Keeping it in the Family

And, just to round things off at the Wood & Vale, here's the final piece, as mentioned below, on the Marlborough Family Centre. Unfortunately- no pics this time.

Keeping it in the Family

A St John’s Wood scheme has been singled out for praise by ministers launching a new family driven approach to local services.

Ed Miliband and Beverley Hughes spoke out concerning the work of the Marlborough Family Service, which offers a range of out-patient services for children, teenagers, adults, couples and families with complex needs.

The service is part of the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, and also includes a family day unit where families work in groups to recreate everyday issues, allowing them to discover solutions to break problematic patterns.

Dr Eia Asen, Lead Consultant at the Marlborough Family Service, said: "It’s good to gain this recognition. We do run an acceptable service, which is very well known not just locally, but nationally, and internationally.

"Our work is being replicated in at least ten other countries, some of whom have even decided to name their centers after ours."

The Marlborough Family Service is multi-cultural and multi-lingual, with a staff group who speak 17 languages between them.

As Dr Asen explains: "We actively aim to recruit staff with linguistic and cultural skills, to match the needs of the population we are serving. It is important to our approach to be able to communicate clearly with entire family groups."

The centre also runs a cultural therapy service, developing culturally relevant interventions for minority ethnic clients, with a community based approach.

Work can take place within the family home, or in a wider community setting, such as Soho’s Chinese Health Centre.

Mr Miliband, Cabinet Office Minister, said: "The primary responsibility for a family’s success or failure will always lie with parents, but government can make a significant difference to the chances of success.

"There should be no closed door to help for families, so that whenever vulnerable parents turn to local services they receive support that recognises the needs of everybody involved.

"We must empower local services to always ‘think family’ and enable families to help themselves."

Ms Hughes- Children, Young People and Families’ Minister, said: "We have committed £13m for projects to deliver effective help to families where complex problems can lead to poor and lasting outcomes across generations.

"By working with both adults’ and children’s services, problems can be dealt with before they become entrenched, leading to better lives now and in the future."

Lords Upgrade

As of Friday just gone, my time at the Wood & Vale has now drawn to a close. My last day passed with a series of vox pops, and a couple of stories sourced from press releases and an on-line announcement concerning the Marlborough Family Centre. Here they are.

MCC Unveils New Toy

The MCC have unveiled the latest improvement at Lord’s Cricket Ground- a state of the art scoreboard and replay screen system.

Three permanent, colour, LED screens will be raised in the Compton, Edrich, and Allen stands, in time for the start of the 2008 cricket season.

The new screens are more environmentally friendly, using one third of the energy required to power the two old bulb based boards.

Parts for the screens have been specially imported from Hong-Kong for the project, which will allow live and recorded video footage and full colour images to be shown during both international and domestic matches for the first time at Lords.

John Stephenson, MCC Head of Cricket, said: "Installing the new scoreboards fulfilled several aims for MCC.

"To improve the visibility and visual quality of scoreboard information for spectators – the new screens will have 5 times more screen resolution than the existing scoreboards.

"To provide the action replay and associated visual information expected at major cricket venues.

"And finally, to significantly reduce on-going energy consumption, materials replacement and maintenance costs associated with old technology.

"The new scoreboards are part of MCC’s ongoing investment to ensure the ground retains its world-class status."

The plans for investment at Lords do not stop there. The MCC are currently planning the installation of permanent floodlights which, as John Stephenson says, will "continue to enhance the experience of both spectators and players at Lords".

Performing in Outer Space

As mentioned below, here is the Perform article. The group is a performing arts collective for the under 8's, which I discovered online while searching for potential stories in the local area, for the Wood & Vale. The staff were great, very open, and, though I must confess to not being the best with kids...the kids were great too. Just check out those expressions!!!

Kids to Perform...in Outer Space.

A St. John’s Wood performing arts group is embarking on an ambitious project to bring out local children’s true potential... on a visit to outer space!

