Friday 24th January 2020, Performing Arts – characters, costumes and cameras:
this morning we did a deep dive on the camera work, colours and characters for our upcoming movie project – all neatly split into three different film genres. It’s going to be a blockbuster… This afternoon we began preparations for a new project, one that will flex ALL of our
Saturday 25th January 2020, Saturday squad – Chinese New year.
Today we celebrated Chinese New year, we made dragon masks, tried lots of new foods and made our own fortune cookies.
Friday 24th January 2020, Sensory Craft – Soundboard and Sensory story.
This morning we enjoyed soundboard. We sang a few regular songs and some new ones. Everyone was really engaged. Sensory story photos to follow.
Friday 24th January 2020, Personal progress 4 – Bowling.
This morning we headed to Braintree for a game of bowling, everyone did really well. There’s been lots of interaction & communication! Now having a spot of lunch before we head off for our next activity.
Thursday 23rd January 2020, Personal Progress 3 – Clay Craft and Boardgames
Personal Progress 3 have had a morning of artistic flair, making dragons and castles out of clay (as well as Jungle Book characters!). We got good and messy (and had a sneaky chocolate chip cookie when we had a break) before heading to Dice and a Slice for an afternoon
Thursday 23rd January 2020, Developing Independence 1- shop cook & eat (and a little bit of exercise)
Today was chosen by one of our group and took the lead on cooking. Butter chicken curry and coconut rice and as an alternative home made burgers and sweet potato wedges. We wrote our shopping lists and went to buy the ingredients we needed. We all had our baskets and
Thursday 23rd January 2020, CoCoCre8ives – Hollytrees Museum and Board Game Design.
This morning we visited Hollytrees Museum and then the Sip and Tuck Cafe where we drew on the tables in chalk and some of us sampled their delicious milkshakes. On the way back to the studio we spotted an art installation next to Firstsite – A Field for the Cultural
Tuesday 20th January 2020, Sports Adventure 4 – Metal Detecting, seafood tasting and yoga
The sun was bright and the weather was glorious today, so off we went metal detecting along the idyllic beach on Mersea Island. We found around 80p in mixed coins and a bit of metallised twine! Ok, so it’s not pirate bullion, but we were excited to find things anyway!
Tuesday 21st January 2020, Coco Enterprise – Hobbycraft and chosen craft.
CCE went to Hobbycraft today to pick out which craft they would like to do. We enjoyed looking round the shop for ideas and putting our personal stamp on our crafts.
Tuesday 21st January 2012, Community Inclusion & Volunteering – CBH Volunteering.
We continued our project this week. After meeting more of the residents we got to work on clearing the paths so access was easy and safe for people. We were then invited to the day room for tea, slice of cake and a natter. After lunch we completed some of
20th January 2020, CoCoCreatives – Smoothies and yoga.
We fitted a lot in today. Firstly, we packaged up our bath bombs that we made last week. They are perfect and still smell gorgeous. Then we had a look at a painting by Arcimboldo from 1590 that shows a man”s face made up of fruit and vegetables, and we
Monday 20th January 2020, Sports Adventure 1 – Walton
We enjoyed the sun today with a day at Walton. An exciting game of cricket on the beach, followed by fish and chips and then a walk at the Naze. Finished off with a drink in the EWT cafe. Lovely!
Monday 20th January 2020, Sports adventure 2 – sensory exploration.
This afternoon we enjoyed a sensory session, we had hand massages and explored the different sensory items. We also enjoyed listening to music and having a stretch.
Monday 20th January 2020, Sports adventure 2 – Bowling.
This morning we went to Braintree for a game of bowling. Everyone played well! Ready for food now 🙂
Monday 20th January 2020, Developing Independence 3 – Veganuary
This morning we continued with our food diaries and began thinking about how much exercise we get in an average week. We also planned our trip to Chelmsford next Monday. This afternoon we made ourselves a vegan tasting menu to mark Veganuary, with wildly mixed results – the sausages and
Friday 17th January 2020, Performing Arts – The National Theatre
Today we took a road trip into the heart of London to visit the National Theatre, where we got up close and personal with costumes from over 40 years of stage shows. Then we visited the theatre’s set design exhibit – we were amazed by how detailed the set models
Friday 17th January 2020, Personal progress 4 – Jump street & Photobooks.
Today we went to Jump street Chelmsford, lots of energy burned off. Then we spent the afternoon looking through some of our photo’s and organising them into a Photobook!
Friday 17th January 2020, Sensory Craft – Messy Art and Chinese New year craft.
This morning sensory craft enjoyed getting messy. We choose different materials to decorate our bags and canvas.
Thursday 16th January 2020, Personal Progress 3 – Jimmy’s Farm and sensory exploration.
We travelled out to the famous Jimmy’s Farm today to have a look at the animals. We enjoyed seeing the chickens, meerkats, goats and kangaroos, and spent a while in the bird house watching the crocodiles and the turaco (a really colourful bird). There was a kookaburra hiding somewhere too
Thursday 16th January 2020, Personal Progress 1 – Barleylands Farm.
Today we went to Barleylands Farm, we looked around at all of the animals, had a go at feeding them, went on a very bumpy tractor ride and had a great day! We all loved the animals but some of us were rather taken with the mini tractors and pedal
Thursday 16th January 2020, Developing Independence 1 – Zoology Museum Cambridge.
Most of the group had not been to Cambridge so it was nice to go somewhere new and to go to the Zoology Museum. We looked around both floors and checked out all the amazing displays there. Some of the creatures are now extinct sadly. Afterwards we discussed our favourite
Thursday 16th January 2020, Personal Progress 2 – Colchester Zoo.
Today we went to Colchester Zoo. We enjoyed looking at the red pandas and loved looking at the tiger cubs. They were really sweet. We also got to feed the giraffes. We had a really lovely day.
Thursday 16th January 2020, CoCoCre8ives – Board Game Design.
This afternoon we started doing the research towards our own board game by, yes, playing board games. 😃 We also asked Rob and Annabelle from the Dice & a Slice cafe some questions about board games. We discovered that the cafe has over 600 games, and that the most popular
Thursday 16th January 2020, CoCoCre8ives – Board Game Design.
This afternoon we started doing the research towards our own board game by, yes, playing board games. 😃 We also asked Rob and Annabelle from the Dice & a Slice cafe some questions about board games. We discovered that the cafe has over 600 games, and that the most popular
Thursday 16th January 2020, CoCoCre8ives – Portfolio building.
This morning we updated our Working in Art and Design scrapbooks with photos, leaflets and information about our trip to the William Morris Gallery that we visited before Christmas. We agree with William Morris when he said “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful,
Wednesday 15th January 2020, Employability – Radio Skills and Coding
This morning we had a practice of our radio presenting skills, as well as interview and listening skills and broadcasting standards. We enjoyed listening to music and deciding whether it was appropriate to broadcast those songs on various shows. In the afternoon we practiced our computer coding skills through Code
Wednesday 15th January 2020, Self Care and Recreation – Fish Fun!
Continuing the excitement of our new fish tank, SCR had their turn at making tealight aquariums, our fishing competition and our carrot and hummus fishing snack game! In the afternoon we headed over to Swallow Aquatics to look at fish that we will be adding once the tank is ready!
Wednesday 15th January 2020, Developing Independence 1 – Cats !
Today we escaped the weather by watching the movie version of Cats at Braintree cinema. We had a sing song in the cinema to the songs we knew whilst watching on the big sceeen. On discussion afterwards we all said that we liked it.
Tuesday 14th January 2020, Sports Adventure 3- Fish tank installation day!!!
Today we had the exciting task of setting up our very own fish tank with Peter from Riverwood Aquatics! He helped us build and aquascape our tank, he also answered all of our questions for us. We had lots of fish themed game and crafts! More to come on our
Tuesday 14th January 2020, Sports Adventure 4 – Kite Flying and Yoga
Today we braved the windy weather to travel to Felixstowe to try our hand at kite flying. Most of us hadn’t tried it before but we did really well (though we had lots of funny crashes too!) Some fun running around with our kites we had our lunch on the
Tuesday 14th January 2020, Coco enterprise – Chinese New year colours and Cooking.
Today CCE chose which recipe to cook from the cooking books. Half of us went to buy ingredients and the others worked on Chinese New year crafts. Over lunch we got to look at our new fish tank. In the afternoon we made and tasted our chosen recipes.
Tuesday 14th January 2020, Community Inclusion & Volunteering – CBH Volunteering.
We started our volunteer project today with a service in Colchester. We met the manager, wardens and some residents, they even got some cake and biscuits ! We had a chit chat in the day room to start to get to know one another. The residents gave us a tour
Monday 13th January 2020, Sports Adventure 1 – Holywells Park and toboganning
Had a great day today at Holywells Park and then had a mad hour toboganning! Thrills and spills enjoyed by all!
Monday 13th January 2020, CoCoCreatives – Bath bombs and yoga.
Today we continued with our activities towards self-care month. We made bath bombs which we coloured with food colouring and added lavender and rose petals, as well as essential oils so they smell gorgeous. This afternoon we took part in another yoga session which stretched and relaxed us.
Monday 13th January 2020, Sports adventure 2 – Swimming & Smoothies.
Today we went swimming and enjoyed having a splash around. This afternoon we made some smoothies which were thoroughly enjoyed!
Saturday 11th January 2020, Saturday squad – Bowling.
