photo of showstoppers group with handmade cards

Showstoppers Spread Love and Joy at the Care Home

Showstoppers Spread Love and Joy at the Care Home

Over the past couple of weeks, the Showstoppers have been hard at work practicing a dance to “Love Is All I Can Give to You” and a song to “Dancing Queen” in preparation for their performance at the care home. Their dedication and enthusiasm truly shone through during their visit.

In addition to their performances, the Showstoppers made heartfelt Valentine’s cards with personalized messages for the residents and staff. The entire group did an amazing job, displaying confidence and warmth as they greeted everyone with cuddles and conversations. They were respectful and kind to all the staff, making the visit even more special.

A highlight of the visit was reconnecting with their favourite resident, Carol, from their last visit. The Showstoppers made an extra effort to chat with her and see how she’s been, which brought smiles all around.

To say we are proud of the Showstoppers is an understatement. Their hard work and kindness have made a significant impact, and to celebrate their achievements, we will be having a movie night and takeaway next week to show them just how amazing they are.

Stay tuned for more updates on our wonderful Showstoppers and their inspiring activities!

 


 For more information about our Showstoppers group please look here
Pink image saying Guide smiley faces and magnifying glass

MAIN’s guide finding Social Groups

MAIN’s guide finding Social Groups

Making friends as an adult can be difficult, but joining groups and clubs around an existing hobbies or starting a new hobby can be a great way meet like-minded people. By socialising around a specific interest it can make communication much easier.

How to find a potential group around an interest:
o Online local search
o Libraries
o Community notice boards
o Courses related to your interests

Managing anxiety before attending groups and clubs:

o It can help to get as much information about the group before you
go.
o Breaking down the task of going into small tasks can help reduce
anxiety.
o Introducing yourself before turning can help when they know to
expect you.
o Taking someone with you can be a good aid for the first time even
if they don’t like the interest.

Example

Drama club
o Email beforehand to introduce yourself and find
out the details
o Find out about the venue
o Look up the route to the venue
o Join the clubs social media
o Attend with a friend that goes or bring a friend

At university?
You can also look for:
o Look at the Student Union for societies and clubs
o The university might have an accessible hour at fresher’s fair, which
are quieter
o Talk with students on your course
o The people you live with
It is best join as soon as you can at the start of the year.

 


You can also look at our social groups here : Adult Group   Inbetweeners   Showstoppers  Tween and Teens
Love heart art work

Celebrating Heart warming Feedback from Our Community

Celebrating Heart warming Feedback from Our Community

February at MAIN: Fostering Relationships and Wellbeing

February is MAIN’s month to focus on our relationships and provide clients with useful guides and workshops to promote safety and wellbeing and reduce social isolation. We are thrilled to share some lovely feedback from various services we provide at MAIN.

Showstoppers Group

One parent shared their appreciation for our Showstoppers group:

“Lovely group put together who enjoy singing and dancing and each other’s company. C looks forward to going each week, which has helped her confidence and social isolation greatly. Thank you for your ongoing support.”

Durham Coordinators

We also received heartfelt verbal feedback for our Durham Coordinators:

“Thank you so very much, Katherine. I really appreciate it. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lewis, and the rest of MAIN. You are such a vital service, and you are all so nice, patient, and understanding.”

1:1 Bookable Sessions

In partnership with St John of God, our suicide prevention program for autistic individuals across Tees Valley has also received positive feedback:

“The advice and guidance I have received from Leah so far has been really beneficial, and I am grateful to have this support at a crucial point where I am facing a lot of uncertainty and changes. I’d feel alone otherwise and just wouldn’t know what to do. I feel it will help me navigate what the next few months may look like or what might change, and I am hopeful it will help me get back to a stable position where I feel more confident and comfortable with my circumstances and can manage my anxiety.”

We are incredibly grateful for this feedback and remain committed to supporting our clients in every way possible. Thank you for being a part of MAIN’s community!


 For more information about our Post Diagnostic Support and other services, please visit Support Services on our website
Staff learning first aid at work and doing practical

MAIN Completes First Aid at Work Training with FR Safety and Training

MAIN Completes First Aid at Work Training with FR Safety and Training

At MAIN, we take the health and safety of our staff and clients very seriously. That’s why we recently completed a comprehensive First Aid at Work training session with FR Safety and Training.

