A.P.P.L.E. art block has played a major part in my life. I have been involved since I was 13 years old and I am now 23!

 

I first started coming to A.P.P.L.E. because my mother wanted a space for me to be occupied and express my creativity, as she was very supportive of my artwork. There was a time when A.P.P.L.E. was only running during the school holidays.

​

My first day at A.P.P.L.E. I remember being welcomed by the lovely staff who put my nerves and apprehension at ease and encouraged me to get involved in their latest art project.

​

Throughout the years of being with A.P.P.L.E. progressing from being an attendee to a

young worker, the main staff at A.P.P.L.E. have always encouraged and supported me.

Whether it was with my artwork, how I lead an activity or how I handled a situation.

There would always be someone to say “Well done Priscilla, you did a good job” I

think as a young person hearing those words can make such an impact. The young

people who attend A.P.P.L.E. come from different walks of life and for some it might be a rare occasion to hear that they have done well in something. A.P.P.L.E. does a great job in building confidence in young people as those words can actually change a

person’s life.

​

There is always someone to encourage you at A.P.P.L.E. even if you have made a

mistake or if you don’t believe in yourself, there is a person to cheer you on and say

you can do it. This is one of the things I love about A.P.P.L.E. there is no such thing as

can't but a you can do anything if you set your mind to it and we will be behind you

every step of the way.

​

A.P.P.L.E. is one of the reasons why I have such a good work ethic, I have been earning

money since the age of 13, A.P.P.L.E. started to offer me work because they saw my

potential. I am a proactive person who always needs to be preoccupied with an

activity. The staff at A.P.P.L.E. saw that and gave me the opportunity to start working.

We see a lot of people come, go and stay but I noticed that even if a person has not

been around for a while they will always make the effort to pay a visit because A.P.P.L.E.

has played a significant role in all of our lives in different ways, some more personal

than others but every person that comes to A.P.P.L.E. cannot deny that there is

something special about this place.

​

On a personal note, after my mother passed away I isolated myself from a lot of

people and places including A.P.P.L.E. I had not been there for a couple of years, I think

I was scared of people feeling sorry for me. As time went on, I started to miss

everyone and decided to pay a visit, and when I did they were all so supportive,

sensitive and caring towards my situation. It was then that I was reminded that they

are like my family because at a time where I felt so alone I was reminded that I had

people to support me during a time where it was difficult to support myself. I

experienced a major change which was moving out of supported accommodation

into my own flat. I was absolutely frightened about the aspect of living independently

and spent a lot of time procrastinating. The staff at A.P.P.L.E. gave me a gentle nudge

and offered to help me tremendously by buying my carpet and painting my home.

They really helped to make my house feel like a home so that I would feel

comfortable enough to move in. It is honestly something I will never forget. The

government offered me a community care grant but the money offered was definitely

not enough to cover the costs of a carpet to be fitted and the flat to be painted. For

that I will always be grateful.

​

For the many years that I have been working at A.P.P.L.E. I have always been involved

with leading the arts and crafts activities for the young children that attend. However

recently I have grown an interest in cooking. For the past couple of weeks I have

been cooking alongside another staff member. I have really enjoyed it because it has

given me the opportunity to learn how to make various tasty meals. I also love the

response we get from the children who have enjoyed the food.

​

A.P.P.L.E. is a great place, you can attend to chill out with your friends, help out with the

cooking, join in on the art work, play a game of badminton, have something to eat, or

have a heart to heart with a staff member. All in all it is a great charity that really

does look out for its young people. I for one am glad to be a part of this family.