On their return from the winter holidays, the volunteers of the Cheshire Cats project hit the ground running with a string of fun-filled sessions held for the residents of Leonard Cheshire Homes in Totley.
The Hallam Volunteers, led by project leaders Gemma Fisher and Sophie Green, cram their weekly visits with creative art and craft activities which engage and entertain the residents.
The activities range from making colourful band instruments out of cereal boxes, to cookery, and offer the residents a great opportunity to vary their daily routine which, due to their circumstances, is often restricted.
The residents, all of whom are adults with varying degrees of learning and physical disabilities, draw a huge amount of pleasure from the visiting volunteers and the activities they bring with them – this much is obvious from all their smiles and laughter throughout the sessions. The interaction between the residents and the volunteers is a great one to see. It’s clear they enjoy one another’s company, and it’s even clearer that all the hard work the volunteers put into fundraising and organising the project, not to mention actually running the sessions, is extremely beneficial to the residents.
“Putting a smile on someone else’s face is brilliant,” says Gemma “When we go to the home we feel happy knowing that we’re giving something back. Being a member of Cheshire Cats is an excellent experience and a valuable insight into the lives of those who suffer from disabilities.”
The care home is part of a wider network called Leonard Cheshire Disability whose larger purpose is to change attitudes towards disability, as well as to provide services in support of disabled people. The contribution Cheshire Cats is making to achieve this goal is not only impressive, but is also a great example of what Hallam Volunteering is capable of.
Keep up the great work everyone!
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