Prospects for People with Learning Disabilities

Prospects and ‘At Home’ have joined forces – making us together the largest Christian organisation of this kind in the UK supporting people with learning disabilities.

‘At Home’ has been providing support in the Newcastle area since 1990. Merging together will benefit both organisations as we build on the strengths and expertise of the employees and volunteers.

‘At Home’ will continue, becoming part of the Prospects Group structure and sharing our infrastructure support. Lord Curry, the founder of ‘At Home’ will continue as Chairman during the transition.

Paul Ashton, Prospects CEO, said: “We are excited to welcome staff and all the people with learning disabilities ‘At Home’ supports into the Prospects family and look forward to working together to enable people with learning disabilities to live their lives to the full.”

Click here to download the Prospects At Home Merger Press Release.

A Highgrove hamper donated by the Prince of Wales, Coldplay concert tickets, a tour of Greggs factory and a year’s supply of ice cream were among the diverse range of auction lots on offer at At Home in the Community’s spring fundraiser.

Opera singers Graeme Danby and his wife, Valerie Reid, were the stars of a recital and charity dinner held at Dissington Hall, Dalton, Ponteland, which raised over £7,000 for At Home.

The couple, accompanied by Lydia Newlands on piano, performed a repertiore which included songs from Carmen, Fiddler on the Roof and the Sound of Music, as well as comic songs by Flanders and Swann and local composer Eric Boswell, who wrote the classic Christmas carol, Little Donkey. Graeme entertained guests with his own topical versions of lyrics referring to the charity chairman’s recent elevation to the House of Lords and VAT on pasties!

Among the guests who enjoyed the Songs for an Evening in the Northumbrian Countryside event was Lord (Jack) Cunningham, who added a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster to the auction catalogue.

At Home in the Community Chairman, Lord (Donald) Curry, who hosted the event, said:

“It was a great success! Everyone had a terrific time and were very enthusiastic about the evening. Graeme, Valerie and Lydia were amazing and the food was excellent.

We would like to thank everyone attended and all those who gave us donations for their generosity and continued support of the charity.”

Proceeds from the charity evening will be used for vital work to develop At Home in the Community’s activity programme which is designed to encourage interpersonal skills for adults with learning disabilities.

At Home in the Community’s new website goes live this March. The website gives immediate access, from anywhere in the world via the internet, to information about the organisation, our client activities, services offered and fundraising events.

The new website is the latest stage in At Home’s rebranding process which began last year with a new logo and head office relocation.

At our open day in December 1,000 balloons were ceremonially released by Lord Donald Curry, the At Home in the Community Chairman, to promote new services and opportunities for clients with learning disabilities.

The balloons were labeled with a number and a request to the finder to return it to At Home in the Community. Corresponding numbered tickets were sold to raise funds for the charity.

The balloon which travelled the furthest reached Azelo, 77 miles east of Amsterdam, a distance of around 540 miles from the release point on the West Road in Newcastle.

Jane Percy, At Home’s General Manager said:

“We were very pleased with the number of cards which were returned by the finders of the balloons from across Northumberland, Tyneside, Durham and as far as the south coast of England and Belgium. They were all given At Home branded gifts as a thank you for returning the tickets.”

The winning balloon was bought by Allison Tolfrey from Blyth who won a luxury hamper while Anita Oosterik, who found the ticket in Holland, receives a Northumberland tartan souvenir bag and At Home mementos.

The charity, which provides support for people with disabilities across the region, has this week moved its Newcastle office to a new West Road site in the city to double the space it formerly occupied.

The new Freeman House premises provides the charity with the space to create an IT suite, where disabled users will be able to access computer-based learning, and includes rooms for the training and development of its staff.

At Home offers independent supporting living services to enable people with learning disabilities throughout the area to live in their own homes, as well as providing residential services in Gateshead, Newcastle and Tynedale.

“This is a very exciting and dynamic time for the charity as we relocate offices, restructure the business and recruit new employees,” said At Home in the Community’s Chairman, Sir Donald Curry.

“The new office has a ground floor space which is much more accessible for our clients, and it gives us the potential to provide innovative opportunities and services. We will be appointing a Training and Workforce Development Manager in the next month and through this new post we aim to set up a web-based training facility and create distance learning packages for sale within the care sector,” he added.

“It is a credit to our General Manager, Jane Percy, and her staff team, who have worked extremely hard over the weekend to make the move go so smoothly and with little disruption to our work.”

Lord Donald Curry, Chairman and a founder of At Home in the Community, led the countdown to the balloon release at the social care charity’s new headquarters on the West Road in Newcastle on Monday (19December).

He said:

“The release of these balloons celebrates the opening of our new offices and activity suite and we wish our new ventures every success in the future.”

The open day event offered visitors the opportunity to view the premises which are now open to provide a range of creative, educational and therapeutic activities for adults with learning disabilities.

Jane Percy, At Home’s General Manager, said:

“At Home in the Community has been providing enabling services for adults in their own homes and residential properties throughout the North East for over 20 years. We are now offering a range of recreational and educational activities at our new premises in Newcastle and are seeking funding to equip a specialised computer lab here which will be accessed by adults with a range of disabilities.”

Visitors to the open day and balloon race browsed jewellery and gift stalls and took part in a tombola, raffle and competitions raising over £1,000 towards At Home’s plans for enabling people with learning disabilities to develop new skills

The Barrasford farmer was appointed Lord Curry of Kirkharle, Northumberland, in London on 24 October 2011. He is Chair of the Leckford Estate, owned by Waitrose, and non-executive Chairman of the Better Regulation Executive. In 2001 he produced the influential “Curry Report” which led to a fundamental review of Government agricultural policy.

Lord Curry said:

“This appointment is a great honour for me and I am very much looking forward to becoming involved. I have enormous respect for the role and influence of the House of Lords.

“I will continue to take a keen interest in farming, food and rural issues and with CAP reform once again on the agenda. This is an important point in time. The House of Lords can have a significant influence in helping to reduce regulatory burdens on business and I will be monitoring progress on this front too.

“Finally, the field of disability and social care is an important subject for both myself and my family and with pressure on public expenditure there is an on-going debate about policy and delivery.

“These are crucial issues and I hope I can make a useful contribution to debate in due course.”

Jane Percy, General Manager of At Home in the Community, which provides social care and support throughout the region for people with learning disabilities said:

“We are very proud that our Chairman has been appointed as a crossbench peer and become a Lord! We offer our wholehearted congratulations to Lord Curry.”