The case of the missing clothes!

Leaving Providence, Rhode Island I had 2 successful flights and arrived safely at Northern Kentucky International Airport.  Unfortunately my bags chose an alternative route and I stood watching the baggage conveyer belt slowly empty until the awful realisation that I had no clean undies for my meeting the next day.  
I was reassured by an airline official that my bag was on it's way and we would be reunited by 7:30pm.  I was collected at the airport by the hotel shuttle bus and in chatting to the driver discovered that the local baseball team had a game that night.  With no firm plans and no clothes to unpack I checked in, dropped my hand luggage off and caught the shuttle over the Ohio river to Cincinnati. By 7:00pm I had a ticket for the game, had found an amazingly healthy option in the baseball ground food outlet, had sampled a local beer and was visiting my fourth US State that day. 
I am struck by the ritual and routine that surround baseball games and that seems to exist in its own right irrespective of the game itself. I marvelled at the many techniques employed to keep the crowd entertained in the short pauses that occur at the end of each innings. The seventh innings stretch is a well known tradition and just one of the staples that all fans know and expect each game. Sitting amongst the crowd, watching all the razzmatazz on a warm evening with a constant stream of food and drink sellers touting their wares. I was struck by how pleasant it was and how entertaining; oh and by the way, in the background there was a game going on. Not at all like my experience at football matches in England; where the crowd generates an atmosphere in response to the team's performance,  passion comes before razzamatazz, it is usually cold and I have never seen a vegetable in a food outlet let alone be offered a tray of raw veg with dips! As a Middlesbrough supporter another new experience was watching the home team, Cincinnati Reds, winning 7-1 and sending everyone home happy. Winning, scoring 7 and going home happy - I wish.


As we funnelled away from the extremely impressive stadium in a lovely Riverfront setting I realised that the Ohio has many bridges that span it's girth linking Cincinnati to Kentucky.  I also realised that I had been driven across one bridge that linked two unfamiliar cities and now had to find a pedestrian bridge that would return me to a hotel that I had glimpsed briefly before being whisked off to the game. 
After about 4 miles - most in the wrong direction, I got my bearings and wearily reached the hotel after midnight. The night porter reported that my luggage had not yet arrived.  Hot, sweaty and dishevelled I faced the prospect of pulling these same crumpled clothes on for my meeting the next day. Despite this my extended walk ensured that I slept a deep and fortunately dream free sleep.

That is enough for one blog - part 2 later!

 

First Visit

The business end of the trip got under way with a visit to the Groden Network in Providence, Rhode Island.  They specialise in Autism and have developed a vocational support programme for their school leavers.  This has grown up over a number of years and has built on business relationships and word of mouth to create new employment opportunities.  For example the Groden Network and the Vocational / employment arm when they tender for construction work or service contracts for their business they always ask the question - would the business support any employment for people with cognitive disabilities?  


Norman Gettings manages the USA based centre of Bananagrams.  He is looking to work with Groden and provide placements and possibly employment for some of their clients.  Together we visited a Garden Centre where several 'clients' are offered sheltered work, this includes art projects and basic skills in the down time and for some their time is split between gardening and other employment. Mike Smith the program director, based at Cove - the adult hub for vocational activities, drove us to the next part of the visit.  On route we passed a group engaged in their work of watering hanging baskets along the main street.  The City has a contract with Cove to provide this service.  Some local businesses also buy in their services to wash the windows.  
Mike and his colleague Demi from Groden accompanied us on the visit and the discussion as we went helped inform and illuminate the activities we saw.  One noteworthy activity is the links Groden have with Providence's 'WaterFire' this is a monthly festival when, with great ritual, theatre and ceremony boats travel along the waterways at sunset lighting water based braziers.  There is music, stalls selling food and souvenirs, entertainment and a great local community involvement.  Groden have played their part, for example planting flowers in the braziers between displays and preparing kindling for the monthly fire lighting.  If you are ever in the area of Providence - make sure you time it to catch WaterFire.
  
As part of this Fellowship I am writing up each visit in more detail and reviewing the factors I find common to all successful enterprises.  My report will consider what works well and what factors need to be considered when developing employment opportunities for people who having learning difficulties.  Consequently in future blogs I will give a snapshot of the business side and a look a little more at the human side of maintaining a Fellowship while away from home, friends and the usual comfort zone.  For anyone keen to keep up with the business part of the fellowship - let me know and I will email you a copy of the final report.


To Sue, Jeff and others who have tried unsuccessfully to post a comment - sorry I do not know how to sort that for you.  However you could always email - wrightmj2004@hotmail.co.uk - but if the message is something like "Stop blogging......"  You may have to wait until I return home!

