It’s nearly the holiday season, come and celebrate with us at CoolTan’s Christmas Party!

Friday 13th December, 5-9pm at CoolTan Arts, Third Floor, 224-236 Walworth Road, SE17 1JE.

We’d be delighted if you could join us and celebrate the last year. It will be a fun, friendly evening with refreshments, presents and maybe even some karaoke!
If possible please bring some food and drink to share together, veggie, vegan, wheat and nut free options all very welcome.

We will also be swapping gifts in a Secret Santa at the party, to take part please bring a gift costing £1 or less to put under the tree.

If you would like to volunteer and help us get ready for the party, or  would like to donate food, please contact rachel@cooltanarts.org.uk. You can help from 3pm on 13th.

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Join CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle on December 21st for the Music Walk, as we wind our way from the Tate Modern via Cross Bones Cemetery to the lively streets of Bermondsey with the accompaniment of Christmas songs & talks on local history & local music, bringing some festive cheer and light as the nights draw in.

We will be stopping at the White Cube Gallery, Zandra Rhodes’ Fashion & Textile Museum and famous jewellery designer Andrew Logan’s ‘The Gallery’. Your voice and instruments are very welcomebringing some festive cheer and light as the nights draw in.!

Start: 11:45am outside the Turbine Hall entrance of the Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG.

Finish: 4:00pm Bermondsey, SE16 4RX.

The Largactyl Shuffle is a free guided cultural walk promoting mental health and physical wellbeing using art, humour and history to help de-stigmatise mental distress.
Taking part is free for everyone, but voluntary donations will be much appreciated. The walk is fully accessible for all. Please bring a packed lunch and drinks, wear suitable, warm clothes and sensible footwear.

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With the festive season fast approaching now is the perfect time to start thinking about what to buy your loved ones! We have a unique collection of books, cards and textile products for sale, creatively designed by CoolTan Arts participants and produced to a very high quality. All money from the sales will enable CoolTan Arts to support more people.

Have a look at some of our great products below. All of these and many more are available to buy in our new online shop: www.cooltanarts.org.uk/shop

Food for Mood
CoolTan Books, price £9.99
A uniquely creative cookbook from CoolTan Arts, which will inspire you to cook and eat well – whatever your mood!

Serving up recipes and stories that reflect heritages from all over the globe, FOOD FOR MOOD has something for everyone, from warming Eritrean stew to nourishing Turkish salad, from spicy pepe soup to fajitas, moussaka and real Moroccan couscous. There are raw juices, sweet treats, foods for a picnic and easy one-pot recipes.

Whether we’re after a complex meal or a simple snack, food is a way to take care of ourselves and others, to express ourselves imaginatively, and to evoke old memories or cook up new ones.

Out now! Food for Mood is available from amazon. You can also purchase a copy directly from CoolTan Arts. Contact sara@cooltanarts.org.uk or phone 020 77012696.

Diagnosis: Hysteria? Prescription: Hysteria!
Poems by the Women of CoolTan Arts
CoolTan Books, price £5.99
Diagnosis Hysteria? Prescription: Hysteria! is an anthology of poems by the participants of the CoolTan Arts Women’s Poetry Group and some of the female staff and volunteers who work there.

These are poems not only about mental distress, but about love and loss, the power of the natural world, being a woman, everyday joys and woes, the beauty of language … They experiment with form and style, finding new voices with which to express old feelings, or forging a unique poetic voice for the artist.

Out now! Drop in and buy one or order your copy by contacting sara@cooltanarts.org.uk or phone 020 77012696

Anthropology
by the CoolTan Poets
CoolTan Books 2010, price £5.99
Anthropology is an anthology of poetry by members of the poetry group at CoolTan Arts. The book encompasses a huge range of sentiments and styles, from flights of fancy to political rant, from rhyming quatrains to shards of meaning, through haiku, free verse and lyric. This is very much poetry for poetry’s sake, and there’s something for every taste.

While mental distress is explicitly addressed in some of the works, it’s by no means the overriding concern: there are poems about family love and romantic love, meditations on nature, satires on current affairs and storytelling, pure and simple.

