BEGINNERS CLAY COURSE AT KEPIER

Join ceramic artist Mark Burns Cassell on this popular introductory ceramics course to learn the basics behind working with clay. Over the three sessions Mark will be on hand to work with participants, and together we will cover all the basic techniques you need to know to be able to make your very own ceramic piggy banks and decorative plaques. 

These sessions are designed to be fun and enjoyable, and are aimed at beginners and those with limited or no experience of working with clay. All participants will get the opportunity to glaze their work as part of the course, and all work can be taken home at the end of the course for participants to proudly display at home! The courses are completely free of charge.

The courses will take place at Kepier on three Mondays commencing 1st June 2015, from 5pm - 8pm. To book your place, you must contact Mark directly on 07824 468383.

National English Schools Final - Birmingham

"Matthew from year 11 represented Durham County in the ESFA National U16 Football Final in Birmingham this month, and he and his teammates were successful meaning Durham County are now the national champions. Matthew is pictured here centre back row"

ACTIVE SUNDERLAND – GET IN 2 GOLF COURSE

ACTIVE SUNDERLAND – GET IN 2 GOLF COURSE

Active Sunderland is offering the opportunity for people aged 14+ to try 8 weeks of golf coaching at Wearside Golf Club for just £10.00.  

Did you know May is National Golf Month? It’s a great time to rethink all those golfing myths that might be holding you back from taking up the game. Golf is the perfect game for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities and it can bring some impressive health and well-being benefits.

The sessions are aimed at beginners and aim to offer a basic introduction to the game together with information about follow-on coaching opportunities and trial club memberships. A Professional Golf Association coach will run the session to ensure you will have fun learning the basics and get a feel for whether you like the game.

• Sessions run at a ratio of 1 instructor to 10 participants
• Sessions will run 6.00pm to 7.00pm for 8 weeks, commencing on Tuesday 26 May 2015
• No specialised equipment is needed, just clothes that allow you to move around freely and in comfort
• Golf clubs and balls will be provided
• Sessions are aimed at those who have never played golf before so if you fancy giving it a go Get in 2 golf is the place to start!

Please note spaces are limited so early booking is highly recommended.

For more information please contact Lindsey Robson (Lindsey.robson@sunderland.gov.uk)

National Walking Week

National Walking Month:

Did you know that May is National Walking Month?  Why not take to your feet and feel the benefits of walking…

·        Get more family time… Ditch the car and walk to school or spend an afternoon walking along Sunderland’s stunning coastline or strolling in one of the many parks.

·        Make your money go further… Use your feet and save on fuel and bus fares.

·        Take in our heritage… Discover Sunderland’s rich heritage by following one of the dedicated heritage trails across the city.

·        Get fitter… Walking is a great way to boost your fitness. You could even sign up to the Active Sunderland Big Walk.

·        Relax and unwind… 88% of people saw an overall improvement in their mood after going for a walk outside, according to a study by mental health charity, MIND.

·        Help the planet… Swapping the car for your feet saves on carbon dioxide – so it’s good for you and the planet!

Walk to Work Week:

From Monday 11 to Friday 15 May it's Walk to Work Week and Living Streets (a national charity) are offering you a workplace walking challenge. If you want to take up the challenge, you can log onto www.livingstreets.org.uk for tips, tools and inspirational stories. You can also log your walks and get competitive.

Wellness Walking Programme:

Please find attached our NEW and updated Wellness Walking Programme leaflet and poster which gives information for all of our weekly led Health Walks and Nordic Walks here in Sunderland, for all walks between 1^st April and 30^th June 2015.

For our regular walkers to the programme, please note that some walks have been removed, some start times and venues have been slightly changed, and some completely new walks have been added, so please check to make sure your walk is still as it was, and to see if you would be interested in attending any of the new walks!

For those who haven’t been to our walks yet, our enthusiastic and friendly volunteer team are raring to go, and looking forward to meeting you, particularly at the new walks!  Please take the first step and add a walk to your diary.  You won’t be disappointed!

NEW Sunderland Heritage Walks:

This spring will see the launch of a series of Heritage Walks across the city, which will provide an opportunity to be more active whilst discovering many of Sunderland’s most loved land marks and places of interest. Sunderland is steeped in history with many hidden treasures to discover.

