It is always a great delight to show friends and donors the very positive and tangible results of their support. Even the weather could not dampen our enthusiasm that day and Donald was clearly impressed with all he saw:

“Crerar Hotels is proud to make a donation to Camphill Blair Drummond Trust in their mission to provide a mutually supportive and purposeful community life for people with complex learning disabilities. Having visited Camphill myself recently, I can only say how impressed I am with the work done by everyone and the huge impact it makes on the residents lives and the benefit to the local community as a whole. The new facilities all look superb and Crerar Hotels is delighted to help Camphill Blair Drummond Trust achieve this.” Donald Henderson.

Without supporters like the Crerar Hotels Trust we would never have made the significant progress we have made to date. We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to you all; bigger even than this cheque!

The Appeal has so far focused on achieving major contributions from trusts, companies and statutory sources. We have already built four fantastic new workshops and began work on two of our new houses. The Appeal has been successful so far but we still have a long way to go to complete the vital upgrading and increase in our accommodation and facilities. We are now asking people to join us as a Friend to help us finish the transformation and make a big difference to our community.

We have set ourselves a target to find 1000 Friends. If each Friend supported our Appeal with a donation of £15 a month for 5 years this would enable us to build one of the new purpose built houses. They are designed specifically for our residents, who are looking forward to a better quality of life and additional space to welcome more people to come and live with us.

Joining us as a Friend to make an ongoing regular gift is one of the most effective ways for us to plan ahead for the remainder of the Appeal. We can complete the building and landscaping as well as finish and furnish our houses and workshops.

We hope that everyone will really get behind the Appeal by joining us as a Friend and giving whatever you can afford. Siging up is quick and easy. You can complete a Friends form available from the Appeal team or download from our website from March. For more details or to request a Friends form, please contact Elsie Riley on 01786 843047 or email elsie@camphillblairdrummond.org.uk

Q:  How do you know about CBD? 

A:  I’ve always been quite close to my oldest brother, Dom. He has been a resident there for over 12 years now, since just before he turned 18. In that time, I’ve learned a lot about CBD and I think it is a great place.

Q:  What motivated you to support CBD?

A:  There aren’t many options available to adults such as my brother who require additional care and support after they finish school. These young adults may require care but they don’t belong in care homes. CBD provides such individuals with a home, meaningful daily activities and a place that they belong within the community. For my brother, living there enables him to do all the things he already enjoys and try a whole range of new things.

Q:  Why did you specifically choose to support us by becoming a Friend?

A:   I intend to support the Development in other ways but becoming a Friend was a simple and easy way for me to get involved in the meantime. It’s not a lot of money for each individual Friend to commit to but it starts to add up very quickly if enough people sign up to be a Friend. For example if 100 new Friends commit to £10 a month then that’s an additional £15,000 (including gift aid) of donations in a single year.

Q:  Why do you think the Camphill Blair Drummond Appeal is important?

A:   I think the Appeal is important to ensure that CBD has a long future. It will create new purpose built facilities and open up the community to more residents and day students who can benefit greatly. I think you only have to spend a short time looking at the plans and the workshops that have already been built to really appreciate what a huge difference the Appeal is making.

Q:  What difference do you think the new houses and workshops will make?

A: The new workshops are really impressive. Technology enables even those with the most complex learning difficulties to get involved and obtain the sense of achievement and self-worth that comes with being able to do things they previously couldn’t.

Q:  What difference do you think it would make if we could not go ahead with the Development?

A:   Not going ahead with the Development would prevent additional adults benefiting from CBD.  It would also limit the support that the current residents receive by halting the planned improvements to accommodation and workshops. I really do think CBD is a very unique and special place. It would be sad if the Development could not go ahead when so much has already been achieved.

We are also making real progress towards the next key stage; increasing and improving our living accommodation. The first two houses, Gardens houses, are really taking shape. We no longer have to rely on the Artist’s impression; we can see for ourselves the exciting prospect of our first purpose-built residential houses.As you will see from the photograph, the roof is now on and the external work is nearing completion. We can now start planning the interior finishings and furnishings. Our residents are very much looking forward to their involvement in this stage. They will be able to put the final personal touches into what will be their new home.