… a book of brilliant growling poems, dandified wild work … funny, witty, moving, political, sassy, wise – Ali Smith

Anthropology is available from amazon. You can also purchase a copy directly from CoolTan Arts. Contact sara@cooltanarts.org.uk or phone 020 77012696.

A Postcard to the World
CoolTan Books, price £7.50

A beautiful collection of 14 original postcards, created for our A Postcard to the World mail art project.
Participating artists celebrated the spirit of London 2012 and explored what the Olympics and Paralympics meant to them.
in terms of its proximity to their daily lives and their resulting emotional and behavioural responses to the event.
Out now! Drop in and buy one or order your copy by contacting sara@cooltanarts.org.uk or phone 020 77012696

CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle Accessories
Brighten a loved one’s day with a CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle rucksack or hi-vis vest. Be safe, be seen while walking or cycling.

Rucksacks – £20
Hi-vis vests – £15

Drop in and buy one today!

Dickens News Merchandise

Original screen-printed designs from our Dickens News Project!

Tote Bags – £5.00

Tea Towels £6.00

Aprons £10.00

Also available: Victorian Limited Edition Recipe Books £2.50

All gifts are available from CoolTan Arts and can be mail-ordered. www.cooltanarts.org.uk/shop

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CoolTan Arts will be closed after Friday 20th December and will reopen on Monday 6th of January. If you do need some extra support over the Christmas period here are some useful contacts:

Out of Hours / Crisis Support
In an emergency it is possible to visit your local Accident and Emergency department and ask to see the duty psychiatrist.

You can always call your GP out-of-hours service too – your usual GP number will have the details.

Your local Council has a 24 hour service and can put you in touch with a care professional – call the main Council switchboard and ask for the duty team.

South London and Maudsley Mental Health Trust also has two 24 hour contact numbers: The information line is available 24 hours a day to point you in the right direction about where to get help in a crisis. The number is 0800 731 2864..
The switchboard number, for general enquiries, call redirection and bleep requests operates 24hrs a day on 020 3228 6000.

NHS Direct (0845 46 47) can also provide you with medical advice at any time of the day or night. Samaritans (08457 909090 or email jo@samaritans.org) provide 24 hour emotional support and Saneline (0845 767 8000) can provide information and crisis support. Saneline operates between 1pm to 11pm every day.

Crisis: Want to be our guest at Crisis at Christmas in London?
Our day centres open from noon on Monday 23 December and close by 9 pm on Sunday 29 December. The opening hours are 9 am until 9 pm. Our residential rough sleepers centres are open 24 hours, and provide sleeping facilities for guests from either 22 or 23 December until the morning of Monday 30 December.
Crisis, 66 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LT Tel: 0300 636 1967 Fax: 0300 636 2012 Email: enquiries@crisis.org.uk
Where are our London Day Centres?
We have five day centres located across London, these are:
•    North London Day Centre (Kings Cross)
•    East London Day centre (Homerton)
•    South London Day Centre (Bermondsey)
•    South East London Day Centre (Deptford)
•    West London Day Centre (Hammersmith)

Narcotics Anonymous:http://ukna.org/
If you are a member of NA, then you and your family/friends can attend the Christmas dinner for free. See link for more information http://ukna.org/events/na-christmas-dinner-se-london
Wednesday, December 25, 2013 – 10:30 to 18:00
Price: Free
Montgomery Hall
58 Kennington Oval
London

Silver-line helpline for elderly people feeling isolated 0800 4 70 80 90
The Silverline: Need help? Call us ANYTIME on: 0800 4 70 80 90http://www.thesilverline.org.uk/
The Silver Line is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Salvation Army Christmas Dinner
London Central:    Jennifer McCullough    0207 3781021
London North East:    Sheena Booth    01245 383003
London South East:    Paul Harris    01622 775019

