Caring teens make a difference
The city’s teenagers have been spending their summer working on community projects to improve the quality of life of Wearside residents.
As part of the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme run by the Foundation of Light, 130 Year 11 and 12 students spent their summer holidays working on a range of community projects, including making a memorial mural for a much loved deceased resident, creating a secret community garden, decorating a music studio and putting on an activity week for residents at the Seafarers Way Care Home in Hendon – many of whom suffer from Alzheimer’s.
One of the projects youngsters worked on was creating a sensory garden for residents at Whitby Drive Care Home in Washington which provides palliative care for people with learning disabilities.
One of those involved was 16-year-old Annalise Almond Rey, who is due to start at Sunderland College in September.
She said: “One of the residents called Jan liked to tug on the hair of the care-workers and so we tied ribbons and other materials on the the trees for residents to touch and feel.
"We also installed lights in the trees and transformed a muddy patch of land into a flower and herb garden to help stimulate all their senses.
"A lot of the residents are on the autistic spectrum and so doing something like this was really helpful for them in improving their quality of life and making them feel better during their care.”
Annalise hopes taking part in such projects will help improve people’s perception of teenagers.
She added :“The small number of young people who give others a bad name seem to be the ones who stand out but hopefully this shows that most young people do have a social conscience and want to help others.”
Also volunteering on the Whitby Drive project was 17-year-old Southmoor Academy Sixth Form student Libby Jobling, who said: “It was good to see the difference we made and the impact of the garden.
"All the families who came
to visit seemed really pleased with what we had done.”
It was a sentiment shared by staff at the Washington-based care home.
Colin Elliot, grants and fundraising manager at Community Integrated Care who oversee the care home, said: "Everyone is absolutely thrilled with the work the young volunteers have done to the garden at
Whitby Drive.
"They have created a wonderful tranquil space for the people we support, with sensory areas and secluded areas, so there is something there for everyone to enjoy. They have also created a wonderful, fitting memorial area in memory of one of the people we support who sadly passed away recently.
"Working with N CS and the Foundation of Light has been an amazing experience. What the volunteers have created will make such a difference to the lives of the people who live at Whitby Drive and we can’t thank them enough."
As part of the project all the young people had to raise a combined total of over £2,000 to fund their community initiatives.NCS manager at the Beacon of Light, Craig Martin ,48, said :“I’ m absolutely overwhelmed with pride at what these young people have achieved in all their projects. They have really surpassed what was expected of them.”