Past Special Features
This page includes all past special features. Including awards, once in a life time trips and much much more
Christmas Celebrations
Hello Everybody and a Happy New Year to you all!
We have had a great Christmas season, attending many Pantomimes and having a fabulous Christmas Dinner with entertainment from Shelter Box (Reed Gamble and Graham Brotton), as well as our Christmas Celebration where we were joined by Malton District Male Voice Choir, supported by Rachel Anderson.
We are currently back to our winter programme of Zoom sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings where we do Yoga, have discos, chat and socialise. Our in person activities start mid-March with a Hall Cuisine fundraiser, and Fridays at Newton start in April. See the latest Activity calendar for further information and how to join in.
We are also taking bookings for our supported holidays in our caravan on the east coast, these book up very quickly so if you want one get in touch quickly so you don’t miss out.
R&D Mencap CIO Caravan Holidays - Summer 2023 - Skipsea Sands Holiday Park
Away we go!
The start of Ryedale & District Mencap CIO’s annual short break holidays in our very own caravan! Well this year we have been on five short breaks, supporting 11 people to have a holiday, and we have lots more planned for next year. Next year we have had to fit even more trips in due to the even higher demand.
The breaks went very well, everyone who has attended so far wants to rebook for next year. I don’t think we could have wished for better!
Now a lot of the time we were having so much fun we forgot to take photographs, but we did get some photos and videos… they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’m going to let them speak for themselves…….
Here’s a little taster.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
York Grand Opera House
Our Members love nothing more than going to a good show. 50 volunteers, members, and support workers have just got back from seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and what a truly magical performance it was. Even with the odd BANG! BANG! here and there to make us all jump.
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Here are some quotes from our members about the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang performance:
"Not only was the show so magical, the faces of all our members was too! Very funny and entertaining performance for all, especially when a little miss-hap happened on the stage." (Lucy - Trustee and Volunteer)​
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"Yet another brilliant production by the Grand Opera House, York. We were a large group, well looked after." (Josey - Development Manager)
"I am so excited to see the chitty chitty bang bang my favourite part is flying car to sing chitty chitty bang bang and also favourite characters are brilliant." (Member)
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"It was really good to see the child catcher with 70s flat shoes. He was so tall! I liked the clown and doll dancing to the music. I also enjoyed having a drink at the interval." (Alex - Member)
"It was fantastic performing when we went to see it." (Adam - Member)
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"I enjoyed it and I wish I could sit on higher seats. I enjoyed organising it for my friends I live." (Dan - Member)
"It was just okay." (Sam - Member)
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"It was very nice. It was very different to the one in the film. And it was nice to sit next to my friend Josey. My staff member really enjoyed. It was good to be with my friends, they enjoyed it." (Julie - Member)
"I enjoyed it! My favourite was the car." (Ian - Member)
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"Good. I enjoyed it! All of it was my favourite." (Jane - Member)
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"I thought it was really good. And I thought they were very good in dressing up and drama." (Mark - Member)
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"The Baron was my favourite. I did not like the child catcher. The Grand farther was a good guy, I liked him. The Barons wife was a woman. She was a powerful singer." (Catherine - Member).
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"I liked it!" (David - Member)
We Rocked at We Will Rock You!
Our Members love nothing more than going to a good show. In February 2022 we attended our first show since the pandemic when we took a group of 42 service users, support, and volunteers to see the fantastic show We Will Rock You at The Grand Opera House York. The staff and actors could not have done more to help us, even coming out after the show to pose with some of the group.
Lucy gets an award
Back in August 2021 Lucy got an award from Pickering Town Council for volunteering she did with us throughout the pandemic. The award was presented by the Mayor of Pickering.
Lucy really dedicated herself to helping our members to staying connected digitally, connected socially and even make new friends and plans for when things got back to normal. She travelled the length and breadth of the area delivering art and craft supplies and digital devices and training (in often challenging weather conditions) ensuring our members did not suffer too much in the lock downs.
Award from the Rotary Club of Norton and Malton
The Rotary Club of Norton and Malton chose to award our dedicated volunteer Lucy for the difference she made to her local community during the Covid 19 pandemic. The certificate had to be handed over in a covid safe way as it was during the worst of the infections, luckily the length of the Rotary Members arm plus the length of Lucys arm, plus the length of the certificate, meant that 1.5 metre guidelines could be adhered too!