10 Years of Wellspring

I first heard about Wellspring newsletter in 1998, from Chris North who was my Social Worker when I moved to Sidlesham with my family. Chris and the committee started Wellspring in 1996 to provide local information to families with disabled children. After a few meetings with Chris, he asked me if I would be interested in joining the Wellspring committee to contribute my ideas as a disabled young person and write a page for the newsletter. I thought this was a good idea, so the meetings were held at Manhood Community College , to fit in with my GCSE timetable. I continued to write ‘Lizzie's Page' during my A level years, and during this time, I also took on the role of Editor when John Gisby, the original editor, treasurer and another founder member retired.

For a little while after John left the committee, there was some uncertainty about the future of Wellspring. However, we managed to come through this, and Wellspring West Sussex became a registered charity. Since becoming a charity we have received funding through grants from various sources including statutory agencies.

When I became the Editor, I used Microsoft Word to produce the final newsletter. This was sometimes difficult, as the text and pictures would not always lie on the page in the right place. In 2004 we received funding from Connexions which enabled us to purchase a more professional publishing software package, Adobe InDesign. With the funding we were also able to pay for a two day training course for myself an two other committee members in how to use the program. This took place at my house and the software made the editing of the newsletter much easier. The Wellspring West Sussex website was also set up in 2004 and is an alternative way of looking at past newsletters, reading old articles and finding out about local groups and clubs.

Next July will celebrate the 10 th year of the Cobnor Family Fun Weekend. This is one of my highlights in the Wellspring calendar. I first went to Cobnor in 2003 when I was asked to launch the balloons and I was struck by what a great time everybody was having. One of the best bits of the Family Fun Weekend for me is the wheelchair boat – it feels so great to be out on the water. Next year's Cobnor weekend is set to be just as good as previous years, with more land activities planned to give the younger children more to do. Last August the first Family Fun Weekend in the Northof the county was held at Hyndleap Warren. This one day event proved just as popular as the Cobnor weekend, and will run again next year.

Another great addition to what Wellspring can offer has been the Freedom Through Fun workshops run by Chris North, a.k.a. Bungle the Clown. These workshops have been funded by the Local Network Fund and Chris has visited schools and clubs throughout West Sussex . Everybody who has taken part in a music, drama or circus workshop has provided Chris with very positive feedback.

This year Wellspring has received a grant from West Sussex County Council, The Body Shop Foundation and The Henry Smith Charity which has enabled us to produce a Parents' Resource Booklet, listing local and national groups, organisations and clubs supporting people with disabilities and those working with them. This Booklet will be available from early next year, so keep a look out in future editions for more details.

So, you can see how much Wellspring has grown over the last decade! From starting out as a 12 page, black and white newsletter, we have gone to 16 page, full colour editions and offer more exciting opportunities for readers through the year. Don't forget we do rely on grants and donations, so if you have any fundraising ideas, don't hesitate to contact the Wellspring address or send an email. Also, please keep sending your articles, stories, photos or even advertisements and help Wellspring West Sussex to grow even more over the next 10 years! With your help we can do this!

Lizzie Baily lizzie@wellspringwestsussex.org.uk