Our team learned essential skills, including CPR, to ensure we are prepared to handle any emergencies that may arise. This training is a crucial part of our commitment to providing a safe environment for everyone at MAIN.

Check out some photos of our dedicated staff in action, practicing their CPR techniques and other first aid skills. We’re proud of their hard work and dedication to keeping our community safe.

Thank you to FR Safety and Training for providing such valuable training. Together, we are making MAIN a safer place for all.

 

Staff learning first aid at work and doing practical

 


 

Picture of products being used and MAIN love lush

Afterschool and Sensory Play – Thank you Lush Middlesbrough

Afterschool and Sensory Play – Thank you Lush Middlesbrough

Lush’s  Donation to MAIN: Enhancing Sensory Play for Young People

We are thrilled to announce that Lush Middlesbrough has made a generous donation to MAIN, providing us with a wonderful array of their products to support sensory play for young people. This incredible contribution has allowed us to create engaging and stimulating experiences that our young participants absolutely love.

Lush, known for their ethical and sustainable products, has always been a champion of social and environmental causes. Their commitment to giving back aligns perfectly with our values at MAIN, and we are grateful for their support.

The donated Lush products have been a hit with the young people we serve. They have enjoyed exploring the different smells, colors, textures, and the cause-and-effect interactions these products offer. Sensory play is a vital part of our programs, helping to develop cognitive and motor skills while providing a fun and therapeutic experience.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Lush Middlesbrough for their generosity and for believing in our mission. With their support, we can continue to make a meaningful impact and improve the lives of those we serve.


If you want to learn more about Afterschool club please look here

Blank pink logo with quotation marks

Feedback from a Parent – Durham’s Post Diagnostic Support Service

Celebrating Heart warming Feedback from Our Community

At I am MAIN, we are dedicated to providing compassionate and expert support to Autistic Individuals and their families. We are thrilled to share some heart warming feedback from the parents of one of our clients, which truly highlights the positive impact of our services.

“As parents of a young person with autism, we received the news of I am MAIN’s existence with great relief. Friends of ours with similar needs spoke very highly of the support their young person had received from the service in Durham. Since then, our son has attended a series of meetings with Katherine Palmer to talk through his experience and his needs in detail. He has engaged very well with Katherine and the process even though he doesn’t always find this sort of thing easy to deal with. Katherine’s empathetic approach in the meetings provided a reassuring and understanding environment for him to express himself in. He has enjoyed the opportunity to talk through his aspirations with Katherine and about the obstacles that he will need help tackling in order to achieve them. And we now have a series of support activities scheduled to help him begin work on this. We have greatly appreciated the compassionate and expert engagement we and our son have experienced so far and are very hopeful about the programme that is now available for him to move forward.”

We are incredibly grateful for such kind words. It means the world to us to know that our efforts have made a positive difference in the lives of our clients and their families. Katherine Palmer’s empathetic approach and dedication to understanding each individual’s unique needs have been instrumental in creating a supportive and reassuring environment for our clients.

Our mission at I am MAIN is to empower young people with autism to achieve their aspirations and overcome obstacles with the help of tailored support activities. We are excited to continue working with our clients and their families to provide the best possible care and support.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and feedback with us. Your stories inspire us to keep striving for excellence in everything we do.

Together, we can make a difference


 For more information about our Post Diagnostic Support and other services, please visit Support Services on our website
Image with green heart in caring hand saying here to help

February 2025 -Autism & Mental Health Bookable 1:1

Here to Help

MAIN are working in collaboration with St John of God to offer workshops to promote understanding of self and learning strategies.

MAIN will be delivering some sessions in February, you can book a 30 minute- one hour slot 

Monday 3rd Feb – 1pm-3pm
Wednesday 5th Feb 1pm-3pm
Monday 10th  Feb 1pm-3pm
Friday 14th Feb 1pm-2pm
Monday 17th Feb 10am-12 noon
Wednesday 19th Feb -10am-12 noon
Friday 21st Feb -1pm-2pm
Monday 24th – 10am -12 noon
Friday 28th Feb – 10am-12 noon

All sessions are suitable for anyone aged 14+ years.

Location: MAIN, The Finlay Cooper Centre, Elizabeth Terrace, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, TS3 6EN

We can provide alternative dates and times, along with telephone or video call sessions. Please just get in touch.

