Making it happen Parentline ... Telephone service for parents needing help

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 16

Making it happen Parentline ... Telephone service for parents needing help

Telephone counselling can be a very .effective way of reaching people. It’s free, immediate, and can lift someone out of a potential crisis — perhaps even be a turning point in their life. Parentline, a telephone counselling service for parents needing help, has been well used ' since it started in 1979. On average, counsellors receive five calls each four-hour shift. Two of these will be from parents in serious difficulty. Crying babies, feeding problems, 10-year-olds stealing milk money, truancy, teenage violence, alcohol or drug abuse — Parentline deals with the whole gamut of parental problems. Some calls are about adult children. Nlany calls are from men. Most people are needing a sympathetic ear, and situations can be defused by phone contact alone. Counsellors are trained to hear what the person is REALLY saying, rather than the words themselves, and to ask leading questions. “With skilful; handling, we can bring people to the point of sorting out their own problems. We don’t give advice, as such,” explains Bev Graham, vice-president of Parentline. More serious problems are referred to agencies. Parentline is looking for people to work as volunteer counsellors in their own homes — for fourhour shifts, at a time of their own choosing. Calls are made, always in confidence, through Seekers.

A special, part-time Polytech course for Parentline counselling skills beginning next term, needs between 15 to 18 people. , The only fixed qualification, says Bev, is that volunteers be parents themselves. Otherwise, anyone with the potential and the time, will be considered. ; At present, all counsellors are womeh, but Parentline would pearly love to train men too. Anyone interested can phone Trish at 555-542 or Bev at 893-314, or write to Parentline, P.O. feox 10047, Christchurch. ! Cracroft j Community Centre ' Home gardeners wanting to increase their knowledge are invited to a series of four sessions at the Cracroft Community Centre, Old Stone House, Shalamar i Drive, Cashmere. The first session, starting tonight at j 7.30 p.m. is

on vegetable growing and is by Professor John Walker, a soil expert and former Lincoln College lecturer. The next session, on Monday, March 9, at the same time, is on growing many different plants, and given by Roland Clark, a former farmer and now horticulturist at Purau. Bob Crowder of Lincoln College will talk about less conventional organic gardening and good marketing on March 16, and on March 23, Molly Kirby of the Rose Society will discuss roses.

All talks are $2, which includes supper, and there will be field trips organised.

At the Cracroft Centre tomorrow, from 11 a.m. until 2.30 p.m., Gillian Polson, from the herb farm at Akaroa, will demonstrate the art of bread and pizza making. Participants will help her eat the results, along with salads made from her own garden, then Gillian will talk about herbs. Cost is $5, which includes lunch. Those worried about carbohydrates and fitness might like to have a workout first at the centre. The exercise to music classes, for women of all ages and levels of fitness, normally run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. but tomorrow will begin at 9.45 a.m. Cost is $2 a session. Enrolments for any of these activities, phone 327-774. Pattern drafting and making Sewers wanting to learn how to draft and make patterns will be interested in the popular classes al the Polytech. Run by Zora Price these classes are grouped into women’s, men’s and children’s wear and teach you not only how to make basic but alter them for different stylings. The classes have just started and run until November. The women’s wear class is on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon, or Tuesday evenings, either from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The men’s wear classes are on Thursday evenings, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and children’s wear classes on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. The classes are friendly, non-vocational, and exam-free. Cost for the year’s course is $5l. Anyone wanting to enrol can simply turn up at a class of their choice and sign up there. Classes are held at the Sullivan Avenue site of the Polytech. For more details phone Zora at 890-564.

Industrial Society

“The Rise and Fall of Industrial Society” is the name of an eight-week course starting at the Workers’ Educational Association this Thursday, February 26.

Course tutor is Professor Bill Willmott, of the University of Canterbury’s sociology department.

The afternoon course will examine the historical and political context of the industrial revolution and some Of the problems industrial societies can bring to people. It will look at both capitalist and socialist models, and the famous alternative co-operative at Mondragon, in Spain. The course will run on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $B.BO. Enquiries and enrolments to the W.E.A. at 59 Gloucester Street, phone 60-285 or 64530. Pre-schoolers Parents Centre is running a repeat of their popular course “Living with a Pre-schooler." This starts Monday, March 9, at 7.30 p.m. at Hagley House, next to Hagley High. A five-week course, it includes understanding your child’s stages, management skills, providing for play and child health. Margaret Mahy, wellknown children’s author, will be the guest speaker at the Parents Centre annual general meeting next Tuesday, March 3. The public are invited to hear Margaret speak. The meeting will be at Hagley House starting at 7.30 p.m. For more information and enrolments phone 60896 or 31-855. Sweet Adelines Sweet Adelines, a group of 50 women who have formed a barbershop chorus, are holding a fund-raising fashion parade and dinner next Wednesday, March 4. This will be held at the Chung Wah at 63 Worcester St, starting at 7 p.m. A nine-course Chinese meal will be followed by a display of winter fashions by Judith de la Cour. Money raised will help Sweet Adelines tour the South Island. Tickets are available from Judith de la Cour Fashions, 97 Armagh St, Christchurch for $3O. C.I.A. and New Zealand The threat to New Zealand’s sovereignty and nuclear-free policies by the Central Intelligence Agency is the topic of a

public meeting to be held at the Stringleman Room of the Public Library tonight. Guest speaker will be peace worker Owen Wilkes, supported by Larry Ross and Murray Horton. The purported C.I.A. link with the Maori loans affairs will be one of the topics discussed. The meeting starts at 7.30 p.m. Grieving course People having difficulty coping with the death of a loved one, whether it happened six months or six years ago, are invited to an on-going grieving course at the Campbell Centre. The group meets every Monday from noon to 1.30 p.m. at 245 Antigua St. People can join the group at any stage and attend as many sessions as they choose to. Cost is $6.60 a session. For more details phone the Campbell Centre at 67-239. Self-denfence classes Two Sue Lytollis selfdefence classes for women, led by Lynne Gifford, are starting next month. They are at Papanui, beginning March 3, in the evenings, and at Aranui on Thursday evenings, beginning March 5. For more details of times and venues phone the Y.W.C.A. at 63-063 or Lynne at 54-155. Pre-school music With encouragement, pre-schoolers can learn to sing in tune and keep rhythm, which, apart from being highly enjoyable, gives them a head start for later musical training. Genny Gray, a flute teacher, is starting music classes for pre-schoolers, at her home, from tomorrow, February 24. The idea is, that by playing simple instruments, singing, dancing and playing musical games, the children will develop an appreciation of music. Groups will be held on Tuesdays from 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday from 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 10 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. Cost is $2O for 10 sessions. Genny lives at St Martins. Phone her at 39-838. Compiled by Glenys Walker Items for this column should reach Glenys Walker, Making It Happen, Home and People Page, The Press, Private Bag, Christchurch, at least a week before publication.

Careers Expo ’B7 Canterbury Careers Expo ’B7 at Canterbury Court will be open to the public on Saturday, February 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expo 'B7 aims to provide an insight into a wide range of job, career, and training opportunities. Professional, industrial, and educational groups will be presenting firsthand information and fielding enquiries by senior Christchurch high school pupils. Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27 have been set aside for organised school visits. Interest has been shown by local business houses, the Government, and tertiary institutions. Expo ’B7 is being supported by the Christchurch City Council, Department of Education, Department of Labour, Manufacturers Association and Canterbury Employers’ Association.