Apologies: Michael Holt Mark Hill Present: Paula Hodge Hayley Murray Ricardo Flynn Linda Hughes Paul Ashton David Cunningham Linda Brunt Simon Cook Adrian Beardmore 1. Ricardo Flynn took the minutes 2. Minutes of the last meeting was read out by David. There were no alterations 3. Summer Workshops discussion: The group discussed whether Summer workshops should be held as numbers attending were low. A breakdown of weekly costs are: Skelmersdale Average attendance per week 9 x 6 = 54 Outgoing Costs: Room Hire 8 per hour x 4 hours = 32 per week Wages 15 per hour x 4 hours = 60 per week - 92 Weekly Deficit Skelmersdale - 38 Ormskirk Average attendance per week 12 x 6 = 72 Outgoing Costs: Room Hire 8 per hour x 4 hours = 32 per week Wages 15 per hour x 4 hours = 60 per week - 92 Weekly Deficit Ormskirk - 20 It was decided to leave the decision whether to hold Summer Workshops until nearer the time
4. Funding A full listing of funding gained during 2015 can be seen on the website at the website address below 5. Learning Stars Overview Attached 6. Trips Various trips were discussed to Ellesmere Port Canals & Waterways Liverpool Maritime Museum and Liverpool Museum Helmshore Mill Science Museum Members were satisfied and happy with the trips. 7. Any other business The Christmas Meal will be on 3 rd December at 4pm at the Golden Lion Hotel in Ormskirk 8. The meeting finished at 4pm Next meeting Thursday 7 th January 2016 at 3.30pm
INTRODUCTION Learning Stars have been going now since August 2012. Members attend activities at Southport on Mondays, Skelmersdale on Wednesdays and Ormskirk on Thursdays. Activities are focused on education and concentrate on achievements. Learning Stars work in partnership with Workers Education Association (WEA) who provide Tutors and Support Workers aimed at people with learning disabilities. WEA uses four themes for planning its provision. These are Employability, Health & Wellbeing, Community Engagement and Culture. We also have the support of volunteers. All of these people are dedicated to helping Learning Stars members. The WEA Workshops theme for 2015 is Canals and Waterways. We have been on various research trips to: Ellesmere Port Canals and Waterways Museum, Liverpool Maritime Museum, Blue Planet Aquarium near Chester Burscough Wharf to see a working canal lock. We are planning to go to Rufford to see the locks there. We may go on a canal boat trip from Botony Bay in Chorley, this is to be confirmed.
Southport Monday s workshop is art and is held at the Grace Baptist Church in Southport. Introduction to project Lancashire Canals and Waterways 200 year anniversary Group discussion introducing awareness of history and personal stories. Introduction to projects and trips planned for this term. Sketchbook making, continue creating a sketchbook from different papers. Study visit to Blue Planet Aquarium research day Discussion of Blue Planet visit. Create form for 3D Fish Sculpture with tin foil and armature Discussion of Roses and Castles Canal Art Project. Research on line and print outs. Students investigate ideas by drawing, focus is on shape form and colours. Introduction to one stroke brush technique for roses
Skelmersdale On Wednesdays we have workshops in Skelmersdale. The morning workshop is Art and the course is designed to teach learners to develop their creative and awareness skills by creating their own artwork. Learners will be encouraged to explore the arts, through the study of specific artists and by gallery and museum study visits and researching into their project Lancashire canals and waterways. Recently we have used rubbings from our trip to Burscough Wharf to make a collage depicting a canal and canal bank. Using A2 paper and working in pairs the group have created pictures which will be put together. The end product will be a large picture of a canal and its banks. The collage will be displayed at two exhibitions in 2016. In the afternoon Raised Voices Choir workshop which aims to develop students choral, research and critical skills within a choir setting. The choir rehearse and develop new songs for performance within the community, for the community. We have performed or will be performing in various places, including Skelmersdale ASDA Soup Event in Ormskirk Engine Rooms Extravaganza in Skelmersdale Engine Rooms
Ormskirk The morning workshop is Literacy. The afternoon workshop is Art and the course is designed to teach learners to develop their creative and awareness skills by creating their own artwork. Learners will be encouraged to explore the arts, through the study of specific artists and by gallery and museum study visits and researching into their project Lancashire canals and waterways. Using some of the knowledge from a trip to Ellesmere Port Canal and Waterways and Blue Planet Aquarium, we have recently made 3D pappe mache models of fish. Study visit to Blue Planet Aquarium research day Discussion of Blue Planet visit. Create form for 3D Fish Sculpture with tin foil and armature Discussion of Roses and Castles Canal Art Project. Research on line and print outs. Students investigate ideas by drawing, focus is on shape form and colours. Introduction to one stroke brush technique for roses
CONCLUSION Learning Stars are embarking on a project to keep part of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal tidy. We are in discussions to start during 2016 and it has been decided that we will do this at Rufford Branch of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal.