20
Thank you for supporting
A few words from our Chair, Lyn Moffett: “What an exciting year it has been for CAN, with thrilling new projects being launched and lots of new people joining the CAN family. It is hard to believe that Compass Advocacy Network has been going from strength to strength for twenty-one years now. I first came across CAN about 15 years ago when I knew it for its pioneering work as a social enterprise focussing on recycling and providing training opportunities for its members with learning disabilities. From those small beginnings it has become a highly respected organisation, not just in the sectors of learning disability and social enterprise, but much further afield. I believe this success has been due to bold, creative individuals who, throughout the years, have displayed a genuine commitment to providing a wide variety of member-led services, as well as chances for members, volunteers and staff to develop valuable skills, real friendships, and take advantage of meaningful learning opportunities. This is a time of great uncertainty, but I am confident that CAN will continue to grow and thrive due to the great team of people who contribute to its success on a daily basis. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of that team – my fellow Board members, the entire staff team, the volunteers and of course, the members of CAN.”
21 years of successes and milestones1997
Group created and constituted
2002North West
office opened
2006Moved to
Seymour Street2011
Ballymena andColeraine BASE opened
1999Employed staff,
opened the office and
launched Can Can
2003Can Can became a
social enterprise and opened their own premises
2012CAN Best BuddiesNorthern Ireland
launched
2014Best Buddiesholidays was
launched
2015Wise Guys project
was launched
2016Pathways
was launched
2013CAN CAN Bazaar
launched
2009Ballymoney BASE openedand Womenwise created
21st Birthday
2018
CAN
What is Can Base? Can Base is a social and leisure opportunity service for adults with learning disabilities, delivered in partnership with the NHSCT’s Day Opportunities Programme. At The Base we focus on increasing skills, independence, friendships & overall emotional well-being of those accessing this service, through various activities. At Base we work together to create a safe space where each member has their own say on what they want to get up toin the month ahead.
The Base is a place for adults with learning disabilities of all ages to socialise through various activities such as; sports, cooking, golf, various training opportunities eg educating around social media, the effect of sugary drinks etc, arts & crafts, shopping, community volunteering, fishing, cinema, Fuse FM radio, alternative therapies, gardening, away days & residentials etc.
Can Base operates in 3 locations—Ballymoney,
Ballymena & Coleraine and currently supports over
100 individuals with learn-ing disabilities…up to 17
per day/per Base (5 days a week)
CAN
Organisations we have been involved with include:
N-Gage (Start 360), Hope Centre, Ascert, GroundWork NI, Local Councils, Princes Trust, Coastal Rescue Service, Sports NI, Children In Need, NRC, Fuse FM, Ullans…
Seamus – Coleraine Base“I have been at base for 6 yrs. I enjoy coming and meeting all the friends I have made. This past year I now come 2 days a week and enjoy the base even more. The Base has given me confidence, especially with public transport. I now use public transport on my own. My highlight at Base this year was the drama sessions. I enjoyed them so much that I now go to dance classes every week. I now also volunteer at the Community Rescue Service shop and the Base has given me confidence to do that.”
Frank – Newest Member Ballymena Base
“I have been coming to Base for a few months, and I have been getting on really well. I really enjoy when we get to outside activities and have enjoyed the Hope Centre. I am more independent from coming to Base, I do more stuff now than I have ever done. I have so many more friends now, some are old and some are new. Some days we get to have our own fun, I usually play Fifa with the boys. I hope that my time at Base will continue to go on!”
In April 2018 CAN successfully secured 4 years of funding from the European Social Fund and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust for the continuation of the services provided by our WE CAN Employment Training Programme team.
Our WE CAN trainees are able to build their confidence by learning and developing their potential employment skills and opportunities, whilst gaining ASDAN accredited qualifications and certificates in a REAL WORK training environment. Many of our trainees transfer the skills they develop during their time with us into the wider community by moving through to Job Sampling placements and paid part time Employment in their Local Communities.
7 in employment
TRAINEE ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE APRIL38 trainees
in totalon the project
6 in Job sampling
A CAN Training Programme
What the Trainees have to say
“I love being at WE CAN and enjoy working as part of the team. I enjoy going out in the van to different businesses to collect cardboard and plastic. I have learnt new skills and how to use different machinery such as the baler and I’m enjoying having a go at upcycling and learning new skills there.
In the future when I finish at WE CAN I would like to get a paid job. I hope to try job sampling to see what kind of work I would like.”
Joel McClelland
“Working at WE CAN gave me the experience and con�dence to get back to work. At WE CAN I learnt lots of new things and meet new friends. I enjoyed the upcycling and working on the baler. I got the chance to try job sampling and this then lead me to getting paid work. I now work for Cabinet Works, Ballymoney and help clean and package cabinets before they are delivered”.
Fintan McFlynn
In October, Derek Campbell took part in a “Dragon’s Den” style presentation in Blackpool in front of a panel of 5 and audience of 300.
