Category: Uncategorized

Cleethorpes Coach Trip

Thursday 25^th July 9am – 7pm – Booking essential

Beachwear and towels will be needed and don’t forget your buckets and spades!

 

Sherwood Pine Forest

Tuesday 30^th July 10am – 5pm – Booking essential

 

Western Park Museum and Picnic

Tuesday 6^th August – meet outside museum11.30am, bring a picnic, NO need to book

 

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Friday 16^th August 10am – 5pm – Booking essential

 

Clumber Park

Wednesday 21^st August 10am – 5pm – Booking essential

 

Botanical Gardens Picnic and Races

Thursday 29^th August – meet in front of greenhouses at 12pm, bring a picnic and blanket, No need to book

 

There will be no staff present on these trips and children remain the responsibility of their parents/carers at all time. These events have been organised for the whole family!

Please bring a packed lunch and blanket or alternatively check the web sites of the venues for details of cafes on site. Rain coats/sun hats/sun block maybe needed as well as sensible foot wear.

Anyone wishing to go around in a large group can do so and we can help to support each other. Any families who may require additional to support to access any of these trips please give me a call.

To book on to any of these trips please email Nicola on nicola.hough@acctsheffield.org.ukor text on 07972221305

Collection tins will be available on the day for those wishing to make a donation or text ‘ACCT06’ followed by the amount £1 – 10 to 70070

We will be selling raffle tickets on all trips to win a child’s scooter, draw to take place in Botanical Gardens on 29^th August

 

Acctivate Music Club – Monday July 22^nd to Friday July 26^th, 10am – 1pm

There will be opportunities for the children to try out new musical instruments, make their own percussion, perform as a group and play musical games together.

 

Teenagers Music Club – Monday July 29^th to Friday August 2^nd, 10am – 4pm

There will be more of a focus on independent writing and recording of music on computers. There will be plenty of different instruments to try out and use in recordings and everyone who takes part in the week will leave with a finished personal recorded song. We will also be using percussion to play together in live performances and there will also be plenty of time for games.

 

Acctivate Drama and Photography – Monday August 5^th to Friday August 9^th, 10am – 1pm

Teenagers Drama and Photography – Monday August 12^th to Friday August 16^th, 10am – 4pm

This summer ACCT will be running workshops about a mysterious crime that has taken place on the ACCT premises in Sheffield! Children will have the chance to interview witnesses, solve and re-enact the crime that has taken place! Why not come along and try your hand at drama, photography, art and animation? The workshops will be run by Jordanna and Nile and will involve lots of different activities to choose from.

 

Acctivate Animation – Monday August 19^th to Friday August 23rd, 10am – 1pm

Teenagers Animation – Monday August 26^th to Friday August 30^th, 10am – 4pm

Have a go at lots of different animation activities, make your own films, and learn new techniques. This session will be run by an experienced animator, and will give participants the chance to develop new skills, or add to what they’ve already learnt.

 

 

All activities are held in the Pavilion Room at St Mary’s Community Centre. Participants must be at least 8 years old to take part in the Acctivate activities. Children going into year 8 in September 2013 can attend either the Acctivate or Teenagers activities. Due to high demand, each child can book onto one week of activities. To book, call emma at 07527 824034

ACCT Family Days Out

Chatsworth Farmyard and Adventure Playground (Instead of Acctivate)

Saturday 13^th July 2013

Departing by coach from St Mary’s at 10.00am

Due to arrive back at St Mary’s at 4.30pm

This event has been organised for the whole family. No Acctivate staff will be attending and parents/carers will be responsible for their children.

Please bring a picnic and drinks or alternatively food can be purchased from the cafes and restaurants at Chatsworth. For further details about Chatsworth please visit their website: http://www.chatsworth.org/

Depending on the weather rain coats/sunhats, sun screen and clothes for wet play maybe needed and suitable footwear.

Please register your interest at Acctivate or Teenage Club, providing all the names of those wishing to attend, an email address and mobile telephone number or contact the office on 07972221305 or email nicola.hough@acctsheffield.org.uk Booking is essential, if you turn up on the day and you haven’t booked on the trip you maybe turned away if the coach is full.

   A raffle will take place on the coach to win a £25 Sainsbury’s voucher, plus more! Text Giving – to make a donation to ACCT text ‘ACCT06’ followed by £ and the amount (1 – 10) and send to 70070

Collection tins will be available for anyone wishing to make a donation

ACCT Family Days Out

Swimming at Hillsborough Leisure Pool

Sunday 30^th June 5.15 – 6.15pm

Sunday 21^st July 5.15 – 6.15pm

This session is for our exclusive use and for the whole family. There will be no ACCT staff present and children will remain the responsibility of their parents/carers throughout the session and must be accompanied at all times.

