On the second Thursday of each month here at Thompson House, we are very fortunate to have with us Helen Gaskell, a solicitor who specialises in powers of attorney, wills and the administration of estates, but she is happy to offer general legal advice as well.

The next clinic is on 8 January: the first slot starts at 2pm and the last slot is at 4.30pm. So why not give yourself peace of mind this Christmas and plan ahead for your family.

Phone 01257 472900 to book your slot.

Wednesday, 7 January sees the start of our six week ‘Cook-Along’ course, which will run for six consecutive Wednesdays at Thompson House, from 10am to 12.30pm. The cost is just £90 (FREE for support staff) and includes all the ingredients.

It’s a great way to learn in a fun environment, and at the end of the course all our recipes will be included in a special edition of the My Life recipe book, which will be free to those that attend.

Book and pay in advance to secure your place(s)! Phone 01257 472900.

We are also taking group bookings for staff teams and can work the dates around your organisation. Please get in touch for more details.

A few insights to prepare you for the Inclusive Community Experience (ICE)..!

The Inclusive Community Experience (which, years ago, was called The Inclusion Conference) has always been an event with a difference. One of the reasons for re-naming this gathering was to reduce the chances of people believing they were coming to a conventional conference. It’s more an experience than a conference, and it is about putting inclusion into practice – living it rather than studying it.

A couple of years ago, it became a self-catering event, incorporating ‘Come Dine With Me’ evenings, to both ensure it was affordable and to create additional opportunities for getting to know a few people you didn’t previously know. For several people the experience of being invited to someone else’s cottage for dinner, and inviting people round for dinner, was a highlight.

There’s no formal organisation behind the event. It’s planned and organised by a few people, who meet together in their own time, eat lots of cakes, and who eventually devise a way for people to be able to link up, connect, be themselves and be with others. It can seem a little chaotic at first, but it soon falls into place as we collectively create a safe place where everyone is welcomed and appreciated for their gifts and talents. The event requires people to be inclusive and to figure out how we accommodate everyone within the ICE community with a range of different needs.

 It’s a great place to practice random acts of kindness.

For the majority, it will unfold into a unique experience – an inclusive community experience. Problems, difficulties and issues will no doubt arise, and in a conventional conference our job is to point these out. But at ICE, we have a passive, detached, role that encourages an arm-chair critic perspective. At the Inclusive Community Experience, we all have an active role that promotes responsibility. “What can I do to help sort this out?” becomes the question. There’s a mixture of planned participatory sessions, and plenty of informal time to connect with existing or new friends.

It’s a brilliant three days, and we look forward to welcoming you to 2016’s Inclusive Community Experience at Ribby Hall in Blackpool.

Owen Cooper

Next year’s Inclusive Community Experience (ICE) event is on 1-3 February 2015. It’s always very popular and places are filling fast! So in order to avoid disappointment, a small deposit will secure your booking. Phone us on 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk for a booking form or further details.

We are running lots of fun activities for kids of all ages this half term (27-31 October 2014). Includes scary music making, creepy costume and prop making, Thriller dancing, toffee apples, and much more! We will be working in groups and scariness will be appropriate to each child and young person.

Just £25 per child per day for children aged 8 and over. Children under 8 can come along, but need to be accompanied by an adult at a cost of £15 per day.

Sessions run from 9.30am to 4pm at Thompson House (but times are flexible, so if you need to drop your child off earlier/pick up later, this can be arranged).

SPECIAL OFFER! Book all 5 days and get the Friday free (includes Spooky Halloween Walk, 6.30pm to 9pm).

Subject to availability, places must be booked and paid for in advance.

Programme for w/c 27 October 2014

Stuck for something to buy that special someone who has everything…? Or want to give the grandkids a treat next half term? Then why not treat them to a day at My Life! There’s something for everyone to enjoy and we are now selling gift vouchers for half and full day workshops, places at our ICE event, as well as kids holiday clubs. Vouchers start at £15 – phone or email us for more details on 01257 472900 or info@my-life.org.uk