Everyone has dreams, and the students at the Orpheus Centre are no exception. We’re lucky enough to have met many wonderful students who strive to achieve amazing things. Shaun, a recent graduate, is one of these brilliant young people.
Shaun has always wanted to try new experiences. He has done gardening and go-carting, worked at Waitrose and a wildlife sanctuary, and even taken to the skies to go paragliding. Whenever he has been given the chance, Shaun has taken to new opportunities with enthusiasm. Like so many young disabled people, Shaun only needed the right support to follow his passions and work towards his dreams.Â
Things changed when Shaun came to Orpheus. With encouragement from staff, Shaun began to grow in confidence and make new friends. He discovered a love of performance and movement, and could often be found dancing his way across the College.
With the support of everyone at Orpheus, his friends, and his family, Shaun grew in self-assurance and found his voice.
Sadly, though, Shaun has faced challenges throughout his life, many of which are all too common for young disabled people. He struggled to express himself fully, and at school, Shaun relied on a communication device due to a lack of confidence in speaking. This meant that he often felt unheard, particularly in groups, feeling unable to voice his opinions and thoughts as freely as he wanted.
At Orpheus, Shaun took advantage of every opportunity. He joined speech and language therapy sessions, which helped him to communicate more freely and share his ideas. He also founded an extracurricular club, bringing his friends together to play video games and giving him the supportive community he had always wanted.
By his third year, Shaun was thriving at Orpheus. When he was given the opportunity to live on-site in his own flat, he eagerly took it, becoming one of the twenty-one students that live in dedicated accommodation. In doing so, he has gained confidence and independence, and now feels comfortable living in supported settings by himself.
Today, Shaun is being helped into supported living and integrating into the wider community, and he is using the skills he developed at Orpheus to live a fulfilling life.
This Christmas, will you help another student just like Shaun to find their voice, reaching their potential with the support and education that Orpheus provides?
Each student at Orpheus has a unique voice. For some, they express themselves by performing on stage, dancing, singing, and acting. For others, they use their voice to find employment and a flat where they can live independently. No matter their aspirations, with the right help and support, they can achieve them.Â
All too often, young disabled people are left behind and not given the chance they need to flourish and live the life that they want.Â
Since 1997, Orpheus has been working to ensure that each young disabled person is given an outstanding education and supported to find their authentic voice within a supportive community.
