Back in November last year we awarded funding to Real Inspiration CIC. Real Inspiration is a social enterprise that offers training and craft therapy for adults and young people facing social barriers. Their makers, who all have social challenges, are supported to gain confidence, develop skills, reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, build peer-support networks and develop friendships.
During Covid19 people with autism, learning disabilities and mental health challenges had been disproportionately impacted. They had become even more isolated, struggled to understand restrictions, suffered from lack of structure and routine, and their wellbeing has significantly declined. Many support services/activities that they relied upon were suspended.
Real Inspiration have successfully piloted working in a creative way to support young people, with autism, learning disabilities and mental health challenges, to make beautiful artwork and craft products. Their makers undertake every aspect of the process, signing their name to their final products.
In the feedback report they outlined how they attended markets enabling makers to share their making processes with customers and in return learning selling skills. Real Inspiration's overall aim is to provide their makers with certificates and qualifications as well as expanding the types of arts and crafts that they're able to make.
They reported that the grant received from us was spent on sculpture materials and equipment including a 3D printer which has been a very exciting addition to their work. Their students have been really excited to use the printer and have made lots of items that they’ve been painting with the paints that our funding also helped to buy.
Last Christmas their students made a lot of Christmas decorations and also managed to make small moving toys and things like mobile phone stands along with creative sculptures. They hope to make some items that can be sold on their stalls also enabling them to raise charitable funds.
They have also run clay making projects where students have been learning a lot of new techniques. Their younger adults will be using their sculptures as part of their Bronze Arts Award which will be entered for moderation in May. The sculpture project has been a huge and inspiring success for students and a delightful addition to their creative work.
They are now able to offer a larger range of creative activities for their attendees. The 3D printer has been fantastic because they can make their own designs or print ready made designs for people to paint, which gives another accessible activity for people to achieve that gives simple but fantastic confidence boosting results. Their report emphasised how much they absolutely love their new equipment and have lots of exciting ideas how to make the most of everything in the future and have a long-lasting impact.