Adults with learning disabilities who attend Diagrama Foundation’s Community Services at Duckyls Farm have proven they could give this year’s Channel 4 The Great Pottery Throw Down competitors some serious competition after taking part in a pottery activity on the farm.
Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, 100-acre Ducklys Farm provides a choice of meaningful, enjoyable occupational opportunities and activities. As part of a creative programme designed to build skills, confidence and enjoyment, the group explored pottery with an animal and wildlife theme. The resulting pieces were both imaginative and skilfully crafted.
The activity was met with huge enthusiasm from everyone involved, with participants fully immersing themselves in the creative process and taking great pride in their finished work.
Amongst the finished pieces that will go on display were, a charming cat, a beautifully formed elephant, a delicate mushroom candle holder, a rabbit snake and a touching mother and baby penguin.
Keri Strugnell, Care and Community Farm Manager for Diagrama Foundation praised the group’s efforts, saying: “Every single piece of pottery that was created was absolutely wonderful. The group thoroughly enjoyed making them, and the level of creativity and care that went into each one was inspiring. I honestly think the TV judges, master potter Keith Brymer Jones and ceramicist Rich Miller, would struggle to choose a ‘Potter of the Week’ as every single piece deserved that special recognition.”
The pottery session highlights the importance of inclusive, creative opportunities within community services, enabling adults with learning disabilities to express themselves, develop new skills and celebrate their achievements in a supportive environment.
To find out more information about attending day opportunities for adults with a learning disability, physical and sensory impairment, acquired brain injury and/or autism at Duckyls farm, near East Grinstead, visit www.diagramacommunity.org.uk
If you’d like to help support this charity, you can do so easily via Duckyls Farm’s Amazon gift list. www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/89IQPHUYCN5Y?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_4
About Diagrama Community Services at Duckyls Farm
Diagrama Community Services, which operates at Duckyls Farm, is for people with a learning disability, physical and sensory impairment, acquired brain injury and/or autism.
The Community Services provide a choice of meaningful, enjoyable occupational opportunities and activities, supporting people to develop skills that, promote independence, transfer to employment and be used in their daily lives.
The life skills activities include looking after farm animals, growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, making bird boxes and hedgehog houses, repairing and maintaining fences, cooking, painting, drawing, online safety and managing money.
About Diagrama Foundation
Diagrama Foundation is a Kent based charity that supports vulnerable children, young people, and adults to live their best life.
Diagrama has a Supported Living Service across Bromley and Mid Sussex, three homes for adults with learning disabilities in Orpington, an eight-bed care home for adults with learning disabilities in West Sussex with a Community Services Programme a fifty-bed care home for the elderly with nursing and dementia needs in Essex, and a fostering and adoption service in the southeast. Plus, a 100 acre property offering farm and craft day Services cross West Sussex.
- The Supported Living Service, cares for 33 adults with learning disabilities, in seven schemes across Bromley and one scheme in Mid Sussex, helping them to develop skills and confidence to live in their own house either on their own or with others.
- At Cabrini House in Orpington the charity promotes the development of core skills for 23 adults with learning disabilities so that they can lead independent lives integrated within their community.
- Duckyls Farm, a 100 acre residential care home in West Sussex for residents with learning disabilities, allows the charity to explore the physical, mental and social skills and benefits that working with animals and in nature can offer to people with a learning disability.
- Diagrama Day Opportunities operates at Duckyls Farm and across Sussex. This is a day care provision Hub and Outreach Support for people with a learning disability, physical and sensory impairment, acquired brain injury and/or autism.
- The team at their nursing and dementia care home, Edensor Care Centre in Clacton on Sea, support vulnerable residents to live life to the full.
- Diagrama’s voluntary adoption agency and not-for-profit fostering service cares for children who wait the longest for homes in London, Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
Many vulnerable children and adults don’t get the support they need to develop their true potential, but the Diagrama team know that when someone has time and belief invested in them, they come alive, because that investment has made them feel valued and worthy.
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