Christmas Meal – COPLESTON CENTRE, Peckham *Booking necessary*
THURSDAY DECEMBER 19TH 6.00-10.00pm
COPLESTON CENTRE
Copleston Road, Peckham, LONDON SE15 4AN
On the 19th of December Volunteer Centre Southwark in partnership with the Copleston Centre are aiming to put on an event for vulnerable  local residents which include people who may be isolated, elderly, refugees or asylum seekers and whom otherwise would be facing a lonely Christmas. If you know someone who might enjoy our Gift of Christmas or want to access the event yourself please contact us. Please note that places have to be booked ahead of time and are non-transferable. A ticket will be given for entry. If the person on the ticket is unable to come, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer the space to someone else.
Or for more information please call or email:
t: 020 7732 3435
e: elizabeth.trott@coplestoncentre.org.uk

Lambeth and Southwark Mind  http://lambethandsouthwarkmind.org.uk/contact-us/
For details on mental health services, call our information line:
020 7501 9203 and press option 1
(Mon 1-4, Wed 10-1, Thurs 1-4)
For general enquiries regarding Lambeth and Southwark Mind, call:
020 7501 9203 and press option 6

Please see here for support numbers if you are in crisis: http://www.cooltanarts.org.uk/if-you-are-in-crisis/

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CoolTan are running a series of free 12 week creative workshops in Southwark from the 13th January 2014.

If you are interested in exploring your creative side, in a friendly and relaxed environment, get in touch!

Workshop Dates

Film – Tuesdays, 11am – 1pm, from 14th January onwards
Learn how to do your own film-making and editing. Practice using professional cameras and microphones and learn the basics of editing using the Final Cut Pro programme.
Art – Tuesdays, 11am – 1pm, from 14th January onwards
Get creative through painting and drawing in this fun, friendly workshop.
Digital Arts – Thursdays, 11am – 1pm, from 16th January onwards – Interested in learning Photoshop? . Learn to edit, recolour, cut out and retouch your own photos, learn how to make photo collages with Photoshop layers, combine images and text to create posters, use paint and drawing tools and create special effects. No previous experience necessary.
Basic I.T – Fridays, 11am – 1pm, from 17th January onwards
Learn new computer skills or brush up on old ones. The group will learn to how to use Microsoft Word and how to improve Internet skills.
Trips and Exhibitions group – Time and day to be confirmed
Support our blossoming group with seeking out interesting and unique visits in London for CoolTan to go to.  You will brainstorm ideas, contact venues/companies and negotiate opportunities and plan how we will get there. If this sounds interesting to you, then please contact Rachel rachel@cooltanarts.org.uk
Workshops last for two hours.  You will need to provide a deposit of £5/£10 to reserve your place, returnable after the workshop.
Workshops are free and are open to people with mental distress (self defined) who are currently unemployed and not receiving a Personal Budget.

Location: CoolTan Arts, Third Floor, 224-236 Walworth Road, SE17 1JE.

Sign up now for the next  sessions  by calling 020 7701 2696 or emailing emmathatcher@cooltanarts.org.uk.

Further 12 weeks sessions will start from the 12th May 2014.

With thanks to our funders:

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CoolTan’s new Saturday Workshops are open to anyone 18+. Learn, meet new people, have fun and get creative! Providing professional tuition in a relaxed atmosphere we offer single session workshops that can fit in around other commitments. Workshops take place every third Saturday of each month between 10am and 4pm. Next sessions on Saturday 15th February. Classes cater for all levels, no previous experience necessary.

Jewellery

Learn how to make your own stylish earrings, necklaces and brooches.

Drawing from the Imagination

Express yourself creatively and learn to draw like the Masters.

Photoshop

Gain professional skills in Photoshop. Learn how to edit, cut out and retouch your photos.

Cooking

Come to a cookery demonstration of cakes and treats! Have fun and learn how to create then yourself.

Fashion Design

Learn how to design and put together your own pieces of clothing.

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Join our new Cooking and shopping Workshop: CoolTan 11:30am – 2pm
Tuesdays in the new Community Kitchen.

Especially for people who experience mental distress from SE1, SE16, Se5 and SE17.

• You do not have to have a personal budget to access this workshop
• BUT we do need to register with us before you can come along
• £3 for participants per session
• Pay in advance for 12 weeks and receive one week free

Weekly workshops to share and learn the skills to cook your own healthy and nutritious food on a budget.

