‘Best day ever!’ – A visit to Props
In July, Bristol WORKS facilitated a visit for 18 students from New Siblands School in Thornbury to Props, a charity based in Fishponds. New Siblands is a special school supporting children and young people with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities. Props is a charity that empowers adults who have learning disabilities to achieve purposeful and rewarding work opportunities.
The visit began with a welcome from Props’ CEO, who introduced the work of the organisation and set out the plan for the day. The group then split into two to take part in the planned activities. First, there was an interactive tour of Props, during which we met lots of the trainees who were working on different areas. We visited the sports room, and counted all the different sports that Props facilitate, as well as talking to a trainee about the epic cycle from Bristol to Bordeaux that was about to take place as a fundraising activity. Next, we saw the café and the kitchen where trainees were baking cookies and cupcakes and serving customers. We then moved on to the art and printing room where we heard from trainees about some of the products they make for sale in Props’ Crafted Café. Stopping in the life skills room, we met some of the trainees who were making burgers and chips for lunch, with potatoes grown in the garden.
After the tour, the group took part in two different activities in the horticulture area. There was a scavenger hunt to see who could find five different plants growing in the polytunnel and raised beds, including tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. The group also got to each plant a sunflower seed in a biodegradable pot that they could take back to school, watch grow, and re-plant in soil there. At the end of the visit, everyone got a delicious cupcake, homemade by Props trainees in the café.
The students loved meeting the trainees and seeing people they could relate to getting stuck into different areas of work. One student said he wanted to start attending Props next year, and another said it had been ‘the best day ever!’ The teachers at New Siblands said: ‘We loved it – it is a genuine place our young people could go after post 16. It was pitched brilliantly with not too many activities crammed in.’ The school plans to discuss the visit in class and have already asked Props if they could return in the future.
Congratulations to the learners at New Siblands for their brilliant engagement and enthusiasm throughout the visit. Thank you also to the teachers at New Siblands School for all their support, and to Props for putting on a fantastic visit and the brilliant work they are doing providing pathways for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
