Life in music: songs and lyrics that help me spill my brain
VICTA Young Ambassador Grace Hill has found her love of music, lyrics and song writing has played a key part in supporting her mental health. Finding a lyric you relate to can bring a sense of shared understanding. Grace shares with us the songs that mean the most to her and the reason they resonate with her. We'd like you to add to Grace's playlist by sharing the songs that have had a positive impact on your mental health. We've saved Grace's choices as a playlist on our YouTube channel so that you can listen to them and we'd [...]
Opportunity focus – Lloyds Banking Group – Live online career panel
Neon Futures are offering the opportunity for students to meet the Lloyds Banking Group data team to learn about the exciting careers available in data! Digdata have partnered with Lloyds Banking Group to bring students aged 11 to 21 years, a live online career panel session on Thursday 3 November at 6.30pm. This free 60-minute live session hosted on MS Teams will give you the opportunity to meet panellists that are currently on their graduate and industrial placement scheme, ask questions and learn what qualifications and key skills Lloyds Banking Group are looking for when hiring [...]
World Mental Health Day 2022
Making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority 10 October 2022 is World Mental Health Day and Mental Health UK are asking you to look after ‘Number 1’ when it comes to your mental health. So we want to know - what steps are you taking to make mental health your Number 1 priority? It could be taking a walk every day, taking time to talk to your family, a VICTA activity you've been a part of, or a creative activity that relaxes you. Share yours in the form below and we'll share them here [...]
Opportunity focus – Online mentoring – explore STEM futures
STEM Learning are offering 1:1 mentoring for students aged 14 to 18 * Sign up by 4 October if you would like to take up the opportunity * STEM Learning's online mentoring programme offers students a secure online platform, and a dedicated, 1:1 mentor for 10 weeks. Years 12/13 or S5/S6 receive mentoring on ‘life after school’ and routes into further study or work. "An opportunity like no other. It encourages young students to go achieve above and beyond in STEM careers." (Mentee in their spring 2021 cohort) Launching on 10 October, they have hundreds of [...]
Our hair workshops continue with Anna Cofone
Written by Monique Richards, VICTA Intern Tuesday 2nd of August was the second hair and care workshop with Anna Cofone, an international session hairstylist working on big name editorials, advertising and film with stars such as Dua Lipa and Lana Del Ray. The workshop was held in the same location as before in East London which made it easy to navigate to. In the workshop Anna briefly went over the topics we covered in the last workshop for the benefit of the new participants who did not attend the previous session. We all had our brushes and combs laid [...]
Monique’s art gallery
My name is Monique. Here is some of my art work I have created over the years. I’ve always been an artistic individual from a very young age. I started really honing in on my art more seriously when I took the subject for GCSE in school. In these classes I learnt different techniques and mediums of art I could work in. I don’t think that having a visual impairment restricts my ability to do art. I believe that having differences encourages individuality that makes someone’s art unique and stand out. Left: Pencil drawing [...]
Success – A poem by Mahalia Creft
By Mahalia Creft Success The tedious wait for the payoff of hard work to finally fall through. Accessed only from a path of constant failure, winding round and round on itself. This path is long, with rocks and stones that jut from the earth, Digging their teeth into the soles of your feet. You stumble, then you fall onto the dirty, dusty floor, Hands above your head, legs sprawled out on the ground. You get up, even though the constant fear of rejection and failure hangs over you like a cloak, dragging you down, wanting you to settle [...]
I Can and I Will – A poem by Grace Hill
By Grace Hill I Can and I Will I can and I willClimb that hillI might be scaredBut I will get thereWith my courage and prideAnd a guide by my sideI can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI fear the heightBut I'll be alrightGripping onto my caneI will push through the rainBecause I can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI'm frightened to fallBut I can still have it allWe all can flyIf we spread our wings and tryI can and I will. About Grace... [...]
Kissing the sky: How Kiss FM makes me feel like anything is possible
By Grace Hill What does 'no limits' mean to you? For me, it means finding something special in amongst the challenges you face. A piece of magic that makes you feel like you can achieve anything, whether that's in reality or in your dreams. If you're expecting the story of a blind girl who has climbed Mount Everest or won the Paralympics, get ready to be disappointed. Because, if I'm being brutally honest, I find it very hard to pair the concept of 'no limits' with my vision impairment because I'm scared of becoming a cliché. I don't [...]
Pushing through your limits – my return to goalball
By Jack Tomlin I recently joined Winchester Goalball team. I have loved goalball since I was 11 and was a passionate member of my school team, but when I left school, I also left goalball. I missed the sport and the friendships that came with it and this year, I knew I wanted to join a team. I got in touch with Winchester and decided to attend their next training session. My excitement soon turned to apprehension when I realised that I would have to get the train by myself, with a change at a busy station. Like [...]
