My Invitation to St James’s Palace

Hi Everyone

As you probably know http://www.beatredundancyblues.com is your one stop resource for redundancy. As well as the practical aspects of redundancy it also covers health and wellbeing including stress, anxiety and depression.

You may like to know that I do voluntary work as a Health Buddy for CSV (Community Service Volunteers) in association with BBC Radio Devon. We promote health messages, learn from health specialists and encourage the 5 ways to wellbeing:

1. Connect
2. Be Active
3. Take Notice
4. Learn
5. Give

On Wednesday 10th of March, I went to a CSV Health Buddy celebration of music and activities from local refugees who are being looked after by Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support.

I could not help but take notice of the variety of talent amongst the refugees. There were lots of activities including singing, sports, character making out of carrots and foods from their country. I learnt more about them and the foods they eat. People from different backgrounds connected and it was lovely of them to give up their afternoon to entertain and teach us.

At this event I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a bouquet of flowers and a Certificate of Achievement for helping a distressed and vulnerable person as part of my role as a CSV (Community Service Volunteer) Health Buddy.

I was even more thrilled to be told that I had been chosen to represent the CSV organisation at their 50th anniversary celebration, to be held at St James’s Palace in London on Monday 15th of July 2013. In the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I feel incredibly honoured to be chosen for.

Redundancy can make you feel deflated and powerless. Take back the control in your life by discovering what you were born to do and make it happen for yourself.

I am living my dreams and I want you to be too.

Stay positive

Sandra Bellamy

You Were Born To Shine

Hi Everyone

Although you may be redundant from your job, I want you to know that you do have the power to achieve your dreams.

You were born to shine,

you were born to live the life that you want to lead.

You know you were born for greater things and the greatest is yet to come, so take a leap of faith,

believe that you were born to do, what you were born to do,

open up to it and welcome it with open arms.

Begin your journey to inner fulfilment, peace and unity.

Believe you will make it happen and then you will.

So go and make it happen now.

Stay positive

Sandra

 

Redundant From Work But Not From Christmas

Hi Everyone

Whilst redundant or out of work for whatever reason, Christmas can be a struggle financially, mentally and emotionally. As the big day approaches not only are you worried about how much longer you are going to be out of work and about what the new year holds in store for you, you may feel you haven’t got a lot to celebrate.

Alternatively, you could be thinking positive about your dreams, your hopes and your aspirations for the new year, about what free courses you could attend, what new things you could learn, enjoying the company of family, friends and loved ones that you wouldn’t normally be able to do because you had to work. You can get more into the Christmas spirit because you can spend more time decorating the tree and putting decorations up. You can listen to more Christmas music and watch more Christmas films than ever before because you have the time. You can catch up with people you haven’t seen in ages, you can bake that Christmas cake that seems at times to take a lifetime to cook, you can attend Christmas Fayres and carol services, you can sit in a mound of tinsel and just enjoy the fact that you are alive and can bask in the magic of Christmas.

Whatever makes you happy, just do it whilst you have the opportunity because when you do get back into work you will be thinking to yourself, why didn’t I just enjoy those moments in my life that I may never get the time to have again.

Remember, stay positive and Happy Christmas.

Sandra Bellamy

 

A is for Antidote to Beat Redundancy Blues (A-Z of Redundancy)

Hi Everyone

Redundancy can be an extremely stressful, distressing and depressing time.

When I was made redundant for the first time in 2002, it felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath my feet, bewildered, disappointed and shocked, I didn’t know how I was going to cope. I hadn’t been made redundant before and I didn’t know anyone else who had.

The second time was a different story, in 2009, much like today, it was during one of the worst economic climates and there were many others I knew and subsequently spoke to, that had been put in the same position. To speak to and be around people who understood how I was feeling, who had the same worries, the same fears and the same anxieties, really helped me to not feel so alone. I also found the following, was a good antidote, to help beat redundancy blues.

1. In a state of panic, don’t just plunge back into the next available job, take some time out, to calm down and to reflect on was has happened to you.
2. Go with what you are feeling. Don’t suppress the emotions but rather let yourself feel them and deal with them in a constructive way.
3. Speak to family and friends to get their support.
4. Do not carry on and pretend that nothing has happened. The sooner you face up to the situation, the sooner you can deal with it and move on.
5. You need to recognise that you are grieving for your loss. Sure it is not a person that you are losing but a job is a huge part of your life and to have it taken away from you, unless you dislike the job, is often incredibly devastating.
6. If you are feeling depressed and finding it hard to cope, then consider counselling. It can help you work through your grief and get you back into work quicker. Unless you are good at hiding your depression, a person who is blatantly depressed, will not score brownie points in an interview and you will be doing yourself a disfavour by trying to do something you are not ready for. We all need to take our own time to heal.
7. Do things which make you feel good about yourself, if you can afford to, take a short break, socialize, be around people who make you feel good and help to get you out of your own head that is probably spinning with all sorts of thoughts, causing you confusion and to feel out of control. The sooner you start to feel in control, the sooner you will feel better.
8. When you are feeling calmer and more in control, you need to think about what job you would like to do next. In order to do this in a beneficial way, you need to think about what you liked and disliked about your last job and your previous roles. Answer the following questions:

