Pottery students at the Stable Family Home Trust near Ringwood were delighted to receive a donation of £500 from New Milton Decorative & Fine Arts Society towards equipment for their thriving pottery. The cheque includes a further donation from a member of the society to enable the trust to acquire a dedicated printer and the special Decal paper to allow the students to transfer their drawings on to their ceramic work.
The pots they produce are sold through the charity’s own shop, Gifted, in Highcliffe and raise money for the varied activities available to daily and residential service users, such as woodwork, cookery, IT and money skills, as well as dance and drama
“We aim to engage the public in our work,” said Marion Davies, head of fundraising. ‘Our retail outlet, Gifted, is not the usual charity shop – we have pottery demonstrations by the students helping to run the shop, and we encourage them to take control of their own lives and develop social skills as well as personal aspirations.”
The beautiful gardens at The Stables provide an appropriate backdrop for much of the ceramic work by the students, including illuminated garden sculptures by Richard Tatem, who received the cheque on behalf of the charity, which was presented by Philip Benstead, Chairman of New Milton Decorative & Fine Arts Society.
The Society’s Young Arts Project promotes the work of organisations providing help and support to develop skills and interests of students in all branches of the arts. The Stable Family Home Trust is the 2015 recipient of this special award.
