The Oyster Project (Friends of Westgate)

The Empowerment Hub project continues apace at Westgate with more members becoming involved at different levels and with different activities as appropriate.  It's a great team effort partly funded by a Sussex Community Foundation grant and by the efforts of the members themselves.  A great example of the Oyster way of working.

Great to launch a new Radio Lewes show with Oyster member Sam Sinclair and his wry take on life aspiring to be the new Victor Meldrew!  You can listen to episode one here  http://www.spreaker.com/user/radiolewes/sam-asks-why-episode-1 
@samRADI0

With disability hate crime in the public eye disabled people in Lewes, East Sussex have taken the initiative against it and set up a year long project to educate and connect victims with local police officers working in this field.

And with funding from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne the AWARE project will deliver two drop in surgeries each week where police officers, PCSOs and hate crime specialists can have direct but informal contact with the disabled community.  Each surgery is at community cafes run by the Queen’s Award holding Oyster Project charity based in Lewes.

John Russell, founder and trustee director of the disability self-help charity said: ”We knew our members were vulnerable as many of us, including myself, have experienced disability hate crime.  We can’t tackle it alone so we decided to create AWARE and liaise directly with local law enforcement officers and specialists on a regular and social basis.”

It is thought that this is the only project of its kind i.e. initiated and delivered by disabled people, in the country.

click here to find out more

We are staging our final plant sale of 2014 this coming Saturday 27th Sep from 10am 'til we runout!  The Chapel Cafe will be open too.  Some great plants at bargain prices raising funds for Oyster

Steering Group meeting 11am Thursday 11th September at Westgate Chapel (The Chapel Cafe) all members welcome