As part of the Rank Foundation’s conference, members of the team at CAN “pitched” the idea of taking waste plastics and processing it at CAN Recycling to make tourist gift items to be sold in CAN Bazaar and tourist attractions around Northern Ireland.
The trophy came along with £10,000 to help purchase the new machinery to start the process.
A CAN Training Programme
Social Enterprise at CAN
2018 has been a challenging but very exciting year!
It’s been a difficult year for recycling with huge changes across the industry. Despite this CAN Can Recycling have been busier than ever. By streamlining our processes and developing new, innovative ways of recycling we have increased our performance figures from last year.
Not only have we been busy winning awards, developing new plastics recycling initiatives, processing hundreds of tonnes of waste materials and diverting it from landfill, we are also researching and developing a new concept around some of the waste cardboard we collect so watch this space.
In only 10 months we beat the previous year’s output by 100 bales, achieving a massive 475 bales (31 tonnes) of recycled material, the equivalent of 93 Bottle Nosed Dolphins.
Over the past year we have been working closely with the University of Ulster to try and address the issue of “unwanted” plastic waste. We were also successful in being awarded a Rank Accelerator Award (and 10K) for innovation in relation to our “Precious Plastics” initiative which takes waste plastics through an industrial grinding and injection moulding system. This will see us manufacturing our own recycled plastic products in 2019.
CAN CANBazaarWhat a fantastic year it has been!
Craft workshops were introduced in March and to date we have held Children’s creative workshops, Painting and Decoupage, Willow weaving and Crochet for beginners.
In April we introduced Posh Frocks on the first floor of the shop enabling us to display and sell the gorgeous formal and occasion dresses that have been donated and this was added to and extended in August when we added a new range of formal and dress suits for men, creating a stunning boutique style setting. We support local crafters by providing them with display and sales space and we hope to build on this in the future.
We have a great team of volunteers who give their time and commitment to make Bazaar a success. Thank you to you all!
Thanks to support from CTR our banks will be replaced and rebranded in 2019. you should start to see our old banks being replaced with new ones. We are also working with Causeway Coast and Glens to promote their new “Clothes Smart” initiative.
CAN canUp-CycleA CAN social enterprise
Our team have recently taken delivery of new equipment which will allow them to work with our new recycled “Plastic Wood”, using a wood replacement product made from recycled waste plastic.
We are a creative bunch and during 2018 our Up-Cycling project has given a new life to dozens of pieces of unloved furniture.
Work is now well underway designing bespoke items of truly Recycled Furniture for indoors and outdoors, as well as a new unique and innovative lighting range for launch next year. Some of our first lighting prototypes were showcased at this year’s Christmas Bazaar event held in the Lodge Hotel in November and there was a queue of customers eager to buy them.
2019 promises to be a very exciting year which will see trainees learning and developing a whole new set of employment related skills which build on their excellent achievements this year.
In July 2018, CAN turned 21. In typical CAN fashion, we asked our members how they would like to celebrate and they (pretty much unanimously) said they would love to get dressed up and go to a posh hotel for dinner and dancing…
So, knowing that the Galgorm was one of the poshest hotels about (and within our geographical range), we decided to go for it. On 6th December at 7pm, over 200 members, families, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate CAN and the people whose lives it has touched. Our Patron, Liam Beckett, MBE compered the evening and we were joined by our friends at Triangle, Alternative Angles, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the University of Ulster. We had a wonderful night, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones and sharing lots of laughter and the odd tear as we reflected on the past 21 years and look forward to the next chapter…
Best Buddies
CAN hold the accreditation to deliver the Best Buddies programmes in Northern Ireland. Our citizens programme is a friendship programme for adults with learning disabilities and provides monthly friendship based social opportunities. The programme matches people with learning disabilities with a peer buddy for friendship and one to one relationships. We currently have 93 adults with learning disabilities registered on the programme and we have 17 pairs actively meeting up weekly for friendship.
The group has been very active in 2018. We had lots of themed events including a James Bond Casino night and a Back to the 80s night and finished the year with a Harry Potter Halloween event with our partners at FUSE fm.
There were 6 Best Buddies Citizens holidays including Donegal, Blackpool, Scotland and Albufeira.
93 adults registered on the programme
17 pairs currently active
13 social opportunities took place in 2018
Halloween Party – “It was really good and I enjoyed it. I loved all of the costumes and my feet were sore dancing” Hayley Allen
Donegal Holiday – “I really enjoyed it. We stayed in a lovely big house and we had lots of nice things to eat and drink. We went on a small train along the lough and it was very beautiful. We did some shopping and sightseeing and it was just nice to get away together and have fun”Trevor Purdon
Portugal Holiday – “It was lovely and hot and the sun was shining. We went to the beach and did lots of shopping. We had lots of cocktails and I definitely want to go back again next year” Melody Craig
One to One friendship – “Having Aine as my buddy is amazing. We go and get coffee and have a chat. She is a very good friend to me and I am happy that she was matched with me. I am looking forward to the new year with lots of new buddy dates” Nicola Elliott
Blackpool Holiday – “It was really fun and we had a good time. Same hotel as the last time so we knew everybody. I really enjoyed the day trip to Liverpool and going to see the lights on the bus with Neil. I loved the dancing and music at night. It was great craic and I got to do lots of flirting!”Chris Mc Kee
Quotes from members
High days and Holidays
CAN Pathways is a youth project run by young people for young people. The project which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund enables teenagers and young adults to make new friends, connect to their community, grow in self-confidence and enjoy a fuller life. The project enables families to prepare for the road ahead and life after school through the provision of bespoke support, information and signposting.
