NAPA Awards for Time Bandits

During the Summer Term 2024, a group of brave students from Dolphin School embarked on a project of active hope called 'Time Bandits'. Each week they visited residents living with dementia in a local care home, Henley Manor, to engage in a variety of Arts activities.

The aim of the club was to push the boundaries of inter-generational and arts work by moving away from highly structured activities. Instead, Time Bandits offered a more flexible and relationship-centred approach in which club members decided on their activities themselves. It was surprisingly successful with all ‘bandits’ experiencing joy, humour and human connection. The project was subsequently nominated for a national award - the Working Together Award - judged by NAPA (National Activities Providers Association).

Three students and one teacher made the trek up to Liverpool on Friday 24 January, for a glitzy ceremony, where they were delighted to learn that they had won the award! Staff at Dolphin School could not be more proud of those students and teachers involved, and the recognition from NAPA of their valuable contribution to helping dementia sufferers in our local community. When asked how she was feeling having won the award, young bandit Seren exclaimed 'Amazing!' – we could not have said it better!