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From the Chair of the Templeton Welfare Council - September 2011 Another more than eventful year has come around. On behalf of The Templeton Welfare Council, may I take the opportunity to say a very hearty thanks to the Enrich Chaplaincy Chaplains for their untiring and continuing work over the past twelve months. The Welfare Council welcomes the addition of Enrich’s third Chaplain, Damian Ardell, during this period. Damian has slotted into his position and his efforts and enthusiasm have not gone un-noticed by members of Council, and for this we are very grateful Damian. It would be fair to say that the preceding twelve months has been a fairly stressful time for everyone in Christchurch during this year of earthquakes and aftershocks. The Chaplains have continued to work tirelessly throughout this time to ensure the welfare and spiritual needs of the intellectually disabled were catered for. Their dedication to the tasks and services they provide for these folk has never faltered and for this we are truly appreciative. They have been called upon to perform many tasks over and above their usual duties including counseling for folk stressing over the earthquakes and also extra calls to assist, not only to clients, but to caregivers and care providers as well. Their adaptability to such a range of tasks requires special skills and understanding so a special “pat on the back” is due to Allan, Yanny and Damian for their efforts throughout the year. It has also been a vey busy year for Council. We sadly said farewell to our Treasurer, Mr Rafe Skjellerup, who passed away in February. Rafe had spent many years of dedicated service to the intellectually disabled folk of Canterbury and will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him. On a brighter note, Council has been fortunate in acquiring the services of Mr Michael Bourke who has stepped up to fill the position of Treasurer, and also acquiring two new members, Mrs Ann-Marie Smith and Damian Ardell. We welcome both Ann-Marie and Damian (who has happily added Council to his workload) and we wish them well for the coming year. To close, may I once again congratulate the Chaplains for their splendid efforts and, with God’s blessing, trust the year ahead may be smoother sailing for everyone. The Chaplains offer their services and advice to all intellectually disabled folk throughout the Canterbury region no matter whether they are in the care of registered providers or just living at home with their families. W D (Bill) McElhinneyChairpersonTempleton Welfare Council Inc
Community BBQ Picnics January 2011 Three neighbourhood BBQ picnics were held in Belfast, Burwood and Burnside in January. These were organised by the Enrich Community Chaplaincy and the ‘Who Is My Neighbour?’ network and supported by numerous volunteers primarily drawn from the local churches. The main purposes of the picnics was to bring together people with intellectual disabilities with other people from their community and to provide an enjoyable day out for all involved. All three picnics followed a similar format, free food and drink was provided in addition to entertainment by musicians and clowns. All three events were reasonably well attended, especially given the poor weather on the days of the Burwood and Burnside picnics. About 70 to 90 people attended each picnic and to the best of our knowledge everyone had a great time. Thank you to all those who worked hard to make the picnics a success and to Eaton Corporation and the Templeton Welfare Council who provided the bulk of the funding. Stressful and Sad Events The chaplains have been busy supporting residents and staff of the community homes in the aftermath of the September earthquake. Fortunately, only a few community homes suffered major damage, but many people were left feeling considerably anxious and drained by the experience and the subsequent upheavals to normal life. We have also been supporting several people who are seriously ill, and the families, friends and colleagues of those who have passed away in recent months. Our sympathy goes out to all those who have lost a loved one. Click on the following links to view older news.
Annual Reports |