NCS Changemakers with Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme launch project to provide vital life skills for adults with learning difficulties
NCS Changemakers at Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme (SWFCCP), have undertaken an exciting kitchen garden project, with the aim of providing essential skills to adults with learning difficulties. For #NCSActionDay this month, Changemakers at SWFCCP put on a sustainable kitchen garden project, which will be completed by May, as well as an afternoon of exciting activities.
NCS Changemakers have been supporting the ‘Sapphire Project’, an initiative to apply a deep, rich and socially inclusive set of day and evening experiences for adults with learning experiences.
The project focuses on activities that the adults may struggle to achieve at home or elsewhere, such as visual, culinary and performing arts, live music, artisanal gardening, environmental awareness as well as general day trips outside.
The Changemakers have been working hard on delivering the kitchen garden project. The project aims at enabling the adults of the charity to learn new skills, by harvesting and growing vegetables, and using the produced goods at the Charity Café, which will continue to provide income and support for the adults in the future.
Original plans of a garden seating area had to be put on hold, however despite the setback, Changemakers were not put off, and showed real resilience and determination during their project. The group came up with the other idea of delivering sustainable, productive and fun activities for the project. NCS Changemakers raised enough money to kickstart the kitchen garden with some new vegetables that will leave a lasting impact in the area.
As well as benefiting from new kitchen garden, the adults also got to experience some other fun activities, which involved bingo games, spaghetti and marshmallow challenges, and karaoke, where the adults were able to sing some spring cheer.
Hugo, is one of the NCS Changemakers involved with the project:
“Me and the other changemakers have worked really hard to raise money for the Sapphire Project, through doing lots of different fundraising initiatives, including our Action Day, which we held an activities day with those at Sapphire who have learning difficulties.”
“All the money raised will go towards creating a Kitchen Garden and expanding the facilities, enabling more people to use the charity and have better facilities in place.”
Hugo and the Changemakers from SWCCP have committed to supporting the Sapphire Project’s sustainable garden project. They will continue to raise further funds to purchase all the planters, soil and plants for the garden. The project itself, has allowed the young people to display their skills that they have accumulated during their time on NCS and Changemakers, with the intention of passing on them key skills to the adults and improving their socialisation.