This morning we headed out for a game of bowling. We had a great laugh, it was a close game!
Friday 10th January 2020, Performing Arts – CoCoCare, the movie, introduction
Started thinking about our movie today and practised with cameras.
Monday 13th January 2020, Developing Independence 3- Chelmsford by train.
Today our group ventured to Chelmsford by train. They independently bought their tickets and found which platform we needed; then took charge by searching the local area for facilities and activities we would like to do in the future.
Friday 10th January 2020, Sensory Craft – Shop/cheese and wine tasting and Tac Pac.
This morning Sensory Craft went to Sainsbury’s to buy cheese and wine to taste. We got a really nice different selection and really enjoyed tasting them. To finish of the day we relaxed in our Tac Pac session.
Friday 10th January 2020, Personal progress 4 – Swimming.
Today we headed to Ipswich for a swim, everyone loved it and we were all very happy and relaxed. Sorry there are no photos today.
Thursday 9th January 2020, CoCoCre8ives – First Site and Field for CoCoCare clay models.
This morning we visited First Site to see Anthony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles, which we enjoyed drawing in our sketchbooks. Back at the studio, we created our own version, Field for CoCoCare from air-drying clay. Our models are all individuals, just like us!
Thursday 9th January 2020, Developing Independence 1 – Gateway Work & Tea Room.
We kicked off the new year with a morning of planning and researching working towards our gateway qualification. We used the laptops to search the web, made telephone conversations and sent emails. After lunch we went to Tiptree Jam Museum and tea room for a tea and scone, yummy .
Thursday 9th January 2020, Personal progress 1 – Southend pier & Arcades.
This morning we got a bit wind swept walking along the pier. We enjoyed lunch at the end of the pier. In the afternoon we had fun in the arcades.
Wednesday 8th January 2020, Self Care and Recreation – tooth brushing, and Jump Street
Today we stayed out tooth brushing project. We all made progress in our own way. We had a game of ocean bingo, to keep us excited about the arrival of our new fish tank next week and the really enjoyed letting of steam at jump street!
Thursday 9th January 2020, Personal progress 2 – Costa & coins.
This morning we indulged ourselves at Costa enjoying a refreshing drink. This afternoon we headed to the arcade to play on the slots. We won a grand total of 414 tokens.
Thursday 9th January 2020, Personal Progress 3 – Cooking and Wivenhoe trail walk
We started the day with a bit of spice making enchiladas with a choice of fillings – spicy barbecue beans, roasted tomato and pepper fajita and crispy chicken. We all made our own filled by mix, wrapped and topped our enchiladas and enjoyed tasting them – we decided the fajita
Wednesday 8th January 2020, Developing Independence – Studio Craft
Today we got creative and innovative. We went to Hobbycraft in the morning and all chose our craft of choice. We had our own budget and took charge of our own shopping baskets (they were on wheels which made shopping easier !!) In the afternoon we were at our studio
Tuesday 7th January 2020, Sports Adventure 4 – Bck Yrd Golf, Chelmsford
Today we had a whale of a time trying out Bck Yrd Golf on Chelmsford river front. We really enjoyed looking at all the quirky obstacles, all made out of recycled materials – particularly the bath tub ball pit! To finish the day we went for a look around Chelmsford
Tuesday 7th January, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – pictures frames
CCE have been really busy today. We sanded and painted our pictures frames. We started looking at colours, starting with primary colours. In the afternoon we went to Poplar nurseries to look round and get ideas for things to make. Well done CCE.
Tuesday 7th January 2020, Sports Adventure 3 – Thetford BBQ
Again, another group had the traditional CoCo bbq today. We really enjoyed the play equipment and the bbq was delish! Well done everyone!
Tuesday 7th January 2020, Community Inclusion & Volunteering – gardening
Today we did some gardening around milestone. We all had our chosen jobs and got stuck in. After our tea break we did a tip run and came back to finish gardening. We cleared out the little rockery and mowed the grass at the front. Busy day ! To finish
Monday 6th January 2020, Sports Adventure 1 – new year Bbq and cycling
In the CoCo tradition, we started the new year with a Bbq at Thetford. It was a beautiful day. We messed around on the play equipment for a bit before cycling. Really impressed with the progress of a certain young man on a two wheeler! Well done everyone, great to
Monday 6th January 2020, Developing Independence 3 – healthy eating
Today our Developing Independence continuing exploring our healthy eating module. We started our food diaries, then spent the afternoon trying out our very own smoothie recipes (the swede wasn’t as successful as we thought it might be!).
Monday 6th January, Sports adventure 2 – Ice skating.
This morning we went ice skating in Chelmsford, we all loved being back on the ice! Great first day back.
Monday 6th January 2020, CoCoCreatives – self care and yoga
This afternoon we continued with Self-Care month. Firstly we thought about our anxieties and the sort of things that make us angry. We wrote these things down on post-it notes and then tore them up into tiny pieces. Then we thought about the sort of things we could do to
Monday 6th January 2020, CoCoCreatives – Self Care and digital art
This morning back, after a healthy fruity breakfast, we created some digital art on the Tate Gallery website. We played art games and took part in quizzes that tested our knowledge of art.
Monday 6th January 2020 am, CoCoCreatives – Self Care and digital art
This morning back, after a healthy fruity breakfast, we created some digital art on the Tate Gallery website. We played art games and took part in quizzes that tested our knowledge of art.
Thursday 19th December, Christmas party
Fantastic Christmas party for our last day before Christmas. Everyone pulled together peeling veg, making table decorations and creating delicious desserts. There were films, Sensory play, singing, dancing and games. It was a real celebration of everything CoCo! Have a fabulous Christmas and a happy new year and see you
Wednesday 18th December, Self Care and Recreation – Christmas at Colchester Zoo
Today we had fun at the zoo, looking at Santa’s Reindeer, exploring the enchanted forest and successfully navigating the snowflake maze. We saw meerkats and sealions, along with lots of other animals.
Wednesday 18th December, Developing Independence 2 – Bowling and Christmas market
Today we had Christmas early in Ipswich ! We visited the international Christmas market, very festive and fun ! We then had a game of bowling in the Buttermarket followed by Christmas snacks on the quay, a fun way to end 2019 for our group
Tuesday 17th December, Sports Adventure 3 and 4 and Community Inclusion and Volunteering – Star Wars secret hunt and lazer tag
Tuesday 17th December, Cococare Lazer Tag – today we combined groups and went to Bury st Edmunds. The groups started out at Moyes Hall Museum and completed the Star Wars theme secret hunt, we all found the figures ! Then we went over to Planet Lazer for 2 games of
Tuesday 17th December, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – St John’s winter wonderland
CCE went to the winter wonderland at St John’s garden centre in Clacton. We had a lovely trip on the train and met Father Christmas. We had a festive drink in the cafe and a look round at all the Xmas decorations. Lovely day had by all.
Monday 16th December, Sports Adventure 1 – Sea Blast at Southwold
What a fantastic day today! Our Christmas treat day. We had a high speed, exhilarating trip on the North Sea. We wrapped up warm, stepped into our waterproofs and gently made our way up the river towards the open sea. Once there the throttle opened and we jumped the waves,
Monday 16th December, Developing Independence 3 – Christmas baking
Today we did some Christmas baking and chose some festive treats to make; apple strudel and traditional stollen, influenced by our trip to a German market last week. We learnt some new techniques and had a lovely time whilst listening to some Christmas music.
Monday 16th December, Sports adventure 2 – Pub lunch.
This afternoon we took a stroll to the Princess Charlotte and had a lovely meal out for the last monday.
Monday 16th December, Sports adventure 2 – Wreath making
This morning we made Christmas wreaths to take home, we enjoyed smelling the dried fruit and cinnamon before constructing them.
Monday 16th December, CoCoCreatives – Ten Sorry Tales
This morning we watched 10 Sorry Tales, a dance show at Dance East in Ipswich. It was dark, weird and funny, and included the scary Pierce Sisters, a horse that stole buttons, a hermit, some beautiful butterflies and the story of the girl who collected bones. It was very clever
Saturday 14th December, Saturday squad – Christmas fun
Today we made calenders, gingerbread houses and had a very chrismassy day!
Friday 13th December, Personal progress 4 and sensory craft – The final Friday before Christmas
Two of the group’s joined together and had a Christmas dinner party. Lots of delicious food! We than spent the afternoon making gingerbread houses and watching a festive film. Smiles all round 🙂
Friday 13th December, Performing Arts – Cinderella and Mercury tour
Today we went to the Mercury Theatre to see Cinderella. After the performance, we were lucky enough to go backstage to learn how all the magic works behind the scenes and also learnt a few tricks of the trade which we promised never to reveal! Then we all headed to
Thursday 12th December, CoCoCre8ives – Ipswich Art gallery
Today we visited Ipswich Art Gallery to look at the Art Forms in Nature exhibition, and sketched in our sketchbooks. After lunch at Burger King we walked back to the museum and learnt all about skeletons, ducking stools and wrote our names in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Apart from the rain it
Thursday 12th December, Personal progress 3 – Southwold
Lovely day in Southwold today. We all particularly enjoyed the pier!
Thursday 12th December, Personal progress 2 – Calendar creations
Today the group made calendars, choosing all the different pictures we wanted to stick on each month. We chose Disney films, cookies, handbags and Zayn Malik. We had a lovely day making our calendars while listening to Christmas music to get us the festive mood!
