A supporter of Camphill Blair Drummond is preparing to walk more than 30 miles in a day to raise money for sensory equipment for the community’s residents and students.
Camphill Blair Drummond offers homes, activities and opportunities to adults with learning disabilities and other special needs.
More than 200 people live and work in the community as day students, employees and volunteers.
On April 28 Chris Martin is taking on a sponsored challenge to walk the 31 miles from Glasgow’s George Square to the Camphill community on the outskirts of Stirling to help boost efforts to create a new feature there.
Camphill are currently aiming for a £18,000 fundraising target to create a new multi-purpose sensory room to provide a safe and supportive area for residents and day students to enjoy a relaxed and calming environment.
A Camphill Blair Drummond spokesperson said: “We want to create a specifically designed space in our community that provides a safe and calming environment where our residents and students can explore and engage their senses. We would like therapeutic equipment for our students and residents to use in this area.
“People with autism and learning disabilities have difficulty processing their everyday sensory information. They often struggle to deal with such information and become stressed or anxious. Anxiety and social-emotional behaviours are common among residents and students diagnosed with autism and can interfere with daily activities.
“The sensory room will be designed to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being. Located within the Mansion House, the sensory room will be accessible 24 hours a day to provide various sensory experiences, including tactile, visual, auditory, and olfactory.
“The room will be equipped with a variety of equipment and tools, including: tactile equipment such as soft cushions, beanbags, and textured surfaces that individuals can touch and interact with, lighting effects and other visual aids that can create a calming and relaxing atmosphere, autitory equipment - music players, white noise machines, and other sound-based tools that can help individuals relax and focus - and oil diffusers and other equipment that can provide calming scents.
“We are raising funds as we believe if we can set this up, it will be a great space for our residents and students, significantly changing their everyday life.”
Chris said: “I am taking on the challenge of walking 31 miles from Glasgow’s George Square to Camphill Blair Drummond on Friday, April 28 to raise funds for the amazing community where my partner works.
“The new sensory space will provide a safe and supportive area for residents and day students to enjoy a relaxed and calming environment.”
Meanwhile, Camphill Blair Drummond is inviting people from the area to join them for a community volunteer day in honour HM The King’s coronation.
To mark the crowning of King Charles III thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to give people the chance to help out in their own local communities and on Monday, May 8 Camphill Blair Drummond is planning to take part in The Big Help Out Day.
A spokesperson said: “We have a large estate with plenty of jobs that need doing, from fence painting to weeding flower beds and hedge trimming and we would love your help.
“We’ll even provide coffee, tea and homemade baked goods in our outdoor marquee.
“Whether you can join us for the whole day or just the morning or afternoon, we’d love you to come along and experience our community life. Please book your place now, as spaces are limited.”
The day will begin at 9.30am and end around 4.30pm.
For more information on the fundraising efforts see visit: https://camphillblairdrummond.org.uk/appeals or on the Coronation event visit https://thebighelpout.org.uk/join-in.
• If you have any plans to mark the Coronation, either by volunteering, holding a street party or garden party, or any other event, let us know by emailing: news@stirlingobserver.co.uk
