Building Life Skills Together

For more than 11 years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside residents and students at Camphill Blair Drummond in a variety of roles. Looking back, one thing has remained constant: whenever a new opportunity presents itself, something special seems to happen.

When I was asked to get The Larder up and running during Tony's absence, I felt both excited and daunted. It was a blank canvas, a tight timescale and a chance to work again with residents and students I had not supported for a while. From the start, the group were buzzing, feeding off one another's energy and enthusiasm, and that buzz quickly became contagious.

One of the things that excited me most was the chance for us all to start something new together.

Building The Larder from scratch meant putting all the foundations in place: health and safety processes, signage, shelving, stock, tastings and ordering products. There was a lot to think about, but what really brought the project to life was the shared excitement it created.

At one point I discovered:

"I didn't know I could get so excited about a box of teabags."

The enthusiasm was not mine alone. Residents and students were asking questions, sharing ideas and looking forward to each new stage of the project. The more involved people became, the more ownership they took.

With deliveries still arriving and plans continually evolving, I quickly became known as the: "Queen of Wing It."

We adapted as we went, creating meaningful tasks while waiting for stock, shelving and equipment to arrive. Sometimes the answer to eager questions about deliveries and aprons was simply: "Maybe tomorrow."

One of the most memorable moments came when the aprons finally arrived and the space began to look like the vision everyone had worked towards. Seeing products on display and The Larder taking shape created enormous excitement.

For me, it felt like:

"Watching the bairns opening their Christmas presents."

When the weighing scales finally arrived and people began role-playing orders, everything clicked. Residents and students truly understood the purpose of the activity and started taking ownership of the process.

From receiving orders and packing stock to deliveries and sign-offs, The Larder became much more than a room full of shelves. It became a place where people could develop confidence, learn practical skills and feel proud of what they had achieved.

Life skills sit at the heart of why this work matters.

Participation.

Confidence.

Teamwork.

Pride.

Seeing the activity in action was hugely satisfying, but one moment will stay with me for a long time. During Morning Gathering, where I thought the spotlight would be shining entirely on the residents and students, one of them stood up and said they could not have done it without me and that I was awesome.

I was completely taken aback.

“The truth is that none of it would have happened without the shared enthusiasm of everyone involved”.

Handing The Larder back to Tony was emotional. I felt proud of what had been achieved and proud of the residents and students who had helped turn an empty space into something thriving. But I also recognised that the next chapter belonged to them and to Tony.

One of the things I have learned during my time at Camphill Blair Drummond is that opportunities often appear when you least expect them. Supporting The Larder reminded me how much I enjoy stepping into new situations, helping things grow and working alongside people to achieve something together.

Most of all, it reminded me that;

“when people are given the opportunity to participate, contribute and take ownership, amazing things can happen”.