Kings Lynn Corn Exchange

My name is Maureen and I have been a member of SAP for many years.

We were invited to have a stall at the Kings Lynn Corn Exchange event about celebrating ability. This is our second year of doing this and we really enjoyed ourselves.

We have a good display with lots of information about our activities.

Here we have just finished setting up and we are now waiting for the doors to open.

We got to talk to lots of people including the mayor and several Councillors. We enjoy talking about what we do as we are very proud of all the hard work we do.

MY WEDDING DAY

On Friday  August  27th, l  got  married to Robin Pearson. l first met  Robin seven years ago. It  was love at  first sight. We met at the cinema The Majestic in Kings Lynn. we were watching Love  Actually. Robin proposed to me a couple of years ago and I was so happy to say yes. Robin loves me very much. A few months before August in the Spring of 2010 we started to plan our special day.

We decided to get married at Hanse House Kings Lynn Registrar Office.

I started to think about my wedding dress. Robin kept what he was going to wear a secret. I saw a lovely long dress in Debenhams. A long peacock green gown. On the morning of the 27th I woke up at 7am. I was so nervous, I had butterflies in my stomach. I went downstairs. The dining room was full of presents and cards. Staff helped me get ready for my wedding at midday I did not see Robin all morning the staff helped me book our honeymoon at Knights Hill

At 11.30 I went for a walk around town with my friends. I then had to get home to meet my wedding car, it was a beautiful white Jaguar with a driver. I got in with my best Man Aidy who was going to give me away. I was surprised to see all my friends at Hanse House. I was so happy. I saw Robin in the Registrars office. He had a kilt on he looked so smart we had a lovely ceremony we had our own choice of music playing. I was so excited I didn’t hear it.

Finally we were husband and wife. Everybody came back to Portland street for our reception we had lots of  food and gifts it was a lovely buffet The cake was gorgeous it was two tier we enjoyed ourselves for hours Then later that evening  Robin and I went to Knights Hill for our Honeymoon. My wedding was the most lovely day one of the best days of my life.

Shane Malster

From Blog-Heads

Shane Malster: Chair and Sports Coordinator

Training Days Provided by SAP

SAP provides training to other organisations. We are used as a resource due to our specialised knowledge on handicapped and learning disability issues. We provide training to Norfolk County Council Cultural and Library Services as well as other voluntary organisations and statutory sectors. This is to help professionals on improving services they provide to people with learning disabilities. Improving services for people like us improves access to these services for all. It also means that services provide more value for money from the income they receive from public money.

We were hired for our most recent training event by Norfolk County Council Library and Cultural Services. This happened last Autumn 2009. The event was held at Gressinghall Open Air Museum. We provided four trainers, two with learning disabilities and two members of staff. The purpose of the day was to help the Library Service raise awareness amongst it’s managers and front-line staff on Disability Issues. More specifically, how to provide a more inclusive and accessible service for everyone in Norfolk.

The staff from Library Services came from all over Norfolk, many had interesting ideas and experiences on improving services in libraries in Norfolk. A Librarian from Yarmouth already provided a weekly group for people with disabilities. Many others had disabled users they were trying to help, but needed more help and direction on how to do this.

To start off the day we made presentations to discuss learning disability issues. In the morning we gave them exercises to evaluate how they support the public. They also brainstormed why they thinks it’s important to support inclusion. The trainees also contributed ideas on new and improved ways to include the public from all different sectors, not just the disabled.

The training events we provide are all day events and a lot of work gets done. This also helps the trainees to add to their Professional Development Records, as they earn a certificate at the end of these events. The feedback we get from these events are always positive and Council staff who are sent to these events always say it is worthwhile and insightful.

SAP has been providing training to other Sectors and Organisations for six years and it something that is always in demand.

Changes we have seen that have arisen from these events are:

·    Library staff are increasingly proactive and positive towards people with learning disabilities.
·    IT and computer availability and training is available at all libraries.
·    More large print books.
·    More audio books.
·    More explanation of how to find books and information inside libraries.

