Thanks to Rubio Monocoat Oil for funding these sessions
Hackney Ark is an NHS service for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. They asked us if we could run some sessions with their young people, but they didn’t have any money for it and most of the young people they work with are from low income families. Luckily the very same week Rubio Monocoat Oil got in touch asking if they could send us some samples of their products and support our work in anyway. So we asked them to fund some sessions for Hackney Ark, and they said yes!
We ran regular school holiday sessions with the young people and their support workers. 15 young people took part. We’re hoping to get more funding to see them again next year, some of them have already asked about joining the coop when they turn 18.
I just wanted to get in touch to give some feedback on the session your fantastic co-op members ran for us over the Easter holidays. As my colleagues have no doubt highlighted in initially contacting you, our team works with some of the most isolated young people in the borough who often struggle to access education and leisure settings. The young people who access our services are largely on the autistic spectrum, many of whom experience high levels of anxiety, especially in accessing new activities.
Your team couldn’t have been lovelier, they were so patient in their teaching, kind and engaging. The three young people who made it along had a fantastic time and were discussing afterward how they could pursue this new interest. I cannot overemphasise what an achievement this is – one of the young people is currently unable to attend college or any other group work due to his anxiety, and the environment and staff were so welcoming that he felt entirely relaxed and enthusiastic. It was a joy to see. For our part as staff, we discussed how it didn’t feel like work at all- we are in love with greenwood carving!
We can’t thank Sharon and the team who hosted us enough, it really was a fantastic opportunity and we would love to find a way to do more with London Greenwood in the future. What a wonderful community of craftspeople.
Chrissy Baxter, Targeted Health Outreach Worker
Thanks again for putting on another brilliant session, the young people who attended really seem to enjoy the experience. We hope we can do our sessions with you in the future as this is a very good activity.
Shamsun Ali, Targeted Health Outreach Worker