Enfield Clubhouse

Enfield Clubhouse is a mental health charity supporting people living with and recovering from schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety and depression. We help people to rebuild their shattered lives, to feel safe and supported, to make friends, to feel good about themselves, to share their skills and interests and to learn new ones, to feel like a valued and contributing member of our community. We do this by working together in the house and in the garden as well as in our office and with our new computers.

When people feel confident enough, we help them to go to college or to do voluntary work. Most of our members are doing or have done some voluntary work and a few have even received Enfield's 100-hours award in recognition of their service to our community.

In 2008 we set up our outside catering service providing buffet lunches to local community groups and council meetings. We do maybe one job a week when busy and this has provided real training and paid work opportunities for our members. We have several people accredited in Food Safety at Southgate College and received a 'good' 3 stars in our environmental health inspection. We do these things from a base we have used without any problems for five years in a residential street in Enfield.

On 24 June, Enfield Council's planning committee heard Enfield Clubhouse's application to renew planning permission [PDF] in order to continue to use our premises at 41 Ridge Avenue. Despite the recommendations of the committee to approve our application, it was overturned by a group of about 50 of our neighbours who objected to it. While making my deputation to the committee on Thursday night I was shouted down several times by a large group of neighbours holding placards stating 'We are not safe' and asking 'How many more?' Our neighbour's deputation included the claim that Enfield Clubhouse members should all be locked up.

We don't yet have any official confirmation of the decision and reasons, but I understand that minutes of the meeting will be uploaded to Enfield council's website on 8 July. (Minutes now available here - relevant part is section 35.)

We intend to appeal the decision of the committee, which was made in extremely disruptive, confusing and intimidating circumstances. We believe that we have the right to continue using the premises as normal while we appeal.

On reading the eight letters of objection submitted by neighbours and being present during the meeting on Thursday night, however, it's clear to me that their main objection is based on who we are.

I believe that our neighbours have genuine fears about their own and their children's safety, feeling wrongly that Enfield Clubhouse members are potentially dangerous. I also respect our neighbours' democratic rights to object.

But my understanding of what happened at the meeting is that our neighbours' strongest objection related to alleged noise disturbance coming from our premises. As the committee pointed out to them, however, they have absolutely no evidence to support this objection or any of their other objections. The committee advised that they could not, therefore, use noise as a reason to overturn their recommendation as it would not stand up at an appeal inquiry. Instead the committee advised and decided to use 'loss of a family dwelling house' as the official reason, despite having already stated in their recommendations for approval that this was not a reason to decline our application, as they did in 2005, too.

You can read the Enfield Advertiser's version of events here: http://www.enfield-today.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=22980&showcomall=y

London Daily News article is here: http://www.thelondondailynews.com/north-london-psychiatric-rehabilitation-unit-faced-with-closure-following-resident-protests-p-4326.html

You can find out more about us by visiting our website: http://www.enfieldclubhouse.org.uk/

You can join our Facebook group 'Support Enfield Clubhouse to Stay Put...'

Our achievements: http://www.enfieldclubhouse.org.uk/achievements.html

Our catering service: http://www.enfieldclubhouse.org.uk/catering-service.html

Annual review and accounts: http://www.enfieldclubhouse.org.uk/annual-report.html

How to find us: http://www.enfieldclubhouse.org.uk/how-to-find-us.html

David Marsden, Chief Executive of Enfield Clubhouse.

Atul has helped us as a volunteer for 2 years. During that time he has attended regularly 2-3 days each week. Always willing to help around the house, he has got our petty cash organised for us, and keeps us on the straight and narrow. We have enjoyed Atul's friendship and company. He's been a mainstay both in and out of the house -  socialising with us, including lunch at local cafes, playing pool after Clubhouse, playing Eggheads in the evenings on Google chat.

Thank you loads and loads and loads Atul!

We wish Atul all the very best as he leaves us, and will be focusing intensively on finding suitable paid work. 

What will we do without him? We do not know :-(

Poster designed by afrostdesigns.com

This Wordle was produced using the software at http://www.wordle.net/.

On 5th February we have a meeting at 2.00 pm. - all members - and we may let the staff and volunteers come too! If they are good that is.

David W from Social Spider is coming along. He delivers training on Citizen Journalism, and Newsletter and Magazine Production. 'This training is affordable, practical, laid back and develops essential media skills. It gives people the confidence they need to get their messages and experiences into the open.' It is especially accessible to people who have mental health difficulties, so this is of great interest to us at Enfield Clubhouse. 

We have the opportunity (funds permitting) to have this sort of training held here for us at Clubhouse. How amazing is that?!

So if you are a member of Clubhouse, come along to find out about this opportunity and help to decide what we want to do together. Do we want to use this training to launch a member produced newsletter, or maybe we want to produce a publication of our artwork, poems, designs etc, or maybe we want to have a member written blog, or maybe we want to be able to write articles on things we feel strongly about, or maybe we have other ideas that we want to explore!   

Wishing everyone who knows us (and everyone who doesn't!) a peaceful Christmas and New Year.

You can now view and/or download and print our Annual Accounts and Review for 2008-09.

Please click on the image below to see both.

                 A big thank you to all of YOU!                           
      £1100+ raised during July and August

Many thanks to everyone who donated their time, energy, expertise and money to help us at Enfield Clubhouse raise funds over the last two months. Together we have raised over £1,100! This is made up as follows:

Enfield Clubhouse summer bbq                                   £105
Small Charity Car Draw raffle                                       £170 
Gunsel's sponsored bike ride                                      £500 and money is still coming in
Waitrose giving initiative 'Community Matters'            £255
Raheem, as a member of the local Mental Health
Foundation Trust, signed up 27 additional
Foundation Trust members.                                         £135

Making a grand total of £1,165, so far.

Many thanks for all the green counters, you put in the Enfield Clubhouse 'box'.

And many thanks to Waitrose Enfield!

A big thank you to the Foundation for Social Improvement for providing the Small Charity Car Draw, and to all of you who bought tickets.

And thanks to Diane for managing the admin!

The draw for the winner takes place on 1 October.

Many thanks to everyone who supported our summer bbq. 

Many thanks to Raheem for all his hard work.

Many thanks to Gunsel and all who sponsored her.

A group of members and volunteers recently visited Parkside Farm, Hadley Road which is approximately 15 minutes walk from Chase Farm Hospital.

The farm is set amidst the beautiful rolling countryside just north of Enfield and is one of a number in the area where people can pick their own fruit and veg. It's a popular place for families to visit.

Between us we picked courgettes, french beans, spinach, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants.

The minimum amount people have to pay is £1.50 for the fruit or veg. they pick, but obviously they can pick as much as they want.

After the fruits of our labours we had our lunch, and resisted the temptation of buying ice cream, Jersey cream, meringues, home-produced honey, and hot and cold drinks which were for sale at the farm.

It was certainly an interesting experience picking and choosing what would eventually end up on your dinner plate.

We were honoured to have a visit from the Mayor of Enfield

John, one of the members entertained us with his renditions of Bob Dylan and Beatles songs with the aid of his guitar.

Special thanks goes to all members for participating in this fund-raising event, especially Diane's brother Michael (who was on holiday from New Zealand) who helped with the BBQ.

With the entrance fees, car raffle, and other fun events such as tombola and hoopla we raised just over £100 for the clubhouse.

Thanks again to everyone who attended and we hope to see you again next year.