right-choices

RIGHT CHOICES WIN AN IT’S YOUR COMMUNITY AWARD

Right Choices have won a top It’s Your Community award of £1000 to help set up a free Outreach Community network service for one to one support for people in crisis who need support in the leisure & welfare services. Carle Coultas, the franchise owner from O2’s Headingley Store will be introduced to supporters, members and guests of Right Choices when he presents Cheryl Kebede the Group’s volunteer founder with an It’s Your Community Award on Tuesday 22 January 2008 at 7.30pm.
Right Choices was set up in July 2005 by Cheryl who could not find a support group for people with learning disabilities or mental health difficulties. So she decided to set up her own group by placing an advertisement in the local paper and to her delight forty five people turned up on the first night. Now Right Choices provides leisure and recreation opportunities for its members twice a week and has developed an information service for people who might otherwise be marginalised. Cheryl’s latest idea is to create a community networking service that offers one to one support and It’s Your Community will enable Right Choices to set up the appropriate office equipment to run the network.
“Right Choices has grown according to demand” Cheryl says “and now it wants to provide a service to people who cannot always articulate what they need. Just simple actions like linking people to essential services in housing and welfare can make our members’ lives less stressful. Now thanks to this O2 It’s Your Community award we will be able to create a free network service and open up Right Choices to our members twice a week during the day.” Cheryl – who was awarded a Community Champion Award for her work in setting up Right Choices, will use It’s Your Community to buy a laptop, photo-copier and a mobile phone

“This is an exciting community initiative and I’m delighted It’s Your Community has been able to get involved, says O2’s Carl Coultas. The awards are designed to make a difference to communities all over the UK by providing the funds to get ideas off the ground,” he explains. “We want to build a network of projects across the country that collectively make a difference. Applying for an It’s Your Community award is simple and fast, just log on to www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk , get inspired and see what you can do.”

Right Choices is supported by Greg Mulholland MP who unfortunately could not be with Cheryl today but who sent this message “I am absolutely delighted that Right Choices has been given an award as a ‘Champion’ Project by O2! It is right that they have been recognized. Right Choices is a wonderful project which really contributes to the community as well as being invaluable for the people who are involved.”Councilor Martin Hamilton will be dropping in to meet members of Right Choices and to congratulate Cheryl on receiving her It’s Your Community Award.
Each month up to 60 projects throughout the UK receive up to £1000 of It’s Your Community funding. Awards must be for the benefit of the community or to build community spirit. For more information about the hundreds of projects which have already received an award and how to apply for one, visit www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk .
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Making the right choices in Leeds

In November 2006, a community worker from Leeds received a Community Champions award from GOYH in recognition of her work to increase the skills
levels of others in her community, to enable them to act as inspirational figures, entrepreneurs and community leaders.

CASESTUDY

The project provides leisure and recreational activities alongside a sign-posting service to adults with learning difficulties, disabilities and mental health problems. About 80 people per week access the service that operates out of Headingley community centre. The Community Champions fund was established by the Department for Education and Skills in 1999 and is a £3million per year programme that offers individuals up to £2,000 to run innovative projects in their community. £340,255 was spent last year in Yorkshire and The Humber Region on projects ranging from bicycle recycling in North Yorkshire to
establishing a disability consultancy for older disabled people in Bradford.

Wednesday 1 November 2006 07:00
Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber (Yorkshire and the Humber)

They are the champions

Twenty nine men and women from neighbourhoods right across Yorkshire and The Humber will be crowned 'Community Champions' this week (2 November) at an awards ceremony in Leeds.

The award winners are people who used modest Government grants to create something worthwhile in their local community whilst developing their own skills along the way. Whether this has involved organising events or conferences, starting up support network groups or setting up new community activities, all these schemes have helped improve the lives of others.
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The Yorkshire Evening Post May 2007

PHILIP Hawley is a passionate campaigner for the rights of people with learning difficulties.
The 35-year-old works as spokesman for the Leeds-based Right Choices charity, which organises activities and social events for people with disabilities.
He represents the charity in its search for funds, speaks up for it at meetings such as the LeedADVERTISEMENT s Voluntary Sector Forum and comes up with activity ideas.
Where Philip stands out from many other campaigners for
disabled peoples' rights is that he has lived with learning difficulties and epilepsy throughout his life.
He lives independently in
Pudsey, and says the first 30 years of his life was a struggle. "Right Choices has made a difference and other people should get involved," he said.
Speaking from Right Choices' Headingley headquarters, Philip said the charity has changed him.
He said he now leads a more active social life, has made new friends and enjoys the decision making side of his charity work.
Involved
He said: "Right Choices is good because we can all get involved and I'm enjoying the work I do."
Fellow member James Stanton, of Rodley, urged people to contact Right Choices. He said: "I wanted to improve my social life and I have. It is more fun doing things in a group and I have met a lot of good people here."
Richard Coates, of Morley, said: "I left another group to come here and I'm really glad I did. I love it."
The charity is soon to celebrate its first anniversary, marked by a move to a new office in Otley Road.
It has also won support from a range of nearby businesses, including The Olive Tree restaurant chain, and from Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland.
Founder Cheryl Kebede, who has a form of dyslexia that makes her sight sensitive to certain colours, said all decisions at Right Choices are made by its members.
She said: "That is what makes us different from other charities. We have planning sessions every four weeks. Our members are the ones who decide what we will do.
For more information about Right Choices, email rightchoices1@yahoo.co.uk, Richard.edwards@ypn.co.uk
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Yorkshire Evening Post

June 2007

Lord Mayor Charity Ball

A Masquerade Ball held by a Leeds charity has been hailed a success. The event organised by the Right Choices Project was attended by the Lord Mayor of Leeds and the Lord Lieutenant. More than 120 people joined the fun last month at St Chads Parish hall, in headingley group co-ordinator Cheryl Kebede said "A big thank you to anyone who helped us in anyway"

New group offers sport and social fun for people with learning difficulties

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Date: 15 August 2005

BY Grant Woodward

A MOTHER-OF-TWO has set up a group to give people with learning difficulties in Leeds the chance to enjoy sport and other social activities.
Cheryl Kebede says she has pumped £3,000 of her own money into the project, called Right Choices, after finding there was little of its kind near her Headingley home.
The 35-year-old, who is herself dyslexic, wants to encourage adults of all ages with learning difficulties and disabilities to take part in everything from camping to karaoke.
Friendship
Sports, social events, hobbies and excursions are also lined up for evenings and weekends.
Cheryl said: "The aim is to put the onus on the members themselves and let them choose what activities they want to do.
"The project will also offer leisure activities and we will be able to offer support and friendship to people who really deserve it. I want Right Choices to be a positive part of members' lives and for them to enjoy being part of it."
The group is based at the Headingley Community Centre on North Lane and meets on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7pm to 9.30pm.

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