Hello everyone, it’s been a long time and I’ve been pretty busy. No time for the wicked running a supported accommodation housing association for adults with Mental Illness, that’s for sure!
I was thrilled to represent the IRRV (Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation) Lancashire and Cheshire Executive, at their annual Dinner Dance at Chesterfield in November. It’s great to be involved in these events and to have the opportunity to talk about the great work we do here at Mindful Housing supporting vulnerable people so that they may live independently in the community. I look forward to spending time with some inspirational people and to be involved with the IRRV is always a great thrill for me.
On the way to the IRRV Dinner Dance we went to Sheffield to see our eldest nephew David who is an architect, and his beautiful girlfriend Sarah. We all went to a fabulous French restaurant in Sheffield City centre. C’est formidable! Always great to spend time with family.
Have you ever been to Dublin? Have you ever flown to Dublin with an 80mph tail wind courtesy of storm Desmond? Well I did, along with my husband Julian and my wonderful 80-year-old parents to attend my cousins wedding. It felt like the flight was warp speed! Dublin itself is a beautiful city and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Situated in the mouth of the River Liffey, it’s Temple Bar is the best place to buy a pint of Guinness and if shopping is what you have in mind then Grafton Street and Henry Street would be a good start. We stayed in a fabulous hotel – Brookes Hotel on Dury Street. The concierge, Conor, made us feel like royalty. He’s an asset to the hotel, he made us all feel very special. I’ll be going back to Ireland in 2016. There is so much to see and do in Dublin and we merely scratched the surface. Didn’t find that pot of gold though….
So back from Dublin, minus a bag of gold I was promised (could’ve sworn I’d seen a Leprechaun at the wedding), we were joined by Julian’s cousin Tracey and her husband Endy from Gibraltar who came to visit for a long weekend. Another great opportunity to see family at a big get together on the Sunday. I’m lucky to have such a close (& large), family!
The Christmas party season also kicked off at Mindful Housing with our annual Christmas party for staff & partners. This year’s venue was Guy’s Thatched Hamlet near Garstang. The local area had been badly affected by Storm Desmond and there was some heavy flooding, so badly in fact that we were concerned it would affect the hotel but luckily the water receded, ‘Slade’ was put on by the DJ and the party poppers came out. There was great feedback from everyone on what a great venue it was and what an enjoyable night too. http://www.guysthatchedhamlet.co.uk/
So it’s probably pretty clear to anyone reading this or any of my previous blogs that I am a pretty busy lady who could do with 28 hour days and an 8-day week. That said, I have joined another club! NAWG is the National Association of Women’s Groups. We meet every couple of weeks or so, we spend time together, listen to each other’s stories, help each other out and generally I have the most hilarious and inspirational couple of hours anyone could wish for with this incredible bunch of ladies. I even took along my 91-year-old neighbour, Audrey, to the NAWG Christmas lunch which was great. In my opinion, it’s great to get involved in these local community ran groups, especially running a charity like Mindful Housing who actively work in the community. http://www.nawc.org.uk/
So, Christmas & New Year was on its way and the home was looking amazing! Our Giant Father Christmas took his place in the hall, the national grid was on the phone again when Julian switched the outside lights on, the tree in the living room gave the one in Trafalgar Square a run for its money and this year’s addition of a leprechaun bauble was pride of place. Still no pot of gold though!?!?
The week before Christmas, I finally finished crocheting my Father Christmas throw which I’m extremely proud of ….
….. and we’re out again for the annual ‘Christmas Party at the Cottage’, hosted by our best friends Andrew & Neil. Remember Andrew? He is the General Manager for Nadler Hotel in Liverpool, a scream and my best pal. We always enjoy his annual Christmas shin dig…. It can even get the Grinch in the Christmas mood! I can see why he works in hospitality, he’s perfect for it! Unashamed plug … http://www.thenadler.com/
New Year went with its usual bang! Party night at the local Italian surrounded by good food, good friends and new beginnings!
So what does 2016 hold for me, Mindful Housing and my Mindful Housing Family? Well, this year is a big one for me turning 50!
I’ll have plenty of stories to put in my blog for you, whether it be holidaying in Tenerife with my parent’s end of February, going back to Dublin to find that pot of gold in April, off to the Cotswold’s for a country cottage stay with my in-laws in May, my Mediterranean cruise in July and my trip to Vilnius in Lithuania in September (my dad’s family are Irish and my mums Lithuanian), it’s going to be a busy year and my suitcase will be well used.
For the Mindful Housing family? Growth. I intend to grow this business in 2016 and focus on housing more adults and making them part of this family, giving them an opportunity for a more settled and happier life. That’s my ultimate goal and I will be also focusing on more charity fundraising events so I would appreciate your support with that. I’ve just come back from London where I have been invited to do some work this year with central government around the reform of funding of supported accommodation. It’s going to be another busy year professionally and personally and I hope you’ll enjoy hearing about my adventures along the way! And who knows… maybe I will find that pot of gold!
Speak to you all soon.
Catherine xxx
fortunatushousing 