Please check their web site for details of child to adult ratios – www.hillsboroughlc.co.uk or ring them on 0114 2312233. Please be aware a strict swimwear policy is in place at Hillsborough Leisure Pool.

To book places please contact Nicola on nicola.hough@acctsheffield.org.uk or 07972221305

Text Giving – to make a donation to ACCT text ‘ACCT06’ followed by £ and the amount (1 – 10) and send to 70070 Collection tins will be available for anyone wishing to make a donation

 

 

Exclusively for members of ACCT a special production of James and The Giant Peach is being performed by Norton College Performing Arts Company on July 2nd at 5pm. This FREE event is for the whole family…hope to see you there!

 

We now have an account set up on librarything, with all the books we have in the office listed. You can go online and look at all the books we have, then email or text me (or Deborah for parents activities) and we can bring the book along to the next activity. All the books are tagged according to topic. To look at all our books, just go to http://www.librarything.com/profile/ACCTSheffield.

Tom Leatherland is a member of ACCT and has written this to be read out in assembly…he is 12 and has just been diagnosed.

 

Asperger’s is a form of autism. 

I have Asperger’s (pronounced As-per-ger – like burger) Syndrome. Lots of people call it Asperger’s (As-per-jer) and I find this annoying because it is not correct and that is part of what having Asperger’s makes me like. I don’t mind being called an Aspie or you can say I have AS – this is because I am pedantic and I like things to be correct. I am obsessive about various things but my obsessions change – I get bored with something and move onto something else which I want to do all the time until I am bored again. I am extremely unsocial because I prefer my own company to others. I have trouble reading facial expressions and voice tones and so often misinterpret what people mean or how they feel. Having AS is sometimes annoying as, because I take language literally, I am left feeling clueless when everyone else seems to understand what has been said or what is going on. I have extremes of emotions with nothing in between. I feel REALLY happy (when obsessing – either engaging with my obsession, talking about it or thinking about it), or REALLY sad (when I am restricted from my obsession, have something obsession related taken away from me, or am put in a situation that causes sensory overload) or REALLY bored. I am bored when I do not have access to my current obsession, and when I am bored I cannot enjoy anything else and instead stay in a sort of limbo until I am able to return to my obsession. When I am engaged in something that is intriguing or interesting but isn’t obsession related I do not feel anything – I think other people (without AS) feel a wider range of emotions than I do. 

Sensory overload is something that a lot of autistic people struggle with. It is what happens when there is too much of something which affects my senses. It causes me to become extremely agitated and stressed, really sad and stops me from being able to concentrate, focus or think. I am most often overloaded by noise and touch – a prime example would be how I feel in a large place that is packed with people. The noise would be too loud and I wouldn’t be able to cope with the people bumping into me and surrounding me. It makes me want to curl up into a ball and escape from the experience. Another example of touch overload is how I feel when I am wearing scratchy, itchy clothes – they make me want to scream!

Whilst there are a lot of things about Asperger’s which make me struggle, there is always some way to overcome these and a way to help how I feel. There are also a lot of good things about my Asperger’s, one example is that my obsessions make me go to great lengths to make sure what I do is ‘perfect’ and therefore what I produce is usually of a very high standard because I cannot allow myself to spend any less time than is needed to achieve what, in my mind, is perfection. Because of the way my brain works I am logical and analytical which makes me able to calculate things and work things out. 

Without my Asperger’s I would not be me as all I have learnt and experienced and my personality has been defined by my Aspergers – I am autistic, I have AS, it is who I am and I cannot know what I would be like without it.

In The Spotlight 2013 was a fantastic showcase of the wonderful talents of the students at The Spotlight Theatre Dance Studio. We were invited to see the show on March 26th and had a great time. We would like to thank the Dance Studio for the generous donation of £250 from the proceeds of this event.

Spotlight is managed by Hayley Whitehead, (ACCT Member & Mum to Coley who has ASD). Spotlight teaches all aspects of theatre dance, Street Dance, Freestyle, Musical Theatre & Music & Movement ( Parent & Toddler class). Classes are for age 18 months to Adults. 

National Media Centre

Saturday 8^th June, coach leaves St Mary’s at 10am

Anyone wishing to watch Star Trek into the Darkness – an IMAX experience in 3D can at a reduced rate of £4.50 per person, pre booking through us is essential. CEA cards are accepted.

Please bring a picnic and drinks, alternatively food can be purchased in the Cafe. Please find details on their websitehttp://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

No ACCT staff will be present on this trip and parents will remain responsible for their children at all times.