Wednesday 11th December, all groups – Aladdin rock and roll pantomime, Wolsey theatre
All groups went to see Aladdin at the Wolsey Theatre today and had an amazing time. We laughed, clapped and sang our hearts out! Afterwards we went back to CoCo and made crackers, ready for our Christmas dinner next week.
Tuesday 10th December, Sports Adventure 4 – metal detecting, yoga and meditation
Today SA4 tried out our new metal detectors on the beach at Walton. We didn’t find any treasure today but we had great fun looking! In the afternoon we joined SA4 for yoga and meditation.
Tuesday 10th December, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – hot chocolate gifts
CCE made hot chocolate gifts. We made some biscuits in the morning and in the afternoon we decorated our jars and biscuits. They were delicious and of course we had to try some!
Tuesday 10th December, Community Inclusion and Volunteering – Lakeside Christmas shopping
Today we went to Lakeside to do some Christmas shopping. We planned our way round like professional shoppers and were able to purchase all that we had set our minds on ! What a team. We even had time to try out the virtual reality sleigh. What a great day
Tuesday 10th December, Sports Adventure 3 – BCK YRD golf and yoga
Today we headed to Chelmsford for some BCK YRD GOLF. We had a go on the ‘Sid’ course first where we all found it funny to get in the bath! After lunch, we played the second course ‘Jack’ which liked the best because of all the UV street art. Back
Monday 9th December, Developing Independence 3 – Christmas markets
Today DI3 enjoyed some Christmas retail therapy!
Monday 9th December, Sports Adventure 2 – Bowling and biscuits
This morning we had a game of bowling at Braintree with plenty of spares and strikes being scored. After lunch we made Christmas biscuits which we decorated with plenty of icing and sprinkles and took home.
Monday 9th December, Sports Adventure 1 – swimming and pool
Today SA1 had a great swim at Crown Pools. We all really enjoyed ourselves and felt tired but refreshed afterwards. We went for lunch at our favourite cafe in Ipswich, Cult Cafe and had a few games of pool and planned some new sessions.
Monday 9th December, CoCoCreatives – Christmas shopping and Pizza Express
Today we hit the shops in Colchester to search for Christmas presents for family and friends. Then, as ladies-that-lunch, we spent the afternoon in Pizza Express.
Saturday 7th December, Saturday squad – Wreath making and bowling
We made some beautiful Christmas wreaths today, followed by bowling. We had a great day!
Friday 6th December, Performing Arts – Character Creation
Today the PA group went into local charity shops to search for costumes for our characters we would like to play. We had a budget we had to stick by, and we found some interesting stuff! We then went back to Milestone to work through our back stories, which included
Friday 6th December, Sensory Craft – chocolate using and Christmas Tac Pac
White chocolate tasting and Xmas Tac Pac today. We went to the shops to choose chocolate and yogurt to taste and to make our chocolateS. They where delicious. To finish the day we enjoyed Christmas Tac Pac. We loved the music and all the items to explore.
Friday 6th December, Personal progress 4 –
PP4 went to Ipswich to swim this morning and had great time, not really wanting to get out the water, loved wave machine. Returned to studio for lunch and made a Christmas card each.
Thursday 5th December, Personal Progress 1 – recreate, craft and walk
PP1 went to recreate this morning and picked out items we wanted to use for our Christmas craft. We decide to turn what we brought into Christmas trees and gingerbread man. They looked just great. We also went for a walk around Lexden Grove when we had had enough of
Thursday 5th December, Developing Independence 1 – mince pies!
DI1 had a chat about their festive mince pie gifts. They chose to check the recipe, make a list and head to the shops near Asda where they purchased ingredients and gift boxes from various stores. They all chose very different items and thoroughly enjoyed their trip, purchasing personal items
Wednesday 4th December, Self Care and Recreation – St John’s Christmas Wonderland
This morning we visited Santa, taking a ride on the train and seeing the reindeer relaxing before their busiest day of the year! In the afternoon we relaxed with some yoga and then made lots of noise with a sound board session, each choosing a song to sing.
Wednesday 4th December, Developing Independence 2 – mince pies!
We planned our day today with discussion, checking cupboards and writing shopping lists ready for this afternoon festive mince pie gifts. We headed to the local bargain shops and had a good mooch and walk in the sunshine. The group all chose their boxes and ribbons etc and worked in
Tuesday 3rd December, Sports Adventure 3 and 4 – healthy eating and cycling
This morning we looked at what fruits we would like to put in a smoothie. We all chose one from the large list that we wrote and went to Aldi to buy them. Back at CoCo, we cut all the fruit up to see what we liked and what we
Tuesday 3rd December, Community Inclusion & Volunteering – volunteering and crackers!
Today the group had their meeting and finalized their volunteer plans for in and around Colchester. Volunteering starts in January, lots of really valuable work is planned. Compliments were given on how well the group engaged. Afterwards we got some fillers for our Christmas crackers and headed back to Milestone
Tuesday 3rd December, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – Christmas decorations
CCE went to Hobbycraft this morning to choose which Christmas decorations they wanted to make. We chose hanging decorations and garlands. We liked the different textures and chose how we wanted to personalise them. Well done everyone.
Monday 2nd December, Sports Adventure 1a – Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park
Perfect day to explore Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park today, SA1a’s Christmas treat! We started off by visiting the ice sculptures. This year they were based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. To keep the sculptures from melting they keep the building at – 10°C! It felt lovely and warm when
Monday 2nd December, Sports Adventure 2 – Christmas themed walk.
Today we had great fun finding all the walk-through Christmas decorations at Freeport, we particularly liked the twinkling lights inside the giant Bauble. Because it was cold we warmed up with a nice hot chocolate. When we got back to CoCoCare we had a nice stretch and a bit of
Monday 2nd December, CoCoCreatives – Rudolph painting
Today we finished our paintings inspired by Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We had painted the background last week, and this week we used a metal cut-out of a stag”s head as a template to draw around. When we had the basic shape we painted it and added red noses
Saturday 30th November, Saturday squad – Christmas craziness.
This morning we went to Bullbanks Farm to choose our Christmas tree, we chose the biggest we could find. A massive 11 feet tall. This afternoon we decorated the tree, danced and sang to Christmas music and did a Christmas overhaul.
Friday 29th November – celebration evening 2019
Our annual celebration evening was a wonderful success. The Blue Meteors were as incredible as ever. Thank you Murray, Evelyn, Martin and John! But of course the stars of the evening were our customers. Presentations included gateway qualifications, food hygiene certificates, CoCoChallenge certificates and eight special awards for 2019. There
Friday 29th November, Sensory Craft – Christmas tree garlands
SCFT made Christmas tree garlands today. We chose and used lots of different textures to decorate them. We loved the different textures and had a lot of fun. They looked amazing. Well done everyone.
Friday 29th November, Performing Arts – rehearsal
Today was the last rehearsal of our performance for celebration evening tonight. We spent most of the day perfecting our song ready for our debut later. We also started to brainstorm ideas for our CoCoCare movie and there were quite a few!! We’ll keep you posted throughout the film making
Friday 29th November, Personal progress 4 – Hylands park & Jumpstreet.
This morning we took a stroll through Hylands park, the sun was shining and we enjoyed the fresh air. This afternoon we went to jumpstreet and bounced all our energy away.
Thursday 28th November, Developing Independence 1 – Christmas shopping
Today we went Christmas shopping. That’s all you need to know – top secret! Sorry can’t show you many photos of might give the game away…
Thursday 28th November, Personal progress 1 – Mr Mulligan’s olf
PP1 enjoyed Mr Mulligan’s golf today. Everyone was very helpful and supportive of each other and had a really great time. Well done PP1.
Thursday 28th November, Personal progress 3 – Christmas decorations and board games
This morning PP3 decorated our christmas decorations. We each had a wooden christmas tree which we painted different colours before moving onto baubles, snowflakes and trees which we all decorated in our own unique way! In the afternoon we visited Dice and a Slice for an afternoon of board games
Wednesday 27th November, Employability – coding and work experience
This morning we carried on our work with digital media by diving into the world of coding. We’ve finished the first part of our training on the CodeMonkey app and will be exploring further in the weeks to come. The group has split in the last few weeks while we
Thursday 28th November, Personal progress 3 – Swimming & Baking.
This morning we headed to Ipswich crown pools for a swimming session. We enjoyed splashing around and we worked on our confidence in the water. This afternoon we did a spot of baking for tomorrow’s celebration evening. Hope to see you there! (sorry no pics today)
Wednesday 27th November, Developing Independence – Christmas shopping
Today we braved the crowds at Lakeside to do some Christmas shopping, it was busy but there was a lovely atmosphere with carols playing and the decorations were all out. Great day !
Wednesday 27 November, Self care and Recreation – Communication, jump Street & Yoga.
This morning we played some communication based games and then represented the conversation through drawings. After lunch we headed to jump Street to burn off some energy before a relaxing yoga session.
Tuesday 26th November, Sports Adventure 3 – carnival dance and aqua springs
SA3 went to Leisure World to attend Carnival Dance Class which they all participated fabulously in, out performed the staff. All would love to go again. Had lunch then relaxed in Aqua Springs, quick refreshment before walking through castle park to get the bus back to Coco. Great day had
Tuesday 26th November, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – seasonal craft
CCE made some more Christmas decorations this morning and started our seasonal advert trees. In the afternoon we made candles and enjoyed smelling all the different scents.
