A Whole New Building!
It was in 2007 that our then new Patron, HRH The Countess of Wessex, laid the foundation stone for our new Adult Learning and Arts Centre, ‘ALAC’ for short. Raising the funds to cover the costs of this £1.25m project was not easy. At the same time, we were in the process of building our desperately needed PAM building (People and Animals Meeting), where we house our cattle and sheep in the winter.
We had been unable to secure any funds toward this agricultural project, so in the end, before embarking on the schemes, we approached our bank to enable us to make up the deficit for the ALAC and the covering of the cost of the PAM building. CFL had to borrow a very significant sum from our marvellous bankers to ensure that we could cover the building costs. This enabled the two projects to be undertaken at the same time by the one contractor, Wates. The result is two marvellous facilities, both making an incalculable contribution to the quality of work, therapy and opportunities that CFL is able to offer.
The Ethos of the ALAC
To understand the work and ethos of the Adult Learning and Arts Centre, you would have to understand the underlying ethos of Caring For Life. CFL is a Christian Charity, which has as its fundamental ethos the belief that every human being is created in the image of the God who made all things. As his image-bearers, every human being is deserving of being treated as one who is God’s image bearer, but even more than that, we believe that every human being is the subject of this creator’s love, a love revealed in perfection in the sending of God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God become flesh, God become a real human being. And because God loves every human being and indeed his entire creation, God sent his Son into His world to save His world.
With such a perspective, we at Caring For Life believe that every human being as God’s child, as God’s beloved child, and as the creator’s image-bearer, has limitless creative possibilities. It is our task to try to enable all those who come into the parameters of our care to realise the wonder of who they are and what they are capable of, and in so doing, to treat them with the greatest dignity and respect that we are able, which they deserve as God’s beloved children.
As Christian people, we believe that what we try to produce for and offer to those in our care, should be only the best. To that end we have equipped our project with the finest equipment and, rather than purchasing substandard equipment, have taken our time to get the best standard we can, for the enjoyment of those in our care and the glory of God, for whom we do everything.
Welcome to the ALAC!
So, welcome to the ALAC, which houses five different projects. Over the next few months, detailed information on every one of those projects will be added to the website. The Art and Craft project is being launched onto the website at the same time as this introduction.
CMP
CMP, meaning Computer and Media Project, is where all our bulletins are prepared and produced, where every piece of material used in PR is used, from our DVDs on this website, to every photo, every film and every leaflet. This project has been equipped with high quality equipment from the computers we use to the latest professional software programmes used to produce our DVDs, as well as using high quality HD DVD cameras. Our stills are taken with a professional quality Nikon using the finest Nikon lenses.
Wordshop
Adult Literacy and Numeracy, known as Wordshop, is located in a small room with just 3 desk spaces, with room for just 3 students and 3 tutors at any one time, and is in the space adjacent to CMP. Its compact size bears no resemblance to the enormous, almost incalculable benefit that this project has been to participants over a period of 24 years. From the small beginnings of one elderly lady teaching several gentlemen in CFL’s first supported home to read, Wordshop has developed into a sizeable project, currently involving twenty one students and fourteen volunteer tutors. This project has enabled many people to learn the essential skills of reading and writing, as well as basic functional maths. Such skills can transform a person’s life, let alone their level of self respect and confidence.
The therapeutic projects of music and drama share the room located between Literacy and Numeracy and the large Art and Craft room at the end of the access corridor.
Drama Workshop
Drama currently uses this facility on Mondays and Tuesdays and has seen some remarkable attainments in producing performances from as diverse a source as Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’. Speech therapy and voice production, as well as posture presentation and public speaking, are all included in this varied therapeutic project.
Music
Music currently uses the facility on Thursdays and Fridays. Enjoying a remarkably well-equipped facility, this project has enabled people to experience learning to play a wide variety of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. Special focus is placed on vocal production, group, solo and choir items, as well as percussion group playing and performance.
Wednesdays are kept free for productions which often involve both music and drama.
Art and Craft
Finally the ALAC houses the therapeutic project of Art and Craft (see separate web article), where every individual is encouraged to express themselves in an endless variety of media with limitless opportunities. Again, this project is fundamentally a therapeutic project where self-expression and confidence-building are seen in abundance.
