Mrs Banks was elected in 2010 as the first woman President of the RHS in its over-200 year history. An outstanding landscape architect, she is known for her work on both historic and contemporary gardens. After a distinguished international career with Land Use Consultants, she set up her own consultancy in 1987 and has since won 5 Gold Medals for gardens at Chelsea. With her husband, she manages the 70 acre Hergest Croft Gardens, Kington, Herefordshire – featured in the photographs on this page, more at www.hergest.co.uk/the_gardens.html.

Mrs Banks is a forceful and often controversial speaker on radio and in conferences, who has lively and influential views on the practice of horticulture and its place in contemporary culture.

Hampton School Performing Arts Centre, Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middx, TW12 3HD. Map How to get there There is ample carparking, including designated disabled spaces close to the entrance of the theatre.

Download a Ticket Application Form

Further enquiries to INS on 020 8755 4000,
or e-mail: admin@ins.org.uk.

A new Support Group for Carers of people with all neurological conditions that meet INS criteria, living in Hounslow started in January 2012.  There is relatively little group support for such carers in the London Borough of Hounslow and  these meetings aim to provide mutual support, information, advice, ‘signposting’ to other organisations who can help and an opportunity for members to share experiences and ideas.  ALL ARE WELCOME.

Meetings are on Wednesdays from 2pm to 3:30pm on 15 February (Carers’ Rights Worker attending), 14 March and 18 April and are held at MS House, 82 New Heston Road, Heston, TW5 0LJ. Map How to get there

Some highlights of the other services available in the coming months….

From 2 February, we are piloting a new service: RESPITE at HOME. A Rehab Assistant will be available on Thursdays, to come to your own home, from 10.30am to 12.30pm, enabling carers to have a break, attend an appointment etc. Spaces are limited to one person per week and booking will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis -  bookings need to be made no later than the Monday of the week you would like to take up this opportunity.

Taking Back Control: following our first ‘Taking Back Control for Carers’  session we will be having a follow up, for the carers who attended the first session, on Tuesday, 28 February from 10 am to 1pm. For those who couldn’t participate in last year’s inaugural course, later in 2012 we will be running another short course for carers, which will comprise two sessions, each of 3 hours.  This will focus on the emotional impact of caring for someone with a  neurological condition, coping strategies and relaxation techniques. Please contact Carol Williams, Social Worker, if you are interested, on 020 8755 4000.

Benefits Advisor for Carers:  Alexandra Durrell, from Richmond Advice and Information will be holding a ‘surgery’ at INS once a month for Carers who wish to be supported with benefit issues.  The first surgery is on Tuesday, 21 February, from 10.30am to 12.30pm at 82 Hampton Road.

Fit Club for Carers is held every Wednesday at 4.30pm for 1 hour with one of our Rehab Assistants. This is an opportunity to exercise at your own pace and includes a blood pressure check and information to help you keep fit and well.  If you bring the person that you care for to our Cafe, staff will be available to stay with them.  There is currently a short waiting list.  Please contact Paul O’Riordan for further information on 020 8755 4000.

Exploring Spirituality and Wellbeing Group – the group meets on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm. Meetings are on 15 February and 14 March. Please contact Janette Pye if you would like further information.

Mutual Support Group for Carers (Parkinson’s) meets once a month on Mondays from 12:30pm to 2pm. Meetings are on 20 February and 26 March.

Mutual Support Group for Carers (stroke) meets once a month on Thursdays at 10:45am at Squires Garden Centre, Cafe Area. Meetings are on 16 February and 22 March. 

Mutual Support Group for Carers (Homelink) is meeting on 7 February (coffee morning) and 6 March from 10am to 11:15am.

Elizabeth Banks, President of the Royal Horticultural Society, is giving a talk in support of INS on Wednesday, 25 April – learn more at “Happiness is Gardening”

New INS Groups and Services

A new Mutual Support Group for Carers living in Hounslow was launched in January 2012.  We are piloting a new Respite at Home service from 2 February 2012 and introducing a monthly benefits advisory surgery for carers on 21 February 2012. More information on these three new services and other INS support for Carers can be found in Carers’ News.   A new 4-week course, Memory Strategies, started on 26 January.  A 12-week Living Well programme for people recovering from a stroke has been developed – the first session started in July 2011.  A senior INS physiotherapist is delivering a stroke education programme for staff in local nursing homes.  A 6-week programme of Yoga for clients and carers on Thursday afternoons began in November 2011 and is likely to be repeated in 2012.  Demand for Fit Club continues to grow: there are two sessions every Friday for clients and a weekly Fit Club for Carers on Wednesdays.

INS/Homelink Day Service
INS and Homelink are working in collaboration on a new and exciting pilot project providing a neuro specific day of respite, therapies support, and activity.  Our project is in Homelink’s premises at St Augustine’s Church, Whitton from 10am – 3.30pm on Tuesdays.
We have appointed Carol Hall to support this initiative and are pleased to say that the new service commenced on schedule in October 2011. A  Mutual Support Group for the carers supported through this project has also been formed and meets monthly.
To learn more about Homelink, please see www.homelinkdaycare.co.uk

The Rotary Club presented a Charity Golf Tournament and Dinner at Stockley Park Golf Club on Thursday, 29 September in aid of INS.

