Signpost 7 (1 June)

Welcome to our newest issue of Signpost. Over the last few months we have been providing ideas and suggestions for things to keep you entertained during the current pandemic. The first week of June is Volunteers' Week and each year St. Monica Trust celebrates the contribution of volunteers to our sites, our residents and the Trust in general. Some of our suggested links in this week's Signpost have been produced by some of our fantastic volunteers. Thank you!

During this week The Beatles released the iconic “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1967, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 and in 1970 Harold Wilson was hit in the face by an egg thrown by a demonstrator.

REFLECT

• One of our volunteers, Isabelle, has made a video for us explaining what she does in the Trust and how she is keeping herself positive and connected during the lockdown.

CONNECT

• Are you missing volunteering during this time? The United Nations Volunteering Programme is looking for people to volunteer from their own homes to help with projects, translations and grant writing across the world. You can find out more here.

LEARN

• Have you ever wanted to paint? Our volunteer Jacqui has produced this wonderful video tutorial on how to paint with watercolours.

• One of our colleagues, John, has been in touch to tell us about a podcast (an audio documentary) called “Replay” on the BBC website that celebrates the last 90 years of sport by sharing interviews and commentaries from classic sporting events. John thoroughly enjoyed listening to it himself and thought it might be good for others who are missing their sport at this time. You can listen to Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile, Red Rum winning three Grand Nationals or Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe from 1980.

DO

• Some of the volunteers from Redmaids’ High School have produced a virtual concert especially for the St. Monica Trust that you can enjoy here.

INFORM

• The Babbers is a radio show on Bristol’s Ujima Radio 98FM. It is run for and by local older people who want to make their voices heard. The show presents a positive description of ageing and challenges stereotypes. You can tune in on an FM radio, listen online here and can listen to previous episodes here.

FUN

• Audible is a website where you can buy audio books to listen to online. During the coronavirus pandemic, they are offering 27 classic books to listen to for free. You can choose some wonderful books including Jayne Eyre, The Jungle book or The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.