Welcome to the second edition of our newsletter “ Paperback “

Welcome to New VolunteersWe are delighted that Paperweight has recently added a new intake of volunteers to our caseworker team, with some coming from south of the river. So, Joe, you are no longer isolated !We have two new additions to our office team - Hilary Appell and Helen Kaye are joining Lorraine and Daphne as office administrators, and Verity Zeidman who is our new Monthly Report Coordinator.We welcome each of you and trust you'll have many volunteering years ahead with us.

OUR FIRST FUNDRAISING VENTURE - MACCABBI FUN RUN

Many of our Caseworkers heeded our call to action and took part in the Fun Run. We appreciate all the runners for being such good sports. We know that it is no easy task asking for sponsorship and just as hard preparing for a long run. That many of our volunteers did so and were willing to give up their time to do so is absolutely wonderful.Thanks also to the happy band of volunteers who ensured that the Paperweight stall was manned from the start of the day until the finish. Our candy floss proved to be a great attraction, particularly amongst children although some adults also appreciated it too!

The Chief Rabbi selecting the Paperweight stall, from many others, to have his photo taken, was a particular highlight of the day.Our thanks once again to all who took part, and of course to all the people who worked behind the scenes to make it possible. Everyone involved helped us to raise £5000.

FILM EVENINGOn a hot summer evening, we held our second charity raising function when we showed the film “Remember” at the Phoenix Cinema. It was a great success and exceeded our expectations. We also received many unsolicited donations from people who were unable to make the function. We raised £3,500 ! Our brand new fund raising committee is really active with proposed functions planned for the future. So watch this space!

We thank all of the committee for their commitment to helping us raise much needed funds, and especially to their Chairman, Simon Gold .

TRAINING

Caroline Kahan gave an extremely illuminating talk on PIPs, at our last training session. It’s a difficult topic for anyone to understand let alone our clients, and it was a very interesting and informative evening. Five of our Caseworkers each gave a brief presentation about one of their clients. They described how they dealt with all the issues, and ultimately their achievement for their client. Their dedication is remarkable, and their stories were of interest to everyone in attendance. The speed dating part of the evening when everyone got to chat briefly - well very briefly, to other caseworkers for just a few minutes was great fun, and helped everyone learn a little more about their co-volunteers.

PAPERLITEWe briefly introduced our new Paperlite service at the last training session. Sometimes without realising it, a client can become dependant on our Paperweight caseworkers. We are aware that clients who due to their circumstance, will continue to need some regular hand holding on a longer term basis than we can offer as part of the Paperweight structure. Therefore, rather than closing the case once their original crisis was solved we put our thinking caps on and created Paperlite – a monthly maintenance service, especially for them. We now have some fabulous Paperlite volunteers visiting these clients on a monthly basis. There is a nominal charge of £25 for about an hour. Much better than getting overdue notices! Anyone who feels their client may be ready / benefit from being transferred to the Paperlite service, please be in contact with the office.

Report from Joe Burchell one of Paperweight’s South of the River Caseworkers -

“ Lots of 'volumes' of work South of the Thames and I’m pleased to say the 'Paperweight' name is now becoming well known.Having Nightingale Jewish Home in the area is a benefit because we receive quite a few referrals from there or via Jewish Care. There is a clear pattern of elderly parents still living in South London  after their children have left the nest and gone to North West London  or even further. It is not unusual for the children to go to Israel, USA and Australia. Unfortunately and

distressfully ( to me also)  some clients no longer have contact with their children for various reasons and when a partner dies who dealt with the  administration, it leaves  the survivor very distraught . But hopefully Paperweight comes to the rescue. My 3 years as a Caseworker since my own retirement have been very rewarding and I hope to keep going myself for some time yet before I need the service! “.  

Public Faith & Finance (Faith responses to the Financial Crisis)

We were recently interviewed by the University of Bristol, the authors of the above report which was published in July this year.The research was conducted by a team based in the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol, and hosted by the Centre’s online forum on religion and policy, Public Spirit (www.publicspirit.org.uk). The research was funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust as part of an ongoing interest in promoting economic justice.

Paperweight was quoted in depth, and the following are just some of the excerpts where we are quoted.Our respondents suggested that living alone is an increasingly common phenomenon that can bring financial pressure or insecurity. For example, while responding to the needs of the elderly in the Jewish community, Paperweight noted an increase in the number of people who are 'divorced, newly divorced, separated, or newly single'.

Organizations such as Community Money Advice and Paperweight Trust offer debt advice and counselling alongside the Citizens Advice Bureau and Money Advice Service.

Several organizations in our study referred to the sense of shame that people felt when having to admit to money problems. Many faith organizations are responding by accompanying provision of financial advice with emotional support. One Jewish organization which has a high number of elderly clients, Paperweight, highlighted the importance of acting as a barrier for their clients, to give them ‘a temporary breathing space in which they can quietly deal with their issues.'

The values that underpinned assistance tended to stress the importance of valuing everyone. As one respondent from the Paperweight Trust put it, a ‘key ethical value is that everyone is important and everyone is a human being with the soul who deserves your best attention. We love to say love, but being nice to people is very important.’

Very young volunteers - yes, we get them young!

On a bright sunny Sunday afternoon, Rina Leigh, one of Alan & Bayla’s granddaughters along with her friend Hennie, and on their own initiative, set up a cold drinks and lollypop stall on her front drive and raised £97 !

Attendance at other charity and social care meetings

We attend events being hosted by other organisations and meet representatives on a regular basis. Most recently we attended the Jewish Communal Trustees Conference organised by JLC, as well as the Welfare Forum – Health & Wellbeing in Barnet. Last month, Susan Adleman gave a presentation to the Social and Cultural group at Barnet Synagogue, and for a second time, we are hosting our own presentation and networking event in our office to other organisations with whom we work, and some new ones too.

What you can do!

…there is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up !

Happy New Year

Take part in our #FirstFiver campaign. Take a selfie with your first new fiver and send it to your own contacts with the text “#FirstFiver..I’m donating my first new plastic fiver to The Paperweight Trust. Will you join me and do the same ? http://paperweighttrust.com/firstfiver/ “

Every little helps and we have had some great reactions !Please also help to spread the word about Paperweight. Name awareness is so important. If you are active in your Synagogue, and even if you’re not, tell the Synagogue office about us. There may be someone for whom the services of Paperweight may be ideal yet the Rabbi and the Synagogue office don’t know about us.Let us know if you feel that your Paperweight caseload has resulted in a particularly interesting and beneficial outcome for a client, and we would be delighted to share the story (appropriately anonymous) with all Paperweighters in our forthcoming newsletters.

You are all vital components of a fabulous team, without peer in the entire community. You have touched the lives of hundreds through hard work, determination and boundless love for your fellow man. You understand the true meaning that to treat someone with dignity, is to treat them as being of worth, in a way that is respectful of them as valued individuals. You help to give each client the confidence to continue with their life which is the raison d’être of Paperweight’s work.We wish you all shana tova and a very happy healthy, sweet and prosperous new year.We pray that the coming year should bring us all the best of health and an abundance of strength to continue our great work together…