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Our stories

Real stories from Camphill Village Trust community members, staff and friends.

Our stories

A night to remember

Being online has helped us all stay connected during the pandemic. So our 65th-anniversary Zoom celebration was a fitting end to a most unusual year.

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Our stories

Maisie’s looking forward to seeing her friends again

A small number of our community members opted to go and stay with family during lockdown rather than risk not seeing them for a long time. Now, after almost a year of family life, Maisie is excited to be returning soon to her own flat in our St Albans Community.

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Friends across the ocean

A childhood love of marching band music has given Anthony a unique connection with a band from far away in Tennessee.

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Reaching potential with Shared Lives

‘This is a huge stepping stone for me,’ says Matt.

Matt’s always had a keen interest in music. He’s just produced his first music video featuring his own song, Epic of Gilgamesh, available on our website

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James' Creative Corner

James is a talented artist who enjoys drawing characters with moods and emotions. He also likes to paint on different surfaces and textures, so when he came across a spare piece of MDF board he was keen to put it to good use. He’s created a picture inspired by the golden mask of Tutankhamen, with vibrant blue and gold colours.

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Enjoying an active life at Grange Village farm

Housemates Alex and Ady help out at Grange Village farm on Mondays and Fridays, in a Covid secure environment. They’ve got their hands full at the moment after one of the sows, Pistachio, gave birth to a litter of 11 healthy piglets!

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Our stories

Bunting bonanza

Earlier this year, we asked some of our supporters to make bunting to give our communities a sense of celebration for our 65th anniversary. We were amazed by the response! Bunting of every colour of the rainbow, striped, spotted and plain, inundated our Botton Village office over the summer months.

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Second birthday for Shared Lives

John moved in with Liza and Melvin as part of our Stourbridge Shared Lives scheme in February. Lockdown followed soon after, but he’s been keeping busy with trips to the library, working out on the cross trainer, as well as enjoying a game of pool and a takeaway now and again!

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Greg can't beat the feeling

Making music has always been a passion for Greg. And living at Delrow Community has given him a chance to shine. ‘I’ve performed at events at Delrow a few times now - at the regional forum, and the Delrow Festival last year,’ says Greg. ‘I do the vocals, with mine and Temi’s music in the background.

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Supporting mental health online

Alex, who lives at Larchfield Community, and support worker Debbie knew that after the stress of lockdown, many people would welcome extra support. They researched online resources and prepared a four-week Zoom course on mental health and wellbeing.

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Catherine's Great North Run success!

The annual Great North Run is one of the major events of the fundraising calendar, and this year’s race cancellation has cost many charities vital funds.

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Supporting talent through Shared Lives scheme

Writing songs has been a passion of Matt’s for over twelve years, and through the support of Shared Lives scheme he has now released his first music video.

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Creative Corner

We encourage and support the people within our communities to work creatively through group activities and workshops. We’re proud to showcase the work from our nine communities across the UK.

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Success is achieved through trust, teamwork and over time…

A heart-warming story to illustrate the dedication of Shared Lives Carers, and the opportunities and outcomes that can be achieved for the eople they support, with the right match and support in place…

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Focusing on mental health

Lee, who lives at Larchfield Community, was keen to learn more about looking after his mental and physical health. So when support worker Ruth spotted the four-week course on offer at their local branch of mental health charity Mind earlier this year, they decided to give it a try.

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An unexpected bonus at Ashfield Gardens

Some residents at Ashfield House, Stourbridge, had been reluctant to take part in the activities on offer at Ashfield Gardens, a short walk away on the same site, but during lockdown, they've had the garden to themselves.

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Be Cancer Aware

Botton Village and Larchfield Community have joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support. Together they're providing 'peer educator' training sessions so that people in our communities can learn about how cancer is diagnosed and treated.

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Keeping fit keeps boredom at bay

While our normal daily routines have been on hold, Tadgh and his housemates have been keeping busy at Michael House at Croft Community.  Fortunately, a run of good weather, Michael House’s large garden and a sports-loving support team have combined to give the housemates every opportunity to pass the time constructively.

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Opportunity TV

Opportunity TV is a series of fun and helpful videos and tutorials you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. We will be bringing you a variety of friendly films from cookery lessons, gardening tips and even mindfulness. Keep checking back regularly for some new films to enjoy.

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A strong bond: Meet Julie & Danielle

Think you know social care? Think again. Let us introduce you to Julie and Danielle. Julie has been a resident at Botton Village for over 40 years. Danielle has been a Support Worker for 4 years and has supported Julie for the past 3 years.

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Sharing some sunshine with the Daffodil Challenge

You may have spotted some videos online of the toilet roll challenge. Well, we're pretty sure you won't have seen the Daffodil Challenge.... until now that is!

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Staying well at home

During the coronavirus lockdown period, many of our community members have started to write their own blogs, keeping a note of their feelings, activities and sharing some great ideas to keep you busy!

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Blog: Occupational Therapy on the Social Farm

My name is Pauline and I am an MSc student Occupational Therapist. I'm spending some time on the Social Farm to promote the benefits of Occupational Therapy. From flipping pancakes to handling money, find out what we've been up to!

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Diggerland with Shane

If you work for any length of time with Shane, you’re going to end up at Diggerland, probably on multiple occasions within a short space of time. He loves it there and the reasons for this love would, at first glance seem obvious: diggers.

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For the love of knitting

We recently met with Beryl and Joyce to speak to them about a project they’ve been working on. The ladies met at a Knit and Natter Group where Joyce was volunteering and Beryl was a member of the group as a resident at Larchfield Community.

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Dementia support group gives John a boost

For Chris, the benefits are clear: ‘When John hears the cheery ‘good mornings’ from Michele and the team at Botton, his face lights up. He feels useful doing jobs around the farm. And he’s in beautiful surroundings, with cheerful, positive people, doing things that boost his self-esteem.

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A new home and a new hobby

‘I’d never done much weaving before I came here but I really enjoy it,’ says Victoria. Because she has a visual impairment, staff have gone the extra mile to support her new interest. ‘We experimented with different tabletop colours to provide better visual differentiation for the threads.'

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A poem with a powerful message

Growing up with Down’s Syndrome, Emily found it difficult to make friends. But she’s found her voice now. ‘I’m definitely not the girl I used to be,’ she says proudly. ‘I used to hide behind my mum. But now I want to be a public speaker and a poet.’

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RDA National Championship success for Ian

Botton-resident Ian had a successful weekend at the RDA (Riding for the Disabled) National Championships. Taking part in the Trefoil Guild Countryside Challenge, Ian placed fourth riding Jasper, a 15.2 Bay Gelding. A fantastic achievement competing against riders from across the country.

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Joanna is building skills in workshops

Joanna likes her shared house in St Albans. It’s an easy walk from home to both the Seeds of Nurture Allotment and the Café on the Corner, where she helps out regularly. Back home in the evening, cooking dinner for housemates is an opportunity to try new recipes with fresh vegetables and herbs from the allotment.

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Gloucestershire's new police cadets

Police cadets take on a responsible volunteer role in their local communities. ‘We’ve learned about what can happen if you leave your car unlocked, and we’ve given out special security pens to mark your postcode on your laptop and iPad,’ says Harriet. ‘I’m able to give people advice about how to keep themselves safe.’

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