In our 2nd year of Pathways…
We’vewelcomed
27new
referrals
116group and one to one
activities with young people
29 activities
with parents/families
delivered
5 sessions of Listen to Me to professionals
across the Northern area
worked with
43young peopleand families
this year
HighlightsAll of youEach and every young person and parent has brought something unique to Pathways and helped the project be what it is today so ‘Thank You’ to all of you!
Pathways FUN-tastic Day OutOur family day in September was enjoyed by around 100 children, young people, families and friends. They day provided an opportunity for families to get involved in a range of free activities including racing simulators, face-painting, bouncy castles and much more!
Our
thou
ghts
Mum Lia said, “Only other parents in our position know how much it has meant seeing our little ones gain confidence on a bike. What a gift to give a child, the ability to ride bikes like everyone else so thank you. It means more than you’ll ever know’”
Young person Kaleb said, “I love coming every week to see my new friend Caleb. He has the same name as me only with a ‘C’. We’re now great friends”.
BalanceabilityProgramme
Pathways Footy teamYoung person Joel has set up the Pathways
football team which has been welcomed by anumber of the young people.
Due to high demand, the team will bereforming in the New Year…Watch this space.
Well done Joel.
The Hub, is a weekly Drop In service, funded by Children in Need, for young people with Learning Disabilities, Autism, Mental Health concerns and their non-disabled peers. The Hub provides a safe, supportive, informal and inclusive environment for young participants to meet up and make friends. Activities focus on friendship and personal development. Sessions are held weekly, alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays. The young people involved in Hub have ownership over how it’s run and this year a lot of activity has been jammed into each 3 hour session. A typical Hub night involves playing pool, arts & crafts, gaming, cooking, baking, singing, team games, stress management and a lot of chat and laughter. Each activity assists in its own way towards enhancing confidence, self-esteem, friendship networks and life skills.
At Hub we encourage peer to peer learning so many of our activities have been led by the young people (and our senior mentors) themselves. For example, peers have helped to facilitate sessions on First Aid, Baking, Cooking, Teambuilding Games, Self-Care, Makaton etc.
The
“a place to meet up and just be teenagers”
Additional benefits – this year 6 of our young mentors/ volunteers have been awarded the opportunity to participate in a Peace IV Youth Practitioners Course and will be developing and running a program with our Hub participants next year….
Watch this space!!
Courtney (17) – Peer Volunteer“I came to Hub as part of my community service for my Queens Award for GB. I have loved every single minute of Hub. It has taught me how those with other needs don’t let that define who they are and they don’t let it stop them from doing thing that they want to do and love. There is a great support network through this group. I think that every young person should do this….Hub teaches us that if we set our mind to something we are able to achieve it and we shouldn’t let difference hold us back”
Ben (17) – AKA ‘Hub Master’“The best bit of my week is going to Hub, I love it so much, the staff are so kind to me. I love getting my text messages every week about Hub. I love to talk to my friends and we have so much fun and I get to practice my singing and I have made a video about what we have beendoing at Hub. My family is so proud of me”.
The Big Picture
Income in2018
Income in2017
£684,383
£566,469
62volunteers
People with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues engaged at CAN in 2018
382
30
No o
f gr
ou
ps we worked with
People into paid jobs
7
Staff Employed 23new
participants
Money wegeneratedourselves £177,280
290
Tonnes of WasteProcessed
982 activities
£29,931 money for future services development
52
money spent on direct serviceprovision£654,452
In 2018, our Funders included (in no particular order):
CAN Head Office (incorporating Base Ballymoney, Best Buddies and Pathways):20 Seymour Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6JR For information about ANY of our projects, call us on 02827669030email [email protected]
CAN CAN Bazaar, 34-36 Main Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6AL Tel 028 27238273CAN Can Recycling/Upcycling, 22 Seymour Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6JR Tel 028 27667775Base Ballymena, The Peoples Park, Doury Road, Ballymena, BT43 6JA Tel 07841436350Base Coleraine, 36 Long CommonsColeraine, BT52 1LH Tel 028 70354387
Charity No NI100988
THANK YOUfor being part ofour successin 2018
In 2018, we had support from hundreds of
people – from our treasured volunteers, to families, carers, health
professionals, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, customers,
students, staff, employers, donors, collectors and most importantly, our
members, trainees and participants.
Our volunteers alone contributed over 15,200 hours to CAN. Without them in particular, we would not be able to
provide the services we do to over 382 young
people and adults!
To each and every one of you, we owe a million
thank yous!