Tuesday 26th November, Sports Adventure 4 – Felixstowe and yoga
A busy sporty day today, starting with a trip to Felixstowe for sports on the pier. We had a bowling tournament, followed by a basketball shootout, a skee ball competition and air hockey – we got so many prize tickets we were all able to get a prize from the
Monday 25th November, Sports Adventure 1b – ride the rails to Greenwich
This week we continued our epic adventures on the DLR with a trip to Greenwich. We all enjoyed the train journey there, had a lovely lunch looking out of the Thames (which splashed onto the path and tried to wet our feet!) And had a look at the Cutty Sark,
Monday 25th November, Sports Adventure 1a – Green run, spy mission part 2
Today we continued our mission on the District line. We solved the clues around Tower Hill and Monument. We are getting very comfortable on the underground and becoming more confident with tube maps. We chose a very nice bakery for lunch and had a great day.
Monday 25th November, CoCoCreatives – Frozen time
CCC has watched Frozen 2 today. We loved it! We have one question for you. Do you want to build a snowman? In the afternoon we used inspiration from Frozen to paint our night sky background.
Friday 22nd November – Performing Arts.
Today the PA group practiced our song ready for the Celebration Evening next Friday. Some of us have solos to sing so we all practiced out vocal warms ups with lots of different oooooo’s and mememe’s! After lunch we visited town to look at locations for our movie coming out
Sensory craft. Friday 22nd November – cinema
Sensory craft went to the Braintree Freeport to the cinema to watch Frozen 2. We all really enjoyed it. Guess who we met?
Friday 22nd November, Personal progress 4 – Cooking, Walk & Pub
This morning we did some cooking, we made burgers and chips which were thoroughly enjoyed. This afternoon we went for a walk and a bit of fresh air before ending the week with a trip to the pub.
Thursday 21st November Personal Progress 2 and 3 – party planning
Today we started thinking about our Christmas party – it’s only a month away! We planned our party lunch, and thought about the games and activities we’d like to take part in. Then we got good and messy making props and game pieces out of recycled materials and poster paint.
Thursday 21st November, Personal Progress 1 – Colchester Zoo
Today we went to Colchester Zoo. As a group we chose a route around the zoo which incorporated all our favourite animals, such as the sun bears, elephants, lions and lorikeets. We also enjoyed creating our own dinosaurs and scanning them onto the interactive screen to be part of a
21st November, CoCoCre8ives – Stonham Barns
Today we travelled to Stonham Barns again in order to pick up the pottery items we painted on our previous visit. They look great! Then we went into the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. We saw meerkats, rabbits, eagles and an angry buzzard as well as lots of owls, including the snowy
Wednesday 20th November, Self Care and Recreation – Participate
Today we went to Snape Maltings to take part in participate, a music workshop. We thought about Autumn and used instruments to make the noises heard during Autumn. We also made up our own song about the colours of Autumn after adding leaves we had decorated to a tree. We
Wednesday 20th November, Developing Independence – Mr Mulligans golf
Today we finally got to Mr Mulligan’s indoor golf, other groups have all said how good it, they were right ! We did the fairground course and we all really enjoyed it. Afterwards we braved the cold weather and hit the shops at Barleylands
Tuesday 19th November, Sports Adventure 4 – Bowling and Maldon
Today we wended our merry way to Braintree for a game of bowling and a flutter on the 2p machines. Everybody got a great score on the bowling, and loads of tickets out of the 2p machines – we had a great time. Before we headed back to Milestone we
Tuesday 19th November, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – Topiary trees and bath bombs
CCE made topiary trees and bath bombs. We chose and bought the flowers we wanted and everyone create there own design. In the afternoon we made bath bombs. We enjoyed all the different scents and everyone had a different favour
Tuesday 19th November, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – Topiary trees and bath bombs
CCE made topiary trees and bath bombs. We chose and bought the flowers we wanted and everyone create there own design. In the afternoon we made bath bombs. We enjoyed all the different scents and everyone had a different favourite.
Tuesday 19th November, Community Inclusion / Volunteering
Today we continued researching local volunteering opportunities and discussed the reasons why we volunteer, what are the benefits for all concerned and outcomes. We then went to the pub for lunch and went to First Site for a look about. We ended the day admiring CoCoCare’s art exhibition at Level
Friday 15th November, Performing Arts – cinema, the Peanut Butter Falcon
Our PA group went to firstsite this afternoon to see the Peanut Butter Falcon. Everyone enjoyed this amazing film which was both funny and thought provoking. Catch it if you can, you won’t be disappointed!
Monday 18th November, Sports Adventure 1 – ride the rails
While some of SA1 were completing their spy mission on the district line, the others were challenging themselves on the DLR. Really proud of what you achieved today.
Monday 18th November, Developing Independence 3 – Ipswich
Today DI3 went to Ipswich to take part in various challenges around Ipswich Town centre.
Monday 18th November, Sports adventure 2 – Hylands park.
This morning we made a trip out to Hylands park in Chelmsford to try out the inclusive park. Everyone really enjoyed using the different play equipment and taking a stroll. A cheeky stop at Costa for lunch before we head back for the afternoon.
Monday 18th November, CoCoCreatives – inner space : outer space & firstsite
This morning we visited our inner space : outer space art exhibition at Level Best Art Cafe. It was great to see our work all displayed together. Then we walked over to Firstsite to look at Antony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles. Some of our feedback: “They are looking
Monday 18th November, Sports Adventure 1 – Green run, spy mission
Today some of SA1 went to London to experience tube travel. We started our treasure trail by traveling on the district line to Earls Court. We are very proud of the guys, some of whom had not had any experience of tube travel before and were very nervous at the
Friday 15th November, Sensory Craft – cheese and wine tasting & omi vista demo
SCFT enjoyed cheese and wine, tasting (and smelling!). We went to the shops to have a look at the different cheeses and wine we could try. We came back with a nice selection and had a lovely afternoon tasting them. We also really liked the interactive floor.
Friday 15th November – omi vista demo
We had a demonstration of the omi vista today. This is a system that responds to gesture and movement creating dynamic images on surfaces including floors, tables and wheelchair trays etc. We are hoping to be able to deliver more sensory IT experiences for our customers with pmld. We were
Thursday 14th November. Cooking, Hockey and Bowling.
We combined groups today and half of us played a rousing game of Hockey while the other half of us made pizza, bread and butter pudding and crumble. Then this afternoon we all went bowling.
Thursday 14th November, CoCoCreatives – William Morris gallery
Today we visited the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow to find out all about William Morris’ life and work. We discovered that he was a designer and craftsman, as well as a poet. He ran his own business Morris & Co that designed and produced wallpaper, furniture, stained glass and
Wednesday 13th November, Developing Independence 2 – Sealife Centre
Today we went to the Southend Sealife Adventure Centre. We all got up close and personal with the amazing sea and land creatures they have. Some of us were really taken with the red tailed catfish, he was stunning ! We learned about some of the creatures that were rescued
First aid at work training
Don’t worry, there hasn’t been a big accident today! Fran and Ian are with St John Ambulance, completely their first aid at work.
Tuesday 12th November, Community Inclusion & Volunteering – volunteering, bowling and ninja tag
Today we worked on our Gateway Qualification workbooks relating to volunteering, we also researched using the laptops. After lunch some of us tried Ninja Tag, we loved that ! The other half of the group went bowling, the strikes were coming thick and fast. We then had a volunteering plan
Monday 11th November, Sports Adventure 1 – Ipswich a Waterfront Walk and ninja tag
We went to Ipswich today and had a lovely drink in the Cult cafe where we also had a few games of pool and ate our lunch. We then walked to the Butter Market along the Waterfront where we had a couple of games of Ninja Tag. We all had
Monday 11th November, CoCoCreatives – Dangerous Pockets
Today we had an exciting visitor – Paula MacGregor from the Dangerous Pockets community arts project. She explained where the idea for the project had come from, and read out a poem by Sharon Owens called Dangerous Coats, which starts: Someone clever once said Women were not allowed pockets In
Saturday 9th November, Saturday Squad –
This morning we went swimming at leisure world, we all loved it. This afternoon we started our Christmas string art – we’re really pleased with how they’re turning out!
Monday 11th November, Sports Adventure 2 – Bowling and Soundboard
This morning we headed out to play a game of bowling. This afternoon it was soundboard, we had a great day!
Monday 11th November, Developing Independence 3 – baking
DI3 are beginning to look at diet and healthy eating, and for their first foray into planning their own meals and dishes they made cheesecake. It looks like they had an amazing time!
Friday 8th November, inner space : outer space preview evening
We had a wonderful evening tonight at Level Best for the preview evening of our art exhibition inner space : outer space. As always, really proud of what our amazing customers and staff can achieve. We are already buzzing with ideas for next year! The exhibition will be on display
Preview evening
45 minutes left to see our art exhibition at the preview evening. Come on down. There is still wine available!
Thursday 7th November, Personal progress 2 – Christmas crafts & Sensory fun.
Today we made advent calenders ready for Christmas, they were all unique and wonderful! This afternoon we had some sensory fun – mouldable foam was popular with all, we love to get messy.
Thursday 7th November, Delivering Independence 1 – Gateway and baking
Today the group kick started their next phase of gateway qualification. We spent the morning planning sections of our qualifications and the coming weeks. After lunch the group got messy making cakes for Cococares art exhibition.
