We’re sad to announce the passing of Clive Fellows, who was part of the My Life family, and much loved by us all.

Born in West Bromwich, Clive was a keen supporter of West Bromwich Albion and even met future England Manager Roy Hodgson during his time at the club. He adored going on holiday and leapt at any chance of adventure, from swimming with dolphins in Mexico, to sailing for a week on a tall ship in the channel, Clive even once flew with The Red Arrows and loved every minute of it!

A cameraman and actor with One Vision Media Productions for over twenty years, Clive had a very special way about him that meant people warmed to him wherever he went. In recent years Clive spent a lot of time at My Life, quickly becoming part of the fabric of the organisation. My Life CEO Caroline Tomlinson says of Clive:

“Clive was a true inspiration to many people, demonstrating what it was like to live an ordinary life with support needs. He was a popular member of the community and was known for his gentle soul, kindness and sense of fun. Even as he became older and his dementia got worse his personality remained – our team loved supporting him as he made them laugh, cry and got up to so much mischief all in one shift. You can’t help but love him, was a common phrase used – we will all miss him so much, but we are all smiling because he was here, and we had the pleasure of knowing him.”

Describing Clive, his brother Robert says: “He was such a fun-loving guy with a terrific sense of humour, everybody loved him. He had an infectious smile and an infectious personality, he was just a wonderful, wonderful lad. When they gave the charisma out in our house, he got it all. He touched everyone everywhere he went.”

Paying tribute to Clive, Caroline Tomlinson perfectly sums up how we all feel about him:

“Clive, you showed us the importance of family and friends and what being included really felt like. You were popular, witty, playful and so much fun to be with. Everyone loved every special moment they were with you.

Today we are so sad you have left us but are equally so happy we had the privilege of knowing you. You truly are leaving a legacy and are a legend of our time. Sleep tight our wonderful friend Clive – we love you to the moon and back.”

All our love and thoughts are with Clive’s brother Robert, sister-in-law Christine and the rest of his family and friends at this sad time.

Our inclusive club nights are now even bigger and better, with the launch of Popworld!

If you’re a fan of our inclusive Reflex club nights, you’ll be excited to know that the night is set to be even bigger and better!

After a £100,000 investment and a brand new design, Wigan’s Reflex bar is now ‘Popworld!’

Inside, you’ll be wowed by vivid new luminous colours, with décor inspired by all things pop.

And as for the music? You’ve guessed it – the best in pop and all your old favourites to dance the night away to and make new friends!

Kashmira McCann, General Manager at Popworld Wigan, said: “We are so excited to bring Popworld to Wigan. The venue looks great, and we’re sure everyone is just as excited to visit as we are to open. We can’t wait to show off our new venue and provide great nights out for all.”

Our inclusive night, with its new name ‘Inclusive Disco,’ will continue to be held on the first Tuesday in every month, 7pm to 10pm at Popworld Nightclub (formerly Reflex), King Street, Wigan. If you’ve already bought your ticket for Reflex, don’t worry, this can still be used.

The night is for over eighteens only. If you haven’t got your ticket yet, they’re £2 each and must be bought in advance from:

My Life: 01257 472 900

Wigan & Leigh People First – 01942 728 748

SKILS – 01942 522 333

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

My Life is involved in a scheme called Community Circles, which is trying to end isolation and loneliness for people living in residential and nursing homes and extra care facilities – you can be involved too!

Going beyond the idea of simply befriending someone, Community Circles matches a volunteer to someone in a home they think they’ll get on with, so that they can chat about their likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies and anything else they have in common.

If you’ve got a partner, children, a dog or other pet you can even take them with you – it takes a whole community to care for each other!

As little as just an hour of your time each month could make all the difference.

