Focus On Family

Monday 29^th April 2pm-4pm for 9 weeks

Cost – FREE (funded by DSD Neighbourhood Renewal)

Local participants are invited to come and join this new course which will feature a whole range of fun and exciting crafts sessions for beginners and experienced crafts people alike! The course is delivered and accredited by WEA so all participants will gain an accredited certificate as well as various crafts skills. There will also be opportunities to further develop skills in areas which you are particularly interested in.

This mixed Crafts course allows you the chance to dabble with a few techniques if you aren’t sure what to do or you will be able to explore techniques if you have ideas already in mind. It introduces paper crafts, working with fabric and other materials. You will start and complete at least one item to take away with you at the end of the programme.

Everyone is welcome to come along and join the new group – if you are interested, please contact Brendan on 028 7032 9550 or email managerfof@btconnect.com or simply turn up next Monday at 2pm at our centre.

We look forward to seeing you then……

Focus on Family will be closed for the Easter week – Monday 1st April – Friday 5th April (inclusive).

We will re-open on Monday 8th April with childcare and all services running as normal.

We hope everyone has a lovely Easter and look forward to seeing you all when we return!

Are you interested in joining our exciting new project (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund)? If you’re interested in exploring the intriguing story of the Coleraine Plantation; if you’re up for visiting local heritage sites; if the idea of a trip to London takes your fancy; and if you like the idea of trying your hand at film-making, writing and a whole bunch of other stuff….this could be for you!

Find full details here www.1613andallthat.wordpress.com

Call Jane to find out more on 028 7032 9550

WE ARE TAKING REGISTRATIONS FOR THIS PROJECT NOW!!

Information events at Focus on Family 19th, 20th and 21st March (see website for full details!)

Almost everyone suffers from stress in their day to day life. With so much to contend with in today’s non-stop society, it’s no wonder that more and more people are being admitted to hospital for stress-related symptoms. Stress has been called “thesilent killer” and can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat.
Stress can be defined as the way you feel when you’re under abnormal pressure. All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members. Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce, unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as feeling undervalued at work or dealing with difficult children. Sometimes there are no obvious causes.
So what can we do to get away from all the stresses in our lives and enjoy some much needed ‘me-time’? One local family centre has been providing the answer to this question for many years now and as a result of a recent grant from the DSD under Neighbourhood Renewal, residents of Ballysally/Millburn and further afield can now benefit from a programme of complementary therapies starting soon.
It all kicks off with an invite to Focus on Family’s Open Complementary Therapy Day on Thursday 28^th March 2013. Everyone is welcome to come along at any time between 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm to try out or find out more about the exciting range of therapies starting this Easter – Yoga, Holistic Therapies, Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Creative Writing, Reiki, Pilates will all be available on the day with live demos and interactive talks with qualified tutors. Everything is free on the Open Day and then courses start after Easter and cost just £1 per hour

To find out more, ring Brendan on 028 7032 9550 email managerfof@btconnect.com or simply turn up on Thursday 28^th March 2013 between 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm at 11-19 Glenburn Crescent, Ballysally, BT52 2QR

An open invite is extended for everyone to come along and attend Focus on Family’s AGM on Monday 25^th March 2013 at 11am. The AGM will take place at Focus on Family, Glenburn House, 11-19 Glenburn Crescent, Ballysally, Coleraine, BT52 2QR.

Focus on Family were recently granted a new Co Ltd by Guarantee status so the AGM will cover the appropriate format for company business. There will also be some refreshments served.

This is a great opportunity for our existing network of friends to lend ongoing support for our organisation and also for new people to come and visit to find out more about the vast range of activities, programmes and events that we have on offer throughout the year.

For further information on the AGM or to find directions to our centre, please contact us on 028 7032 9550

Focus on Family are delighted to announce that they have received a very generous grant of £10,000 towards their ‘Supporting Families, Supporting Communities Project’ from Garfield Weston Foundation. This grant will help to support our diverse range of activities that help local families to improve their quality of life.

Everyone at Focus on Family wishes to extend a warm thank-you to the team of trustees at Garfield Weston who have helped to make a significant positive difference to our local community through the allocation of this grant.

Further details on the work of our organisation can be obtained by contacting the Project Manager, Brendan Patterson on 028 7032 9550 or managerfof@btconnect.com

Please see the following link to access the online exhibition:

http://www.wea-ni.com/peace-iii/through-the-lens-neighbours-ballysally

Do you live in, work, study or visit Coleraine? Do you need your little ones looked after in a quality, happy and fun environment? If so, Focus on Family is just the place for you!!

Focus on Family, based at Glenburn House, 11-19 Glenburn Crescent, Ballysally, Coleraine, BT52 2QR have been offering quality childcare for over 15 years. The family centre, within easy reach of Coleraine town and surrounding areas offers childcare for 0-2 years in the Baby Room and 2-4 years in the Toddler Room.

The childcare is provided by both qualified and experienced staff that pride themselves in ensuring every family receive quality provision and each child is respected for their individuality.  Every child is offered a wide range of activities and opportunities to promote their holistic development.  Activities include art and crafts, music, dance and drama, physical play, role play and dressing up.  The children also receive a healthy snack and participate in the teeth cleaning programme.

Rates for families are extremely competitive and we have again kept our prices as low as possible to help to support local families wishing to avail of the service:

Morning Session 9am-1pm

Parents receiving Tax Credit                        £15 per session

Working Parents                                             £12 per session

Parents receiving income support                           £8 per session

Afternoon Session 2pm-5pm

Parents receiving Tax Credit                        £11.25 per session

Working Parents                                             £9 per session

Parents receiving income support                          £6 per session

Places for September are filling up fast, so if you would like to know more or to book a space for your child, please contact the Childcare Manager, Jill Proctor, on 028 7032 9550 or by email childcarefof@btconnect.com

All the staff and management committee just wanted to say a big thank you to all the brilliant volunteers that help to make Focus on Family such a success. From tidying the kitchen to helping out in the creche to developing and running projects – this place couldn’t survive without you!!

So to all of you – and you know who you are – thanks from us and please keep up the great work………..we’d be lost without you!!

Focus on Family has a long and proud tradition of offering the very best support to help local people grow and develop. As part of this support, the centre is pleased to announce a new, free one-to-one personal counselling service.

The counselling service is open to adults living within the local Coleraine area and is available to anyone who would like the opportunity to sit down with the counsellor in a safe and relaxed setting. The counsellor can support a wide range of different issues and problems that people may be finding difficult to cope with.

Focus on Family continue to offer various programmes to the local community that help improve people’s overall quality of life and the counselling service offers a further extension of the support on offer.

Anyone interested in having an initial no-commitment one-to-one session with the counsellor, should contact Focus on Family on 028 7032 9550 or pop in to 11-19 Glenburn Crescent, Ballysally, Coleraine, BT52 2QR and ask for Brendan, Jacq or Angela.