Tuesday 6th May 2014

A new Community Centre in Staveley was opened on Friday 11th April, by his worship the Mayor of Chesterfield, with the Open Day also attended by Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins, Barry Dyke and Helen Elliot.


(l-r) Helen Eliot, MP Toby Perkins, Emma from Ems Gems, Yvette Dislins, Mayor of Chesterfield Cllr Paul Stone and Cllr Barry Dyke

The Harmony Studio Community Centre, in conjunction with Staveley Harmony DECCA, is run by local Staveley people, who have themselves previously been in need of help from the community.

People such as Yvette Dislins, the founder of Staveley Harmony DECCA, who is physically disabled after suffering a stroke four years ago, which left her unable unable to go out without a member of the family or a friend, as she cannot walk for long. Formerly an A&E Staff nurse, Yvette's experience left her searching for a job but, with no success, she decided to set herself up in business.


(l-r) Helen Eliot, Yvette Dislins, Mayor of Chesterfield Cllr Paul Stone, Cllr Barry Dyke and Director Patrick Matthews

Yvette's son, Patrick Matthews, a Director and Founder of Harmony studio Community Centre together with another son, David, both of whom struggled to find full-time work, decided they too would be better going self-employed.

Whilst working on setting up the project, they found that other younger members of the family were wanting somewhere safe to gather with friends and to access a place that offered affordable activities - all within walking distance in and around Staveley.


Chesterfield's Mayor meets the 'Yoga Bug'!

They found that friends felt the same too and decided to do something about it, which led to the birth of the community centre project, initially a small project that has soon grown into a very big one!

Their aim is to serve the Staveley Community and surrounding area, for all people with all types of abilities and of all ages, hoping to build on this by working with support from local businesses.

The Centre aims to offer a holistic approach to promote healthy living, a place where people will feel warm and safe, where they can attend without spending a fortune on travel and somewhere where they could afford to attend events and classes.

The Staveley Harmony DECCA (Diversity Equality Community Care Association) has been set up alongside the centre, so the public, as members, can have their say on what they would like to see taking place at the centre and how they are delivered.

ACTIVITIES that have been confirmed so far are:

• Aikido - Sensei William Phillips, Monday and Thursday, 7.30-9.30pm
  for 16 Yrs+
  
  
• Free Craft Club for those with learning disabilities
  
  
• Stitch Club for children & Adults.
  
  
• Youth Centre - 13 Yrs+, Monday & Friday 5.30-7.30pm
  The Youth Centre includes Bokwa tasters, giant chess, chess games, board games, videos and books. They have had Playstation 2 games donated, but as yet, no Playstation 2 console - any donations will be gratefully received!
  
  The aim, once registered as a voluntary organisation, is to equip more, but for now, they are relying on kind donations from the public - who have already been more than generous so far, and the centre wishes to say thank you to them all! (the Youth Centre is Free to those with learning disabilities)
  
  
• Chess Club for children and teenagers Tuesdays, 5.30-7.30pm
  (Free to those with learning disabilities)
  
  
• Laughing Yoga / Bokwa - (voluntary sector) - for both children and adults Tuesday 6.00-7.00pm, with Janine M Bailey
  
  
• Karate (from 20th May) - Sensei Adam Hawke (Black Belt, 3rd dan), Tuesdays, 7.15-8.50pm for ages 5 Yrs+
  
  
• Meditation - Thursdays, 6-7pm with Yvette Dislins.
  
  
• Kick Boxing - Fridays 6-7pm, Sensei Gary Bull
  
  
• Tai Chi - Fridays, 7-8pm Sensei Gary Bull

The Mayor takes on Sensei Adam Hawke in a Karate Class

GROUPS already started:

• Coffee morning for the senior citizens -
  for general chat and support with general activities that they request, some have requested salsa, some ball room (but we have yet to find those type of teachers), some have requested walks around Staveley, so we are in the process of working a health and safety environment and working with leads to achieve this for them.
  
  
• BAME (Black African Minority & Ethnicity) Group -
  Tuesdays 10.30am - 12 noon. A chance for all foreign nationals & Black African Minority & Ethnicity to interact and share local knowledge and opportunities
  
  
• Book Club - for children and adults Wednesday 6-8pm

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins (second left), stretches out during a Yoga lesson

THERAPIES / CLASSES (With Accredited Qualifications):

• Reflexology
• Reiki
• Beauty Therapy (free mini treatments to all disadvantaged and their carers)
• Sound Therapist
• Music – Guitar, Eukeleili, Brass Band (Process of building band)
• Health/sport trainer

Accredited Courses and WORKSHOPS:

• Beauty Therapy for all abilities
• Sport course for all abilities
• Integrated Energy Healing Workshop
• Psychic Awareness Workshop
• Meditation Workshop ( giving a day of different Styles of Meditation)
• QATA/PTLLS course
• Fire Safety
• First Aid

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins takes on Chesterfield Mayor Cllr Paul Stone in a game of giant chess, watched by Yvette Dislins and Cllr Barry Dyke

And planned for the Future...

• Video Club for children and parents (due to big demand!)
  
  
• Women / Men's nights
  
  
• New dance group. Parents have explained that although a new one is setting up, they want to access something that is just down the road in the same hall as their children's siblings who are doing martial arts, have a lounge to relax whilst they wait for their children.
  
  
• Parent craft classes for young parents.
  
  
• Yoga Bugs
  
  
• Local community hairdressers to set up at Harmony
  
  
• There have been numerous requests for a Miniature Crazy Golf course as part of the youth club, they are trying their best to get the project planned.
  
  
• More stall days for local business within the Staveley community.
  
  
• Several have approached us to have their department of workforce placement at the community centre, so, plans are to get in touch with the departments of works and pensions.
  
  
• Building furniture out of recycled materials.
  
  
• Gardening Club for all abilities.

With the centre's building conveniently situated at the Jubilee Works on Middlecroft Road, the plan is to help the community avoid long journey's to get to such a centre.

After research, the amount of help that the community needed was surprising to the committee and the Centre is working hard to involve people of all abilities and all ages. They found that some people just wanted a place to meet - just so they didn't feel so isolated - something that brought home the worth of such a community based centre and committee.

Yvette Dislins commented, "Some people had approached us and explained that they had been offered work placements that were entirely unrelated to their chosen career. This was a complaint we heard a number of times from several people.

"For example, a hairdresser had been offered a placement at the RSPCA by the unemployment office of works and pensions. She then came and asked to do a placement here, rather than working at the RSPCA - as she had no intention to ever work with animals – she had only ever wanted to work as a hairdresser.

"Therefore, after a meeting between Patrick Matthews, Director of Harmony Studio Community Centre, David Matthews a volunteer member of Staveley Harmony DECCA, Adele Matthews Director of Staveley Harmony DECCA, Ruth Belchamber a member and a volunteer of Staveley Harmony DECCA, Hayley Hatton Volunteer of Staveley Harmony DECCA and myself, we also decided to work with the Departments of Work and Pensions about making available placements here for people from the local community.

"The centre is not a place that is going into competition with local businesses - but as a place for people who could not afford to take part in activities elsewhere - and want to find motivation and inspiration in meeting with like-minded people."

Yvette continued, "Helping and pleasing everyone is impossible - but we aim to try our best to be there and work together with the community."

The Harmony Studio Community Centre is situated at Jubilee Works, Middlecroft Road, Staveley, Chesterfield S43 3XN.

You can contact them by telephone on 01246 476474 or 07512 433860

Find more details on their website at colourmed.org.uk and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/Colourmed

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