Dates for the Diary

Your loved one with learning difficulties is welcome to come to all our events.

Connect and Learn’ Coffee Morning
Every Friday, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Woolwich Waves, 49 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6EU
in the Party Room
Join us for a relaxed couple of hours in a lovely, calm meet-up just for you.
We are a safe space for carers who may be experiencing difficulties in life
or who need just a little bit of TLC, a listening ear and companionship.
Find out information from that will help you and your loved one.
No booking needed, just drop in when you can.

Special guests 2026

April

15 April
An informal chat with Taner Altinay
Head of Service, Community Learning Disability RBG.
We are delighted to welcome Taner, a senior leader at RBG responsible for the overall strategy, safety and delivery of social care and support for adults with learning disabilities in our borough. He is the person who ensures the ‘system’ works for your loved one and family, balancing the budget, managing the specialist teams (like social workers and therapists) and making sure RBG meets its legal duties under the Care Act. This is a chance to share your real-life experiences directly with the person who controls the budget and the strategy. He can share all the latest top-level news from CLDT.

24 April
Greenwich Mencap
Sally Ettridge, Support worker and Manager of the Carers Medical and Home Support Service
Sally will be sharing all the details of Mencap’s free Carers Medical & Home Support Service. This ensures that someone is there for your loved one, whether at home, in hospice, or providing support at appointments. Find out how you can access the service. Sally will also give us a run down on all the other services Menace offers.

March

13 March
Digital Health and Tech Service
Sonny Brown, Social Worker for DHACT
Meet the Digital Healthcare Team and learn how technology can help people with LD live safely and independently. The service can provide support such as: medication reminders, fall alarms or wearable alert devices, simple video calling screens, sensors that onitor daily activity. Come along to find out more and ask questions in a relaxed setting.

20 March
Creative brainstorm! “Tree of Life” Wall Art - a carer collaboration.
CSG founder member and RBG Civic Award Lifetime Achievement award winner Avril Martin has designed a beautiful Tree of Life design depicting the lives of our loved ones as a tree, with the roots of community. The leaves symbolise all the wonderful aspects of happy fulfilling lives. We’re going to make this into a hanging textile and invite other carers to contribute easily-made, crafted elements as a community project. Join with us on Friday as we sketch out our design and plan how we will make it. No talent or experience needed just a love of colour and making!

27 March
RBG Commissioning Carer’s Services: a workshop for carers.
EwyGrzegorczyk, Senior Commissioning Development Officer, Health & Adult Services
Here’s what Ewy says: “ We are currently recommissioning our carers’ services, and to make sure the new services truly reflect what carers need, we are carrying out co‑production with local unpaid carers. We will be using our time with you on the 27th to run a co‑production workshop to hear directly from you about your experiences of caring and of using local carer support services. Your lived experience and honest feedback will help us understand what is working well, what could be improved, and what matters most to you. As a thank you for your time, Love2Shop vouchers will be available for participants. Everything you share will play an important role in shaping how future carer support services are designed in the borough. We really appreciate your time and insight.Thank you from Caleb, Ewy (Evie) and Maria.”

February

12 February
”Healthy Dialogues” Focus Group drop-in event
Share Your Experience of Local Pharmacies in Greenwich. We're inviting carers to take part in a one-hour small group discussion to share their experiences of using local pharmacies. Your views will help us understand what works well and what could be improved for carers. As a thank you for your time, you will receive a £l0 shopping voucher!

5 February
’Shared Lives’: respite care and supported living in a family home.
Donna Wood, Placement Officer and Sacha Wheatley from Greenwich Shared Lives
If your loved one goes to live with a Shared Lives carer, they will move in with an individual carer or a carer and their family. They will support your loved-one to live independently in their home. They will have their own room, be treated as part of the family, support them to look after their health and money and help them to be as independent as possible. Come and find our more about the Shared Lives service in Greenwich.

January

15 January
Getting the most from welfare support: benefits for you and your loved ones.
Rhian Harries and Sally Edeki-Steadman, Welfare Rights Service RBG
We’ve asked Rhian and Sally to speak to carers about the financial support that’s available to you and your loved one. This informal discussion over a hot drink will provide an overview of disability, sickness and carers benefits was well on guidance on managing a Universal Credit claim at the point of transition onwards. It will also cover changes to carers’ allowance when a person reaches pension-age. Get the the most accurate information from the people who know best and maximise your entitlement.

22 January
Talk to a Provider: Brighter Futures
Kemi Madumere from Brighter Futures Specialist College.‍ ‍
Kemi will be here to talk about their wide range of opportunities for autistic and learning disabled adults. These include a specialist FE college, the Camouflage Cafe, activities such as their weekly disco and the associated Compass Supported Living.

29 January
Check in with council: are commissioned services working for you?
Michael Cleary, Head of Market Quality and Sustainability RBG and colleagues,
Michael wants to gather your views on the services they commission; respite, day opportunities, supported housing and others. If the council pay partly or wholly for a service that you or your loved one receives then it’s ‘commissioned’. This is your chance have a face-to-face discussion with a decision-maker about what is working and what needs to change. Michael will also be giving us regular updates on changes to service provision.