Carers matter at Reach

Clients from Reach Learning Disability in Southwell recently welcomed family carers for lunch to show their appreciation for all their support.

They worked as a team to prepare the menu, carefully set the table and arrange flowers to decorate it with. Shepherd’s pie was served with vegetables for the main course, which was followed by apple turnover with custard for dessert.
Family carer Susan attended the meal. “What a lovely lunch we had – it was greatly appreciated,” Susan shared. “We were greeted warmly on arrival and it was wonderful to see them all.”

The lunch gave local family carers a good opportunity to connect and get to know one another better.

Catherine, our Carers Matter Project Manager, said: “It was so kind and thoughtful for the Southwell clients, staff and volunteers to treat the carers to a delicious lunch. We all felt so well looked after. Carers were able to share a sense of community during the meal which is vital in reducing feelings of isolation. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

Our Carers Matter project is funded by a grant from Nottinghamshire Freemasons. To find out more about the project, contact Catherine at catherine.shatwell@reachuk.org or on 07715 648691.

Soil Science

Thanks to a grant from British Science Week, Reach Learning Disability recently launched their Soil Science project, making science more accessible to people with learning disabilities (clients) at its two horticultural sites, Flower Pod Southwell and Flower Pod Newark.
The project will see clients taking part in scientific activities to better understand soil ecology and composting. Expert staff led two short courses at both centres focusing on the lifecycle and storage of compost, which included conducting experiments to explore ways to improve the compost quality.
Christine Daniels, Flower Pod Newark Centre Manager, stated: “Compost is what helps keep our flowers, trees and produce growing – that’s why it’s important to learn how we can be better stewards in our gardens. It was fantastic teaching clients to use compost thermometers, check soil pH levels and conduct micro-experiments in jars.”
Flower Pod Southwell Centre Manager, Jane Hufton, said: “The learner celebration event was wonderful – it was a great opportunity to reflect on what everyone had learned during British Science Week and to enhance clients’ confidence about taking part in science in the future.”
Find out more about Flower Pod at www.reachuk.org/services/flower-pod/ or call 01636 918271.

Published April 2022