Alison Barnes has made it to the final three for the dedications and inspiration she shows daily in her job in Beaumont College, a specialists college based in Barrow-in-Furness.
Alison Barnes is the lead person for a Specialists College based at Barrow Sixth Form, Barrow-in-Furness. The college is for young people with disabilities from the ages of 18 plus.
Most young people with disabilities that leave education find it hard to either find paid work or a place that is more suited for their needs, Beaumont College has been running for 2 years and has made a big difference to many young peoples lives in that they help them step into the wider community in meaningful work placements.
The young people all have their own independent member of staff to help them but rather than teaching young people in traditional classroom environment, they get them out in the community and also arrange work placements such as at Tesco and local farms.
Alison works with people with learning/physical disabilities and works incredible hard to make a person centred teaching approach which means the young people get to feel their worth in society, she gets to know every young person she works with and inspires them to reach high in life. Alison helps to provide educational needs building students confidence, speech, numeracy, social interaction and help them build relationships with outside agencies and also facilitates activities with a whole range of local, regional and national organisations such as Sea View Riding Centre, Outdoor Education providers, physical activities, cooking, using Leonard Cheshire in Walneys accessible kitchen, to name just a few.
The hours Alison works are long but she shows total dedication to both the students and support workers, is an advocate for helping fill the gap in activities for disabled teenagers and is friendly, warm, understanding, supporting and sees the potential in everyone.
Alisons collgues and parents of students say “She builds each students confidence and help them overcome the stigma of being disabled it is very hard for me to say how dedicated and inspirational Alison is, I feel you only have to meet this lady once and you would soon realise the passion, care and without doubt 100 percent commitment to making a difference to these young peoples lives.”
TO VOTE FOR ALISON IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
TEXT LBA10 to 82055
With thanks to Blake Henderson Ltd for sponsoring this award
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One free vote may be made online by visiting www.lovebarrowawards.co.uk/peopleschoice
Voting closes at 6.00pm on the Sunday 19th February 2017. Any votes received after then may be charged but will not be counted.
The winner will be announced at The Love Barrow Awards on Friday 10th March 2017 and will be announced via Facebook and Twitter also.