Our students held a live concert for the residents and a sponsored Fancy Dress walk to raise £2,400 to Install a Cinema System and Sensory Bathroom for the residents. Ruth Hebden Volunteer Coordinator Marske Hall Disability “The residents thoroughly enjoyed the social aspect of the project with residents who do not usually participate in activities being involved and enjoying the young ‘vibe’ that these energised youngsters brought to the home. There was much laughter and friendly banter. One resident’s wife actually returned to pass on compliments for the way they engaged her husband, who struggles to remain focused and involved, in a whole hour of activities.”
“The concert was a massive success with many family members joining their relatives and enjoying an evening of entertainment together, within the safety of the home. It also brought energy and excitement to the residents as many enjoyed seeing their new ‘friends’ performing.”
The concert showcased the importance of the young people supporting and working together, with the team encouraging each other to perform and entertain a room full of people without fear or possible negativity; it was the ultimate in appropriate peer pressure. We believe that the challenges these young people faced will equip them to deal with many situations in life.
Ruth Hebden Volunteer Coordinator Marske Hall Disability “The concert was a brilliant idea and I am amazed that they managed to showcase such talent and to source such support in a very limited timescale. The gaps in performance were filled with lively and confident conversation with the 2 Student MC’s doing a brilliant job of stringing it all together.”
The complete approach to the social action week meant that the residents had the opportunity to meet the students, work alongside them and enjoy the concert at the end with them. Such diverse parts of the project allowed different residents, with different needs and abilities, to benefit from the social action programme.
Ruth Hebden Volunteer Coordinator Marske Hall “The team were so incredibly driven and worked so well collectively to reach the end result that it really was a pleasure to be involved. The level of team work, understanding, support and commitment they showed one another was inspirational and, in some instances, quite uplifting and moving to observe. The young people supported one another to really push themselves out of their comfort zones and to participate in ways that at the beginning of the project they would not have felt able to do. The leaders were very involved, but in a really appropriate level; allowing the young people to not only steer their own ship, but to fashion and create the ship for themselves. The project met many different needs within the home. The inclusivity with the residents and their families was striking, with the residents looking forward to seeing them throughout the week.”