Wednesday 6th November, Self Care and Recreation – beach clean and games
SCR went to Cudmore Grove on Mersea for a beach clean and games. We took out litterpickers and had a look any rubbish lying around, but we have to say, it was quite clean. After lunch we played hoopla and enjoyed some parachute games, seeing how high we could get
Thursday 7th November, Personal Progress 1 – Colchester Castle
PP1 went to Colchester castle today. We liked trying on all the different clothes and some of the more interactive items to look at. We went to the Swan in the afternoon to talk about other places we wanted to visit and things we wanted to do.
Thursday 7th November, CoCoCreatives – art delivery
Delivering our artwork to Level Best Art Cafe. Looking forward to our preview evening tomorrow. Please come along!
Thursday 7th November, Personal Progress 3 – Centre for Computing History
Today we travelled to sunny Cambridge to explore the Centre for Computing History. We were all really excited to have a go on all the equipment, to try out some games and to see how technology has changed. Maria demonstrated some ninja-level skills on Centipede too. We all had a
Thursday 7th November, CoCoCreatives – Space junk
This morning we put the finishing touches to our Space Junk artwork, just in time for hanging in our exhibition Inner Space : Outer Space. The exhibition opens at Level Best Art Cafe tomorrow – come along to our preview event from 5.30 to see what else we have been
inner space : outer space
inner space : outer space Eventbrite – CoCoCare presents inner space : outer space – Friday, November 8, 2019 at Level Best Art Cafe, Colchester, Essex. Find event and ticket information.
Tuesday November 5th, Sports Adventure 4 – Maldon
We had an adventure around Maldon today, taking in the last of the Autumn sunshine. We enjoyed the promenade and stopped for a hot chocolate to warm our fingers. The tea room we visited was on a boat, which was quite exciting! When we got back we all had a
Tuesday 5th November, Community Inclusion & Volunteering group – Planning and Jimmy’s farm.
Today we worked on our volunteer work books and discussed what volunteering means to us and the people we volunteer for. We chatted about different charities and opportunities and wrote down our thoughts and planned our next volunteer workshop. In the afternoon we went for a walk around Jimmy’s Park
Tuesday 5th November, CoCoCreatives Enterprise – 3D poppies
CCE made 3d poppies. Everyone decided there own design. They are all individual, but amazing. We finished off our space items and started our seasonal trees.
Monday 28th October and 4th November, CoCoCreatives – art exhibition finishing touches
CoCoCreatives have been putting the finishing touches to our artwork for the upcoming exhibition at Level Best Art Cafe. Don’t forget, it’s the preview evening this Friday from 5.30 till 8pm. We are looking forward to showing you all our ‘space’ related art. Most work is for sale and you’ll
Monday afternoon 4th November, Sports Adventure 2 – soundboard
This afternoon we did soundboard and sensory exploration. Everyone was really engaged and enjoyed the singing. Lots of smiles all round.
Monday morning 4th November, Sports Adventure 2 – Ice skating
This morning we all went ice skating. Everybody loved it and we’re really engaged and laughing. It was a great morning
Monday 4th November, Sports Adventure 1 – Walton, 10,000 steps
We had a lovely day exploring the Naze and finding the remains of its World War II heritage. We climbed up the Naze Tower to take in the beautiful views before lunch, then headed down to the beach for a spot of fossil hunting. At the end we looked at
Saturday 2nd November, Saturday squad cinema and art
This morning we went to the cinema and watched Abominable, everyone really enjoyed the film and have given good reviews. This afternoon we spent time in the studio finishing off our masterpiece for the art exhibition.
Congratulations Maria, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in humanities (classical studies)
Today our wonderful support worker Maria graduated. After years of hard work she received her degree, with the Open University. We are very proud of you Maria!
Friday November 1st, Sensory Craft – soundboard
SCFT 1st Nov. SCFT enjoyed soundbroad today. Everyone was really engaged, very responsive and had such a nice time.
Tuesday 29th October, CoCoEnterprise – Halloween crafts
CCE made spooky Halloween crafts. We made spooky bags, t shirts and pumpkins. Everyone was very pleased with what they made.
Friday 1st November, Personal Progress 4 – string art
This morning we painted the background for our string art designs. After lunch we finished painting and started adding pins to our designs ready for the string. We also watched monsters university and had a few nibbles. Lots of laughs shared today
Thursday 31st October, Halloween party part 1
We had a fabulous halloween party today. I think the pictures speak for themselves!
Wednesday 30th October 2019, Self Care and Recreation – Beth Chatto pumpkin hunt andFish tank research
Today we went on a pumpkin hunt at Beth Chatto Gardens and found all ten in order to claim a mini pumpkin! This afternoon we went to Mill Race Nursery and Aquatics to have a look at the different fish available ready for our very own fish tank.
Wednesday 30th October, Developing Independence – Brightlingsea beach art
Today we made beach art. After collecting our artifacts from Brightlingsea beach, it was cold ! We went to our art studio to compete our own sand and shell art.
Monday 28th October, Sports Adventure 1- Marks Hall spooky trail and basketball
It was a beautiful morning. We completed the spooky trail and had a detour into the walled garden, where some of us enjoyed rolling down the hill like 8 year olds! We won our small pumpkins before having lunch and then playing basketball. We were all incredibly tired at the
Friday 25th October, Personal progress 4 – pumpkin catching and birthday celebrations
Today we carved and decorated our own pumpkins ready for Halloween. This afternoon we had cake and drinks celebrating a birthday.
Thursday 24th October, Developing Independence – Duxford
Today the group jetted down the M11 to the Imperial War Museum – Duxford. We spent the day looking at our past and present aviation trimuphs and looking at our great RAF history. The group even tried VR headsets and walked through a Concorde plane !
Thursday 24th October, Personal Progress 3- Spooky biscuits
We spent this morning making spooky biscuits: pumpkins, ghosts witches, skulls and bats galore. Hopefully they don’t taste too scary!
Wednesday 23rd October, Personal Progress 6 – Shop, Cook, Eat and sensory session
We did shop, cook, eat and switch work in the sensory room today. We chose which ingredients to put in for our mixed fruit crumble. And liked the different textures and smells. We spent some time in the sensory room and linked up the switches and microphone.
Tuesday 22nd October, Sports Adventure 3 – Foot golf, driving range and yoga
Today SA3 planned for future sessions before going out and playing foot golf! We decided that as we enjoyed foot golf so much we would stay and test our golf skills further by going to the driving range after lunch! Once we were all golfed-out we went back to Milestone
Wednesday 23rd October, Self Care and Recreation – Fish tank and scrapbooking
SCR spent the morning in Assington to plan our new fish tank. It is getting very exciting! They might have also sneaked a tasty breakfast in aswell at the farm cafe. Shhhh! In the afternoon they updated their scrapbooks.
Wednesday 23rd October, Developing Independence 2- colchester zoo
Our group went to Colchester Zoo. We found animals and parts of the Zoo we had not seen before ! We even had mallard ducks join us for lunch. We got to see 4 of the big 5 today !
Tuesday 22nd October, CoCoEnterprise – pumpkin bird feeders
CCE made pumpkin bird feeders. We loved the textures and the smells. Everyone really enjoyed making them and worked really hard. Well done.
Tuesday 22nd October, Sports Adventure 4 – Hylands Park and Jump Street
We had a really lovely walk in the sun in Hylands park this morning and had a play on their accessible adventure playground. Then this afternoon we went to Jump Street and bounced on the trampolines.
Monday 21st October, Sports Adventure 1, Hockey, pub lunch and Laser Quest
We had a competitive game of hockey this morning before going to Enfield for lunch and some games of Laser Quest. Well fought war everyone!
Thursday 17th October, 21st birthday celebrations
We are celebrating a 21st birthday today. The morning was spent baking, pampering and decorating the hall. Then we all sat down for a birthday lunch of domino’s pizza and Ask Italian before exerting a bit of energy to work off the birthday cake!
inner space : outer space art exhibition
It’s not long now until our art exhibition at Level Best Art Cafe in Colchester. The theme of the exhibition is Inner Space : Outer Space and we’ve all interpreted that theme in different ways. Come to our free preview evening on Friday 8th November from 5.30 to 8.30 (there
Tuesday 15th Oct – CoCoEnterprise – Space canvases
Today we made space themed canvas’. Once the paint is dry we are going to put little lights in them so that the stars twinkle.
Wednesday 16th October – Self Care and Recreation /Personal Progress 6 – Participate, Snape Maltings
Our groups combined together today to create some beautiful music, at Participate Snape Maltings using different musical instruments and our voices to make our very own opera! We based our opera on the 50th anniversary of Concorde breaking the sound barrier.
16th October 2019 – Developing Independence – Halloween art
The group made a spooky start to Halloween this year with a shop and craft session ending up in the studio crafting our halloween decorations. Everyone chose their craft of choice for spooktackular celebrations.
Tuesday 15th Oct – CoCoEnterprise – Space canvases
Today we made space themed canvas’. Once the paint is dry we are going to put little lights in them so that the stars twinkle.