 

Cycling at Ladybower (Ages 8 – 15 years)

Saturday 15^th June

This trip will be fully staffed and children can be dropped off at 11am and picked up at 3pm at Fairholmes

Children need to be competent cyclers; bicycles can be hired at the drop off point

Please bring a packed lunch and drinks in a rucksack, along with any medication required

Depending on the weather rain coats/sun cream and hats may be needed and appropriate foot wear.

 

Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre, North Anston

Saturday 29th June, coach leaves St Mary’s at 10am

Please bring a picnic and drinks, alternatively food can be purchased in the Cafe. Please find details on their website – http://www.butterflyhouse.co.uk

Depending on the weather rain coats/sun cream and hats may be needed and appropriate foot wear.

No ACCT staff will be present on this trip and parents will remain responsible for their children at all times.

 

Please book your places at Acctivate, Teenager Club or contact Emma on 07527 824034 or e.shepherd@acctsheffield.org.uk

 

ACCT would like to say a huge Thankyou to The House Skate Park for organising and running a fundraising event for us. We are delighted to announce they raised £209 and encouraged some of our members to participate too. The event was a huge success. . 

Thanks again for your support.

 

The House Skate Park will be holding a Fundraiser for ACCT on Thursday 25^th April www.thehouseskatepark.co.uk

They have kindly offered to raise funds for ACCT and to give our members over six years old the opportunity to try out the facilities for free with exclusive use before the park opens for the event.

The park will open for ACCT children from 3 – 5pm on the day. They can bring down their own scooters or skateboards if they have them to use, or borrow one of the park’s hire skateboards (which will be loaned free). Helmets are also available (again, free) if they don’t have their own. 

The fundraising jam runs from 5 – 10pm, all door takings being donated to ACCT and ACCT children are welcome to stay should they want too. We ask that parents remain onsite as this is not an event staffed by ACCT. Places are limited and must be booked in advance, contact Nicola to book a place on 07972221305 or nicola.hough@acctsheffield .org.uk

We are meeting at The Odeon on Arundel Gate at 6.15pm to see The Croods in 3D. Bring 3D glasses if you have them.

Tuesday 2nd April, 6 – 8pm – National Autism Awareness Day

Squash and water will be available and the cafe will be open for anyone wishing to purchase food.

Some Acctivate staff will be there during the session to support the children. Parents will need to stay on the premises and will be responsible for their children.

Arena Karts are not included and are coin-operated

Places are limited and booking is essential, please book your place at Acctivate or contact the Nicola on 07972221305 or nicola.hough@acctsheffield .org.uk

Play Arena, Little London Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 0UH. For more details please check their website – http://www.theplayarena.com

Text Giving – to make a donation to ACCT text ‘ACCT06’ followed by £ and the amount (1 – 10) and send to 70070 Collection tins will be available for anyone wishing to make a donation

Sorry to announce we are cancelling the swimming session booked for 24th of March due to the weather conditions. 

Sorry to announce we are cancelling the trip to the play arena on Saturday 23rd March due to the weather conditions making it difficult for all to attend. This event will be rearranged for a later date. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

From April 6^th 2013 Acctivate will be running every Saturday morning from 9.45am to 12.15pm at St Marys Community Centre. The new clubs will have all the same activities, a toy room, a relaxation room, a computer room, arts and crafts and sports. You are welcome to come to as many sessions as you like. Booking will now be available for two sessions in advance.

For any more information or to book in, please call Emma on 07527 824034.

Spotlight Theatre Dance Studio is based at The Michael Church, Lowedges Road, Sheffield. It is managed by Hayley Whitehead, (ACCT Member & Mum to Coley who has ASD). Spotlight teaches all aspects of theatre dance, Street Dance, Freestyle, Musical Theatre & Music & Movement ( Parent & Toddler class). Classes are for age 18 months to Adults. 

Spotlight are also currently developing a new class in September 2013 ‘A Chance to Dance’ this class will be for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, touching all different styles of dance & movement, Alicia Whitehead (Hayley’s daughter) is due to start a Dance Therapy course in May 2013 to assist with this.

The above event, In The Spotlight 2013, is coming up on March 25th – 27th at The Octagon  Centre and tickets are on sale now! Spotlight have chosen to raise funds for ACCT and Weston Park Cancer Care. Raffle tickets are on sale for £1 and all donations will be gratefully received. For tickets contact Hayley Whitehead on 07932008454.

 

 

ACCT would like to say a huge Thankyou to the Sheffield, England Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for donating proceeds from their fantastic production of A Christmas Carol to ACCT. We attended the final performance of the show and it was fantastic! Much hard work and preparation went in to this production, the dedication of all involved.. from set designers, musicians, the cast, director and costume designers.. made sure the show was a real success. Through programme sales and kind donations The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints raised £450 for ACCT which will be used to continue supporting our members and their families.

Thankyou.