Robin Pearson

From Blog-Heads

My name is Robin Pearson I am a student part time, I have not been coming here for too long and now I am feeling better I like to come here, and I especially like to be the treasurer.

At the last AGM I said I would like to be an officer and the members said they wanted me to be treasure, I had never done this before but I was not worried about this because everyone supports each other and I knew I would not be on my own. I am enjoying this, I like meting other people all the other members are all right, they are very good, everyone helps each other. Claire helps me in my English class, I do stories and poetry, I also do films.

My hobbies are bird watching, going out with Val, going to the pictures, going to other clubs like bird club and the Peace of Mind.  the lady helps me at Peace of Mind, this is a free course and I like it a lot.

I left school at 15 and I did not learn much there, I have had lots of jobs but now I am 60 I am retired, its now nice to learn things that I didn't learn at school.

I am getting married to Val, I have known her for years and she is a good girl. We will get married in August this year and then we will get a house together.

I want to come on these courses, and I want SAP to do an archaeology course because I get an archaeology magazine and this very interesting. Me and Val go to the museum a lot and SAP will do things like this as well.

Robin Pearson

Val Jones

From Blog-Heads

My name is Valerie Jones and I am a member of SAP and I work in the English and Maths class. I enjoy coming here and I get a lot of pleasure from learning new things. It has made me want to learn lots more and this is something I want to keep doing.

I like the group and I think they are all very nice, we have fun and sometimes the members wined me up but its all fun. I am getting married soon to Robin and I think this is going to be the best year of my life and I love Robin so much.

SAP makes me feel very happy, everyone helps each other and if I get stuck we all work together and the teacher will spend time with each of us until we understand what is happening and understand our work. I am going to go to the Compass Group on the last Wednesday of each month, the next trip is a history trail around Kings Lynn, the meeting after that is in Old Hunstanton because this is a very old part of Norfolk. This will be at the end of May.

Coming to SAP makes me feel very happy and I am doing lots more for myself and my confidence is getting much more better, I am going to keep coming. I do sometimes get very stressed out when I cant get a word right of if I cant get the sums right. But everyone spends time and helps me until I can do it. Soon I will be able help other people as well.

In the future I want to continue learning new things and I want to do more classes, SAP will be starting a new group in Downham Market and I am going to be the lead member for this, it will be very hard because I have not done this before but I think it will be good to learn this new job and I will work hard for the group. It will be good for me and will make me stretch my brain for new things.

I will write more for the blog when this new work starts and if I have anything else to say.

Valerie Jones

Our Day at Lynn Sport Multi-Disability Sports Event, Paul Norman

From Blog-Heads

On Monday 19th of April we went to a Multi-Disability Sports Event at Lynn Sport in King’s Lynn. The purpose of the day was to give people with different disabilities a chance to try sports Lynn Sport provides to the local community.

Four of us from SAP went to the event; Shane Malster; Rosie Dade; David Richards and I. At 1pm we met Ellen Valient from Active Norfolk at Lynn Sport. She told us about the Sports that are available for us to join. We went to the badminton courts, where we met with the County Badminton Coach, Robin. There were four badminton courts. I partnered up with my friend Shane, SAP’s Vice Chair and Sports Coordinator. I had to tell Robin, the instructor, I had never played before. Robin showed me how to hold the racquet properly. There is a special way of holding the racquet that helps you to play better – even if you are a beginner! Shane and I had a badminton game. We had lots of fun and good exercise. We got hot but it was a laugh. David and Rosie also played. Robin showed us a game where we had to aim to bat the shuttlecock into numbered hoops laid on the ground. I was happy to hit my targets.

After badminton, we went to the Main Sports Hall where Ellen and Robin instructed us on the rules of curling and how to play it. This is the same as the Olympic sport played on ice. At Lynn sport the curls have small skate wheels on, so these go across the Main Sports Hall and not an ice rink. When Shane had a go, one of the little wheels came off and this was funny! When David played he bounced the curl off the wall to hit his target. To my surprise I won the game! I would love to carry on with curling as a sport.

