………. Fortunatus Housing for their amazing App ‘Engage’ which supports our vulnerable tenants, offers advice and promotes our fundraising events!

Now this is what I would love to hear when the winner of the IRRV Performance awards category ‘Excellence in Innovation’ is announced in October. We have been shortlisted for this category and the finalists will be announced in June. This would be a great leap forward for our Fortunatus family and not just the start of (more) great things here but also brings awareness to mental health issues which affects 1 in 4 people. We need to end the Stigma with mental health and by developing this app and encouraging our tenants to use this we are incorporating new ways to communicate and expanding our service, helping vulnerable tenants in their day to day lives.

So, how was the camping trip to Derwentwater you ask? Well if you can image 5 days of great weather, beautiful scenery, and long walks then it was a success. Julian and I wore the two hats I crocheted (Stag & Bear), and we stayed at an amazing site http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/cumbria/keswick/keswick which I can highly recommend! What I really enjoyed was Keswick market on the Saturday where we stocked up on some of the local breads and cheeses and spoiled ourselves. All we bought was delicious as were the BBQ’s that Julian did. We were so lucky with the weather, couldn’t be happier and we left two very happy campers indeed!

Remember on my last blog I wrote about Dame Stephanie (Steve) Shirley who I met at the Charity Finance Group conference in London a few weeks ago? Dame Shirley is one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK it is considered and is a great inspiration to me. She was so warm and friendly and made such a lasting impression on me that I sent her an email the other day to tell her a bit more about what we do and to express what a great pleasure it was to meet her. I was so pleased when she responded to me and was good enough to give me some great tips and advice regarding moving forward with Fortunatus. I was so grateful, she is an amazing person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Shirley

Capita Software Services who developed the App have been good enough to fund our charity Christmas cards this year! They have been amazing to work with and I can’t thank them enough for the great work they did developing ‘Engage’. The designs of the cards have been chosen and they will soon be going to print. If you would like to buy some cards and support our vulnerable adults you can via our website http://www.fortunatushousing.co.uk/fundraising-and-events/charity-xmas-cards/

So what does this week have in store? More crocheting for ‘Honk’ the musical – swans and ducklings!! Best get cracking with those for my friends at NADOS!

See you soon,

Catherine.