Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place on 1-7 February 2021. This year’s theme is Express Yourself.

Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make you feel good.

The Children’s Mental Health website has lots of free resources that will help children and young people to explore what it means to Express Yourself. All of the ideas can be adapted for use in school, for home-schooling, online lessons or independent learning. 

You can get more information from a Place2B which is a children’s mental health charity with over 25 years’ experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

St Thomas’s Community Association are delivering some really great, fun, creative activities during February for young people aged 11-25, from photography and film making to theatre, dance and Henna painting! There’s something for everyone!  The programme will run over 6-8 week period. Below are the activities for week one.

Monday 1 February

Film Making 4:30pm-6pm

Urban Fusion (Over 16’s) 6:30pm-7pm

Tuesday 2 February

The Art Room (Over 16) 4:30pm-5:30pm

Urban Fusion (11-16 year olds) 6pm-7pm

Wednesday 3 February

Photography (11-16 year olds) 4:30pm-5:30pm

Photography (over 16) 5:45pm-6:45pm

Urban Fusion Dance (over 16) 6:30pm-7:30pm

Thursday 4 February

Creative Hub (11-16 year olds) 4:30pm-5:30pm

Quiz night (Over 16) 7pm-8pm

Friday 5 February

Open Mic (11-15 year olds) 5pm-6pm

Open Mic (16+) 6pm – 7pm

Saturday 6 Feb

Gather and Grow (11-16 year olds) 10am-11am

Youth theatre (11-16 Year olds) 11am-12noon

Henna Hand Painting (17-25 year olds) 1pm-2:30pm

Sunday 7 February

Youth Theatre (17-25 year olds) 11am-12noon

To sign up for any of the sessions email stthomasca@outlook.com or call 07957 683696. Follow (5) St Thomas’s Community Association (Sledmere Centre) | Facebook for more information!

• 

• 

If your child doesn’t have access to a laptop you can also use Xbox or PlayStation to access your schools Home Working Base. An alternative method of accessing remote learning during times of lockdown

Xbox

1 Plug a keyboard in to the Xbox USB slot

2 Go to my games and apps

3 Find Microsoft Edge and select

4 Type in HWB and log in as you would in school

5 you can then access your work through google classroom or OneDrive and use key packages including – word, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Your emails

6 to move around you use the Xbox control or plug in a mouse

Playstation

1 Identify the playstation internet browser icon (its the WWW with dots around it)

2 Press the PlayStation logo on the controller

3 Go to the library and find options for games and applications

4 Go in to applications and you will find the internet browser

5 Type Hwb into the browser and log in as you would in school

6 You can then access your work through google classroom or OneDrive and use key packages including – word, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Your emails

You may also be able to increase data allowances on mobile devices for children click here to find out more

While staying at home due to coronavirus, parents and carers may be worried about their children’s development and the effect of missing school or nursery.

No one expects parents to act as teachers, or to provide the activities and feedback that a school or nursery would. Parents and carers should do their best to help children and support their learning while dealing with other demands.

Get specific advice on how education can continue at home for children here

There is lots of help and support available to help families in crisis who have no access to fuel or food over the next six weeks. Here are just a few things that may help.

Families on low income who are entitled to free school meals will receive £30 vouchers per child directly from school.  If you have a technical issue regarding the vouchers you should contact the number of the voucher company or speak to your school.

Families who are not in receipt of benefit but who find themselves in crisis as a result of furlough or zero hours contracts etc. should contact their local family centres who have a system in place to assess personal circumstances.

Dudley North Family Centre, Bayer St, Coseley, Bilston WV14 9DS 01384 813096

Dudley Central Family Centre, Selborne Road, DY2 8LJ 01384 812 440

Brierley Hill Family Centre, Parkes Street, DY5 3DY 01384 813322

Stourbridge Family Centre, Forge Road, DY8 1XF 01384 818780

Halesowen Family Centre, Lye By-Pass, DY9 8HT 01384 813954

If a family irrelevant of whether they receive benefits or not have metered fuel and cannot afford to top it up over Christmas they should call the Winter Warmth Team on 01384 817086

Families who are having difficulty paying fuel bills should contact

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/extra-help-energy-services

Organisations that can help families in crisis.

Black Country Foodbank will be open for emergencies over the Christmas period. Visit www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/locations/ to find the nearest places you can collect foodbank parcels from or call 01384 671250 to talk to someone who can help.

Asda Café Kids meals for free throughout December – Please follow this link to find out more https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2020/11/30/kids-can-eat-free-in-asda-cafes-throughout-december

St Thomas’s Community Association have set up a new foodbank at the Sledmere Community Centre. If you are struggling financially and require a food parcel you can collect one in person from the foodbank at; Sledmere Community Centre, The School Drive (off Buffery Road), Dudley, DY2 8EH.

