Hello Members, Carers, Parents, Trustees, and Supporters.

We will be doing lots of fundraising in November and December, if you have anything that would be good for a raffle or a tombola, please bring to club, or let one of us know and we will collect.

As you know Gateway is a charity and we rely heavily on our Christmas time fundraising, if you have any time to spare and would like to join us, let us know.

On behalf of Gateway

Thank you

Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas is over for another year and its good to get back into a routine of normal eating. I’m sure we’ve all received gifts that we can’t use ourselves, got over faced by toiletries and other gifts (I know I have !!!!) or maybe you’ve had too many chocolates and too much alcohol. If so, we can take them off your hands and use them for our TOMBOLA AND RAFFLE PRIZES.

Our next Fund Raising events will be at EASTER.

So please send any unwanted items in to the club or contact Pauline 07929 300453

Please ask family and friends as people like to give to a local charity.

We will be having a stall at The Makers Market, and possibly one on the High St the week after that.

Thank you.

Pauline (Fund Raising TRUSTEE)

Tombola, crafts and cakes

We had a stall on the Makers Market last Saturday with a tombola, crafts and cakes. 

Thanks to great support on the day, we made £226.00.  This means we have reached our target for Xmas Fund raising and made a total over £1000.00 for Uttoxeter Gateway Club activities. 

Thank to Julia, Faye and Sue for baking cakes and Paul and our member David Nadin for helping run the stall. 

Waitrose Delivers Presents to Santa

Waitrose have been extremely generous this year and have donated Christmas presents to all our members which Santa will be giving out at our Christmas dinner on 19th December… more about this later…

Why I love being a trustee

I first became involved with the Uttoxeter Gateway Club twelve years ago after speaking to Ruth and Pauline at the Uttoxeter Christmas Cracker. My son Sam became one of the youngest members at sixteen. My daughter Rosie helped at the club as a volunteer while she was at Thomas Alleyne’s Sixth Form. Six years ago I became the club treasurer.

Being a trustee of this club is a privilege and a pleasure. Through the club we, as a family, have forged so many very special friendships and made so many happy memories.

I can remember well Sam’s eighteenth birthday at the Heath Community Centre. A sizeable contingent of members attended and that’s when I first understood exactly what partying with the Uttoxeter Gateway Club meant. The members stole the show that night with their singing, dancing and the joy they brought with them. Sam’s family and friends still talk about how wonderful they all were and how they made that evening so special.

I still remember, with more than a smile, Rosie’s dance troupe of lady members entertaining us all. Rosie loved her time with the club and is still treated like visiting royalty whenever she is with the members.

Over the years it has been a privilege to be invited to and included in so many wonderful events, quiz nights, racing evenings, craft events, discos, parties and one of my particular favourites the Murder Mystery Evening. Who could forget the Barn Dance when the instructions were accidentally broadcast during the church service next door?

Any time spent at this club and with the members is always time well spent but my favourite times have been seeing some of the members on Christmas Day wherever they have been for their Christmas lunch and sharing my Fiftieth birthday year with members David and Carole (although of course we don’t look it).

Nothing is quite the same as walking into a club night or event and being greeted with such genuine warmth and friendship. If you have ever considered volunteering or becoming a trustee I urge you to get yourself down to The Guild Hall on a Tuesday evening but you might want to take your dancing shoes as you will probably need them sooner rather than later. Nothing is more joyous than an event that involves music or dancing. You won’t be able to resist joining in.

We are always looking for volunteers and trustees with new ideas and skills to share with the club. I can assure you that the rewards are very special. I have loved my time as a trustee and the opportunity to contribute to such a special club.

Whenever I think of what the Uttoxeter Gateway Club means to me I am reminded of all those special times and these lyrics:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came…
You want to go where people know
The people are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name

(‘Where everybody knows your name’ by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo)

Hello Uttoxeter Gateway Club

Did you know that from 13 – 17 November it is Trustees’ Week?

We all know how important trustees are for the work we do to support people with a learning disability, so why not take this week as an opportunity to recognise them for their hard work and dedication? Looking for a trustee to join you? Use this week to raise awareness of this opportunity!

Did someone say resources?

The Trustees’ Week website has a number of great resources to help with getting involved with this week. It includes details on activities you can do during the week, how to get local media attention and template posters and flyers. All available in English and Welsh!

We have also created some speech bubbles that you can use on social media to share why you love your trustees and why they love being a trustee. Don’t forget to tweet these photos to @Mencap_Charity using the hashtag #TrusteesWeek.

Looking to find your next trustee?

Oxford HR, who provide an exciting offer to the Network already, have created some profile templates to help with finding exactly what you are looking for, whether it be a trustee, Treasurer or Chair!

They have also shared some draft interview questions that can be used for board appointments.

Where have the last nine years gone?

John Phillips has been a trustee at Mencap for nine years. He is also the Director of Isle of Wight Mencap. John has written a blog about his experience of being a trustee. Within it he explains how his work at Isle of Wight Mencap has been vital for supporting with this role.

This year John is stepping down from his role as a trustee. We would like to say a big thank you to him for all his hard work and dedication for the last nine years. His insights have been invaluable.

Login and take advantage of exclusive offers, free resources and chat with other partners on Your Network. If you do not have a profile set up, please contact the Network Office who will be able to support you.

Soup 4 Starters – presented by Uttoxeter Leading Ladies

Click the image to download the poster.

Uttoxeter Gateway Club Annual General Meeting

Please Note

The Uttoxeter Gateway Club AGM will be held

at

The Guildhall, Balance Street, Uttoxeter

on

Tuesday 17th October @ 7pm

Fund raising events for the rest of 2017

We will be having Stalls for all these events and we will be selling Crafts, Produce and having a Xmas Raffle and Tombola.

We have started to collect now, so all donations will be gratefully received.  All the money we raise goes to pay for Uttoxeter Gateway Club activities.

Please come and support us.

Staff Changes

It is with regret that Debbie Egerton and Lisa Lovatt have left the Gateway Club.  They have other commitments and have been finding it increasingly difficult to carry on.  Of course, we wish them well and the door is always open if they wish to return.

We are pleased to introduce Julia Dixon who as joined us as a volunteer, and is now going to be a permanent member of staff.