Gail, who has volunteered with Community Circles for nearly twelve months says:

“There is no set pattern for volunteering so I can volunteer at a time that suits me best. I chose a care home near to my home and was paired up with Bob who has a shared interest of bingo. I enjoy the break from work, and it makes a huge difference to Bob who gets seldom visitors. It’s nice to have a chat and find out all about Bob’s life and family. It doesn’t feel like volunteering, it’s just like visiting a family member. Bob has also told me he really enjoys my visit and gives him something to look forward to. I would not hesitate to recommend Community Circles to anyone.”

If you’re interested in volunteering, join us at one of our three events:

• Monday 19th August, 2pm until 3pm, with free coffee and cake at The Stable Door Café, Thompson House Equestrian Centre, Off Pepper Lane, Standish, Wigan, WN6 0PP
• Wednesday 11th September, 7pm until 8pm, for a free light supper at The Stable Door Café, Thompson House Equestrian Centre, Off Pepper Lane, Standish, Wigan, WN6 0PP

• Wednesday 18th September, 1.30pm until 3pm, for a complementary afternoon tea at St Peters Pavilion, Hurst St, Hindley, WN2 3DN.

To book your place or to find out more, call 01257 472 900 or email info@my-life.org.uk today.

We’re excited to announce that our new café, The Stable Door Café, is now open!

If you’re a fan of home cooked, locally sourced classics that will take you back to your childhood, you’ll definitely be a fan of The Stable Door Café!

From mouth-watering breakfasts to heart-warming soups, bloomer butties, afternoon teas and succulent Sunday roasts, the café is family friendly and has a children’s menu, as well as takeaway options.

Profits are reinvested into the work of My Life and with the café providing real life work experience to My Life’s members, it’s more than just the food that will make you feel good.

All delicious dishes are made from ingredients grown on My Life’s farm or sourced within a 20-mile radius, so you’ll know you’re buying local too and supporting local suppliers, from field to fork!

The Stable Door Café is now open Wednesday – Sunday, 8.30am – 3.30pm at My Life, Thompson House Equestrian Centre, Pepper Ln, Standish, Wigan WN6 0PP. 

We look forward to welcoming you in!

We’re delighted to announce that My Life has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK, which recognises outstanding work done in their own communities.

Nominated by their fellow volunteers to receive the award at Buckingham Palace were Eileen Cuerden who has tirelessly supported the charity from its very early days and Malcolm Barnes who has long inspired My Life’s members through his watercolour painting classes.

Chief Executive Caroline Tomlinson explained why Eileen and Malcolm had been chosen:

“We wanted Eileen and Malcolm to attend the awards reception because they have dedicated so much of their retired life to help others. They are fine exemplars of our older population who have contributed so much of their own skills, gifts and time to help people in a way that makes sense for them, yet have done it for no reward, but simply to enable others to enjoy and give people meaningful opportunities. This encapsulates what My Life is about.”

My Life is one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations and awards has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

Martin Ainscough CBE DL, who nominated the charity for the award said:

“I am delighted that My Life has been awarded a well-deserved Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Caroline and her superb colleagues and volunteers are helping literally hundreds of people with additional needs to be involved in a fantastic mixture of therapeutic activities. The energy the team put into this every day is witnessed by the sheer amount of events and activities they organise and Judith and I are delighted to have helped them on the journey so far and I am sure they will continue to thrive. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to all the team.”

Roald Dahl, David Walliams and now – our very own Bradley Mirrelson! Inspired by his favourite authors, My Life Learning student Bradley Mirrelson has been hard at work writing and illustrating his very own stories.

This led to Mr Iain Pearson, the Headteacher of Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary School, hearing about Bradley and inviting him to meet the children and share his stories with them. Introduced as a writer and illustrator, Bradley shared his thoughts about being a writer and was grilled about his writing passion by some very eager children!

It seems that creativity is infectious and, fueled by their love of Bradley’s stories about main character Braxton, the class have decided to write their own stories and will send them to Bradley for his professional opinion – we think that this is the perfect ending to a perfect story!