Isolating away from family and friends is tough. It is emotionally draining, battling through a mixture of emotions, guilt, fear, anger, helplessness, selfishness, joy, sadness at not being able to share the joy with loved ones and more. It’s a rollercoaster, and we understand, we are living it too. Keep going, keep video calling family members, sending messages to friends and keep drawing pictures for grandparents. This is a marathon and not a sprint, so care for yourself too! We aren’t here to tell you how to live your day, but if you’d like a little something to read and make you smile, keep reading.
We don’t like to boast, but, we really do have an amazing team here at Best Futures. We are so proud of our staff, they are caring, positive role models in the community. During the COVID19 Outbreak our team have kept in positive spirits, creating artwork with their children, reading, training, working, studying, exercising, cooking, planting, renovating, building, spending precious time with family members. Some of our fantastic team have been devoting their time for others.
We’d like to mention our fabulous office manager. She has been remarkably busy creating Ear Savers for critical workers, packaging and donating them for NHS staff and critical workers.
We are so proud of her, she is our source of light in the office, selfless and devoted. She is spreading her sunshine through the community by helping those on the front line of this crisis. After a finishing a huge batch, she ran out of buttons, and shouted out for help. She received kind donations of buttons from friends and local people and is busy working away again. She has already donated some to the Therapy Staff at Grimsby Hospital, and a local care home. She has also trialled a headband version, which has turned out well and will be sharing more about these soon!
What an inspiration to us all!
If you are, or know of a critical worker that would benefit from an Ear Saver, email office@bestfutures-school.co.uk (They are carefully packaged individually with a little thank you note and can be ready for your contactless collection)
Another member of our awesome team is our musical superhero, Jim Munro, who has been offering free music workshops for adults online. Jim was inspired to keep these sessions alive as he had already been offering through the Trin Centre before lockdown started. When lockdown started, he wanted to keep going, and so looked for ways to still reach out to people and help them keep focused, learning and creating. At Best Futures, all the pupils love Jim’s music sessions, and have enjoyed a range of instruments, playing together, creating their own songs, lyrics and rhythms. (With a range of children with different learning requirements and personal preferences, it’s not an easy job to find something they all like, so that speaks volumes of Jim’s Workshops!)
If you’d like to find out more, visit Jim’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Freestyle-117811146297025/
Looking for a way to help while staying safe at home?
Cloverdale Care Home in Laceby have created an Amazon Wishlist of items for their residents, after asking them what they need, want or would enjoy. The list includes gardening gloves, manicure set, lava lamp, large print mandala colouring book, 1950’s memory lane large print book, hair rollers and decorations for their VE Day Celebrations. You can see their Amazon Wishlist here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3IB1S4O7UR7F1?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR0OW2zfHOh8sEuQU8A8uT1pgeIIjHfeDNlIDFEJ3XF5C9odmZYGgBg4eQA
You can help by purchasing an item, donating, or simply sharing with your friends. Cloverdale is our Local Nursing Home, but of course you could help the nursing home or health care unit closest to your heart.
At Best Futures, we believe that sharing happiness with others and being a source of light for others it helps to keep our own minds positive and healthy during these extremely strange and isolating times.
Keep home, keep safe, but most importantly, keep smiling!