(more…)

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Calling all budding journalists, photographers, editors and graphic designers! Come and be part of a team producing CoolFruit, an exciting new publication.

We will be creating a quarterly ‘review’ style digital magazine to highlight some of the fantastic work being produced at CoolTan Arts. We will also be including in-depth articles, reviews and interviews on various CoolTan projects and other topics of interest to our readership.

There will be weekly workshops on Friday afternoons starting on Friday 17th January as well as the opportunity to complete work in your own time.

We are looking for volunteers with skills in:

Layout and design
Interview techniques
Writing engaging copy
Photography
Editing content
Publishing on digital platforms

… as well as workshop volunteers who can support others to complete their tasks.

Specific volunteer roles are:

Writer
Photographer
Graphic Designer
Editor
Workshop Assistant

We would also love to hear from anybody who would just like to write an occasional article, anybody who would like their work featured in the magazine or anybody with a great idea for an article.

To find out more please contact anniecooltanarts@gmail.com or phone 020 7701 2696

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Update:

Richard’s funeral will take place at 10am on Wednesday 4th December at Honor Oak Crematorium, Camberwell New Cemetery, Brenchley Gardens, Camberwell, London, SE23 3RD. Please get in touch on 020 7701 2696 if you would like to join us in attending as a group from CoolTan.

Getting there:
Train: nearest stations are Crofton Park and Honor Oak Park
Bus: Bus stops on Brockley Road – 122, 171, 172, P4
bus stops on Brockley Way – 484 P2, P3, P4
bus stops on Brenchley Gardens – P12
bus stops on Forest Hill Road – 63
Car parks: Parking is very limited within the grounds. We suggest cars are parked in nearby residential roads.

CoolTan Arts would like to pay tribute to one of our most valued volunteers, Richard Muzira, who was sadly killed in a cycling accident on Monday 18th November.

The accident, involving a collision with a tipper truck, took place at the busy junction of Camberwell Road and Albany Road, making Richard the sixth cyclist to die on London’s streets in the past 13 days.

Richard, age 61, has been a much loved volunteer at CoolTan Arts since 2006. He was a key figure in CoolTan’s filmmaking group, leading on many film productions over the years, ‘ Innovation in Mad Culture’, ‘Alternative Fashion Show’ and recording CoolTan’s Largactyl Shuffle walks, poetry performances, exhibitions and events.

Richard had a Masters degree in film, having written a dissertation on silent movies, of which his knowledge was encyclopaedic. He was multi-talented and also helped to create CoolTan’s website, recorded radio shows and podcasts for our show on Resonance FM and for our Personalisation project.

In December 2011 he won a prestigious “Local Heroes” award from the Bank of America, celebrating his voluntary service. He very generously donated his £3,000 prize money to CoolTan Arts – which was reflective of his selflessness and true community spirit. In May 2011 Richard was also awarded a Southwark Civic Award, recognising his contribution to the local community and life in the borough.

Michelle Baharier, chief executive of CoolTan Arts, said: “You couldn’t ask for a more lovely person than Richard. He was a socialist and feminist who strongly believed in the greater good of the community and that everybody had something to contribute, the heart of what CoolTan does. He was a refugee from Zimbabwe, before moving to London he ran a left wing radio show. He was a fantastic friend and was a complete intellectual. He was a very calm and really astute person and will be deeply missed by all of us here.”

CoolTan Arts have created a memorial to Richard by the scene of the accident in the form of a ghost bike and will organise a Largactyl Shuffle walk in his memory. We have created a book of condolences at CoolTan Arts for people to sign and to share their memories of Richard.

Richard’s family have requested that donations be made to CoolTan Arts in Richard’s memory.   http://www.justgiving.com/RichardMuzira

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Wednesday, 11th December, 3-5pm at CoolTan Arts
Open to CoolTan Arts Staff, Participants and Volunteers

With thanks to Ed for superbly supporting everyone on November’s International Men’s Day after we’d learnt of Richard Muzira’s death; so here it is again – Eurovision with a difference: CoolTan Arts’ invites you to pick one song and explain its relevance to you – a new take on the old puzzling annual song-contest theme that has managed to expand Europe’s boundaries into about 58+ countries – then we’d play the song – singing and accompaniments encouraged but certainly not compulsory. Guests will be dropping in, drumming might get more than mentioned…Ed is your DJ. Let’s make it a merry afternoon.