The group, Perform St John’s Wood, is offering drama workshops free of charge to local primary schools, helping to improve children’s understanding of vital curriculum subjects.

Perform has been offering young children the chance to mix drama, dance, and singing since its inception in 1999.

The current undertaking, to explore the curriculum subject of outer space, will allow children to collect friendship dust on Venus, and experience the cold and mysterious planet of Pluto, all under the guidance of a trained teacher.

Site Manager Rebecca Dummond said: “The games really focus the children’s minds.

“We have had great reports from parents concerning the knock on effect in the classroom.”

Every game and exercise undertaken at Perform aims to improve one of the “four C’s”; communication, confidence, coordination, and concentration.

Current principal Lucy Quick, who started Perform eight years ago, said:

“Just because children are learning about a curriculum based subject it does not mean it cannot be fun and creative.

“By working with their imaginations, children gain a new and exciting understanding of the subject, which encourages their interest in the classroom even more.

“Whether it's a game about eye contact, an exercise to focus attention or improvisations about making friends and understanding others, we put the child at the centre of everything we do.”

The group, which started with two schools, now runs over 100 workshops across London and the south east, all offering a similar mix of fun and energetic activities.

Perform St John’s Wood meets at 4-5pm and 5-6pm on Mondays and Thursdays at the Mansergh Club, 26 Hill Road, off Abbey Road. Call 0845 400 4000 for more information.

A Set of Briefs...

So, after a few weeks of wrapping presents, unwrapping presents, etc, we are back. I returned to the news that my time with the Wood & Vale will shortly draw to a close (two more weeks to go) though I'm hoping to come to some arrangement whereby I can continue to submit the odd article, which will also help to keep the blog updated. Watch this space.

After my first (and penultimate) day back at the W&V, here are three little nibs sourced online. They're not going to win the Pulitzer, but, purely in the interests of continuity, I thought I would include them. I also completed a more involved story only last night on a group for the under 8's entitled Perform, which will be posted shortly.

Three Little NIBs.

Top South London indie rockers Athlete are to perform to a sold out crowd at the Camden Roundhouse on Saturday.

The band, who scored a number one in the UK album charts with 2005’s Tourist, will debut tracks from their new self produced album Tokyo.

The new offering is described as: "A tail of hypocrisy, and the human condition. Tracks centre around family and friends, as well as environmental and social catastrophe. It’s an album with big tunes, big ideas and a whopping great heart."

Tokyo was produced by the band at their own studio in South East London. Music bible Mojo described the album as a sign of "a band re-energised".

****

DJ Krush, world renowned Japanese producer and DJ, will be bringing the unique sounds of Japanese hip-hop to the Koko, Camden High Street, this Saturday.

The award winning DJ made his name internationally as the first DJ in Japan to perform alongside live musicians.

DJ Krush has released no less than ten studio albums to date, scoring lucrative recording contracts with music industry stalwarts such as Mo’ Wax, Sony and Columbia records.

Having been held in high regard by both the domestic and international dance music communities for well over a decade, one of Japans first hip-hop pioneers finally brings his ever evolving sound to Camden Town.

Support comes from The Herbaliser and DJ Vadim. Doors open at 7:30pm, with Krush taking the stage at 11pm. Tickets cost £15 in advance.

****

Legendary former Smiths front man Morrissey is to open 2008 with a bang, performing six sold out shows at the Camden Roundhouse.

The residency, running from 21st-23rd, and 25th-27th January, marks a return to the UK live stage for Morrissey, who has not performed in this country since his sold out tours of 2006.

The shows come on the back of Morrissey’s successful tour of the US, which included sold-out shows in New York and Los Angeles.

The Camden residency is in support of Morrissey’s greatest hits album, due for release on 11th February, which includes such hits as Irish Blood, English Heart.

A new studio album is also scheduled for release in Autumn of this year.