“The young people I have had the pleasure of working with inspire me and teach me more about the world every day and I love being a supportive figure in their relationship with Accuro.”
In this interview, Accuro’s Community Fundraiser Chloe Salisbury spoke with staff member Darcy about her Accuro experience.
Q. Hi Darcy, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
A. My name is Darcy and I am a performer and dance teacher and I graduated last summer from a professional performing arts college. I have always loved working with young people and had a passion for helping others.
Q. So how did you hear about and come to work at Accuro?
A. I heard about Accuro through a friend of mine who I met at college who already worked for Accuro and she introduced me to the Summer Scheme and got me in contact with the charity.
Q. Can you tell us a little about your role at Accuro?
A. My role at Accuro is a Community Support Worker and I usually work on the Summer Scheme. I love to utilise my background in dance teaching and performing to bring fun activities involving exercise and movement to sessions for our service users.
Q. What does it mean for you to work at the charity? Was the type of charity important for you when you took the role?
A. Working for Accuro means so much to me and I feel very privileged to work for such an incredible charity who delivers such amazing care and support for young people with a disability in the community.
Q. What’s your favourite thing about your role at Accuro?
A. My favourite thing about working for Accuro is being able to have an impact on our service users lives and provide unforgettable memories and experiences for them to grow as individuals. Working for Accuro is so rewarding and it is wonderful to learn more each day from the young people we work with.
Q. How has your role and what you do changed during recent months and throughout lockdown?
A. Usually, for the summer scheme, we would be out on various exciting, thrilling activity days with our service users well as having 1:1 sessions with individuals. However, due to the restrictions and social distancing rules, we have switched our summer scheme this year to online via zoom, for which I have planned weekly activity sessions that be enjoyed from home. They have been very successful so far and it has been wonderful seeing our service users interact with the activities and one another online.
Q. How are you finding the virtual club sessions?
A. I think the virtual club sessions are fantastic and are really beneficial in maintaining the connection and contact between the members of the clubs. It is also such a highlight of the week knowing that the group comes together virtually to have fun and share conversation and updates about what they have been up to throughout lockdown.
Q. Has working at Accuro had any personal benefits for you, if so, how?
A. Working for Accuro has made me develop even more of an understanding of the capabilities of our service users and discover the incredible individuals living with a disability in our community. The young people I have had the pleasure of working with inspire me and teach me more about the world every day and I love being a supportive figure in their relationship with Accuro.
Q. Thank you Darcy! Finally, could you describe your Accuro experience in three words?
A. Rewarding, Fun and Life-Changing!
To find out more about how Accuro is staying connected with our members and their families visit accuro.org.uk or our facebook page @AccuroCareServices