Monday 14th October 2019 – Sports Adventure 1 – ArcelorMittal Orbit
SA1 went to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park today to ride the slide! Unfortunately due to the weather it had been closed. However, we took the opportunity to go to the top of the orbit and saw the slide up close so we could decide who wanted to give it
Monday 14th October 2019 – CoCoCreatives – Space banner
Today we worked on a banner for our Inner Space: Outer Space exhibition. First we ironed the creases out of the fabric, then we protected the tables with cling film and newspaper and laid the fabric out flat. Next we heated up the wax and used tjantings to create wax
Monday 14th October, CoCoCreatives – Space banner
Today we worked on a banner for our Inner Space: Outer Space exhibition. First we ironed the creases out of the fabric, then we protected the tables with cling film and newspaper and laid the fabric out flat. Next we heated up the wax and used tjantings to create wax
Monday 15th July, CoCoCreatives, Hyde Hall
Today the CoCoCreatives group went to Hyde Hall to take photos of the flowers using disposable cameras, to use for inspiration later on. We had a lovely day and even had a trip on mobility car!
Performing Arts, Friday 12th July, Crown pools and Holywells Park
Today the Performing Arts group went to Ipswich Crown Pools to enjoy a bit of swimming and beach ball games. Then in the afternoon, we went to have fun at Holywells Park and someone decided they wanted to do more swimming under the sprinklers!
Personal progress 4, Friday 12th July, bags and cushion covers.
PP4 have been designing and drawing their own cushion covers and bags
Developing Independence 1, Thursday 11th July, bug hotel
DI1 group spent the morning preparing the area for pallets. Area was raked, weeds pulled and levelled out before placing two pallets on top of each other. In the afternoon a nice walk to the Live and Let Live pub.
Personal progress 1&2, Thursday 11th July, poppies
Personal Progression groups second session on their poppy’s this morning. Yes we all got covered in paint but the end result is top work ! A painted his horse and did the framing himself.
Personal progress 3, Thursday 11th July, pedaloes
Today PP3 went to Alton Water and Suffolk food hall. We had a great time in the pedaloes!
Theatre skills, Wednesday 10th July, drumming and Maori sticks
This morning, the Theatre and music skills group went to a great drumming workshop at Colchester Arts Centre, it was very loud and tired us out! Then this afternoon we played some drama games and used Maori sticks on each other and relaxing music to chill us out.
Developing Independence 2, Wednesday 10th July, gateway qualifications
DI2 showing us how they are grasping their Gateway qualification today.
Sports adventure 3 and Community Interaction and volunteering
Today SA3 and CIV joined together to take a trip to Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds. We all decided to brave the maze which was a bit overgrown!! After several wrong turns and dead ends, we just about made in out in one piece. After lunch at the park
CoCoCreatives Enterprise, Tuesday 9th July,
CCE enjoyed their time at Wivenhoe park. They spent the morning creating a twig bird mobile. Great teamwork by all. The mobile was left up to provide a beautiful display for the community to admire. In the afternoon, we had lunch at the Rose and Crown. The staff were great
CoCoCreatives, Monday 8th July, Travelling Sketchbook
Today CoCoCreatives created a page for the Travelling Sketchbook that is currently at 37 Queen Street. Using our own paintings as a background, we added quotes and phrases that we sourced from magazines to inspire us and anyone else who sees the sketchbook on its artistic journey around Essex. We
Sports adventure 2, Monday 8th July, Wicken Fen
SA went to Wicken Fen today for a walk around the nature reserve. We saw lots of different insects including butterflies, bees, a bumble bee, damselflies, a chiffchaff and some very large dragonflies!! We all enjoyed watching the different birds while we had lunch. After lunch, we had a stroll
Sports adventure 2, Monday 8th July, Wicken Fen
SA2 went to Wicken Fen today for a walk around the nature reserve. We saw lots of different insects including butterflies, bees, a bumble bee, damselflies, a chiffchaff and some very large dragonflies!! We all enjoyed watching the different birds while we had lunch. After lunch, we had a stroll
Performing arts, Friday 5th July, Bures dragon
After a failed attempt at Aqua fit (through no fault of our own), the Performing Arts group had a lovely day- we had lunch at Bures and then did some exercise in the park. This afternoon, we went to find the Bures Dragon and enjoyed the beautiful scenery!
Personal progress 1&2, Thursday 4th July, Colchester Zoo
Zoo day today. Lovely hot weather. Unfortunately this meant some of the animals were hiding.
Developing Independence 1, Thursday 4th July, Museum of Technology
DI group went to Cambridge today to visit the Museum of Technology and look at the pump house and how it used to work although some of us weren’t too keen on how it used to smell!!! After a walk around the museum and lunch with a view of the
Employability, Wednesday 3rd July, work experience
All in another days work…
Developing Independence 2, Wednesday 3rd July, Emirates airline
DI group at the Emirates Cable Car. J decided to stay ‘on land’ and wave the others off…
Theatre skills, Wednesday 3rd July, ceramic painting
TS have been busy painting ceramics at Greenstead Green. The afternoon was spent at Chappel Millennium Green.
CoCoCreatives Enterprise, Tuesday 2nd June, kites!
CCE had a great day making their Kites. We went to Castle Park to fly them but no wind to fly them well. We asked the Loch Ness monster for some huff and puff but still no wind so walked back to the studio.
Tuesday 2nd July, community integration and volunteering, Moyse hall museum
This morning CIV weren’t to Mouse’s hall museum and had a look around their new Alice in Wonderland displays.
Sports adventure 3, Tuesday 2nd July, marks hall and bowling
This morning the Sports Adventure group went for a walk around Marks Hall. We played hide and seek in the walled garden and did an alphabet scavenger hunt with some interesting results. This afternoon SA went bowling. Lots of support for each other and encouragement going on with a few
Sports adventure 1 & 2, Monday 1st July
SA1 & 2 combined this afternoon and decided to have a foot race. Safe to say everyone has worn themselves out but there was some good sportsmanship!
CoCoCreatives, Monday 1st July, fab re if shopping
This morning the CCC group went fabric shopping and now we can make more beeswax wraps and a starry wallhanging. We chose fabrics covered in flowers, unicorns, sheep, cakes and sloths. How do you pronounce sloth? We also popped into Poundland and then had smoothies at Costa to help us
Performing arts, Friday 28th June, improvisation
This morning Performing Arts have been working hard on their improvisation skills, creating a scene in pairs between a doctor and the a patient. They were very comical and some of them very realistic!! The group also enjoyed a few drama games and vocal exercises which kept us on our
Developing Independence 1, Thursday 27th June, bug hotel
This afternoon the DI group have been clearing some ground at Milestone for our bug hotel. We found lots of twigs that we can use too. We are thinking up names for our bug hotel. Any ideas?
Personal progress 1 & 2, Thursday 27th June, Helmingham Hall
Today PP1 and PP2 went to Helmingham Hall where we went to walk around the spectacular grounds and gardens in the great weather, looking at their vegetable patches, flowers and even a moat!
Employability, Wednesday 26th June, work experience and presentation
At Sue Rider this morning for work experience. Tasks included sorting out all the DVDs into alphabetical order and putting back on the shelves. In the afternoon all the group had a make up a and hair session. Customers loved putting on the makeup and experimenting with colours, even Tom
Theatre skills, Wednesday 26th June, Participate, Snape Maltings
Today the Theatre Skills group went to Snape Maltings to take part in the ‘Participate’ music workshop. We experimented with lots of different musical instruments and even made our own songs. Everyone really enjoyed it!
Theatre skills, Wednesday 26th June, Participate, Snape Maltings
Today the Theatre Skills group went to Snape Maltings to take part in the ‘Participate’ music workshop. We experimented with lots of different musical instruments and even made our own songs. Everyone really enjoyed it!
Theatre skills, Wednesday 27th June, Participate, Snape Maltings
Today the Theatre Skills group went to Snape Maltings to take part in the ‘Participate’ music workshop. We experimented with lots of different musical instruments and even made our own songs. Everyone really enjoyed it!
Developing Independence 2, Wednesday 26th June, car boot sale
The weather was kind enough for DI group to hold their car boot sale today. Selling and interactions were really good.
CoCoCreatives Enterprise, Tuesday 25th June, sunflowers and piñatas.
CCE had a great morning designing flower pots for sowing our sun flower seeds. After a relaxing lunch we finished off our piñatas
CoCoCreatives, Monday 24th June, Level Best
CCC also went to the Level Best Cafe to prepare the art exhibition in November by measuring the space.
CoCoCreatives, Monday 24th June, resin coasters
This morning we were excited to see how our resin coasters looked now they are dry. How beautiful they are! We are looking forward to making more of these, including some to sell at craft fairs.
Sports adventure 2, Monday 24th June, Thorndon Forest
SA2 enjoyed going to Thornden Forest to follow the Gruffalo trail. We found them all and completed the trail!!
Sports adventure 1, Monday 24th June, swimming and beach games
We all enjoyed dovercourt beach and the beach hut today. Some of us swam in the sea, which was lovely and warm. Others enjoyed playing volleyball and cricket. We ate fish and chips in the rain. Well it is summer!
Personal progress 1 and 2, Thursday 20th June, Hatfield forest
Today we enjoyed a game of rounders after a walk around the forest
Personal progress 3, Thursday 20th June, Bushcraft
This morning we went adventuring into the woods, set up our camp and built a campfire. The best bit was eating the sticky and sweet s’mores that we made! We had a woodland picnic then came back to do some gardening and some sensory interaction.
EMPLOYABILITY, Wednesday 19th June, work experience
Two of our employability group carried out another session of work experience at the Sue Ryder shop. They completed their induction package which included health and safety, risk assessments, safe guarding, manual handling, pat testing, coshh and safe systems of work. Both thought the morning was awesome and practised good
Developing Independence 2, Wednesday 19th June, car boot sale prep.
