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Les Amis has launched a new Day Service, sponsored by corporate partner ZEDRA, in St Mary to enrich the lives of its residents.
The charity – which provides residential and respite care for Islanders with learning disabilities and/or associated conditions – had been searching for a new base to run its Day Service for some time.
After viewing several locations, the Bethlehem Methodist Church community centre was said to be the obvious choice.
The large hall will be used for activites, the kitchen area to practise culinary skills and the church serves as an excellent location for the Les Amis choir to practise.
Residents in full-time residential care used to attend the States-run Le Geyt Centre next door to Les Amis’s headquarters at Five Oaks but this service was withdrawn last year.
Initially, a skeleton service was run from the Philip Mourant Centre in Trinity, thanks to support from Highlands College. Twice-weekly art classes were well attended but it was always going to be a temporary solution until a more permanent one could be found.
Shaun Findlay, Les Amis Managing Director, said: “Having a ‘good day’ is something everyone strives to achieve. But to have a good day people need to feel they have a purpose, have achieved something and are involved in an activity that is right for them. I wanted to create a service where our residents could have a ‘good day’ everyday - where they can meet new people, make friends and build a sense of belonging. We are incredibly grateful to the Bethlehem Methodist Church and ZEDRA for helping us create a Day Service that will provide this for our residents.”
Commenting on their partnership with Les Amis, Ashley Cox, Managing Director for ZEDRA Jersey, said: “This initiative is testament to the ongoing and strengthening relationship between ZEDRA and Les Amis. When the States-run Le Geyt Centre service was withdrawn, we were concerned about how this would effect the Les Amis residents.
“So we’ve committed to providing the resources to help Les Amis realise their ambition for their own Day Service. They have fantastic plans for activities driven by the residents’ interests and we will not only be supporting the Day Service financially but also encouraging our own team to teach classes and assist in activities such as cookery and sports. It’s a very exciting venture and one that we can really see making a difference to our community.”
Pictured: The Bethlehem Methodist Church is the new location for the Les Amis Day Service | Photo from google maps
In addition to the facilities available at the Bethlehem Methodist Church, the location was also chosen because it has onsite parking and a bus stop, which will allow residents to travel easily to and from the Day Service.
The Reverend Christine Legge, Minister at Bethlehem Methodist Church, said they are “delighted” to partner with Les Amis and said: “We look forward to welcoming them and, when opportunities arise, working with the Les Amis folk to help realise each other's potential and have an enjoyable time together. It's an exciting venture and we are looking forward to sharing this journey together.”
The Bethlehem Methodist Church Day Service opened on 3 April but Les Amis are still looking for volunteers to help with their new Day Service.
Lauren Carré, Les Amis’s PR, Marketing and Fundraising Manager, said: “We are still looking for Islanders to volunteer to share their skills and teach classes at the Day Service so I urge any volunteers to get in touch.
“It could be arts and crafts, cooking, playing a musical instrument or even riding a bike. We want the service to provide as many diverse activities as possible for our residents to engage in.”
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