blogging with Birmingham People 1st

Today we visited Birmingham People 1st to help them set up a blog. We worked with Martyn, Christine Sue and Jonathan. We showed them this blog and then set one up for them. Alan took some photos. We liked the people and got on well. We had a bit of a laugh.Christine walked back to the station with us and this is a picture of Alan and Christine.

working with a press officer

Me, Denise, Alan and Christine had a meeting with Suman, she had come to talk to us about the press release that had been done for the none smoking day. Suman who is a worker as a Coventry NHS press officer. She looked at our press release and told us how she would change it slightly, so that the newspapers would be interested. Suman had come with some of the photos that MichelleTennison had taken and we were talking about how some were good and some not so good. Here are some of the photos that we all liked. Suman was also saying that she can offer one of the media group a placement with her team to see how a press office is run. Suman will be putting some of the photos into Health Matters, a magazine that Suman’s team do and send out to houses in Coventry.

Michelle's website is: http://www.tennisons.co.uk/

The photos show Maureen looking at the tar you get from smoking; the health buddies and Danny with Mohammed from the stop smoking team.

More from Alan the photographer

I helped Manjeet and Danny with a links event. I took some photos for them on the day and I also enjoyed myself. I helped Manjeet set out the food out on the tables.
I helped Michelle the professional photographer. I organised the group photo, so Michelle could take the picture. I had to move chairs around and Michelle gave me some tips on how to take the photos. Manjeet said she wanted the group photos so we had to get people sitting on chairs and people standing at the back. I told them to shout Grapevine to get them smiling.
I also helped to tidy up at the end of the day
By Alan.

Staying up late campaign

Heavy Load a punk rock band with have a single out called Stay up Late. They had noted that people were going home early from their concerts and this made them angry. We thought that it was happing in Coventry so Peter took photos of a D:vine night. The photos showed that early on the place was full, but after 9.00 it would empty. Some of the team have written a survey asking people if they stay up late. Some of the team are going out to day centres to get people to do the survey.
Please leave me a message with your E-mail if you want to do the survey, so that I can send to you.

you can find out more about Heavy Load on their website: http://www.myspace.com/heavyloaduk

Health buddy training

I helped Manjeet, Danny and Rob to run the health buddy training on how to help people to stop smoking, I helped to set up the activities’ I was Danny’s health buddy and I was supporting him to give up smoking, I needed to try and convince him to come to the NHS and see the stop smoking team. It was only a role play as Danny does not smoke. The day was really good and I found that the presentation was interesting, at the end we all got a Goody bag, with lots of information.
I enjoyed the day.

Zoë

Alan's photography blog

I first started taking photographs with Rob Adams, around Coventry. I took Lady Godiva, the cathedral, canal basin and all sorts. I decided to make a book from my photographs. If you look on this page you can see a video with me and Christine about my book.

I entered a photo competition and won a certificate from the Lord Mayor and we all had a cup of tea at the council house.

I joined the media team and took some more photos for a show at the Herbert Art Gallery. I was in the newspaper for that. We went to the opening party and had wine.

I am still taking photographs, I sometimes take pictures for the media team. I am entering another competition and I will tell you how I get on.

Edward's blog

I joined the media team in August 2008. I like going to the meetings and have made new friends. I like having the TV on and going through the freeview channels to find something that interests me. I like watching films.

I like to go out in the evening but it depends if there are enough staff to support this. I like to go to the pub for a pint or two. I go to Devine nightclub once a month. I prefer to chat to people in the bar, it's hard to talk to people on the dancefloor.

I am moving house soon. I will be living nearer to my sister. I went to have a look at a house this week and I like it. I am looking forward to moving, it will be in a better area.

I enjoy going to Grapevine Drop In Centre, there are some nice people there. I like coming to the press office to blog. I would like to work in the office all the time , I enjoy working with the staff.

I can be a loving mum if you give me a chance

Christine from the media team became a star in the local paper yesterday. She was in a story that told how her 2 babies had been taken away from her and her husband when they were only a few weeks old. The babies weren't stolen or kidnapped, they were taken by social services, because Christine and her husband were thought to be unable to look after the babies. The reason people thought this was becasue Christine and her husband both have learning disabilities.

Christine's story is very sad, but not that unusual. She decided that she wanted people to know and our media team have supported her to get the story told. If you want to read the full story click on the link.

http://snipurl.com/f2eg6