Summer News 2011

Summer News 2011


What a busy year we’ve had – so much to tell you about!

Big Lottery Fund Grant

You might be a bit bored of hearing about it, but Lollipop have now received the money from the Big Lottery Fund. This will give us the opportunity to develop our service; it has enabled our move to a building with more office space, so we can
accommodate more staff and volunteers to keep on top of the increasing workload related to our growing membership. We’re really pleased that this funding has been given to Lollipop as it offers us some security for the next 5 years. It means we can reassure you, our members, that we can be there for you in these times when money is of such concern.

Our services are going to widen as a result, offering more families’ access to Lollipop activities. Current members needn’t worry, we won’t overlook you. You will have noticed the introduction of coach transport on our trips. There will be other schemes launched to help your child get as much as they can from their Lollipop experience - watch this space for more information. Please contact us if you want to - feedback from our families is vitally important. If there is any reason your child isn’t attending our events we’d like to know; we may be able to make things easier. Remember your Vox Lollipop Questionnaire; you can help us by filling it in as soon as you get it and returning it to the office. This survey goes out every 12 months and is part of our contract with the Big Lottery Fund. This will help us to help you!

Lollitots, our pre-school group meets every month on the second Saturday in the month at The Tree House in New Earswick. This group provides an opportunity for mums (and dads) with children who have been newlydiagnosed with hearing loss to socialise and chat. The group also gets together at Creepy Crawlies on Wigginton Road every other month. If you have a baby or toddler with hearing loss, come along & join in!

LYP is YOUR club if you are a Lollipop member aged 12+. It has been taking place in The Basement at City Screen on the second Saturday of each month. We’ve been taking on board feedback you’ve given us regarding equipment you’d enjoy using and activities you’d like to take part in. Although LYP won’t be meeting in August, come over to our new premises in Lowther Street for the September session. We’d
love to know what you think of our new space & to hear what it is that YOU want from LYP.

Lolliplot is looking beautiful at present.
If you haven’t visited our allotment before, the sessions we hold there are open to all Lollipop members - everyone is welcome to come along and join in! Remember that our Summer Barbeque is being held there on Saturday 23rd July between 1p.m. & 3.30 p.m. There’s no need to tell us you’re coming - pop along with some food to cook on the barbeque and enjoy an end of term catch up!

One off Activity workshop and Trips
We’ve had a busy old time at Lollipop over the last 12 months. We had Inflatable Fun at Yearsley Pool in September 2010, followed by the Football Tournament arranged by York City Football Club in October. November’s trip for our members aged 12+ to Stockeld Park for a ‘Christmas Adventure’ of ice skating, Nordic skiing in the dark though an enchanting illuminated forest, and a pizza lunch was a mixture of fun and challenge - everyone who took part enjoyed themselves. November also saw our younger members enjoy an exclusive party at Wacky Warehouse at the Flying Legends.

Lollitots had two get togethers at Creepy Crawlies in the autumn months before we all met up for some Festive football themed Fun with YCFC and the Pantomime in December. 114 Lollipop members came to see the captioned performance of Cinderella at The Grand Opera House. Look out for information in this newsletter about this year’s captioned panto, organised by us and The Grand Opera House.

January saw the Lollipop year start with Football Coaching, once again organised by York City for the 12 to 19 age group, whilst younger members went to battle with lasers at Quasar! Our first ever coach trip (meaning mums and dads could have some time off!) took place in February, with members aged 12+ clambering aboard to travel to SNO zone at Xscape for some winter sports.

4 to 11 year olds were busy creating at a workshop run by acclaimed puppet maker and puppeteer Lee Threadgold. We all shivered together at the York City Football Club match we were invited along to in March.

In April we were awarded the Big Lottery Fund grant and organised a trip for those aged 12 + to see the Drum Chasers at The Grand Opera House. This was a great outing; severe & profoundly deaf members had a fantastic time following the beat of the drums and joining in with the rhythm being created. The dancers were also really impressive. We’d love to be able to invite our members to another event like this one - we’ll keep you posted.

Easter time arrived and with it our Easter Egg Mates competition for 5 to 11 year olds - we had some great entries. Everyone did really well. We hope you were proud of your fantastic creations. Here arethe prize winners. (from left to right). The most imaginative, the most creative and the Egg Mate that made us laugh most...

May was the month we held our Celebration Event at Creepy Crawlies. Our Big Lottery Fund grant meant we had a lot to celebrate! We hope that those of you who played in the soft play area or used the snow board simulator enjoyed yourselves. Those who scaled the climbing wall or zoomed around in the go karts seemed to have fun as well; the feedback we’ve had from that event suggests that you did.

Our outing to Newby Hall in June for members aged 0 to 11 meanwhile, made a change from going to a farm park, even if not everyone found all of the sculptures that were in the grounds! It also offered a good opportunity for Lollitots families to meet members in the next age group.

Meanwhile at Marrick Priory, members showed they really knew how to work together and support each other; judging by the laughter shared that day, they also had a great time in the process.

Phew - no wonder we need a break over the summer.