Community Champions Story – Pure Innovations
Meet Amelia: Community Engagement Officer at Pure Innovations.
Pure Innovations is a registered charity established in 2005, that works with people who face challenges due to disabilities or health-related issues, to help them live fulfilling and independent lives. They offer a range of different services, such as supporting people to learn new skills such as arts and crafts, cooking, sign language or singing, and offering a Mental Health Network to support people to become more confident and resilient in their everyday life.
Amelia is an individual Stockport Community Champion, having completed her training in July 2021, while Pure Innovations as a whole is an organisational Champion.
“Pure Innovations and I have been fulfilling the community champion’s role by creating Connect and Unite: monthly zoom sessions for clients at Pure Innovations and external organisations to be involved with,” explains Amelia.
“They represent a safe, happy space where there are different topics of conversations, guest speakers and quizzes all chosen by the clients at Pure.”
Pure Innovations also create monthly newsletters to help keep clients in the know with what is happening both internally and externally within the organisation. The newsletters go out to clients, but also external sectors such as third party organisations and parents or carers.
“Our video calendar is another way we encourage our clients to take on the role of Stockport Community Champions. Every month we share videos of clients experiences and health professional videos which are also co-produced by the clients. These health videos cover all aspects of health and wellbeing, to help our clients stay happy and healthy and give them the knowledge needed to improve their general health.”
Around 50 clients have been involved to date with the production of these videos, which directly tie into the ethos of the Stockport Community Champions programme.
Amelia is positive about her experience and involvement with the programme.
“I definitely recommend organisations becoming Community Champions as it gives a voice to the clients a Pure as well as creating opportunities and providing new skills to be obtained,” she says.
“It also showcases the knowledge and skills the clients involved already have. It provides a purpose and makes the clients very happy to be a part of these projects.”
Sign up to be a Stockport Community Champion, either as an individual or an organisation, by emailing communitychampions@stockport.gov.uk or sign up to the initial training on Eventbrite.