The opening times are every Wednesday from 5pm – 7pm and Sundays from 11am -1.00pm. It will also be open over the Chirstmas period.

If you are unable to leave the house or collect in person the foodbank can arrange delivery, where prior notice is given. Please email stthomasca@outlook.com or call 07957 683696

Heaven’s Kitchen Based in the The Lighthouse Centre, Salop Street, Dudley, DY1 3AT provide a three course meal every Monday evening at 7pm and a cooked breakfast every Saturday morning from 10:00am call for more information 01384 239222

Champions Church, Netherton provide a hot food delivery service for those in need every Tuesday at 7pm contact kitchen@championschurch.org.uk or call 01384 242455

High Oak Youth and Community Centre run a community kitchen project that feed families in need on a Wednesday 10-2pm. They are based at 34 High Oak, Pensnett, Dudley, Brierley Hill DY5 4LA call 07982 428831 for more information.

Gather Dudley CIC based in the Churchill Shopping Centre, run a pay it forward scheme Monday to Saturday. If you are struggling to feed your family you can use the scheme. They also run a fair share food scheme on a Saturday morning where people can take away surplus free food that’s available. Visit www.facebook.com/gatherdudleycic/ or call 07375 084536 to find out more.

Black Country Well Being Centre based in Vale Street, Upper Gornal, DY3 3XF are providing hot meals for people in need on Thursdays and Fridays. They also run a foodbank on a Saturday Visit www.facebook.com/Black-Country-Wellbeing-Centre-214643865809630 or call 07501 827334

Life Central Church, Owen House, Little Cornbow, Halesowen, B63 3AJ provide Fortnightly hot meals for families in Crisis contact 0121 501 3542 for more information

Harry’s café part of Top Church Training in Brierley Hill can help support families in crisis visit Top Church Training Brierley Hill | Facebook for more information

Emergency Contacts

Children’s and adult care services emergency duty team 0300 555 8574

Emergency housing repairs 0300 555 8283

Callpay 0300 555 7000

Dudley Council plus 0300 555 2345

For further details follow this link

https://www.dudley.gov.uk/xmasopeningtimes

The Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies is to support people who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to financial hardship and/or hardship caused by COVID-19. This scheme is temporary.

To be eligible for the scheme you

• must live in the Dudley Borough
• must be able to demonstrate that you do not have the resources to provide food, gas or electricity and/or essential household items for yourself or your household as a result of the impact of COVID-19 or other financial hardship.

Only one grant can be issued per household and is subject to fund availability. 

Should your application be successful, a bank account in your name will be required for the funds to be transferred.

The maximum amount you can be awarded is £300, the amount will depend on your need and circumstances. Click the link below to find out more and apply

Applying for help

We know that things are tough at the moment, luckily we have some amazing organisations that are rising to the challenge and offering help and support. Here are a few we know about across Dudley Central – Please comment and add more if you are aware of them. Lets get the message out and ensure no child in Dudley goes hungry.

The Lighthouse Cafe and Heaven’s Kitchen at Dudley Community Church in Salop Street, Eve Hill Dudley https://www.facebook.com/dccheavenskitchen/

Heaven’s Kitchen runs on a Monday Night 6 – 7 and is for those who are homeless, vulnerable or in need due to circumstance and they can get a free hot meal. They are also operating a Grab and Go service on a Tuesday and Friday at 12 noon.

The Lighthouse Cafe is a newly opened cafe which does charge for meals, HOWEVER if anyone has a family that is in need, they can speak to Jeanette, the manager, and they will be provided with food.  The cafe this week will be open every day 9.30 – 2pm.  After this week the cafe will open 11 – 4 Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday and 10 – 2 on a Saturday.

Champion’s Church, Netherton – https://www.championschurch.org.uk/community/ deliver meals every week to families on a Tuesday

Living Hope Church – supporting families in Russell’s Hall and the surrounding areas info@livinghopechurch.org.uk / 07866 589 888

Black Country Wellbeing Centre – Gornal deliver meals on a Friday https://www.facebook.com/Black-Country-Wellbeing-Centre

High Oaks Community Centre, Brierley Hill do food collection on a Wednesday https://www.highoak-youth.com/projects/community-projects/

Revival Fires provide food parcels for families https://www.facebook.com/revivalfiresdudley/

Loaves and fishes high street Dudley do a community foodbank https://www.loavesnfishes.co.uk/our-work/foodbank/

Gather Café Dudley  – free food is available every Saturday 9am-2pm! Working with FareShare and Tesco Dudley, Bring a bag, sanitise your hands and help yourself. Every Saturday from 9am to 2pm. They also run a pay it forward scheme https://www.facebook.com/gatherdudleycic

Google Map #AllKidsMatter 📍https://t.co/CyK4R7sKFh https://t.co/Ce9AyZSOtW

Stay up to date with our need a lifeline page