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Volunteer Training – Wednesday 18th December, 11am-1pm
Mental Health Awareness – building your confidence

Join Rachel our Volunteer Coordinator for a session where together you will explore the different types of mental distress people can experience. Learn more about how this could impact people in the work place, the language used to talk about mental distress, the assumptions that can be made about people, and how you can maintain your own wellbeing. Free and open to all CoolTan volunteers. For more information or to book a place get in touch with Rachel Ball on 020 7701 2696 or email rachel@cooltanarts.org.uk

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The launch for the new book ‘Food for Mood’, produced by staff and workshop participants of CoolTan Arts was held from 18:00 to 20:00 on Wednesday 13th November 2013. 

More than 70 people attended the event, including CoolTan patron and celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager, Cllr Lorraine Lauder, Simon Hughes MP and guests from Guys & St Thomas’ Charity, Southwark Council, Shoreditch Trust, Association of Blodanza Teachers in the UK and other organisations.

Before the event even started, the gallery of CoolTan Arts’ new premises was filled with guests. CoolTan’s Cooking Club and the Food for Mood contributors were busy making various food from recipes from the cookbook—yellow basmati rice with curry, yogurt with garlic, coriander, Russian blinis, kartoffelsuppe, roast vegetables, spiced bulgar wheat salad, stuffed cabbage, and lemon and poppyseed cakes.  All the food was served in the gallery.

Michelle Baharier, the CEO of CoolTan Arts opened the event and thanked all the guests for coming, all the volunteers for their help with the event, especially the Cooking Club and the many people who made the book possible.

Elizabeth Cochrane, the editor of Food for Mood said:  ““I am so happy to have been involved in the process of producing the book, it  really was fun for me.  The project just got bigger and bigger with more and more people contributing to it by providing recipes, design and other necessary support.  Thanks to all those for their support.”

Rosemary Shrager congratulated everyone on the successful publication of Food for Mood and the launch event. She said: ““What a wonderful evening at CoolTan Arts.  What an amazing charity inspirational and tirelessly run by Michelle and the team.  I wish all the best of luck for the launch, all the food tonight was delicious!”

“I can’t believe that CoolTan moved from the studio to the new premises this year,  CoolTan people have worked so hard to get such remarkable achievement,” said Lorraine Lauder, Cllr and ex mayor of Southwark.

“The book is a natural treasure”,  said the brother of Peter Detre, to who the book was dedicated. “I am so happy to see its completion and launch.  Many thanks to CoolTan and people who produced the book in memory of my brother.”

After the speeches Rosemary Shrager signed and handed out the books to guests and everyone enjoyed the refreshments.  Simon Hughes  MP, also enjoyed the cakes made by Amos Philips, one of the trustees of CoolTan while Sasha Dee, chairman of the board, and Peter Cox entertained all attendees with poems. Everyone appreciated the wonderful food and the lively and happy evening.

The book is now available to buy from CoolTan Arts’ new shop priced £9.99.

Review by Tanya Zhu

Photos by Bogdan Stăiculescu, Roger Endicott and Rik Sanders

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On Wednesday 27 November, CoolTan Arts hosted another Largactyl Shuffle @ the Science Museum LATES. The theme of this LATES, the monthly adult only event at the Science Museum, was The Science of Robots. We dedicated our Largactyl Shuffle @ Science Museum to Richard Muzira, who, as a beloved member of the team filmed most of our previous events.

In the weeks prior to the event, we discussed what we would include in our tour. We visited the archived collection of the Science Museum in the Blythe House with its numerous rooms filled with  all kinds of objects related to the history of medicine: shelves filled with artificial limbs, a room full of X-ray machines, and cabinets filled with intelligence and psychology tests. We visited the Science Museum, wondered around Alan Turing’s exhibition, the Health Matters gallery, History of Medicine and the History of Computing. We also visited the Wellcome Library, all to explore the question: what is the relationship between mental health and robots?