This morning we have been cleaning sunglasses, which were kindly donated to us, ready for the car boot sale. We all found a pair we liked and thought we should try them on!!
Community integration and volunteering, Tuesday 18th June, gardening at Milestone
Some great hedge trimming skills shown today while others in the group cut the grass and loaded up the bus for some runs to the tip. The day was rounded off with a drink at the pub for all the hard work.
Sports adventure 3, Tuesday 18th June, VR Gaming, basketball and tennis
SA3 are out this morning entering the world of virtual reality! We’ve walked the plank, fought dragons and went to the Savannah to see the wild animals. Everyone enjoyed the experience and would do it again!!! This afternoon was spent playing basketball and tennis!
Sports Adventure 2, Monday 17th June, ACE open day
SA2 enjoying the open day at ACE (Anglian Community Enterprise in Witham. Bug hotels have been made, Boccia’s been played, goals have been scored and a chill out in the sensory room trying out all the equipment!!!!
Sports adventure, Monday 17th June, stonham barns golf
SA1 spent an exciting day playing golf at stonham barn. Customers had a fun filled day which included mini golf, lunch on the picnic park, browsing the amazing gift shops, refreshments and then 35 minutes on hillside trampoline.. the sun was shining, birds singing and every one had a hoot
CoCoCreatives, Monday 17th June, Beeswax wraps
This morning the CoCoCreatives made own waxed wraps with beeswax and pre-washed fabric that we’d bought from Franklin’s. They are an environmentally friendly alternative to cling film and can be rinsed and used over and over again. We chose fabric printed with bread, apples, bananas and watermelon.
Sports Adventure 2, Monday 17th June, ACE day
SA2 enjoying the open day at ACE in Witham. Bug hotels have been made, Boccia’s been played, goals have been scored and a chill out in the sensory room trying out all the equipment!!!!
CoCo News
PA group went to Jimmy’s farm this morning and then went shopping for fruit to make healthy smoothies.
Personal progress 3, Thursday 13th June, gardening at Milestone
PP3 have had a very green-fingered day. They visited a garden centre to choose and buy some shrubs for our garden. This afternoon we weeded, raked, pruned and planted and have made the front of the building even nicer than it already was!
Personal progress 1 & 2, Thurgau 13th June, poppies
Today Personal Progress 1 and 2 had a lovely day today. We went to Hobbycraft in the morning to get some clay and utensils to make some remembrance poppies and this afternoon we all worked hard to create as many poppies as we could!
Developing Independence, Thursday 13th June, Roman Circus
This afternoon we had a great tour of the Colchester Roman Circus where we learnt all about charioteers and walked through the vomitarium. We found out that the day of the circus was a really exciting and loud event with the crowd fighting and gambling ,and some charioteers and horses
Developing Independence, Thursday 13th June, Pride
DI group had a discussion on what is the Gay pride flag and what do the rainbow colours mean.
Employability, Wednesday 12th June
EMP group have been given a challenge to buy goods at a good price, then market the items and sell. They have learnt skills in communication., haggling, team work and money management. They found the task challenging and enjoyable.
Sports Adventure 3, Tuesday 11th June, walk and adventure golf
Today SA3 went to Felixstowe for a stroll on the beach then crazy golf after lunch. We all enjoyed the fresh air, sunny weather and cool breeze!!
CoCoCreatives Enterprise, Tuesday 11th June, Father’s Day gift
CCE have been making Father’s day picture box gifts. They really loved choosing their crafts to put in. We had an afternoon walk round the town for exercise and chose healthy refreshments in Starbucks. Excellent day all round.
Sports Adventure, Monday 10th June, swimming and pool
Today SA went to Crown pools swimming, lunch at wetherspoons, followed by a couple of games of pool.
Saturday squad, Saturday 8th June, the Queen’s tea party
This morning we’ve been making decorations and crowns for our tea party this afternoon. Happy birthday to the Queen herself!
Performing Arts, Friday 7th June, Theatre Royal tour
The performing arts group had a lovely day today visiting the Theatre Royal at Bury St Edmunds, having a guided tour around the theatre and backstage.
Personal Progress 4, Friday 7th June, Greenwich
PP4 ventured to Greenwich today to experience the Emirates cable car across the Thames. The rain and wind couldn’t stop us.
After school club, Thursday 6th June
After a hard day at school, ASC enjoyed some healthy wraps for snack and a game of Jenga and a drink in the garden!!!
Personal progress 1&2, Thursday 6th June, Stowe Maries aerodrome
PP1 & PP2 are at Stow Marie’s aerodrome today celebrating the 75th anniversary since DD day. We were also fortunate enough to watch a plane take off.
Employability, Wednesday 5th June, work preparation
This morning the Employability group looked at the different clothing required for different jobs.
Developing Independence 2, Wednesday 5th June, car boot sale preparation
DI2 This morning was spent at Marks Tey Car Boot, this has helped us to decide on our pricing. This afternoon we are checking our goods and pricing them. Everyone has focused on the job in hand really well.
Theatre skills, Wednesday 5th June
Today TS practiced some games of passing the bean bag to each other in a line and then in pairs. After a lovely session of yoga, we had a lunchtime concert at Lion Walk Church and then a drink at the Lion Walk Cafe to end the afternoon!
Sports Adventure 3, Tuesday 4th June, Clip and climb
Excellent climbing today!
CoCoCreatives enterprise, Tuesday 4th June, piñatas
The pinatas are coming on really well now!
Sports adventure 2, Monday 3rd June, sailing at Alton Water
SA2 went sailing at Alton Water. Weather was lovely there were smiles all round.
Sports adventure, Monday 3rd June, rowing at Thorpeness
Sports adventure were joined by some of our CoCoCreatives group today and had great fun rowing on the Mere at Thorpeness. Almost everyone tried rowing. It was very interesting swapping places to take turns with rowing shall we say! Fortunately no-one went swimming!
Performing Arts, Friday 31st May, music video
The performing arts group had a lovely day making their own music video to the Queen song ‘A crazy little thing called love’. We all enjoyed getting dressed up, having a dance and singing along, even going to the woods to get some shots.
Saturday squad, 1st June 2019, mosaics
The Saturday squad as they call themselves, are working on their mosaic project inspired by the planets and the solar system. Ready to bask in the glorious sunshine with a drink and ice cream later today.
DI, 30/5/2019, Fingringhoe Wick
Today we visited Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve to take part in some bug hunting. We found three different types of ladybird, ants, a really pretty blue dragonfly, green leafed moths, woodlice, a jumping spider and a beetle. We had a picnic then a hike through the undergrowth to Crawshaw Hide.
DI, 29/5/2019, National Heritage centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art
DI group at Newmarket Palace Museum. Some budding jockeys galloping on the horse racing simulator and enjoying the 5 acre estate !
CCE, 29/5/2019, Milestone
CCE had a great day making light clouds. It was challenging but customers worked through it and achieved amazing results. In the afternoon as it was raining a group was asked to make short bread biscuits which went down a treat .
CIV, 28/5/2019, National Heritage centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art
The CIV group visited the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket today. We had a tour round behind the scenes and had a go on the racing simulator. We didn’t let the rain dampen our spirits.
PA, 24/5/2019, Kentwell Hall
Great day at Kentwell Hall History Day with the Performing Arts group. We explored different periods from medieval to the sixties. Some of us even ended up in the stocks!
DI, 23/5/2019, Hatfield
Personal Progression group ditched swimming to spend a glorious day in the sun at the National Trust Hatfield!
DI, 23/5/2019, Milestone
The DI group are holding a pool tournament today. We even have special guests and a new made-to-measure shortened rest that’s already proven to help with shot accuracy. Oh and cheers from the pub!
CI/V, 21/5/2019, Milestone
Community inclusion and vouluntering proudly present their veg, fruit and herb project. Everyone has contributed and all have enjoyed the project so far.
SA3, 21/5/2019, Sudbury
After a hard morning’s work for sports adventure at Sudbury leisure centre with all of us playing volleyball and relaxing in the jacuzzi and sauna, some of us decided to carry on the hard work on the assault course and gym equipment whilst the others played a civilized game of
EMP, WEDNESDAY 15/5/19, INTERVIEW PRESENTATION
Employability group were given the task of comparing made to measure suits and off the peg suits. The men visited Moss Brothers for a fitting service suit and the ladies went to Principals in Debenhams. They looked at quality suits and then visited Primark for the equivalent clothing and the
DI, WEDNESDAY 15/5/19 KERSEY MILL
DI group relaxing in the grounds of Kersey Mill after some fun crafting in the house. Such a glorious day in suffolk.
CIV, Tuesday 14/5/19, BBQ @ Thetford
The Community Inclusion & volunteering group went to Thetford today enjoying the glorious weather, park games and BBQ.
CCE, Tuesday 14/5/19 piñatas
CCE had a lovely day today creating their own piñatas. Due to the great weather, we enjoyed lunch in the studio garden. Some of us even turned it into an athletic competition!
SA2, Tuesday 14/5/19
Sports Adventure went downhill quickly this week! We had a whale of a time hurtling down a slope on toboggans at the Suffolk Ski Centre, as well as a visit to Alton Water to enjoy some fresh air and to enjoy the outdoor equipment.
SA, Monday 13/5/19, walk at Wicken Fen
Sports Adventure had a wonderful walk today at Wicken Fen. We walked about 4 miles in the glorious sunshine. And finished the day with ice creams in deck chairs! Oscar the dog really enjoyed the walk and all the attention too!