Garden Party on Monday, 30 May Visitors came to admire a beautiful private garden in Kew and enjoyed tea and delicious home-baked cakes. There were plants for sale and a raffle. Over £2,000 was raised for INS. Read more at Open Garden in Kew.

Open Day on Wednesday, 4 May INS trustees, staff and volunteers were delighted to welcome so many friends, supporters, fellow healthcare workers, community organisations and clients to 82 Hampton Road.  Thank you to everyone who came to learn more about INS and see the enhancements to our facilities and equipment. Read more at Open Day on 4 May.

Building work at 82 Hampton Road
Fantastic news – we now have level access throughout the building, a cafe style reception/meeting area and a fully adapted garden as well as a new boiler and more storage space, thanks to a grant award from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund. The objective of SEIF awards to charities to improve their facilities is to enable charities to bid to provide services on an equal footing with the public sector.
The builders completed the work on time - one of the conditions of the grant – so we breathed a sigh of relief and moved on to the finishing touches!
The garden has been transformed and now has raised beds at different levels, new paving and re-laid turf. Planting of the raised beds was completed in May, led by a team of volunteers from Cisco.

Jackie is a member of the Tuesday Stroke Group and painted all the beautiful glassware herself, with her left hand. Her daughter Georgina helped on the stall and friend and fellow stallholder, Fiona, helped carry the glass in to the church – without a single breakage!

Glass-painting was one of the INS summer activities – see article in the Autumn 2011 issue of INSpire, our newsletter.

A big thank you to Jackie for all her efforts, and generosity.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced; physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, social worker or nurse to fill this key clinical role. You will be responsible for the development and delivery of services at INS. You will provide leadership and clinical direction to the multidisciplinary team. You will be expected to have experience of delivering effective, innovative services, with good organisation and communication skills and a flexible approach in all areas of your work.

Click on the links to download the detailed Clinical Manager job description and an INS Application Form.

For an informal visit or further discussion please contact Ann Bond, CEO on 020 8755 4000 or email abond@ins.org.uk

Closing Date: 16 December 2011.
Interviews will be held on 21 December 2011 from 6pm

• What We Achieved in 2010/11..
• Key Statistics..
• Income and Expenditure Analyses..
• Services Delivered, including Photographs..
• Our Plans for 2011/12 and more ….

Click here to read and download the Annual Review.

Weekly groups restarted on 9 January 2012 and will break for Easter on 30 March.

Carers’ Mutual Support Groups for meeting dates please see  Carers’ News

Respite at Home each Thursday from 10:30am to 12:30pm, from 2 February - offers carers a break.  Spaces are limited and must be pre-booked by Monday of that week.

Spirituality and Wellbeing Group meetings are on 15 February and 14 March at 2pm.

St George’s medical students sessions are held at All Saints Church, Campbell Road, Twickenham, TW2 5BY. Map How to get there All sessions are on Thursdays at 9am.  Dates for 2012 are weekly from 19 January to 29 March (inclusive),  weekly from 19 April to 10 May (inclusive), 31 May, 14 June and 21 June.
To participate please contact Ann Bond on 020 8755 4000 or abond@ins.org.uk

INS Open Day – 25 April 2012

Upcoming Fundraising Events

Bridge Evening – Sunday, 25 March. Volunteers should please contact Eleanor Kinnear

‘Happiness is Gardening’ – Wednesday, 25 April - a talk by Elizabeth Banks, President of the Royal Horticultural Society, in aid of INS.  Learn more and download a Ticket Application Form

Open Garden – Saturday, 12 May at 2pm

Twickenham Fair – Monday, 4 June – bottle tombola

Commenting on his experience, team member Benny Cheung said: The Everest Base Camp trek required courage, determination, a commitment to train to cope with the altitude and the terrain, and the ability of team members to support each other. In much the same way, people living with neurological conditions need courage and determination to deal with the unavoidable changes to their lives. They also need the help of the experienced team at INS to give every individual the skills and strategies that will enable them to cope at each stage of their condition, achieve their full potential and reach their own goals. Through INS they can also meet other people facing similar problems and are able to share solutions and give mutual support.

As Benny says, the trek may be over but the fundraising for INS goes on …

The trek was led by Cross Country Trekking and Travel through Kul Kadel, an experienced Nepalese trek organiser and leader, who organised this challenge in aid of INS.

Bridge Evening – Sunday, 25 March. Volunteers should please contact Eleanor Kinnear

Happiness is Gardening  -  Wednesday, 25 April - Elizabeth Banks, President of the RHS, will give a talk in aid of INS at Hampton School Performing Arts Centre.  Read more and download a ticket application form at ‘Happiness is Gardening’

Open Garden – Saturday, 12 May at 2pm – visit the garden at Fiveways to raise funds for INS

Twickenham Fair – Monday, 4 June – bottle tombola

Dancing was led by the Richmond  Caledonian Society and there was a feast of a supper including Haggis, Neeps and Tatties – or Shepherd’s Pie!

The evening raised £800, including donations and the proceeds of the raffle.