Dreamstore Update

John Grooms Charity works to provide residential care and housing for disabled people, so they achieve greater independence, choice and freedom. Dreamstore was approached to support a Lifestyles Choices Project in Bedfordshire which aimed to develop a programme for disabled adults to become more involved in social, leisure, and educational activities outside their homes. In mid-July the BDAA organised a day for around 20 John Groom clients.

Scott Richardson, Project Manager for Lifestyle Choices, wrote a thank you and commented on the day:

“ On behalf of our clients who attended the disabled fishing day on 16th July, I would like to thank Dreamstore for its financial assistance that significantly contributed to a very successful ‘taster’ day.

The terrific weather, well-stocked swims (at Manor Farm Fisheries) and expert guidance from Terry Moseley and his BDAA team of instructors made it a fantastic day for our clients, from whom I heard nothing but positive comments.

Disabled fishing is an activity we would be very keen to develop, as our service encourages clients to engage (and ultimately independently continue) in social and leisure activities. Therefore, we are hoping to establish a self-sustaining disabled fishing group.

There are some obvious barriers in achieving this goal, primarily access.  However, with the involvement of Terry and the BDAA we are hopeful to overcome these and establish a disabled fishing group in Bedfordshire. I am sure it would be well supported.

Many thanks again for Dreamstore’s financial support and encouragement.”

Penn Hall School is a Wolverhampton Local Authority Community Special School for 80 pupils aged 3 – 19 years.  The school is a designated Specialist SEN School offering high quality provision for pupils with physical and sensory needs. Dreamstore Education Action Zone was invited in to deliver its maths worksheets and to provide a fun learning environment for almost half the school.

This was the first time volunteers from Birmingham Midshires helped the EAZ, with Susan Stone and Leigh McDonald joining the British Disabled Angling Association team for the day. The day was an experience for everyone and a day is planned for an outdoor event for the pupils, probably spring 2008.

2nd and 3rd of November saw the Dreamstore Education Action Zone back at Wilson Stuart Special School for the first of a full pilot for the DEAZ activities. Two days with years 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the Thursday and years 7, 8 and 10 on the Friday. This was larger than the first visit and we were able to use the new sports hall. Indoor angling activities are an ideal winter activity for all the pupils. Plans are now in place to develop contact with the network of special schools in the Birmingham area and roll DEAZ out across the region over the coming months.

What they say…

Simon Harris sums up what DEAZ has meant to Wilson Stuart School and Sports College, Erdington, Birmingham.

Wilson Stuart School and Sports College’s relationship with Dreamstore and the British Disabled Angling Association has been an incredible adventure, enriching the curriculum we can offer to our pupils with the wonderful Education Action Zone (EAZ) days and our trips to the Albrighton fishing project.

The EAZ days are staffed by coaches who really understand the needs of our pupils and ensure that the maximum benefits come from each session, in terms of enjoyment and educationally. In addition to the essential fishing skills which are passed on to our pupils, the cross curricular aspects of the day, such as the conservation area, allow our pupils to realise that the enjoyment of the activity requires everyone on the planet to be good citizens and make sure that our rivers and ponds are not polluted.

Pupils who never dreamed it would be possible to catch a real fish have experienced the delight and tangible rewards of a day’s fishing at Albrighton. All pupils experienced a level of achievement on these days which is rarely matched in any of the activities we do across the whole school. This unprecedented success has led to a real interest in developing further opportunities, not only for pupils, but for their families also.

Our work with Dreamstore has been incredibly positive from start to finish and I hope that together we will be able to enrich the lives of many more young disabled people in the future. It has been an absolute pleasure!

Dreamstore provided a small grant to Westhaven School, Weston-super-Mare to book the British Disabled Angling Association team of coaches for a fishing day at Cider Farm fishery near Brean, Somerset. Westhaven School was delighted at the response of the students, who have learning difficulties, to the angling day out. The school had struggled to find a local outdoor activity that catered for its students.

The B.D.A.A. coaches will be returning to Westhaven in the new school year to offer group support and further angling opportunity, introducing the DEAZ to the West Country. The school was particularly pleased at the way the students interacted with the coaches and helpers on the waterside and was encouraged at the potential, through angling, of studentss’ ability to learn interactive skills.

News of the new Dreamstore Education Action Zone very quickly reached Kent. It was agreed with the British Disabled Angling Association, supported with Environment Agency funding, to explore the level of interest in Kent. In Birmingham the Wilson Stuart School is part of a wider school network of 40 special schools. There appeared to be no formal network in Kent. Dreamstore was offered the use of Turkey Mill near Maidstone which has the advantage of access to excellent private fishing waters.

One of the first responses to our invitation to attend a demonstration day was Meadowfield School, Sittingbourne. We invited Meadowfield to bring along a number of pupils to participate in the day and to show the DEAZ in action. A number of schools sent representatives to review the DEAZ. However, discussion quickly turned to where an outdoor activity could be organized; concluding that there was a complete lack of facilities for disabled anglers in Kent.

The school hugely appreciated the opportunity for the pupils to engage with the DEAZ. The teachers to had a wonderful day, readily identified the learning opportunities and versatility of DEAZ and will be enthusiastic partners in working with Dreamstore when DEAZ goes to Kent.

Before the DEAZ goes to Kent, the BDAA is working with the EA to identify what is required to make available suitable angling for a group or disabled pupils, or indeed a large number of mainstream students. Work too needs to be undertaken in identification of reaching across the various schools that may have an interest, and turning that interest into a sustained programme. What is needed is an anchor school or an individual who will champion the value of the programme in the County, in the same way as the Wilson Stuart School is taking a lead in Birmingham.

Dreamstore had the idea for a schools project ever since the Dreamstore Fishing Action Zone at the NEC launched the charity to the angling public in February 2004. Two years of thinking and planning and we were ready to trial an education action zone in Spring 2006.

For most pupils this was the first ever experience of outdoor angling and the days were a huge success. The teaching staff keenly observed that the basic introduction through the classroom DEAZ was hugely beneficial as all the skills were used in some way at Albrighton Moat.

Pupils’ descriptions of their experiences indoors and outdoors, in their words, can be found by clicking on Taffy, Eleanor, Abdul, William and Rachael.

What they say…

Simon Harris sums up what DEAZ has meant to Wilson Stuart School and Sports College, Erdington, Birmingham.

Wilson Stuart School and Sports College’s relationship with Dreamstore and the British Disabled Angling Association has been an incredible adventure, enriching the curriculum we can offer to our pupils with the wonderful Education Action Zone (EAZ) days and our trips to the Albrighton fishing project.

The EAZ days are staffed by coaches who really understand the needs of our pupils and ensure that the maximum benefits come from each session, in terms of enjoyment and educationally. In addition to the essential fishing skills which are passed on to our pupils, the cross curricular aspects of the day, such as the conservation area, allow our pupils to realise that the enjoyment of the activity requires everyone on the planet to be good citizens and make sure that our rivers and ponds are not polluted.

Pupils who never dreamed it would be possible to catch a real fish have experienced the delight and tangible rewards of a day’s fishing at Albrighton. All pupils experienced a level of achievement on these days which is rarely matched in any of the activities we do across the whole school. This unprecedented success has led to a real interest in developing further opportunities, not only for pupils, but for their families also.

Our work with Dreamstore has been incredibly positive from start to finish and I hope that together we will be able to enrich the lives of many more young disabled people in the future. It has been an absolute pleasure!