Testemonials
Personal profile –
I am a young man who attends Acorn. I’ve been living in my own home for 2 years now, supported by the staff at Acorn. They have supported me to fulfill my aspirations of going to my favourite theme parks. I have been to Alton Towers twice, Thorpe Park, Light Water Valley and Flamingo Land. I have also been to Spain on holiday twice. I have found it difficult to adjust to having my own home fulfilling my daily tasks like cleaning and laundry, cooking and shopping, but the staff at Acorn have supported me to do these. I enjoy attending Acorn two days a week, where I help to look after the animals but, I prefer going in the summer months when I can go on the ride-on lawn mower. I’ve recently joined a club in Scarborough. At the club I enjoy activities like Zumba class and drama supported by my staff. I’m loving the independence and freedom of choice I have now.
Personal profile -
‘My name is Steve. I ride a horse called Havanna at Lacy's Cottage Riding School at Scrayingham. My support worker Ruth takes me once a week. I have been riding for some years, but started at Lacy's Cottage in August 2014. Chris Pimlott is my instructor, and has taught me how to do the rising trot, sitting trot, jockey trot, weaving in and out of cones, rein-back, figure of eight, and jockey trotting over poles. When it was raining in the middle of October, Chris took me out of the Riding School on Havanna for a minihack! Riding Havanna makes me feel on top of the world, she is great and I feel I am getting on with her really well. When I am riding her, I talk to her all the time. I like to encourage her to do things and when she works hard for me I like to tell her how good she is and give her lots of pats. I think she does really well, especially as she onlyhas one eye!’ Back at Acorn, Steve owns a common barn owl that he calls Speckles (born 06.09.13). He bought her when she was four weeks old. Steve followed a training programme where he learnt how to care for the chick, feeding her the correct amount of raw meat for her to develop well. Steve had to weigh her and record her weight so he could tell she was putting on the correct amount of weight for her age. When she was fully fledged at 10 weeks, Steve started to work with her. With 1:1 support he was shown how to apply jesses to her legs, and he practices tying a falconers knot. Steve uses this knot to secure Speckles to her perch when she spends time outside her aviary on the garden at Whinflower Hall. Steve is learning how tofly Speckles. He uses small pieces of raw meat to teach her how to fly from her perch to his glove. Steve is always aware to do this safely, following health and safety procedures wearing safety goggles when working with all the birds of prey.
Personal profile -
The empathy, support, commitment and dedication that we as a family have experienced since May 2014 when we decided to call Chris at Acorn has been life changing. Our daughter had been living in her own home for 5 years, I’d love to say independently, but the need for an emotional crutch meant that the apron strings were ropes bound around us all. Our family’s rollercoaster ride has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Born at 24 weeks, weighing 1 lb 9ozs, floundering between life and death, accompanied with the words cerebral palsy, galvanised myself and the family to embark on parenthood with a ‘let’s get on with this’ attitude – she is here, we adore her – life is for living! I guess every parent can identify with the need to protect and an irrational fear that things may not turn out well for their child? She has always craved independence in equal measure to keep her within the family unit; we always nurtured her spirit tenuously. When she chose to move to independent living we were filled with fear, which until Acorn were introduced proved to be intermittently founded ……. definitely rollercoaster peaks and troughs! Chris and Ruth's plus the staffs dedication to our unpredicted plea for help, weeks before they were organised for transition from former agency to Acorn proved we had, at last found people we can rely on and trust. For the first time we are confident that Lynne’s team of four very professional and committed ladies are led by an inspirational manager who all share an understanding of the frustrations of a sociable, exuberant mind being trapped inside the limitations of her body and can support and address the social and emotional challenges that this poses. The sense of relief is liberating and heartening and words aren’t enough to express our gratitude to all the Acorn Team for the transformation that we have seen in ‘our daughter’.
Personal profile -
Hugo started at Acorn in May 2004, making him one of our longest service users attending the Charity! Hugo comes to us on a Wednesday and has 1:1 support with his carer. The two of them have enjoyed a wonderful relationship over all these years and get on very well together. He has many friends here at the farm. Hugo enjoys being part of the team and joining in with as many of the jobs on the farm that he is able to do. He likes to help Ted with mucking out the stables, barrowing the straw and horse manure to the compost heap, and cleaning down the stable ready for fresh bedding. He also helps to fill the hay mangers and water buckets. Hugo likes to go out in the pickup into Malton where we get animal feeds from BATA or local farmers. He enjoys feeding the Alpaca’s Titus and Percy as they are very gentle animals. Hugo loves the outdoor life at the farm, joins in with a laugh and a joke, and always has a great smile on his face.