• Do you prefer to work on your own or as part of a team?
• Are you a problem solver or do you prefer someone else to do this for you?
• Do you find it easy to communicate with staff? With Colleagues? With Customers?
• Do you prefer to lead or to follow?
• Do you prefer to be guided or to use your own initiative?
• Do you enjoy talking or being quiet?
• What environment do you feel most comfortable in?
• Do you like working in a structured way or prefer a more relaxed approach?
• Are you a person who likes to do things and be active or do you prefer to be an observer?
• Do you enjoy working with figures?
• Do you like socializing with people from work or do you want to do your job and just go home?
• Are you flexible over hours that you can work?
• How much money do you need to live on?

Also consider:

• What is your dream job?
• Could you turn any hobbies into a career?
• What job could you realistically do?
• Do you lack certain skills needed for a new job? If so, what can you do about it?

9. When you start asking yourself these questions, you start looking to the future, now don’t look back. Keep looking forward and focus on that.

10. As always. Stay positive and keep smiling.

Sandra Bellamy

Related articles

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• Redundancy – 2 common responses and how to deal with them. (reflectionscoachingblog.wordpress.com)

Enabling the less abled into employment

 

Hi Everyone

You are probably waiting to read the A-Z of Redundancy that is coming soon but in the meantime I wanted to share with you something that happened today.

I got invited to take a tour of St Loye’s Foundation in Exeter. That is essentially an education establishment for people with disabilities, or to use the correct terminology, the less-abled or differently-abled. Their website address is: http://www.stloyesfoundation.org.uk This year they are celebrating their 75th Anniversary of being a national charity with the aim of getting people into employment.

Their mission: “With our range of services, we support people with physical or mental health conditions and disabilities into lasting employment.”

I was given a tour of the Foundation by Community Fundraiser Phil Roberts.  The building was light and airy and well equipped to meet training needs, with one computer per person and a lot of them. Spread over two floors the foundation offers a number of in-house courses to 18 years and over, that include:

• Horticulture and Land based Skills
• Hospitality and Catering
• Microsoft IT Academy
• Health and Safety in the Workplace
• Business Skills
• Computer Aided Design (CAD)
• Childcare
• Health and Social Care
• Food Hygiene
• Book-keeping

And the best thing is, they will put you up in residential accommodation if you don’t live in Exeter and want to attend a course. That is subject to proof that you have got a disability and DWP terms and conditions. I would advise you to contact your local Disability Employment Advisor at your local Jobcentre Plus to discuss your options and eligibility and you can speak directly to St Loye’s Employment Team by phoning 01392 255428 to find out more about the courses.

Their address is: St Loye’s Foundation, Brittany House, New North Road, Exeter EX4 4EP.

Every person that I was introduced to at St Loye’s, made me feel welcome and at ease. The tutors were on hand to give one-to-one support with courses such as Business Administration and CAD design and I got the feeling that it was a place where people could feel comfortable and supported in their training and respected as an individual.

Some exciting news  – Soon they will be offering courses to people who are vulnerable but don’t necessarily have a disability. This means that if you are unemployed, over 19 years and claiming JSA, you will be able to take advantage of a number of training courses for free that you will find hard to get for free elsewhere in Exeter and that you may find hard to get at that level for free in the South West. For example, I have been told by an employee that they will be offering ECDL Levels, 1, 2 and 3. So log on to their website again in a few weeks time to gain access to courses for updating your skills or training for a new career. http://www.stloyesfoundation.org.uk

Remember, stay positive.

Together we can beat redundancy blues.

Sandra Bellamy

 

Live on BBC Radio Devon

Hi Everyone

Some very exciting news.

I am going to appear as a guest speaker on BBC Radio Devon on David FitzGerald’s show, this Tuesday the 14th of February at 2.40pm, talking about being a Health Buddy for the CSV ’Stripping it Bare’ campaign.

The ”Stripping it Bare” campaign is run by CSV and takes on volunteers to speak about taboo health topics within their local communities.  Topics covered include Sexual Health, Testicular Cancer, Bowel Cancer and Mental Health.

I have joined  Twitter under the username “beatredundancyb”

I will be tweeting regularly about redundancy and beatredundancyblues.com will be launched soon.

Write soon.  Sandra

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