7th February 2011

Alabaré has a ball with Cinderella

St Mark’s Church, Salisbury was packed out on Friday night (4th Feb) for a special performance of Cinderella.

Staff and service users from Alabaré’s learning disability projects pulled on their costumes and took to the stage to give a unique rendition of the well-loved pantomine.

The 100 strong audience enjoyed all the classic fairytale characters - Cinderella, Prince Charming and the ugly sisters - as well as a few modern day additions - the evil Health and Safety Officer and the Fairy Godmothaz.

The pantomime was written by support worker Steve McAuliffe, who was also narrator for the evening and a large number of staff and service users were involved both on stage and behind he scenes.

During the interval there was also a lucky ticket draw, which saw members of the audience going home with some wonderful gifts that had kindly been donated by local businesses.

Ruth Telford, Supported Living Manager, said after the performance:
“I am so pleased with how well the show went; despite having limited rehearsal time, everyone did really well and we’ve all had a brilliant time. I want to thank everyone for their hard work in making it happen and I also want to thank the local business community for their generous support. This was our first ever performance, but it certainly won’t be our last!”

The money raised through the pantomime will go towards an activity fund that will be used for days out and celebrations for everyone who uses Alabaré’s learning disability support services:

Alabaré has six Supported Living Houses in Salisbury and two in Amesbury, providing accommodation for a total of 32 people with mild to moderate learning disabilities. Supported Living Houses provide a safe and supportive environment in which residents are encouraged to develop new skills and work towards personal goals, enabling them to lead a fulfilling life of their choice.

Learning Disability Floating Housing Support is a housing-related support service that is provided to people in their own homes or within the community. Support workers offer advice and guidance on a range of issues, at the same time as encouraging social interaction within the community.