CCC, MONDAY 13/5/19, Headspace 1
CoCoCreatives created our own Headspaces today, using paper mache and balloons to create our very own heads! We then made a list of things that are in our headspace- our interests and our feelings. In the afternoon, we went shopping to find our items to put inside our ‘brain’! Ranging
SA2, Monday 13/5/19, den building
SA2 enjoyed exploring highwoods country park today, we climbed on some of the climbing structures and did some den building. This afternoon we went for a drink at the pub and enjoyed soaking up the sun in the pub garden.
Developing Independence 1. Thursday 9/5/19
DI enjoying the lunch they have prepared. Jacket potatoes with beans, cheese and salad. Yum! They followed this by fun relaxing games!
Personal progress 3. Thursday 9/5/19
PP3 have enjoyed a day riding the rails (and wheels) at the East Anglian Transport museum. Stepping back in time was good fun for all of us – we particularly enjoyed getting our tickets clipped by conductors and chatting with the railway staff, and the diesel locomotive driving past us
Performing Arts. Friday 3/5/19
PA participating in the light performance they saw on 3rd May. All enjoyed being involved in the use of the props and dressing up afterwards especially L! A and J especially enjoyed the dancing at the end as well as having a slice of cake and cup of tea!
Personal progress 1&2. Thursday 2/5/19
Personal Progress groups meeting one of the camels at Oasis Camel park. The camel was certainly friendly and was waiting to take our customers on a ride around the farm. This was also a farewell to T who chose the activity for the day.
Theatre skills. Wednesday 8/5/19
Today the Theatre Skills group went to town to choose some self care products to use back at CoCo. They looked at different face masks, each choosing one as well as hair products and teeth care. Back at CoCo, the group all brushed their teeth and then applied our face
Employability. Wednesday 8/5/19
The employability group are out choosing clothing that they would wear to go to an interview. Skills learnt are about co-ordination, sizing, consideration of pricing. E asked for assistance to match shoes to her outfit. The key is to select clothes that are suitable for an interview and work experience.
Developing Independence 2. Wednesday 8/5/19
Developing Independence group discussing differences between relationships, known and unknown relationships that lead to safe and unsafe relationships. Working towards their posters and Gateway qualification. Also J has been working on his art work for a number of weeks now. This is his interpretation of ‘space’ street art filling space
Sports Adventure 3. Tuesday 7/5/19
Sports Adventure 3 went out and about in Walton today experiencing life from a different perspective. We all rented wheelchairs and had a day propelling ourselves around Walton on the Naze, which was a new experience for us all! We found out how difficult it was to find places to
CoCoCreatives Enterprise. Tuesday 7/5/19
The group were in the art studio today making 3D rainbow flowers. Beautiful.
Community integration and volunteering. Tuesday 7/5/19
Our community integration and volunteering group started their herb garden today, the latest addition to Milestone. They went to Poplar Nurseries to select the plants and even had a cheeky go on the miniature railway.
Our blog returns!
Apologies for our non-existent blog over the last few months, we have had technical problems with the site and also issues caused by GDPR. We are hoping to resurrect the blog with new enthusiasm. Hopefully there will be a daily post from each group, aswell as some older missed adventures
Thursday 8th February 2018
A trip out for brunch then an exploration of cave art using natural ingredients for paint- tea leaves, chalk and spices make good, vivid colours!
Friday 1st February 2018
We’ve had a breezy day out on Southwold Pier playing on the eccentric arcade machines! We’ve had a brain wash, practised walking across roads using a zimmer frame, and played ‘whack a banker’!
Tuesday 6th February 2018
CCE made floral arrangements today for someone special and for most of the group the first time. They look lovely.
Tuesday 6th February 2018
We all pitched in, helping clear an area from stinging nettle, so we can plant some trees in the next few weeks. After lunch we had a walk on the farm where we fed sheep.
Wednesday 7th February 2018
This afternoon the theatre skills group chose to go bowling. A great team-building activity for us all 😀
Wednesday 7th February 2018
After a hard morning’s employability and CV workshop, what better than a flutter on the 2p machines and a hot chocolate?
Wednesday 7th February 2018
This afternoon we started labelling our time line which is on the hall floor in our main building, Milestone. As the year goes on and we look at more topics, we will add them to the time line.
Tuesday 19th December
We’ve had a lovely day enjoying the Magic of Christmas at the zoo. Some of us watched the pantomime, we’ve seen reindeer and had a lovely Christmas lunch. Best of all though was feeding the lorikeets and watching the bird display!
Tuesday 19th December Sports Adventure
Tuesday Sports Adventure group was trying out the ice slide, we thought it was awesome! Well done Laura for being the first person to do a twirl on the ice slide 😁 Some pictures of Dan enjoying some intensive interaction at the end of the day too.
Tuesday 19th December CoCoCreatives
Today the CoCoCreatives group went to Winter Wonderland at St Johns, Clacton. Then we had a lovely meal at the Moon and Starfish Pub and followed it up with a game of bowling.
Friday 13th December, Personal Progress
This group spent the day in Norwich. We visited comic book shops, TV and Movie shops, toy shops and charity shops. We also went through the tunnel of lights, but felt it would be more spectacular when it was dark.
Friday 13th December Performing Arts
Today the PA group were inspired by last week’s visit to kentwell hall and their production of A Christmas Carol. We had a go following a script, everyone did so well. Joe played a mean Scrooge, humbug indeed. Afterwards we had a Christmas beverage and pigs in blankets.
Thursday 14th December
A very short morning today before going to see Little Red Riding Hood panto at the New Wolsey Theatre. So games, jigsaws and socialising! Guess the festive jigsaw!
Wednesday 13th December, Christmas on the farm
This morning at Lauriston Farm we made some lovely Christmas wreaths and some lanterns and in the afternoon we sang carols with the cows!
Tuesday 12th December
We decided it was too icy to keep to our plans today. All groups joined together, we had a lovely day joining in various games and sensory activities and had takeaway pizza for lunch. Sadly no pictures of that 😀. Our favourite games was recreating Gladiators ” gladiators are you
Monday 11th December
What a cold snowy day! The weather did change our plans a little today. We were supposed to be walking the Wivenhoe trail today to finish off at the Rose and Crown for a buffet Christmas lunch. Instead we played some multi sports at Milestone and then drove to the
Saturday 9th December
On Saturday, George, Hannah, Will and Jack supported Lexden Springs Winter Fair and then went to Kaspa’s. Will and George decided to get into the Christmas spirit!
Christmas dinner cooking skills!
On Friday, Josh, Charlie, Jack and Dan prepared, cooked and ate a traditional Christmas dinner. Everyone worked well together and really enjoyed the fruits of their labours!
Kentwell Hall’s Victorian Christmas
The performing Arts group had their Christmas treat on Friday and spent the day at Kentwell Hall’s Victorian Christmas. Was brilliant! See our photo album on Facebook for all the pictures.
PSD Christmas elves!
After a very serious morning in PSD, thinking about how what we do affects other people, we decided to have a more light hearted afternoon! Here’s us at Perrywood garden centre getting into the Christmas spirit!
Little Red Riding Hood panto at Wolsey theatre
We had a lovely time at Red Riding Hood at the Wolsey Theatre this afternoon. “It’s behind you!” High praise from hazel and all the guys. All want to go see it again!
Theatre skills – puppets
This morning the Theatre Skills group played some themed games. The puppet was popular.
Tuesday sports adventure
A nice canal walk in Chelmsford with Sports Adventure group followed by team challenges and games at base.
CoCoCreatives enterprise
Glass painting Christmas baubles.
Natural wreaths at Lauriston Farm
We spent a lovely day today at Lauriston Farm. First we went and cut the willow and collected holly, ivy, rosehips and more. We then spent the afternoon learning how to weave the willow into a wreath shape and then decorated them. The result is lots of natural, unique and
Ice slide
Everyone had a great time on the ice slide at Castle Park. Thank you demon extreme for putting in the relaxed session for us!
CoCoCreatives
After choosing Christmas fabrics at Franklins, our fabulous CoCoCreatives created these rice and lavender heat bags today. Pop in the microwave for a couple of minutes then apply to aching joints to soothe and comfort. The lavender will aid sleep too!
Filming in performing arts
Today in performing arts we practiced film making skills, filmed our ‘Plastic Seas’ trailer and took photos for ‘Plastic Sea’s’ story book.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Today some of us made some Christmas decorations, then we decorated our Christmas tree. It is pretty!
Shepherding day at Lauriston Farm, 21st November ’17
Andrew, Joe, Mark, Reece and Chris spent the day working at Lauriston Farm. They even gave the sheep pedicures!
CoCo Christmas Tree
Christmas is coming! We went to Bullbanks Farm today to choose our lovely 11 foot Christmas tree, which we will be decorating tomorrow. Decorated pictures will follow tomorrow!
Springblast Dance Showcase 2017 – ‘Plastic Seas’
Pictures from our environmental dance piece called Plastic Seas at the Springblast Showcase, part of Dance Network Association. It was such an amazing event, performing alongside various dance groups of all ages, from school groups to professional artists and with such a range of dance styles on display. Well done
Rifle shooting and Bush craft
Beautiful day at Skreens Park today. Bush craft, including fire lighting and shelter building and rifle shooting. Perfect weather and we even got a chance for a game of cricket at lunch time!