You can access more information, resources and support here


Please contact us if you would like more information and to book on

Blue January

MAIN’s guide to Blue January and Wellbeing

Blue January – Blue Monday 20th January 

Often, towards the end of January, we may start to feel a little blue. Maybe we have lost motivation with our new year’s resolution, maybe we are struggling with the winter darkness and cold, maybe it just feels too long since Christmas. Whatever is getting you down, here are some tips for getting through those January blues.

Hope for the year ahead.

Think about what you are looking forward to this year – plan to do some things you enjoy.

Goal setting – many people towards the end of January feel like they are already failing their new year’s resolution – think about planning a realistic and achievable way to meet your goal. Is there a way to break it down into smaller steps?

Remember – the days are getting lighter. It can seem like the winter and the cold are endless, but we have almost made it through January, the sunset is getting later, and the weather will get warmer again.

Low budget?

Many people struggle in January due to the cost of Christmas, and the long gap until being paid in January. If you are struggling with money, there may be help available. You may wish to check if you are eligible for support with heating bills due to cold weather. You can contact Citizen’s Advice for support with this.

Try some free or low-cost activities to have fun – you could go on a nice walk in nature, go to a museum, try on ugly outfits in shops, play a game, do some art, or visit a library to borrow some books to read.

 

Coping with feeling down

Try doing activities that you enjoy. Activities like baking, drawing, reading, gaming and watching your favourite show or film are great for those dark winter evenings.

Connect with people you care about. You might want to call or text people family or friends – or even invite people over for a “Brew Monday” – and have a good catch up over a hot drink.

It’s a good idea to try and get some daylight and fresh air when you can, but be careful going out if it’s icy, and make sure to wrap up warm.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, try some mindfulness strategies to bring you back into the moment. You might want to focus on your senses and pay attention to what’s around you, or you could just take some deep breaths.

 

Recognise if you need more help

The winter months are often difficult, but it’s important to seek help if you find yourself feeling depressed on most days. Your doctor can discuss these feelings with you.

If you are feeling suicidal you can contact below for help. Samaritans: 116 123

Crisis Team: 0800 0516 171

You can also text Shout to 85258


 

we are hiring pa and outreach workers

Join our team- We are hiring- March Recruitment Fayre

We are Hiring !

We are looking for caring and enthusiastic people to join our PA & Outreach team.
If you wish to learn more come join us at our upcoming Recruitment event on Monday 17th March 1:00-2:30pm
This event will be at MAIN, The Finlay Cooper Centre, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, TS3 6EN
disability confident -commited disability confident Employer

Send us your CV today

Happy New Year 2025

MAIN’s New Year Resolutions Guide

MAIN’s New Year Self care Resolutions Guide

New Year self-care resolutions

New years can be a great time to think about what you want to do in the next year. However, it can be overwhelming when there is so much focus on what you should be achieving. Sometimes the best new years resolutions are based around looking after ourselves and feeling our best.

Here are some ideas for a new years resolution to focus on feeling your best, instead of achievements:

· Learn to be kind to yourself when you have to take a break.

 

· Take some time each day to go outside and get fresh air.

 

· Practice asking for help when you need it.

 

· Make sure to bring a comfort item with you everywhere, that you can use when you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

 

· Spend time every week on a special interest or something that brings you joy

 

· Start writing a journal of positive things that you have done, however small, so you can look back and be proud of yourself.

 

· Practice mindful strategies when you are feeling stressed.

 

· Plan some time to rest each day, whatever that means to you.

 

We had our older groups try out this activity and we got some brilliant self-care resolutions

Aged 36 ‘ Try new foods (e.g. Ramen), be more active and save up for a staycation’

Aged 25 ‘ Be more healthy’

Aged 14 ‘Be more active and be more good mentally’

 Aged 19- ‘Pass my Level 3 in Animal Management 

Aged 21- ‘Be able to graduate from University. Keep up my collecting. Walk to family whenever possible as much as possible. Try not to panic when forced with uncontrollable situations’.

 Aged 18 – ‘I would like to either make progress on or completely finish : Improving my Maths and English significantly, Expanding my palette and trying new foods and finishing Minecraft FNAF world.’

Aged 15 ‘ Going to college and making music’