I am a young man who attends Acorn. I’ve been living in my own home for 2 years now, supported by the staff at Acorn. They have supported me to fulfill my aspirations of going to my favourite theme parks. I have been to Alton Towers twice, Thorpe Park, Light Water Valley and Flamingo Land. I have also been to Spain on holiday twice. I have found it difficult to adjust to having my own home fulfilling my daily tasks like cleaning and laundry, cooking and shopping, but the staff at Acorn have supported me to do these. I enjoy attending Acorn two days a week, where I help to look after the animals but, I prefer going in the summer months when I can go on the ride-on lawn mower. I’ve recently joined a club in Scarborough. At the club I enjoy activities like Zumba class and drama supported by my staff. I’m loving the independence and freedom of choice I have now.
Personal profile -
‘My name is Steve. I ride a horse called Havanna at Lacy's Cottage Riding School at Scrayingham. My support worker Ruth takes me once a week. I have been riding for some years, but started at Lacy's Cottage in August 2014. Chris Pimlott is my instructor, and has taught me how to do the rising trot, sitting trot, jockey trot, weaving in and out of cones, rein-back, figure of eight, and jockey trotting over poles. When it was raining in the middle of October, Chris took me out of the Riding School on Havanna for a minihack! Riding Havanna makes me feel on top of the world, she is great and I feel I am getting on with her really well. When I am riding her, I talk to her all the time. I like to encourage her to do things and when she works hard for me I like to tell her how good she is and give her lots of pats. I think she does really well, especially as she onlyhas one eye!’ Back at Acorn, Steve owns a common barn owl that he calls Speckles (born 06.09.13). He bought her when she was four weeks old. Steve followed a training programme where he learnt how to care for the chick, feeding her the correct amount of raw meat for her to develop well. Steve had to weigh her and record her weight so he could tell she was putting on the correct amount of weight for her age. When she was fully fledged at 10 weeks, Steve started to work with her. With 1:1 support he was shown how to apply jesses to her legs, and he practices tying a falconers knot. Steve uses this knot to secure Speckles to her perch when she spends time outside her aviary on the garden at Whinflower Hall. Steve is learning how tofly Speckles. He uses small pieces of raw meat to teach her how to fly from her perch to his glove. Steve is always aware to do this safely, following health and safety procedures wearing safety goggles when working with all the birds of prey.
Personal profile -
The empathy, support, commitment and dedication that we as a family have experienced since May 2014 when we decided to call Chris at Acorn has been life changing. Our daughter had been living in her own home for 5 years, I’d love to say independently, but the need for an emotional crutch meant that the apron strings were ropes bound around us all. Our family’s rollercoaster ride has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Born at 24 weeks, weighing 1 lb 9ozs, floundering between life and death, accompanied with the words cerebral palsy, galvanised myself and the family to embark on parenthood with a ‘let’s get on with this’ attitude – she is here, we adore her – life is for living! I guess every parent can identify with the need to protect and an irrational fear that things may not turn out well for their child? She has always craved independence in equal measure to keep her within the family unit; we always nurtured her spirit tenuously. When she chose to move to independent living we were filled with fear, which until Acorn were introduced proved to be intermittently founded ……. definitely rollercoaster peaks and troughs! Chris and Ruth's plus the staffs dedication to our unpredicted plea for help, weeks before they were organised for transition from former agency to Acorn proved we had, at last found people we can rely on and trust. For the first time we are confident that Lynne’s team of four very professional and committed ladies are led by an inspirational manager who all share an understanding of the frustrations of a sociable, exuberant mind being trapped inside the limitations of her body and can support and address the social and emotional challenges that this poses. The sense of relief is liberating and heartening and words aren’t enough to express our gratitude to all the Acorn Team for the transformation that we have seen in ‘our daughter’.
Personal profile -
Hugo started at Acorn in May 2004, making him one of our longest service users attending the Charity! Hugo comes to us on a Wednesday and has 1:1 support with his carer. The two of them have enjoyed a wonderful relationship over all these years and get on very well together. He has many friends here at the farm. Hugo enjoys being part of the team and joining in with as many of the jobs on the farm that he is able to do. He likes to help Ted with mucking out the stables, barrowing the straw and horse manure to the compost heap, and cleaning down the stable ready for fresh bedding. He also helps to fill the hay mangers and water buckets. Hugo likes to go out in the pickup into Malton where we get animal feeds from BATA or local farmers. He enjoys feeding the Alpaca’s Titus and Percy as they are very gentle animals. Hugo loves the outdoor life at the farm, joins in with a laugh and a joke, and always has a great smile on his face.
