Clubhouse Highlights Contribution Of "Unsung Heroes"
Following Clubhouse Gibraltar's recent facilities upgrade, the charity have highlighted the contribution of "unsung heroes".
A statement from Clubhouse Gibraltar follows below:
Clubhouse Gibraltar has now reached a significant milestone in their quest to provide appropriate facilities to carry out their much-needed services providing mental healthcare support in the community.
However, this journey has taken a number of years to achieve though initiated by Emily Adamberry Olivero MBE it couldn’t have reached the point where it is now without a great team working together to achieve the most incredible progress one could not begin to imagine.
Emily’s best move was to recruit her first employee Tania Aguilar, who was a volunteer at the time when Clubhouse meetings were being held once a week in the dilapidated Toc H premises in 2012. This greater input made all the difference to be able to move on to the next stage of the journey.
It was the impetus that was needed to get Clubhouse Gibraltar on a sound footing and help it get where it is today. Tania and Emily together make a formidable team because Tania brought an additional set of skills which were essential for the advancement and growth of the Clubhouse project.
Tania and Emily attended Clubhouse Colleague training in 2012 and this fuelled their enthusiasm and the frequency of meetings grew from one to three times a week at a cafeteria in Main Street. This they continued for a few months whilst waiting for assistance from Government regarding premises. By September 2013 Clubhouse was allocated 2 Vaults at Wellington Front (one for their charity shop) and thus it became possible for them to meet 5 days a week which allowed the development of the Clubhouse model.
Thankfully the Gibraltar Government realized the value of the service that Clubhouse provided and agreed to increase their annual grant. Clubhouse is also very grateful to the various organizations and individuals who have had faith in their journey and have supported them all along the way, from the little details that kept them going, to the larger sponsors who helped to pay the design and furnishings for their new premises. Thanks is also due to the media who have helped Clubhouse promote their work and also to Gibraltar Confectionery for sponsoring and providing the wonderful buffet at our Official Opening and to Natalia Robba who did the photography.
The staff team grew in accordance with the funding available, so donations and grants to meet the increasing expenses is always welcome. Other than Tania and Emily the rest of the current staff team are Kevin Fowler, who brings a wealth of experience and and skills in the Mental Health field as well as delivering Mental Health First Aid Training; Gema Moreno who is a qualified Social Worker and a very hard worker; Glen Simpson who is qualified and experienced in Counselling and Drug and Alcohol abuse as well as being a wonderful cook and Mary-Anne who has excellent interpersonal and managerial skills and has been instrumental in transforming our charity shop into an upmarket boutique as well as getting involved in many other aspects of Clubhouse work and training members for potential work placements.
In Clubhouse all staff must take on a generalist role which means that collectively everyone gets involved in all aspects of running the Clubhouse, working side by side with the Clubhouse members, in a seamless and effective manner. Tania is a fantastic deputy CEO and not only has she gone far beyond the call of duty in her diligence and professionalism in the standard of her work but has also been the liaison officer overseeing the developments and design of the works at the new premises with great attention to detail. The results speak for themselves. She has certainly earned all our respect and will make an excellent successor for the future, taking Clubhouse Gibraltar that step further.
However, the proof of the ‘pie is in the eating’, no matter how good a staff team you have, it is the members that are the most important component of any Clubhouse. First and foremost a Clubhouse is a community intentionally organized to support individuals living with the effects of mental illness. Through participation in a clubhouse people are given the opportunities to rejoin the worlds of friendships, family, important work, employment, education, and to access the services and support they may individually need.
Around 180 Clubhouse members have already placed their trust in the Clubhouse team over time and have participated in the work ordered day despite all the inconveniences they have had to endure such as flooding, dampness and the construction works at Wellington Front. They have been adapting to all these changes participating in public and fund-raising events and even giving public testimonies on television. The result being that they have progressed immensely in their recovery journey and shown their unconditional appreciation which has proved time and time again that our task is worthwhile and rewarding and demonstrating that they are the real UNSUNG HEROS.