We stayed at Lynn Sport until 3pm trying out sports and meeting the staff. When I got home I was tired and my legs were aching but I felt happy and positive about playing sports. I am now keen to go back and join Lynn Sport. This event had been the first time in my life I have had a chance to play sports. I am now a retired person, I now have a lot of time on my hands. The first few months at home were fine; but I now get very bored and do not go out as much as I would like. I miss meeting other people to have a chat and a laugh. I am going to ask my mates to meet me up at Lynn Sport so we can have a game and get some exercise.

Report on the St Nicholas Treasure Trail

From Blog-Heads

One of the highlights of our compass group in 2009 was looking around the historic church called St Nicolas, near the docks in Kings Lynn this served a close section of the community within the area near Trues Yard where fishermen's families lived many years ago. Many of their homes got knocked down during redevelopment half a century ago so this church has seen many changes throughout the years.

The group decided to create its own treasure trail that people with learning disabilities could try, half of our group looked for features on or around the church, church yard and outbuildings. Once a question had been put together the other half chose various angles to take pictures to act as clues.

This church is no longer in use for baptism, marriages, services or funerals so we could not do reports or pictures inside the building however, we found lots of detail on the site outside this historic site. Paul had not trained as a steeplejack so it was useful to have a really good camera with a zoom lens we also gathered information from many wall plaques and used the guide book to check things out.

The more we looked around the number important features increased there were three arch doors on the west north and south side and we counted the windows that still contained stained glass.

Like many of the local churches we found lots of gargoyles which are carved figure heads that quite often get used as rain water spouts. Later we discovered that the layout of the grave stones was different on the north side to that on the south so we had to explain why. One large grave at the west front was that of a famous rich local man.

The church was built by William Turbus, third Bishop of Norwich in the twelfth century. On entry through a wrought iron gate at the front dated 1794 when the early spire was built you get a view of the replacement from 1869 its octagonal in shape. There are many windows some clover shaped and others that have been filled in with stone to replace the stained glass. On the lower left corner there is a ordinance survey bench mark which shows you sea level at key points. Other churches show check marks for past floods.

The church clock was supplied by James Suddleton, a local watchmaker in 1835 at a price of £104, 4s. In the porch on the south side there are a variety of crests also ceiling bosses that stretch from one side to the other.

If you follow the path around you're sure to see a very old building used by the rector that looks like a witches house with low ceilings and doorway, posts were put in the cobbled streets as protection from passing horse drawn coaches. Preservation plates give you even more clues on the age and use of the building.

We look forward to future trails around St Margaret's, a second old church on the other side of town.

Trevor Smith.

Your New Bloggers, Look out for them in the coming weeks.

From Blog-Heads

Paul Norman

From Blog-Heads

Robin Pearson

From Blog-Heads

Shane Malster

From Blog-Heads

Trevor Smith

From Blog-Heads

Val Jones

OH JESUS, IT'S BEEN A YEAR !!!!!!!

Apologies to everyone who has been following us, we have not said anything for a year.

We have had some interesting times with member changes, broken equipment and lots of work.

Equipment gets old and things break, we had been pushing our computer to the limit and it finally died, we all mourned its passing but at least everything was backed up. We have been running for quite a while now on borrowed equipment and it does show how fast things have moved on over the past 5 years. We are now looking for funding to get our own equipment and a decent internet connection, especially as now the wages and inland revenue all have to be done on-line.

We have also had some very sad times, one of our members, Gwen Cohen, fell seriously ill this last year and sadly died in March 2010. We all miss Gwen very much and send her friends and family all our sympathies.

On to happier things, we now have a group who will be writing articles and reports for our blog so things will be much more regular, you will meet them all over the coming months and there are a bunch of articles to go on over the next week. So keep on the look out for Shane, Val, Paul, Trevor and Robin.

See you soon.