As mentioned in our Spring newsletter we welcomed two new members of staff to the team and here they are –
Maggs Winterbottom – Project Co-ordinator
I started with GAP in April this year as the Project Coordinator and already feel at home. I have been extremely busy getting my head around the budgets and getting to know all the staff, volunteers and clients. All the sessions are really lively and interesting and you can tell everybody really enjoys them – it’s a lovely atmosphere to work in (apart from when they are flattening flowers with hammers!).
Catherine McNicholas – Support Worker
I have been working for GAP now for three months, I am really enjoying being part of such a lovely community group. The team and all participants have made me feel very welcome I am getting to know everyone and just about learning everyone’s names.
I think GAP is such a great project offering so much to the community, it really is a gem . GAP is such a hub of creativity, I have met so many talented people of all ages who attend all are happy to share their skills and knowledge. it’s a pleasure to come to work.
My role is to encourage participants to join in the groups, offer a listening ear and support…..as we are coming to the end of this term I’m looking forward to all the great things planned for the Autumn.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 Celebrations
We were lucky enough to be awarded funding from Foundation Derbyshire to celebrate this momentous occasion through visual arts. All of our groups took part in the project, from age 11 upwards including our adults with additional needs producing vinyl art for the windows of Victoria Hall as well as textile bunting. Our young peoples group are working on a commemorative mosaic piece that will go on permanent display in the hall, do come and see our efforts!
Mind the Gap
We continue to deliver a number of sessions a week offering arts for wellbeing to people aged 11-30. This half term we had the theme of ‘Nature’, looking at our environment and how to use natural resources around us creatively. This included flower pounding onto fabric, acrylic painting onto canvas, floral lanterns using balloons and tissue paper, to name but a few.
All 4 Mind the GAP sessions are at Victoria Hall incl. refreshments – FREE
WED 1-3pm aged 18-30
WED 4-5:30pm aged 11-14
WED 6-7:30pm aged 14-18
FRI 12:30-2:30pm aged 14-18
Contact : info@glossopartsproject.org
Hands on Art
Hands on Art is our weekly session for adults with learning disabilities and additional needs. Having a timetable of creative activities covering topics recently such as Summer Solstice, textile bug creations, nature drawings in the park (see above) aswell as music to dance along to at the end of each session. Our Sports Day in the gardens of Victoria Hall next week will show off our active skills with the egg and spoon race proving popular! We may use the eggs for sandwiches with the cress we’ve all recently grown, yum!
Come and join us at Victoria hall every Wednesday (term-time)
10am-12pm £5 including refreshments – carers free
Volunteer Focus:
Lindsay Allott – Volunteer Hadfield group
As I am coming towards my last session this week, it’s a good time to reflect on my time volunteering with GAP. I’ve been the Thursday “Brew Maker” for the last three and a half years, and pride myself on remembering how everyone likes their morning cuppa. But it has been so much more than that for me. I’ve always joined in with all fabulously creative art activities, provided by “our Clare”. Flower bashing, natural dyeing, stick painting, pyrography, and fruit art to name but a few. The group projects have always been my favourite though, and I will never forget the hours we spent transforming a cupboard using hundreds of buttons, finished off with a sprinkle of glitter.
So, it’s very fitting that our last project together has been a wooden bench which we have decorated with wildflowers, trees, insects, and a bit more than a sprinkle of glitter (environmentally friendly of course). Hopefully the bench has now been installed in the wildflower meadow in Bankswood Park in Hadfield for everyone to enjoy, and for me as a wonderful reminder of my time at GAP.
Volunteering has been about feeling part of the GAP family, sharing the ups and downs of life, but mostly having a good laugh with lovely people, who I shall dearly miss. Keep spreading the glitter xxx
We’re going to miss you so much Linz, thank you for being a part of Team GAP