For the LATES event, we organized two guided tours around the gallery of the History of Computing and a workshop to make your own robot. At 7.30pm  and 8.30pm we guided a group of interested visitors around the gallery with Sasha, Ginny, Roge, Allison, Peter and myself as tour guides. We presented our views and findings about the history of computing and robotics. I would like to tell you everything  that was presented, but I’ll keep it short and will only tell you parts of the tour that I considered highlights. Joe and Yuca filmed the event and the footage will be used for a book and DVD.

Sasha introduced the crowd to the theme of robots showing how the idea of the robot as a mechanical worker has been present in various historical times and parts of the world, especially in theatre. He also included parts of his Posh and The Plebs poem. Peter entertained the crowd with his impressions of the robotic voices we deal with on a daily basis and talked about autism and computing. Roge, who had created 4 slideshows on the representation of robots in films which played in the background during the event, taught the visitors how to count to 15 on one hand, using binary counting. Allison made us aware of the many interactions we have with computers and robots in our daily lives and Ginny concluded with a wonderful talk reminding us how important human contact is for our mental wellbeing. We then invited our visitors to come along to our table to create their own robot, using collages, drawings and written descriptions. Heide, Yuca and Andrew tirelessly helped and encouraged people to think about what kind of robot they would like. The result was a wonderful eclectic collection of robots, which included a cookie baking robot, a robot that provides love and positive messages, an existential robot that didn’t really do anything except being a robot and a robot with Brian Cox’ face.

It was a wonderful evening with a wonderful group of people and I look forward to our next, but unfortunately also last Largactyl Shuffle @ LATES event at the Science Museum on the 29th of January. Make sure you don’t miss it!

Review by Kaya Volke

Photos by Bogdan Stăiculescu

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The weather couldn’t have been better for the Largactyl Shuffle Literary Walk on 16th November, which was dedicated to the memory of Crispin Aubrey, a lifelong campaigner, anti-nuclear activist and journalist.

The walk celebrated South London’s Literary World and proved to be a moving occasion as a number of Crispin’s family and friends joined us from the start. We set off on a new route from Maudsley Hospital to Peckham Rye and our first stop was outside the Institute of Psychiatry. Here we heard about “All in the Mind’, a novel by Alastair Campbell, who has become a committed campaigner on mental health issues since being treated for depression in the 1980s.

After enjoying some activities at the appropriately named Stories Mews, we were welcomed by the award-winning author Evie Wyld to her bookshop in Bellenden Road, before hearing talks about the novelist Muriel Spark, local film and TV scriptwriters and a number of television series that have been set in the area, including ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

As well as being dedicated to Crispin Aubrey, our walk commemorated the birthday of William Blake, and we enjoyed several fascinating talks about the painter, poet and printmaker, and finished the day with a visit to the spot where he is said to have seen his vision of angels at Peckham Rye.

Review by Tim Russell

Photos by Andrew Black

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Phil Ruthen, CoolTan’s Advocacy Coordinator will be leaving CoolTan at the end of the year after four years with the organisation. His last day of work will beThursday 19th December, come and say goodbye and good luck to him at the Christmas Party!

Phil said: “I’m leaving CoolTan after Christmas, four years after Comic Relief’s expectations filling a blank page, but many gaps to fill, especially as CoolTan’s main partners, Cambridge House Advocacy, and SLaM lost funding before we started. My thanks for their goodwill, support and training materials that helped get us going. It meant, though, a different approach – one that brought together participants who tried out topics, and were at the beginning not the end of the design. Now, the Self-Advocacy training programmes have become an established part of the life and soul of CoolTan, and are widely recognised around the country, award-winning, although ironically less so locally. Use it, or lose it, the slogan says…I leave knowing personally that’s enough for me now, time to step aside; the project is in good hands with CoolTan, and Michelle Savioz, & has fresh ideas for 2014. I’m joining the Board of out-of-hours GP service SELDOC, and have writing commissions to complete and advisory roles with other organisations – some time-out from mental health as such, but connected in other ways. As I write, SLaM may offer a second year of their trainers’ time and expertise – another real chance toward equality of learning and shared experiences to influence the ‘system’ – that’s what it’s about. Get confident, know your rights, get heard, get change to happen, for you, for others – it’s not rocket, or medical science. And, it’s been made possible by you joining Self-Advocacy. Thanks, good luck to all involved, and colleagues at CoolTan over the years – it’s a great journey. And this adieu piece is less wordy than the Gettysburg…”

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Congratulations to Herbie Taylor who will be joining us from December 2nd as CoolTan’s new Operations Director.

