MyLife News

Breathe new life into your old clothes with My Life’s new Re-Made service. Whether it’s personalising a jacket for next year’s Oasis shows or a black dress for a Christmas party, this new initiative from My Life’s members will take your forgotten clothes and turn them into bespoke, unique garments. It’s the perfect way to get creative and personalise your style just in time for the festive season. 

All people have to do is bring their unworn clothes to My Life at Thompson House Equestrian Centre in Standish. For a small, pay-what-you-want fee, our skilled team of designers will transform these pieces into one-of-a-kind, personalised creations. Whether you’re looking to revamp a denim jacket for a music festival or create a unique Christmas gift, Re-Made will ensure your item is tailored to your individual needs and preferences.

This initiative is taking place around My Life’s famous annual Clothes Exchange Show on Friday October 11, an opportunity for people to empty out their wardrobes and swap them for three garments brought in by others. 

The event will also feature a showcase of the company’s latest upcycled fashion creations, demonstrating the team’s ability to transform discarded materials into exquisite, sustainable pieces. Attendees will have the chance to see the transformation process in action, as well as meet some of the talented individuals behind the designs.

“My Life as an organisation is all about offering personalised care and support to people, so this event and initiative is a classic example of that,” says My Life CEO Caroline Tomlinson. “We are celebrating the power of personalisation in fashion, but also the skills and gifts of our staff and members who are creating these unique items. 

“A personalised product from a personalised service”The easiest way to get your clothes Re-Made is to come to the Clothes Exchange show on Friday 11th October, from 7-10pm, where you can find out more about the service and drop off your item.

Tickets are £5, and all funds raised and left over clothes/items from the Exchange will also be used by our Re-Made project.

For more information please go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/clothes-exchange-show-and-re-made-re-loved-tickets-1022636562487?aff=oddtdtcreator

Today a young man looked through his window to welcome the morning.

This was no ordinary morning. This was the first morning in 7 years he was looking through his very own window. It wasn’t a hospital window any more, with hospital staff saying what he could and couldn’t do – he was finally in his own home.

It’s been two and a half years since we had the first ever conversation with his Mum saying “there must be another way”. The My Life Support team put together a support plan, secured a Third Party Personal Health Budget, found him a capital investor to buy him a home of his choice, but most importantly they listened.

We visited week after week to the hospital, we got to know him, what he liked and what he didn’t like and critically where he wanted to live and what kind of people would help and support him.

Yesterday he finally moved in, with his brilliant staff team. We know there will be ups and downs, but for now we are all enjoying the moment.

Thank you for everyone who has been part of this long amazing journey… you have changed another life forever!

Please take a look at our My Life Support page if you’d like to find out more about our crucial work.

My Life is delighted to announce that the Care Quality Commission has this week rated our personalised care service My Life Support as good in all aspects. 

As part of the inspection process, the CQC base their findings on five important areas, looking at whether the care and support service in the home is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. My Life’s entire ethos is based around ensuring people who need support have care that is tailor made to their needs, so we were keen to show inspectors how we ensure My Life Support lives out that mission. 

That’s why we were so pleased that the report said we “supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives,” while focusing on their strengths and what they could do, “giving them fulfilling and meaningful everyday lives”.  

We were also praised for our care, with our highly skilled registered managers demonstrating “a commitment to people” that then supported them to achieve good outcomes. “People received kind and compassionate support,” the report continued, and we were delighted to read that we were trusted to keep them safe.

And as a wider organisation, we were really pleased to see that the culture between leaders, staff and people was judged as being open and inclusive. We feel this aspect is particularly important as it empowers and encourages people to evaluate the quality of support they give and receive, helps staff to take steps to increase their skills and knowledge, and most of all makes the relationships between staff and people who need support – and their families – really positive. 

Perhaps the best line in the report – which you can read in full here – comes right at the end. “Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.” 

We’re thrilled that the support that we provide to so many incredible people and their families has been recognised by the CQC in this way. If you’d like to know more about how we might be able to help you or your family, please do get in touch. 

Our famous family-friendly Halloween events have been a spooktacular success in recent years – so now’s the time to book for 2022’s all-new experience at Thompson House Equestrian Centre. 

This year we’re holding the Spooktacular over two nights, from 6-8pm, on Friday 28th October and Saturday 29th. It’s just £5 for all. 

Featuring spooky games, a haunted house and Standish’s scariest circus*, there’s plenty of ways to get into the ‘spirit’ of Halloween – and you can also enjoy plenty of ghoulish delicacies provided by Stable Door Cafe. 

My Life’s Halloween events are devised and presented by our members, giving them a huge sense of belonging to their community. When you buy a ticket for Halloween, you’re doing far more than simply having fun. You’re supporting and investing in our vision that everyone feels that they can use their gifts to contribute. 

As one of our members, Matthew, said about last year’s event:

Friday October 21, 7.30pm

Who’s up for a fantastic clothes swapping night at Stable Door Cafe? Bring 3 items of clothing you’ve grown tired of, and swap them with another three you like the look of! 

Actually, don’t stop at 3 – bring as many as you like and we can recycle the rest. 

Shoes, handbags and fascinators are also welcome – we advise you to bring anything in advance of the night to our collection point, where we can then process everything ready to show it off!

Our bar will be open, there’ll be a raffle and entertainment throughout the evening. 

Tickets are just £5 per person, including delicious nibbles from Stable Door Cafe. 

It’s going to be a fantastic night, so make sure you book now by calling 01257 472900