What's Going On?
Please scroll down for the following recent stories:
- Young Parents win Centre for Social Justice Award (16 Jul 08)
- Textiles exhibition: 'Don't judge an artwork by its maker' (20 May 08)
- Chariots of Fire 2008: fundraising relay race (21 Sep 08)
- Children's Centre (March 08)
- Raise money just by searching the web (Nov 07)
- Archbishop dedicates our facilities (29 May 07)
- Redeveloped Romsey Mill Centre (Feb 07)
Young Parents Programme  wins Centre for Social Justice Award
In recognition of our innovative work with young parents in Cambridge, we were presented with an award from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) at a ceremony in London on 16th July. We also received prize money from St James's Place Wealth Management. Introduced by the CSJ Chairman, Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, the event was attended by Emily Maitlis, Dr Vincent Cable MP, Esther Rantzen, Boris Johnson, Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, Tony Hadley, James Fox, Olivia Colman, Saira Khan and Liam Black.
Lisa Purkis, a young parent who has benefitted from the programme, accepted the award on our behalf, thanking the CSJ for the award and the YPP staff for all their 'help, support and dedication'. She added,
"If I was asked to do this a year ago I would have said no, but thanks to Romsey Mill I now have the confidence in myself. Romsey Mill means a lot to us.  For some people it is a place to relax and socialise. For others it is a place to learn new skills and qualifications."
The Centre for Social Justice is an independent think tank seeking effective solutions to poverty in parts of Britain. For more information about CSJ and for pictures and video from the awards, please visit the CSJ website.
Textiles exhibition: 'Don't judge an artwork by its maker'
 Twelve young mothers have participated in our textiles course this term, developing skills such as applique, hand stitching, machine sewing, analysis, sketchbook reflection, photography and production of a final textiles piece reflecting their personal views of motherhood.
As part of the course, the group organised and ran an exhibition of their work, entitled 'Don't judge an artwork by its maker', on 20th May to which many partners, supporters and community members came.
It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the young women's amazing work and to demonstrate how, through the support and encouragement of the Young Parents Programme (YPP), they have risen beyond their own expectations. The group are excited to be able to challenge the often negative image of young mums in the media by displaying their achievements.
"It was a very wonderful experience and I would love to do it all over again sometime. I am excited to do the exhibition and can't wait to show off my piece of work that I worked so hard on." (Mechelle, 17)
Chariots of Fire 2008
We are thrilled to have been selected as one of the two charities to benefit from the 2008 Chariots of Fire race. (The other is Red Balloon, Cambridge - 'the recovery of bullied children'). The organising committee said 'we have always thought Romsey Mill a good charity and we are delighted that you will benefit from the proceeds this year'.
A major fundraising event
The biggest fundraising charity event in Cambridge, last year Chariots of Fire generated around £75,000 for Arthur Rank Hospice at Home and involved nearly 2500 runners in over 400 teams from local businesses, university, voluntary sector and more.
The race itself takes place on Sunday 21st September 2008, starting at 9.30am, and is based on the film of the same name (a true story about British athletes in the 1924 Olympics). Teams of six run the relay, each member covering a 1.7 mile (2.7km) course, starting on Queens' Green and running through three Cambridge colleges and the Backs. (Runners must be over 16 years old). There are prizes for the fastest team, as well as fastest female, mixed, college and veteran teams - but everyone gets a medal!
Facts, figures and figureheads
Each team is asked to raise at least £150 from sponsorship, and to pay an entry fee of £130 (that's only £21.67 per head!). Please consider entering, or sponsoring, a team. The event was launched in May, and is now open for registrations.
 Please visit the event website - www.chariots-of-fire.co.uk - for more information and to download registration forms.
Organisers Hewitsons (solicitors), Grant Thornton UK LLP (business advisors), and Cambridge News fund the administration costs of running the event so that most of the money raised can go to the charities (some goes on equipment).
Honorary President of the race is Michael Marshall (of local company Marshall's), whose father Sir Arthur was a member of the British athletics squad featured in the film.
Romsey Mill needs to provide 50 or more volunteers on the day of the event from 7am through to 1pm (volunteers can be under 16). Tasks are varied - e.g. marking the course (early birds!), distributing water and medals,  registration, marshalling, clearing away...
