dearly in my heart. However, it is the right time for me to leave and move onto pastures new.

My last working day will be Thursday, 27th July. So please do get in touch if you need anything from me before that date and I will do my best to assist.

I wish each one of you the very best for your future and thank you for welcoming me into the CAPITAL family for 12+ years, I feel very honoured and privileged to have served you all and to be part of such an amazing community.

My most heart felt wishes to you all, Helen

Membership News:

A few wonderful photos from Chichester Pride and Our Capital Members Day:

And here is some wonderful feedback from our members who volunteered at Pride for us:

Aaron:

“Loved the atmosphere and impressed with the other stalls and was a great day all round.

Really enjoyed helping set up the Gazebo and stall!

Would love to help at other similar events in the future.”

Tabitha:

“Done my self-confidence the world of good!

Being a part of this event with CAPITAL helped me to engage with lots of new people.

Still very much buzzing.”

Ruth:

“Completely Brilliant day and loved supporting CAPITAL! loved every minute.”

Judith:

“It was amazing!

Lovely people and music was fantastic.

Spoke to many interesting people and would definitely go again.

Best day I have had in a very long time.

Thankyou for letting me be a part of CAPITAL!!”

Coproduction Update

Coproduction work is strengthening.

So SCALE, Sussex Coproduction and Lived Experience network has been welcoming new members

and is actively meeting monthly. The network also continue active involvement with work

focusing on developing a new ‘hub model’ in Crawley.

If you’d like to join SCALE, or would like more information about coproduction, please email:

coproduction@capitalproject.org or see: https://www.capitalproject.org/scale-network

Please get in touch with me if you’d like any more information about the work we’re doing –

Peer Support in Mental Health Accredited Course

Later this year we’ll bring back our Level 4 course, accredited by Middlesex University. 

If you want to put your name down for early information when its ready, please email: Kirsty.potter@capitalproject.org