Trip begins with bad news

After months of planning, scouring websites, making contacts and looking for accommodation and means of travel between the sites that I plan to visit  the waiting is over and the plan is now being put to the test!  
The flight to USA went fairly smoothly and I arrived at Boston Logan airport 1 hour earlier than I had anticipated.  By the time I got through immigration and spent some time looking at the piece of conceptual art in the foyer of the airport; which is a series of tracks, rails, pulleys and wheels that transport several balls through the mechanism triggering bells and chimes as they progress through the Esher like landscape, the time passed and my pal Norman arrived to collect me. He manoeuvred us through a torrential rainstorm that fell quicker than the wipers could cope in Boston rush hour, welcome to the USA! 
After spending 21 hours awake I slept completely oblivious of my new surroundings, a couple of 'Blue Moon' beers possibly helped with that.
The dawn of my first day in the USA had a look similar to that I left in England, heavy grey sky, clouds and a breeze.  The main difference was about 10C warmer in Boston.
The distance from home then grew rapidly. An early morning call with my wife broke the news that my mother-in-law had died.  She had been ill and Sheila and I had discussed the possibility that she may not survive the duration of my trip. However knowing that I will be away for 6 weeks and not able to be there for my wife and her family is a hard start to the trip.  

Whoops last post wobbled

I will try again;

I now have less than 2 weeks before my departure date. My daughter, who has been in Australia for the past 2 years, returns home next week. I am looking forward to having one week with her before I leave.  I have mixed feelings in really looking forward to seeing her again, disappointed that it will only be for one week, while also looking forward to my trip.  Not great timing but just the way these things work out.

A more trivial pre trip 'concern' is related to my current fitness level. I retired 5 months ago and set about shedding a few pounds and improving my fitness. I have been moderately successful in both aims; perhaps putting in greater effort than the results show but I can feel the difference. I wonder after 6 weeks of sitting on planes, in cars and in meetings; eating hotel food and exercising a lot less than the 8 hours a week my body has got use to, (with a few complaints it must be said) will I waddle back home having lost 5 months of hard earned gains? My budget doesn't run to luxury hotels with gyms and pools and my schedule is not conducive for regular runs so the odds seemed stacked against me and I look set to return from my Churchill Fellowship trip with not just the benefits of the experience gained but perhaps also more of a Churchillian frame!

Preparation continue!

I am busy preparing for my trip - 6 weeks away from home courtesy of Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.  I attach a link so that you can check out the site and this time next year you may be preparing for your trip away!
I have worked in Special Education all my working life, which is about 21 years short of my entire life.  The schools I have worked in have done excellent work in preparing young people to make the most of their lives and to celebrate who they are.  All too often, however, these young people would leave school and not have opportunities to utilise the skills and qualities they could offer the world.  This is changing and for some people with severe learning difficulties who would like to work some doors are gradually opening. My travelling fellowship is giving me an opportunity to look at 12 different schemes around North America and Canada that are enabling people with learning difficulties to have the dignity of employment and the pay to go with it!  I will speak with like minded professionals, business people and   those who have opened that door and are providing real jobs for real pay.

The preparation for the trip started with researching employment for people who have learning difficulties.  Once I found good and interesting examples I then tried to cluster them geographically so that I could visit as many as possible. I was delighted and amazed to find about an 80% positive response rate to my initial request for additional information and a possible visit.  Then began 3 months of developing a dialogue with 12 different institutions; getting to know individuals and building up a relationship so that I will be able to get the most when arriving, in some places, for only a one day visit.

Once the visits were confirmed then researching accommodation and travel filled my days, resolving such dilemmas as choosing between a hotel within walking distance but in a bad area against a nicer, but more expensive hotel that is a complicated journey away.  My research led to me stumbling across 'Airbnb' which has been a great help in finding accommodation with a more personal feel and usually in great locations.

I am now applying the final touches and getting some fantastic emails from my soon to be business hosts with all sorts of generous offers of their time, hospitality and support.  Before I have even set off I have been overwhelmed with the amount of good people that have replied so warmly to my initial email and that I am now so looking forward to meeting.  In future blogs I hope to name names and honour the good guys as I go as well as reporting back on employment strategies to help get people who have learning disabilities into work.

If you are interested to know more about the Churchill Travelling Fellowships and perhaps embark on your own adventure check out the link - and maybe next year I'll be reading your blog!


www.wcmt.org.uk

What is WCMT?

WCMT is Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
Applications for a 2013 travel fellowship are now open until October 2nd.  The reason I bring this up is the reason I have started this blog.  I have been awarded a Churchill Travelling Fellowship for 2012.  I will be travelling to USA & Canada exploring ways that employment opportunities for people with learning difficulties may be created.  The Blog is one way of keeping in touch with family and friends and also of letting the Trust know that I am putting their funds to good use!
This is my first ever blog - more to come once my travels begin!