Please consider if you could run, sponsor, volunteer or spectate - and get your friends, family and colleagues involved too.
For more information, or to discuss any aspect of the event, please contact Marie Nazombe on 01223 566492, or click here to send an email.
Children's Centre
It's official! Romsey Mill is now designated as a Sure Start Children's Centre.
 What's a Children's Centre?
It's a centre for information, activities and support for parents and carers of children under the age of 5. Sure Start is the government programme 'to deliver the best start in life for every child' - bringing together early education, childcare and health.
Weren't you already doing that?
Yes. This is a recognition and endorsement of our existing services. It will also bring a strengthening of partnership work with local agencies, and increases in outreach work and other services accessed through the Centre by March 2010. 
What difference will it make?
We will now officially be the 'gateway' for all early years services in our 'reach' (catchment) area (see map), which covers the following wards: all of Romsey, most of Petersfield and Coleridge, and some of Abbey and Market. People will come to Romsey Mill to find out about everything for under 5s in the reach area. We will receive Sure Start funding to deliver such services.
Who will manage it?
A Partnership Board of those working with Under 5s, including parents. Steve Watts is the Children's Centre Manager and Rachel Matthews will continue to coordinate the programmes.
Raise money just by searching the web
 Everyclick.com is an internet search engine with a big difference - it donates half its revenues to charity. If you use everyclick.com as your search engine then every search you do can raise money for Romsey Mill. Please use this link to everyclick to start searching. Don't forget to add it to your favourites so you can find it again easily or you can make it your home page by clicking on the link in the top right hand corner of the site. It doesn't cost us, or you, a penny - so please use it - and pass the message on! If you go to many online shops through the links on everyclick.com, the shops will donate to us too!
Archbishop dedicates our facilities
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, was our honoured guest at the dedication event on 29th May 2007. Dr Sentamu, who trained in Cambridge, was taken on an interactive tour of the newly redeveloped facilities at Romsey Mill Centre. He and other invited guests met some of the young people and families with whom we work, and viewed displays of our activities. He then spoke at a service to dedicate to God the newly redeveloped building and ongoing work of Romsey Mill.
 
The Archbishop’s warm and humorous character was evident in his talk. Using a torch stuffed with ribbons and even a £5 note, Archbishop Sentamu spoke about lives which have become ‘messed up’ with things which are not necessarily bad in themselves, but which are just in the wrong place. He said “Christ came to make sure that our lives, which are eternally messed up, become un-messed, become connected, become the kind of life that shines. But when that light shines we have a responsibility. And that’s why Romsey Mill is wonderful – looking out for those who are marginalised, those who are excluded, and those who need to be given opportunities to realise that each one of them can so gloriously be given the very life of God, that they too begin to live free as God intended.”
"Jesus says, ‘I have come that all people may have life and have it in all its fullness’, and have life and have it in all abundance, and because you’ve got that abundant life it leaves you no choice but to show that abundance in caring, in compassion, in forgiveness. So this project [Romsey Mill] in many ways is trying to say ‘in here there is the love of God and we express this by caring for everybody regardless of their background or their illnesses or their DNA, it doesn’t really matter when you come in here’."
Archbishop Sentamu asked one of the Transitions Programme participants, who had shown him around, to help him dedicate the building with water. The whole event was a great success, with overwhelming support shown by many. The open evening was also very well attended by the community, including those who have known Romsey Mill since its conception, and the building since before that - who all enjoyed the opportunity to talk to staff and see the displays.
Redeveloped Romsey Mill Centre
The redeveloped Romsey Mill Centre has opened its doors! There was great excitement as staff and programmes returned ‘home’ to the multipurpose community facility in February 2007.
Under 5s can now hear themselves think thanks to the new acoustic ceiling in the sports hall, where dance and sports groups alike are loving the fully sprung floor and ventilation.
Young Parents have light and airy spaces for their studies, and room hire is picking up. Music and creative arts have their own dedicated space, with a recording studio!
Staff have settled in to their new open-plan office space in an expanded first floor above the entrance.
Huge thanks go to all who have participated in the redevelopment of the building, in financial, practical, prayerful and numerous other ways.
The new first floor bridging the two original buildings contains meeting / training rooms and offices; and a window into the newly refurbished Jordan Room.
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