CEO News

We’re still trying to hold on to some summer sunshine, and at the Worthing Rotary Club Community during two days where we had a CAPITAL stand, the sun shone bright.

The crowded event was another chance for us to connect with the community and promote CAPITAL and hand out our new publicity materials. It also was a chance to do some fundraising and gain new members.

This month I attended our Coproduction network (LEAG/SCALE) meeting. I was very impressed to see how this network is going from strength to strength – the facilitation, the content, and the productive discussions that ensued, made this a very interesting meeting, with commissioners, providers and people with lived experience around the same (virtual) table. There’s more about this later from Sara.

We’ve been seeing our creative Monday afternoon group blossoming as it becomes member led. They’ve also enjoyed a bit of a boost from some new funding we’ve been awarded from Morrisons Foundation. If you’d like to join the group, turn up on a Monday (not Bank Holidays) between 1-3pm.

Around Sudley Road offices there’s been a bit of a buzz again with some staff back in the office and with some new volunteers helping too.

We’re still a bit short staffed on the core team but Lucy Parsonage joins us as a Coordinator this month, from the Peer Worker team, and will also be bringing in some temporary support to cover our Membership Engagement work.

This month the team have been concentrating on changing and reviewing some internal systems and support, such as our Human Resources support and the communications system – for managing membership.

Funding wise, we received some good news regarding our Pathfinder contract and this has been agreed to continue until March 2025.

Don’t forget our AGM coming up in October – with a special guest speaker – there is more below.

As always, if you’d like to chat through anything we’re doing at CAPITAL, I would love to hear from you – duncan.marshall@capitalproject.org

Reviewing our newsletter and communications

We are keen to work with members to review our communications such as this newsletter, and we are aiming to set up a working group to look at this. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Kirsty: kirsty.potter@capitalproject.org

Developments in the north (of West Sussex)

We celebrated our first CAPITAL Community Hub Drop in at Crawley Library on 23rd August which will now be running fortnightly. We wanted our members to tell us what they would like. We all decided that we would l this as a safe place to really share and support each other, self-help tools, education & training information, signposting to other relevant support in the community and getting the word out about Capital.

We welcome all to attend the next Crawley Community Hub led by peers Dave and Kev on 6th September 1.30-3pm (as a one off this will be held at Starbucks Crawley). Refreshments will be provided.

For more information about CAPITAL Community Hubs, contact Sara: sara.shepherd@capitalproject.org, or call: 07522227941

Coproduction: update from Sara Shepherd, Interim Coordinator and Coproduction Lead

I attended my first SCALE meeting this month as Interim Co-production Lead.

Our guest speakers were Bree McDonald (Professional Lead for Psychology and Psychological Therapies West Sussex) - Therapeutics Ward project and Megan Gee (Communications Manager) - Community Mental Health Transformation.

This provoked a really interesting and passionate discussion.

Members voted to relaunch and rename the monthly members meetings as the West Sussex LEAG meeting (Lived Experience Advisory Group). This is to align with those already operating in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, and ultimately to pave the way for Pan-Sussex work under the SCALE banner!

In line with these changes, members will be offered payment to attend the LEAG meetings from the September meeting onwards. Next LEAG meeting date: Wednesday 20th September 10am-12am on zoom. For more information or to join LEAG please email me: sara.shepherd@capitalproject.org

A Different View

A Different View Littlehampton sessions are coming to an end. These have been run by CAPITAL Project Trust and Recovery Partners. They’ve been well attended and participants given really positive feedback about their learning and development during the course.

We’ll be offering more sessions in the Crawley area starting in October.

Early next year we’ll be holding an art exhibition to exhibit participants art work.

For more information about this free journalling and photography course contact Ant: a.stevens@recovery-partners.org.uk Mobile: 07826094533

Coordinator update

I have to say summer has been slightly wet and can’t believe that Autumn is on the horizon. I'm happy to announce I have passed my probation period 6 months as a CAPITAL Coordinator wow that really flew by and I have loved every minute.

Very excited to say myself, Sara and Heidi will be attending PEER Fest on the 7th of September in Manchester building connections with other Peer organisations. Don't forget we have our AGM coming up on the 12th of October and it will be held at the Salvation Army Hub and will also be having a guest speaker. More information to follow.

Just also want to say a massive thankyou to all the Western members for all your support and help at my first Locality meeting without Heidi! You are all super stars. 23 attended!!

Also would like to say a massive thankyou to our volunteers who worked very hard running our stall at Worthing Carnival this bank holiday weekend – you are all absolutely amazing, Lisa

I have just started in my new role as Interim Coproduction Lead along side my Interim Coordinator role. I am really pleased to now be working with CAPITAL full time.

My first full week was a lovely mix of meeting with colleagues from other organisations having discussions on how we all effectively work together and calls and meetings supporting our members. I went along to meet up with our members who are completing A Different View project and they are creating some lovely art pieces. It was really enjoyable and I was very grateful to receive a lovely art set myself. This is helping to get me motivated to draw again and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it, Sara

Annual General Meeting 2023

Our in-person AGM will be held on Thursday 12 October from 11am – at Salvation Army Centre, Canada Grove, Bognor Regis PO21 1DW.

Please save the date – formal invites to members will follow shortly.

Membership Awards – still time to nominate!

At our AGM, we'll celebrate the achievements of Members through CAPITAL Membership Awards.

There are three categories:

• The Andrea Linell Award is for a member (or members) who have created or been involved with a piece of work that does something to enhance the name of CAPITAL and its reputation

• The Peter Brooks Award is made to members who deliver great informal peer support to others

• The Jacqui Cavalier Award celebrates CAPITAL members who have, through resilience, been positive in overcoming challenges

Please go to https://forms.office.com/e/20X41fLCaq to nominate.

You can nominate also by emailing: enquiries@capitalproject.org by calling us on: 01243 869662, or scanning the QR code!

CLOSING DATE is 4 September 2023

Membership Opportunities

Join our coproduction network, the West Sussex LEAG (formerly known as SCALE) Contact Sara: sara.shepherd@capitalproject.org or mobile 07522 227941 - lots of meetings and opportunities!

Brighton University - interview panels for candidates for the Approved Mental Health Practitioner course: dates 9+10 October on MS TEAMS - contact Duncan for more: duncan.marshall@capitalproject.org / mobile: 07450 558607

Patient Viewpoint - always looking for volunteers to help run this in hospital sites. We provide training. This is a volunteer role. More information from one of the Coordinators: Lisa, Sara, Heidi – call us

Member Quotes

‘’Thank you so much for today I have had one of the best days’’

'’When you have struggles outside, you come here for 1 to 2 hours and forget all about them’'

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter

Your CAPITAL Team