The historic and natural environment can have a positive effect on both mental and physical wellbeing. Why not give yourself a boost, get outside, get active and reconnect with history and nature with Sunderland City Council’s heritage walks?

These walks take in some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and places of interest, including Penshaw Monument, St Peter’s Church and the Queen Alexandra Bridge.

They also visit some of the lesser known sites like Trafalgar Square, the Victoria Viaduct and High Wood.

The walks are distributed across the five areas of the city:

North

•             Roker Seafront Circular

•             Sunderland Marina, River Wear Circular

•             Hylton Castle and Dene Circular

East

•             Ashbrooke Circular

•             Hendon East End Circular

•             Bridge to Bridge

West

•             South Hylton Circular

•             Barnes Park to Grindon Sandhill

•             Silksworth Circular

Coalfields

•             Penshaw Monument Circular

•             Hetton Circular

Washington

•             Washington Wetland Centre Circular

•             Fatfield Circular

Further heritage walks are planned for Elba Park, Pallion and a city centre First World War themed route. More routes will follow as we work with local history and community groups. If you know of an interesting walking route that you would like to share, please contact us on the number or email below.

The walk leaflets are free of charge and available to pick up at your nearest wellness centre, library or can be downloaded online atwww.activesunderland.org.uk

For more information and to request a walking pack call 0191 561 4578 or email anthony.hindmarch@sunderland.gov.uk.

Dementia Awareness Week 18-23 May

Kepier Mock Election

Next week is the General Election. Kepier will be holding a mock election as part of the Citizenship programme to raise awareness of the current political system. Staff have volunteered to represent a party and its policies. This is not necessarily representative of their own views. We encourage you to talk to your child about all of the political parties and their policies to increase awareness and knowledge of democracy in Britain. 

VOLUNTEER WALK LEADER TRAINING

I would like to inform you of the following Volunteer Walk Leader training course I am delivering as follows:

Date :    Monday 18^th May 2015      

Time :    9.00 – 12.30

Venue :    Herrington Country Park Rangers Office 

What is Volunteer Walk Leader training?

The Volunteer Walk Leader course is a free course for anyone who would like to lead walks for Sunderland City Councils Wellness Walking Programme, as part of the national Walking for Health scheme. This can include front, middle or back markers.

Walking for Health is part of England’s largest network of health walk schemes, helping all kinds of people to lead a more active lifestyle.  Our walks are led by friendly, knowledgeable people, specially trained for the job.  Along with fellow walkers, our walk leaders provide all the advice and encouragement a new walker needs to build fitness at a pace that’s right for them.  In just a short time, a small amount of regular exercise can significantly improve a person’s health, well-being and confidence.  And from what our walkers tell us, there’s plenty of laughter to be heard on our walks. 

By the end of the course you will:

·        Understand what Walking for health is about

·        Understand the benefits of walking and physical activity

·        Get to know the role of a walk leader

·        Information on mental health and learning disabilities

·        Have access to follow-up support and resources to help people make the most of your

skills, including a Volunteer Walk Leader manual

·        Be confident to lead a health walk in due course (following the guidance that goes with the progress card)

·        Have met and shared best practice with other walk leaders

What to bring on the day:

·        Suitable clothing and footwear – you will be taking part in a short demonstration health walk.

·        Your own snacks and/or drinks – unfortunately no catering will be provided.  There is a café within the training venue.

What is expected of you after the training day?

1.      When you have completed the walk leader training day your cascade trainer will sign and date your progress card to show that you have attended the training session. They will also need to sign off the following stages of your progress card.

2.      You will then observe 1-2 health walks and take note of how the existing walk leaders run them.

3.      The final stage is to lead your own walk.

4.      When you have completed these stages, and your progress card has been fully signed off, you will be a fully qualified walk leader and will receive your certificate from your coordinator.

For information –

Lots of people like to start by “back marking” and you will not be expected to do anything you are not comfortable with.  A back marker is a trained leader who walks with the back of the group of walkers, making sure no-one gets left behind.

You will be part of the national network of health walk schemes and will have the opportunity to attend meetings and walk leader get together with the scheme coordinator and other walk leaders as well as being given access to further training and support.