Our activity centres across the county will be clubbing together to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. This charity is always well supported by our customers and a firm favourite in our events calendar.
A number of these events are also open to the public and we welcome you to join us on the day in our activity centres.
We are delighted to announce the winners of the Surrey Choices 2017 Sunflower Competition.
A number of groups and individuals took part in the competition and we were thrilled to see so many cheery sunflowers in bloom.
This week we announced the following winners:
Customers from Lockwood Activity Centre were in a celebratory mood this week when the centre’s new Music Garden officially opened.
The opening coincided with the centre’s open day event and customers were keen to demonstrate what the Music Garden has to offer.
The Music Garden is another great opportunity for our customers to be able to build skills, express themselves and improve communication through musical instruments.
Two Surrey Choices employees spoke of the opportunities on offer for children and young people with complex conditions at a Transition Training Day held at New Woking Hospice recently.
Christina Earl, Acting Operations Director, and Bobby Williams, Activity Facilitator from the Guildford Office Project, described how young people with a range of support needs can make the successful transition from children’s services to adult care if given the right opportunities.
Our talented customers have been presented with certificates in celebration of their commitment to trampolining during Rebound Therapy sessions at Lockwood.
Twenty individuals enrolled on the Winstrada trampolining development programme were recognised, receiving grades between levels one to six.
There is no doubt that physical exercise is important for all of us and increasingly people with disabilities are embracing sports and activities because of the significant benefits it brings to their health and general well-being.
Surrey Choices provides a range of activities for the people it supports but it cites Rebound Therapy as one of its most popular activities. It introduced the therapy sessions in September 2015 and it has proved to be extremely beneficial to customers. The exercise helps to promote balance, facilitate movement, increase or decrease muscle tone and aids relaxation and sensory integration.
I have been working with job seekers with autism for over 10 years and have experience of family and friends with autistic spectrum conditions and also with ADHD. I really admire many of the qualities of people on the spectrum, but also understand some of their challenges that can hold them back. Along with a colleague of mine with aspergers, we were invited to speak at a conference at Kingston University recently to talk about how employment works for people with autism.
A Surrey Choices customer has won a competition to design an album cover after her work was displayed at Woking’s annual ‘Party in the Park’ event recently.
Broadcaster Mike Read and Patty Parfitt, former wife of the late Status Quo frontman Rick Parfitt, announced Debbie Taylor as the overall winner, rewarding her with £100 worth of Hobbycraft vouchers for her winning ‘Jam on Bread’ artwork.
Greater independence has been achieved for a 33 year-old man with a learning disability after seven months of working at Sparky’s Café in Guildford.
Following a successful interview and trial day Ben started work in November 2016, learning how to operate the till, interact with customers and serve a variety of hot drinks to them whilst maintaining a clean café area.
Surrey Choices Rhythmic Collision Dance Company is inviting local residents along to Camberley Theatre in July to witness a unique performance that aims to improve understanding of learning disabilities and change people’s concept of dance.
Rhythm of Life II will be performed by Rhythmic Collision Dance Company and children from Cordwalles Junior School, who have teamed up to create an ensemble of choreography that reflects life issues, from dementia, anger and nightmares, through to love, family and confusion.
