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Investment in Enterprise, Arts and Performing Arts

Fenlake is expanding! Since Fenlake opened back in 2021 the idea was to give individuals with a higher ability the chance to develop in all aspects of life with as few barriers in their way as physically possible. 

We wanted those who access the service to have a place where they felt comfortable, safe, encouraged, heard and loved whilst at the same time developing self evolution.

We all know the difficulties personally in learning new skills, the time it takes, the investment, the overload of knowledge, the unfamiliarity of it and the emotions that all of the above bring. Now add to that the complications of additional needs whether that be medical, physical or cognitive. It’s tough and it’s a process which takes time and patience, no matter who you are and no matter your ability level.

Progress can feel tedious, like an impossibility, but I can assure you, it does come. Through consistency of approaches, progressive inclusive activities, listening and communication all being pulled together in a fun, loving and happy environment, IT WILL COME.

We find that the secret to the above is ‘allowance’. Allow the individuals to communicate, allow the individuals to be who THEY want to be (not who we or you the parent want them to be), allow them to express themselves in a manner in which they wish and allow their creativity to run wild and thrive. Just allow.

Because of this we have invested heavily through the years at Fenlake in Enterprise, the catering side has thrived from the off. Working like a takeaway restaurant every morning. Developing basic maths, organisational skills, cooking skills, timing skills, basic logistics, cleaning responsibilities… Lots of life skills all working hand in hand together, being taught in one single session. Fortunately our kitchen at Fenlake is that of a commercial size one, so we are very blessed there. The other side of Enterprise is our Upcycling and Ceramic sessions, these work hand in hand, developing troubleshooting abilities, learning an array of techniques, allowing creativity and working on precision skills, we don’t create for the sake of it, we take pride in what we create and it needs to be of a saleable standard. 

These sessions within Enterprise have always been a Fenlake staple, but recently we have added The Beauty Box Salon to this area, creating a session which replicates that of a business. Those in the session will make a booking whether it be for nails, a hair wash and blow dry, a massage, a foot spa… You name it the guys in the Beauty Box will do it, not only do the treatments get done ON the individuals but the individuals learn how to do those treatments themselves, using willing peers and of course the staff as their Guinea pigs. Learning how to style hair in different ways, how to do nail art etc. It’s again bringing lots of different life skills together offering fun, inclusivity and creative learning. We all have our own styles and here the individuals can share theirs and develop them in ways they didn’t realise were possible. 

Our Art sessions have grown, as I’m sure you have all seen through our social media posts, the art work being produced is way beyond our expectations, and that’s communication, that’s telling us the guys are capable of doing more. Each month the class focus on a different famous artist, they learn about styles, mediums, textures. The work produced has been that good that we were lucky enough to exhibit our work in the Peterborough Museum for the entirety of December, where we sold 80% of the pieces on display. Which again was communication, and it demanded us to listen.

Our Media sessions have soared. The Music group have been creating their own songs, creating the music, writing the lyrics, recording their work and even making their own music videos. These sessions have allowed the guys to express themselves through song and it’s been a pleasure to sit back and watch.
Our Podcast sessions have not only given the guys a voice and a platform to be heard on a national scale thanks to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, but it’s the confidence it’s created which we are most proud of.

Listening to parents from those in that session and it has been nothing short of incredible. It’s surprising the outcome when you put those who don't communicate so well in front of a microphone for an entire session. This in itself has evolved bringing the birth of audiobooks, a new developing session which is literally changing lives in front of our eyes. Writing, directing, acting…. It's creating a story, a magical doorway to a world of adventure and possibility. It’s a thing of beauty. 

The Photography group have been given free rein to focus on a subject of choice and to capture that through their own eyes. This group’s work was also included in the Museum Exhibition in December where 7 pieces from their 10 on display, also sold to the general public! Highlighting the quality of their work. 

Finally we arrive at our Dance and Performing Arts area. A key ingredient into what makes Fenlake what it is. Again the developments in this area have gone off the scale. From originally dancing to songs of choice to learning complicated dance routines from start to finish, the guys get it, they understand it and their creative juices really do run free, alter ego’s come to life and it’s pure communication through expression. This led us to creating the Ability 2 Dance workshop which has been a beautiful story in itself to watch. An extra curriculum session which shows their love for the medium, and where do we start with the Performing Arts crew?? Their end of year pantomime performance in December was nothing short of a phenomenon, the show elevated everyone’s opinion of those who watched it. A years worth of work, writing the script from start to finish, developing the characters, learning their words and finally executing what they have learnt on stage in front of an audience mixed with loved ones and strangers, it really was a sight to behold, and again, they are communicating, and we must listen.

So listen we have. We have this week taken over the occupancy of another unit in Fenlake Business Centre. Allow us to introduce Studio 8.

Studio 8 is Fenlake’s new home of Enterprise and Art a building dedicated to the two sessions. By doing this it allows those areas to break free and flourish in their own right, creating space and opportunity alongside one another. It has also allowed the following:

The Beauty Box will move from its current small space in the common room to the former Media Room. This room will become as close to a real beauty salon that we could possibly acheive. Allowing space for a treatment bed along with the privacy that a real salon demands.

The Media Room will go into the former Art Room, giving much more room to expand, thus allowing more freedom for creativity to run wild, the inclusion of a vocal booth will make for a much more professional finish in music and audiobook recordings, it also gives an area for those who don’t excel in confidence to perform their work in privacy.

Finally, the former Enterprise room has become a theatre! Yes you heard right, we have created a stunning theatre within Fenlake, giving this group a huge space to develop and showcase their talents. Fenlake will then have 2 areas within the building offering Dance and Performing Art sessions simultaneously.

We told you 2025 was going to be a year of progression and a year where we do better, and we have kickstarted January upholding that promise.

The Helping Hands Group have always been more than a day service provision, we are a family, a vessel for the individuals to grow, a voice for the individuals to be heard and a support network to families. Working on a shoestring budget to go above and beyond in our quest to change lives for the better. There will always be mistakes and strong learnings along the way, however, our commitment, dedication and ability and desire to progress and offer more is unmatched.

We demand more, we expect more and we give more. 

As you can imagine, this expansion will lead to some timetable changes, but this information will be communicated as and when required.

We will of course share pictures of the room changes as and when complete, and we hope you share our excitement with this expansion. We look forward to sharing the individuals creativity in many mediums in the coming months.

But for now, allow us to introduce Studio 8 💜

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