My Life is Wigan Council’s Independent Advocacy provider and we’ve continued to offer a range of confidential, completely independent advocacy services throughout the pandemic.

We help people to make choices about their life, understand their rights and get their voices heard. If you know someone who might be finding it difficult to have a say in their own care and support, let us know.  

So, how can we help?

We aim to give people as much control as possible in their lives, by: 

• Giving people information and helping them to understand it, so that they can make choices around their own life, care and support
• Giving people a voice, to speak up about things that concern them
• Helping people to understand the reasons for important decisions and the different options available to them
• Speaking for people, to protect their rights and interests, if they are unable to do this for themselves
• Going to meetings for people and finding groups that may support them

Most importantly, we make sure that any decisions are made as a result of a person’s own wants and needs. We are also independent, so we work for the individual themselves, not social services, care homes, the police or any other organisation, including My Life.

We help people in many ways, including:

• When they are going through a social care assessment, sometimes called an adult needs assessment or support planning
• When they are going through a carer’s assessment, to see if they need support because they care for someone else
• When they are moving from children’s to adult care. This is called transition planning
• When a social worker wants to review someone’s care and support plan
• When a person may be in danger because they are vulnerable or have been abused, during an adult safeguarding enquiry

We work with people with a range of support needs, including older people and those with learning disabilities and mental health issues.

If you think you may need an advocate for any reason at all, please contact us Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. We look forward to your call.

Tel: 01257 472900 and press option 2.

Email: advocacy@my-life.org.uk

Web: www.my-life.org.uk/advocacy

We’re at the end of our first term of 2020 and it’s been a busy one for My Life Learning.  

Like everyone we’re navigating the twists and turns of Covid and striving to keep business as usual for our learners.  This of course has led to its own challenges, such as minimising the mixing of learners and external work placements on the whole being suspended, but from these we look for opportunities!  

We’ve created a tutor group system, which has strengthened our curriculum, with each class taught and supported by a core tutor and learning support assistants, in addition to specialist subject teachers to broaden learning. This has actually worked in our favour as a Covid secure measure, as whilst it is beneficial to our learners, we can also further refine the curriculum according to each of them. 

We’ve also continued to navigate remote learning this year and have had some really great examples of this, making use of Teams to engage learners at home in a variety of sessions including cooking and communication, alongside distributing work for learners to complete offline. 

To compensate for offsite work experience being reduced, we have set up a variety of exciting onsite opportunities and enterprise activities for learners to develop skills leading towards employment. All products are available to order by calling 01257 472 900 or emailing info@my-life.org.uk.

These include our Christmas crafts made in our workshop, just £5 each: 

Bird feeders one class is making and selling through ‘5ive,’ the business they have set up:

And if you want your car washing on a Wednesday afternoon, just let us know – another class has set up their own car washing business at our Standish site!  

In previous years we would normally have our Christmas lunch, where learners invite their families in for food, drink and a celebration of their achievements.  At the time of writing, this would contravene many guidelines, so we’ve tasked each class with coming up with their own celebrations – we look forward to seeing what they have planned.   

We are looking forward to the new year and all it brings and wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

John Mitchell, Head of Learning, My Life Learning 

My Life is registered with Easyfundraising, the UK’s biggest charity shopping fundraising site!

When you shop through the Easyfundraising site or app, My Life will receive a small percentage of what you spend and there’s no price difference to you.

It’s easy and free to use, with nearly 4000 of the UK’s major retailers including Amazon, M&S, Argos, Sainsburys and John Lewis.

Simply sign up to support My Life, click through to your favourite retailers and we will receive a small percentage of what you spend. From fashion to supermarkets, travel and utility providers, you can browse a huge range of stores.

Start now by clicking here.

Thank you, as always, for your support. It makes such a difference to our members.

Through the pandemic many people have struggled to access advice and support.

We’ve launched our very own online help sessions, so that everyone can get the information that they need around social care, from the comfort of their own home.

Our initial sessions, around the subjects of filling in a Personal Independence Payment Form (PIP) and understanding the Social Care Assessment Process, have proved hugely successful.

Led by My Life CEO Caroline Tomlinson, with My Life’s Advocates Gill Lachman and Gail Ambrose, participants have been able to benefit from a wealth of experience, with Caroline and Gill’s many years’ experience of the social and healthcare systems and Gail’s knowledge of Benefits through her work at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Caroline says:

“We were becoming increasingly aware that the pandemic was exacerbating the issue of ‘where do I go for help and advice?’ for so many. As with the rest of My Life, our Advocates have continued to support people throughout this difficult time, even when it has not been possible to meet face to face and we wanted to extend that help to the many people out there who we know are struggling in so many ways. They really are not alone.”

More sessions are planned for the new year, keep up to date by following our Facebook page.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have felt compelled to spend more time in natural surroundings.

This has been no different for two of our members, Chris Jordan and Richard Turner, both keen photographers, who have turned their lenses to the natural world.

Here at My Life, we place great emphasis on the wellbeing brought about by time spent on our 84 acres of beautiful green land. With the advent of the pandemic, our many outdoor activities that have been able to take place safely have become even more important to our members – and locals too.

Our Chief Executive Caroline Tomlinson explains:

“Chris and Richard have taken so many incredible shots whilst they’ve been walking the dogs at our Doggy Day Care service for local people, as well as undertaking wildlife observations, that we asked them to compile their best ones to create our 2021 calendar.

We’ve all seen the Countryfile calendar – Chris and Richards’ photos are certainly comparable, but all photos are of local wildlife. We’re so proud of their work. The calendar is a true embodiment of what we do here at My Life, identifying, harnessing and nurturing everyone’s individual talent, for the greater good of all.”

Chris says:

“As a member of My Life to be given the opportunities that I wouldn’t anywhere else is amazing and I want to thank everyone at My Life and my family for their continuous support and encouragement.  I use photography as a means to escape and to relax as I suffer from anxiety and depression.  I’m really happy to be able to use my ability to show others what a truly beautiful world we live in and that we all should cherish this.”

Richard adds:

“I’ve been coming to My Life for a year now and after every session I feel really good, like I have achieved something. I really enjoyed taking the photos!”

The calendar costs £6.50 and funds raised will go towards the purchase of new photography equipment for our members. Buy yours by calling 01257 472 900 or emailing info@my-life.org.uk.

We’ve certainly all been experiencing the seasons more this year, with all the outdoor activities and walks that the pandemic has prompted! This has inspired our member Zack to think creatively. Here’s his beautiful poem ‘Autumn’: 

In September when the children go back to school,

Playing and acting the fool,

I know that autumn is here. 

When the leaves turn orange and brown,

And they start to fall down,

I know that autumn is here.

I see an owl fly in the dead of night,

What a sight!

I know that autumn is here.

Scarves, hats and gloves at the ready,

And the rain getting heavy,

Autumn is here!