Students from two courses at Ayrshire College have been using their skills to support the wellbeing of the staff and service users at Trindlemoss Day Opportunities in Irvine.
Learners from the College’s Wellness and Complementary Therapies (Level 7) course visited Trindlemoss fortnightly, offering therapeutic treatments to the Day opportunities staff who support adults with learning disabilities and additional support needs to meet their aspirations in life. These treatments are designed to provide relaxation and stress relief to staff members and gave the students valuable practical experience.
Student Leeann Lavery said: "Providing treatments to the staff at Trindlemoss has been incredibly rewarding. It’s one thing to learn the techniques in the classroom but seeing how our work helps people feel more relaxed and appreciated makes it all worthwhile."
Level 5 Hairdressing students also volunteered to attend the ‘Glam Hideaway’ Hair Salon within Trindlemoss Day Opportunities to provide hair services to adults who might find attending a regular salon challenging. Three students were supported by The Student Association to make weekly trips to Day Opportunities, balancing their college commitments with this meaningful outreach work.
Glenn Lory, Assistant Manager at Trindlemoss Day Opportunities, said: "The students’ support has been invaluable. Many of our service users look forward to their visits to Glam Hideaway, and our staff have also benefited by learning new haircare skills to help at other times."
Peggy Morgan, Curriculum Quality Manager at Ayrshire College, highlighted the dual benefits of the partnership: "This collaboration allows students to develop their practical skills in real-world settings while fostering community wellbeing. It’s wonderful to see how both staff and service users benefit from the care our students provide."
Plans are already in place to continue both initiatives in the next academic year.