Time to Talk Day is a national event taking place in work places, schools, community settings and homes.  Its a chance for us to talk about mental health and encourage friends, colleagues, neighbours and families to do the same. At Asha we had a wellbeing awareness day.  Around 30 Asha members took part having conversations

Prompted by Penny and gathered together by Jackie, twelve Asha users attended  joyful performances from a superb selection of Choirs from in and around Stoke-on-Trent. “We should be on the stage next year” commented one user!  Who would disagree? Singing is good for the soul and a welcome respite from the constrained everyday life of

Accompanied by Ryn and Jackie and with free tickets and a 70-seater coach paid for by Faz Shah, a musician performing at the New Vic, a medley of Asha children and parents, adult users and volunteers enjoyed a morning performance of ‘The Prince and the Pauper.’  A volunteer who attended with a couple seeking asylum

Marshalled by Tamba, seven Asha users trooped down the road to tidy-up around the Mosque and Stepping Stones.  This was by way of a thank-you to the Mosque for their support and a reciprocal gesture to Stepping Stones who hosted a solidarity event attended by Asha users shortly before Christmas. The wind was getting up

Asha is grateful to the Rector of Newcastle’s Civic Church for inviting Asha to introduce a new dimension to their monthly family service which starred our drummers. Interspersed with hymns and Bible reading, the congregation heard the story of two asylum seekers, one of whom achieved refugee status and is completing his third year at

The Staffordshire University Sports Hall is big enough for large party games with the bar area for parents although this was a tight squeeze. Sporting Communities had lunch bags for the children and Asha’s volunteers cooked for the parents, guests and volunteers. The food this year included delicious samosas cooked by two Pakistani members of

Eighty-seven children were signed up for the Christmas party and a team of volunteers gathered to wrap the toys from the Tesco Toy Appeal and another tranche collected by Keele students.  The operation commanded by Ryn, was efficiency itself. It needs to be because or tempers can fray queuing for Father Christmas if presents aren’t

Accompanied by Ryn’s husband Paul with his big car, Angela represented at a Toy Collection gathering in the Delilah Suite at Stoke City FC Stadium. There was a large gathering of local charities, several of whom entertained before a buffet. The toys were all in large Santa sacks and a big box. After a speech

Champions of the South West peak who are also volunteers at Asha took our football players to Roaches as part of their first trip to the Peak District, funded by the South West Peak.  Fifteen players with five supporting champions, Tasha and other mentors made the trip. A tea break was organised at Marsh Farm