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MRCT team create a sensory room in Slupsk, Poland

During November 2006 a team from MRCT UK set off to visit Poland.  The team comprised Gary, Teresa, Miriam, Ann, Eliza and Geoff flew from Stansted Airport in the early hours of the morning to Gdansk

Prior to the full team setting off, a Transit van full of sensory equipment funded by MRCT had left for the Educational Childcare Centre (ECC) in Slupsk, Poland from Harlow driven by Richard Soper.

Richard’s journey involved travelling through France, Holland and Germany to arrive in Slupsk on Wednesday, 5th November, the day before the full team were due to fly in.

All of the arrangements were going to plan as the team met up on Thursday afternoon to start the project to build the new sensory room in Slupsk.

The work begins

The ECC in Slupsk is a school for over 400 children with various physical, learning and mental disabilities.  MRCT have agreed to work with 30 profoundly physically disabled children ranging from 6 to 18 years old by providing a structured sensory programme of daily activities.  The local Slupsk Pentecostal Church have also agreed to provide funds for two Activity Support Workers for two years,  during 2007 and 2008.

Prior to our arrival, the school had emptied out an old classroom and decorated it to specifications set out by MRCT.

We kept a daily diary of our activities -

Thursday, 9th November

The first afternoon was spent purchasing spotlights, rails, electrical equipment, pictures, voile curtaining and a CD player for the sensory room.

The team installed a new storage cupboards while the school seamstress worked late into the evening preparing the voile curtaining for the room.

Our first day of travelling and work was complete, we got settled into our accommodation with Pastor Jacek and his wife Ewa Slupsk Church and after our evening meal we went to bed very tired.

Friday, 10th November

Our second day and we arrived at the school at 10am and started the work of creating the special room. With the help of the school handyman we fitted the spotlights and the voile curtaining rails to the ceiling and the window blinds.

Whilst some team members went shopping for small items for the room, the equipment from the UK was unpacked and checked ready to be installed on Saturday.

Saturday, 11th November

The room was now beginning to take shape with wall mirrors fitted with a final cleanup of hoovering and mopping.

Shelving for the fibre optic comb and lights was built and put into place then the lights were fitted.  The hammock swing was hung from the ceiling and the pictures were positioned around the room.

The MRCT equipment was put into place, which included mats, splodge balls, physio ball, spotlight and coloured wheel, leaf chair and stand and the mirror ball and stand.

Unfortunately the bubble tube had not arrived from the Polish supplier as planned so could not be fitted.

Day 3 was over and new sensory room was completed. The MRCT team has accomplished their tasks.

Sunday, 12th November

For Richard Soper the long journey home by road with the transit van was to start.

The rest of the team attended the service at the Slupsk Pentecostal Church where Gary was asked to speak about the work of MRCT.

That afternoon the Sschool Director and Assistant Director along with Pastor Jacek, Ewa and Gosia (new MRCT workers at ECC) met at the school to review the competed new room.

All were very pleased with the finished work and excited by the planned introduction of the work in January 2007.

At 3pm Gary and Miriam met with the Directors of the school and this was later followed by another meeting at 5pm with Ewa and Gosia.

Our final evening meal followed then we went to bed satisfied with our work. It was going to be an early start the next morning.

Monday, 13th November

We arose at 4.30am and leaving at 6am for Gdansk Airport. All went well and we arrived back in the UK at Stansted Airport just before midday.

Special thanks

A special thanks to Miriam, Ann, Richard, Geoff, Eliza, Teresa & Gary for working so hard during the trip and ensuring that the new sensory room was completed at the school as planned.

The Sensory Room was officially opened on Sunday 14th January 2007