We received a grant from R4GM to recycle electrical goods and PCs. We hope with this grant, we will be having an impact in reducing landfills and helping our disadvantaged communities in re-using the electrical goods.
We also aim to train 4 persons in Portable Appliance Training which would help enhance their work skills and move into jobs. Any donations of electricals especially PCs will be passed on to our clients to help them improve their computer literacy.
We had a ‘MAD’ and muscle moving day with two teams from RBS and Remploy. No-one sat at their desk and pen pushed; They had mountains of food to sort and they still found the time to rip up the dirty carpet tiles. Thank you!
Residents and visitors to Manchester city centre were invited to experience the first in-depth exhibition by one of the region’s most inspiring visual artists, Graham Hudson.
Entitled Angels Vs Demons, the exhibition featured brand new works by 52-year-old Hudson as well as acclaimed paintings spanning his entire career. The exhibition was opened at The Mustard Tree on Thursday 8 November 2012 with a free reception and refreshments for the general public.
Graham Hudson said the following about the Exhibition:
I was overjoyed with the attendance, not merely with the number of people that came to see but with the reaction to the work on the walls. It was also great to see friends of old and friends new alongside friends to be. Family were also there. So big thanks to all who came to view and of course those who supported and helped beyond he call of duty. New relationships were forged across the board and for myself many new relationships afoot, Beltin!
The Mustard Tree 1st Floor was transformed again and even if I say so myself, it looks amazing! I sold 6 of the new works and generated 2 new commissions, thank you to those buyers too.
Even our C.E.O. Adrian Nottingham was lost for words, for a short while anyway! I was honoured by 2 very special guests, Andrew Brown, who in fact was the man who amongst a lot of good things he did for me at the beginning of my Mustard Tree journey, gave me the opportunity to paint again, without that act of belief who knows, my life could be very different now.
I would also dearly like to thank Nick Betney, the owner of Artzu Art Gallery, Manchester, without his massively kind donation of canvasses, well I would not have had the freedom to experiment as I did before having the technique and confidence to produce this most recent body of work.
Indeed, without his kindness there would be less work produced by the regular classes here at Mustard Tree, So on behalf of all in the Art department none more than myself. Thank you and what a beautiful gallery space it is you run.
Then of course my guest of honour and as I said in my speech at the exhibition, Paul Wenham is not only the guest of honour at the exhibition but in my life.
“He travelled all the way from Hastings on the train, only to spend an hour at the exhibition then, straight back on a train and home to East Sussex”
It was a success in so many ways. I love this life of mine and all in it. I look forward to every day and even more to the next time I can produce a body of work I believe in and feel confident enough in to exhibit.
25 People, 90 minutes, 40+ bin bags full of rubbish… and a litter free section of Ancoats the outcome!
A big thank you for the support of the Staff of Northwards Housing and the residence of Victoria Square who joined forces with the staff and volunteers of the Mustard Tree to undertake a community clear-up organised by the Mustard Tree.
This was the first of what will be a quarterly event organised by the Mustard Tree.
A special thank you to Victoria Square for the cup of tea and biscuit at the end of the afternoon, and for the chance to relax and get to know our neighbours.
On Thursday 15 November, a team from Barclays, and partners Vaultex, held their ‘Make A Difference Day’ at the Mustard Tree… The 26-strong team rolled up their sleeves and demonstrated practical DIY skills across our site, which included revamping our food store, laying flooring and decorating a new art studio, sorting 100s of donated food items, and providing a much needed facelift to our shop floor!! A fantastic effort, a huge difference – thank you!
New floor swept clean … The RBS team dusted the cobwebs away, got physical, and gave us a new shiny floor!
We thank them for their dedication and hard work!
Thanks to the dedicated Bupa runners and fundraisers, we have managed to raise over £7,300 this year. This money will help us reach out to more homeless people on the streets with blankets, gloves, hot meals and providing them with a listening ear and helping them by sign posting to appropriate organisations.
To say thank you to our supporters, we celebrated this event on Saturday 13 October 2012 at New Hong Kong Restaurant with a sumptuous Chinese buffet.
We hope our runners will sign up for the next year’s Bupa Great Manchester Run and run for us! You are definitely our heroes!
Please contact lydia@mustardtree.co.uk if you wish to sign up and for further details.
Dean Brocklehurst is a filmmaker and owner of both Donkey Stone Films and The Homeless Film Festival. The Manchester branch of both organisations is now based here at The Mustard Tree and we’re partnering together to create a series of free filmmaking projects for Mustard Tree service users.
As well as having the freedom to explore their creativity, the project participants learn all aspects of the filmmaking process such as scriptwriting, camera operating and editing as well as employability skills which can be applied to their future lives.
“Me and Myself” is the first film created as part of the “Film in a Day” initiative, a short conceptual film exploring an old man’s mind as he searches for laughter.
You can watch the film on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvlTy4Jfwsw&feature=youtu.be
On Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7.00pm until 8.30pm at The Mustard Tree.
An hour and half devoted to connecting with God. Prayer underpins and upholds all that we do,the engine room that lubricates our work. Please join us.
Artwork by Graham Hudson
Johnny and Adrian spent a very positive afternoon with Fiona and Nicholas from the John Lewis Didsbury Call Centre. The partnership started in February 2011 and has involved a variety of creative initiatives to up-skill Mustard Tree staff and clients. These have included training around call handling, customer services and employability, as well as work placements and a redesign of our ‘goods in’ area and sales floors in Ancoats and Eccles. The partnership will have significant lasting impact to both organisations – as a result of John Lewis’ charitable work with the Mustard Tree, they has been nominated as a finalist for the national customer service CSR awards.
Pictured (L to R): Nicholas Harrison (Office Manager), Fiona Wood (Contact Centre Manager), Johnny Bushell (Mustard Tree)