All going to plan, the Gardens houses should be open for use in the summer. Our next project is the planned re-development of our Gardens workshop, followed by the construction of a further two residential houses, starting in the autumn. Once the Parklands houses are complete we will have achieved many of the key outcomes of our Development; a real celebration for everyone involved.

The new ‘In Touch’ workshop, designed for students with additional support needs, has two main rooms, a sensory room, a multi-purpose room and a small 1:1 room. The workshop has more space. It’s light and airy, offering a much nicer environment and atmosphere.  There are more opportunities for learning such as dance and drama which we just couldn’t offer before.

The new Craft workshop also benefits from increased space allowing students to work on several different projects at one time.  The computer stations have enabled the students to develop new talents which have enhanced their time spent in the workshops.There is also access to an outside space for learning so that students will be able to work outside or have a tea break in the sun during the summer months which they are all really looking forward to.

The new workshops offer the students the opportunity to grow and realise their potential. Harriet and Leanne are enjoying being able to set up and clear away after tea break, something they couldn’t do before as there was no space for a sink, or storage for the cups. It’s wonderful what a sense of achievement we get from learning and working together. The new workshops have enabled us all to grow in a way which wasn’t possible before.

On 2nd April we welcomed Elsie Riley as the new Regional Fundraising Manager to focus on raising awareness and funding from local sources, people and groups in the surrounding area.

Elsie will be launching the Public Appeal. The Appeal has been successful so far but we now need the Public’s help to continue to raise the much needed additional funds for the vital upgrading of our accommodation and workshops.

As the Public phase develops so the opportunities to get involved with us will increase. Our new Friends Scheme offers the chance to support us on a regular basis through monthly giving. There are already a number of events planned, at Camphill Blair Drummond and throughout the surrounding area.  We are increasing the profile of Camphill Blair Drummond through press and PR as well as through the website. We are so pleased with the offers of support and encouragement which continue to flood in.

Elsie previously worked as a Fundraising Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, which involved raising money from the local community to help people affected by cancer. Her most memorable experience was going ice skating in a mug costume to promote the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning!

Elsie says “I think Camphill Blair Drummond is a really inspiring place, a very warm and  welcoming community, it is so nice to see everyone working together to make it a really positive place.  Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming and I really look forward to the Public phase of the Appeal really taking off”

Our new Craft and In Touch workshops have been completed and everyone is delighted with the new building. A combination of materials including slate roofs with timber, stone and lime walls make the external appearance impressive. Inside, the workshops have been designed specifically around the needs and aspirations of the students who use them; a bright, spacious artist’s studio for Craft and a series of interconnected purpose built spaces for In Touch. We look forward to the installation of state of the art equipment, which will really bring the buildings to life.

With the imminent opening of the workshops comes the end of the first phase of our vision for our community.  The new workshops, four in total, have improved and expanded our learning provision. We now welcome over 27 day students each week, which is a significant increase from 8 just a few years ago.

Now the workshops are complete we can turn our sights to the next phase; creating new and improved living accommodation. Construction on the site of the first two houses has started.

Our community never miss the opportunity to celebrate, so there is no doubt you will have an opportunity to share in the excitement as we open up the new phase of our Development  –  watch this space!

Three other gardens are also involved in the Open Gardens Programme. They are Park House at Blair Drummond, Tyninghame House in East Lothian and St Mary’s Farm, Fife. If you are interested in opening your garden for charity please contact the fundraising office on 01786 843047.

The event took place on Friday 25th May with over 15 staff taking part and showcasing their talents. It was a super night, with singers on their own with backing music, people singing and playing the guitar, a talented juggler and various other bands/singers/guitar players which were all very entertaining.

The night was a great success with over 300 people coming along to watch the talent show and see if they could spot a star in the making with lots of fantastic prizes including  a BMW convertible for one lucky winner who went away very happy!

The event raised £4,000 to be split between Camphill Blair Drummond Appeal and Aberlour. Sheena Muir, charity coordinator at Prudential said “The night was a lot of fun and a good laugh. We are very pleased to have raised £2,000 for the Camphill Blair Drummond Appeal.”

It can be rewarding, fun and sociable to hold a fundraiser at your workplace, and there are lots of different ways that you can get your company involved in the Appeal.