A Term of Many Challenges

This term has been one of many challenges. Not just for us here at Cre8 Macclesfield, but I’m sure for everyone. We have been tested in our ability to rise to the challenge and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in order to uphold our projects and continue to offer the service we strive to provide.

At the beginning of this term, we were challenged with the prospect of our music project coordinator, Tom, leaving us at Cre8. This was after running our music project, which includes drop-in sessions for children aged 8 and up from the Moss Rose Estate in Macclesfield, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and a music outreach programme, for many years. Tom was a core part of our team here at Cre8, both for our music project and throughout the charity as a whole. We were very sad to see him go, however wish him and his family all the best of luck in their future adventures.

This role has been taken on by Ollie. Ollie joined our music project 8 years ago as a volunteer, and more recently became a music support worker and a tutor. He says:

I have enjoyed the transition from support worker to project coordinator as I am now getting a better sense of the young people’s interests, ambitions, and motivations. Talking to the young people has inspired me to be bold with the project and carry on the great work that Tom did here with a focus on collaboration and using music as a tool for building relationships and learning to overcome obstacles.

Since starting, Ollie has been implementing many new ideas. We had been in the process over the last few weeks of recruiting talented new staff to join the support worker team. As well as this, we had planned a battle of the bands (organized by our brilliant young music leader, Amy) in Salford, as well as a performance in April at our local church, St Barnabas. However, these unfortunately look unlikely now due to the current coronavirus restrictions. We hope we may be able to reschedule these later in the year.

With the rapidly changing circumstances with the COVID-19 outbreak, we had to adapt rapidly, and be creative in discovering ways we could deliver our music project as much as possible whilst keeping our young people and staff safe. Last week we began running our music sessions as tutor lessons only where young people were given allocated time slots to come and meet with their tutor for 121 lessons, and then go home before the next young person arrived. This meant no coming in as a group, no socialising with others, no snacks, no hanging around. Simply arrive, have your lesson, and return home. This was quite successful, however it wasn’t ideal as we weren’t able to talk with our young people in the same way, have fun group activities, or offer them food and drink which they had become so accustomed to.

Sadly, however, with the progression of the pandemic and new government guidelines, we had to make the sad decision this week at Cre8 to suspend all face to face meetings until further notice, including at our music project. Despite this, support workers are doing their best to organise online lessons with young people where possible. This will be difficult depending on whether or not young people have access to the equipment and instruments we usually provide, but we aim to do what we can. The coronavirus has also massively affected the build-up to our next major event; the Summer Concert, and trips and residentials may have to be postponed.

With all of this, we are doing what we can to provide musical tuition and fun to the young people on the Moss Rose Estate in Macclesfield, and hope to be back to normal before too long. It’s been a difficult term for all of us, and there may be more difficult times to come. Despite this, we have persevered and done all that we can to adapt to these strangest of times and continue with our music project in whatever way we can.