Better Together
Christopher Auker-Howlett, Founder
Gloucester Community Networking (GCN), is a small ‘Not for Profit Organisation’, that facilitates the networking between individuals and organisations for the betterment of all!
There can be many obstacles that block us all from doing something new and the Covid-19 Pandemic with its repeated lockdowns is no exception.
Whether it's the anxiety of leaving your home for the first time (in what may be quite a while for some people), or the constant broadcasting of worrying news, it's easy to build barriers that may stop you from wanting to venture out and get your Covid-19 Vaccination.
GCN have made the following short video with the help of Rachel Hodges-Cox (Social Prescribing Link) and Chanelle (Practice Nurse) from our local Surgeries, Chris Evans from the Butterfly Garden Centre Project , and Christopher Auker-Howlett (founder of GCN) to give you advanced knowledge of the "what, where and how" about receiving your Covid-19 Vaccination.
GCN was asked By Rachel HODGES-COX (Social Prescribing Link Worker at the Churchdown GP Surgery) to promote the ‘need’ for ‘Voluntary Marshalls’ for the ‘Churchdown COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic’ via our Resources with the GCN Social Media Networks.
Our promotion of this need saw over 7,000 views on our GCN Facebook page and GCN supported the Churchdown Surgery in gaining approx. 300 Volunteers.
Through GCN’s project, ‘First Aid 4 Mental Health’, we are supporting the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic with the promoting of the ‘need’ for First Aid 4 Mental Health in our community and with the impact that Covid-19 lockdowns can have on all of our mental health. Via our Resources from our ‘First Aid 4 Mental Health Project’ we have supplied and set up:
Location for the Churchdown Covid 19 Vaccination Clinic
Clinic Entrance: Wheelchair Access Door to the rear of the building
Registration Room - Janet Murden (GCN) putting up Information about Mental Health Wellbeing
Rolling Slide Show, showing useful information re First Aid 4 Mental Health
Main Hall: Injections and 15min Post Injection waiting area.
Information posters of First Aid 4 Mental Health, Wellbeing and useful Organisations
Information posters of First Aid 4 Mental Health, Wellbeing and useful Organisations
Information posters of First Aid 4 Mental Health, Wellbeing and useful Organisations
GCN's First Aid for Mental Health video projection station
GCN's First Aid for Mental Health video projection station
Display showing information for First Aid 4 Mental Health, Wellbeing and contact information for useful Organisations
Display showing information for First Aid 4 Mental Health, Wellbeing and contact information for useful Organisations
Below are the presentation slides (in video format) created by GCN that is showing at the Churchdown Community Centre during the Covid-19 Vaccincation Programme. The aim of this presentation is to provide people with useful information regarding Mental Health and details of Organisations that can be of help.
Feel free to download or share.
Condensing information into a Leaflet, which can be found in the Carers waiting area. These leaflets aim to meet the ‘needs’ of carers, their families and those having the vacination to provide useful information about organisations that might be able to empower them to seek self help, as well as NHS resources.
Networking and Producing a ‘Get to Know your Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic’ Video (see top of this page). This Video aims to meet the ‘need’ to reduce stress and anxiety of those people coming for their vaccination, especially those people in our community who have not been outside much due to shielding, lockdowns and/or their own mental health needs.
This Video was shot with help of Rachel from the Churchdown Surgery and Chris Evans from the Butterfly Garden Project, Dundry Nursery with an addtional aim to help reduce stress and anxiety for people with learning and physical disabilities.
Gloucester Community Networking would like to thank Tewkesbury Borough Council for awarding a Grant from their COVID-19 Emergency Fund . This Grant has enabled our First Aid Mental Health trainer, Christopher Auker-Howlett to become qualified to Teach ‘Mental First Aid’, with Qualifications for Learners and CPD.
In addition, our trainer will also be offering tailor-made ‘Mental Health Awareness’ sessions via Pod Casts, Zoom and face-to-face where possible.
If you would like to know more information about receiving Mental Health Qualifications for adults or young people in schools and Youth Groups, or for adults with or without physical or learning disabilities and for Continuous Professional / Personal Development (CPD) for your organisation, please contact Chris Auker-Howlett
Due to various COVID-19 Lockdown measures introduced in 2020, we have had to radically reduce the number of activities we were hoping to carry out for our Core Projects: WORS, F4FA and GIVS. However, we are still going ahead with the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Sunday for 2020. Please see the links and PDF documents below for more information.
A separate GCN project close to our hearts is called GLOS100, which was originally set up in 2018 to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. This project ran throughout 2018 and GCN were able to take our 25ft WW1 Battle Trench to various events such as our Taste the Trench event during the Gloucester Retro Weekend. We were also able to hire out part of the Trench for a Military themed Christmast Party!
We are thrilled to announce that we have helped raise over £5,000 in 2018 for various charities, such as:
We have unfortunately had to cancel further WW1 and other public events for the foreseeable future due to the Covid-19 restrictions. However, GCN was able to commemorate Victory over Japan » day that halted the ongoing and bloody battles but at the same time heralded in the age of the Atomic Bomb, which indiscriminately killed millions of Japanese civilians in Hiroshima » and Nagasaki » See our related News » page for more information.
You can find a complete list of WW1 related events that have taken place by visting our Glos 100 Press Release page »