Herbie has a background in residential drug and alcohol projects, social care and various outreach roles including mental health. With over 10 management experience from IT to Sound engineering Herbie has also written and performed plays in the Brighton Festival and is a lifelong drummer.

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Many of you will have already seen Karen Unrue around the place, as she has been involved in CoolTan for a number of years. We’d like to congratulate Karen on her new role!

Karen said: ” I’m not a new face at CoolTan as I have worked here as a trainer for the last couple of years. I have taken on a new role, though, and I am now working in Community Involvement Advocacy which means that anybody wanting to do workshops or courses here comes to me with their referral information. I enjoy this role as it gives me contact with the participants and their support team. I work with people to find a course they are interested in doing and then liaise with their care coordinator to process their application. So if you want to do a course at CoolTan pop by my desk and have a chat. I am in the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

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Jill Newman  has recently taken over the role of the Cooking Club Coordinator. We’d like to welcome Jill to CoolTan and wish her all the best in her new role.

Jill said: “I am running the Cooking Club on Tuesdays and am hoping to get a Thursday session up and running soon.  Before joining CoolTan I have worked locally as a Community Artist at Art in the Park and also as a dance tutor and performer. I have recently worked as assistant manager at G.Baldwin &co. where I learned about nutrition and alternative health and have also trained in Homeopathy. The Cooking Club at CoolTan has a nice, friendly atmosphere and I look forward to welcoming new members.”

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CoolTan Arts and The Cooking Club are hosting a special talk and we are inviting all CoolTan Arts service users and volunteers the chance to attend.
The subject is Healthy Eating  and our guest speaker will be Kate Moffat.

The talk will be on Tuesday 28th January 2014 from 1pm – 2pm.

Kate is Deputy Head of Nutrition & Dietetic Services at The Maudsley  and Bethlem Royal Hospitals.

Kate has a lot of experience and success working with people who have problems around weight and medication. Also, issues around appetite and eating disorders.
She will be giving general healthy eating advice  and will take a Q&A session during her talk for anyone who wants to ask specific questions.

Free to attend and all welcome!

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Join CoolTan’s new Workshops in Copywriting and WordPress, which will give you a good understanding of how to create a simple website. Free and open to all with basic computer skills. 

Copywriting: Starts Wednesday January 15th 1:30-3:30.

Copywriting is the art of  writing copy (text) for the purpose of marketing or promotion. Within this informal workshop you will learn how to create copy for web page content, press releases, social media including blog posts, tweets, and social-networking site posts. We will look at how copywriting is used to promote an organisation and use this skill to create content for CoolTan’s new website.

WordPress: First sessions start Thursday February 13th 1:30-3:30. Second sessions start May 1st.

These workshops, will gently guide you step-by-step through the process of how to create a customised mini website, using WordPress, the popular and versatile free blogging platform.

We’ll be covering the basics of WordPress installation, how to use the WordPress dashboard, how to create and modify menus, content pages and posts, handling digital media, such as images and videos to embed in your site content, as well as exploring the many options available to customise the appearance and functionality of your WordPress site according to your own personal needs and design preferences.

There will also be the opportunity to be involved with contributing design suggestions and adding content to CoolTan Arts’ ongoing new website design project.

This course will be aimed at learners with some basic level of computer literacy (comfortable with using a mouse, creating and saving files, web browsing, familiar with using common software such as MS Word, uploading digital photographs, etc). Although beneficial, no prior knowledge of web languages such as HTML or PHP is required, as these will be gently introduced as and when required.

For more information or to register please contact Emma Thatcher on 020 7701 2696 or email emmathatcher@cooltanarts.org.uk.

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