Austin Mitchell and Ann Syrett present this series of programmes promoting voluntary and community service, focusing on people in the community who give up their own time to help others. The programme aims to provide a clear understanding of the nature and the extent of voluntary work that's done, or needs to be done in many areas of social need throughout the Yorkshire region. This episode addresses how volunteers can help children in care. Items include a visit to Hilton Grange...

Austin Mitchell and Ann Syrett present this series of programmes promoting voluntary and community service, focusing on people in the community who give up their own time to help others. The programme aims to provide a clear understanding of the nature and the extent of voluntary work that's done, or needs to be done in many areas of social need throughout the Yorkshire region. This episode addresses how volunteers can help children in care. Items include a visit to Hilton Grange residential school for children with special educational needs at Bramhope and a visit to the playgroup for sick children at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds. Title: Yorkshire Television – Colour Production Photographs of urban street scenes and candid shots of individuals make up the opening for the programme. Title: A Matter of Concern Austin Mitchell introduces the programme. Title: Austin Mitchell He summarises the content of the previous programme and goes on to say that they will be looking at a different aspect of the National Children’s Homes. Hilton Grange is a school which teaches children with special educational needs. Like the other programmes it looks at the way volunteers can help with the work done at this and similar schools. An exterior view shows the stone built buildings of the school. Over the opening view a man’s voice describes the nature of the work done at the school. The programme shows him at his office desk as he continues the introduction to the school. Title: Frank Schofield – Headmaster – Hilton Grange Frank goes on to describe some of the difficulties the pupils have with learning, which often involves poor literacy and numeracy. School pupils walk down a corridor in the school. Frank goes on to talk about the school’s emphasis on physical education. Views follow of pupils being trained on a trampoline in the school’s gymnasium. Next pupils are seen at a swimming lesson at the school’s swimming pool. The lesson involves swimming while wearing clothes and using the clothes as floats. Frank briefly outlines the idea of the children meeting physical challenges as they partake in various sports. A view follows of teams of girls playing netball. Frank goes on to say that the school has extended its physical education programme to outdoor pursuits, which includes pupils taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme. On an outdoor pool a teacher sitting in a canoe teaches a group of three pupils techniques to control their craft. Onn camera Frank also goes on to describes special programmes the school offers to help children with perceptual difficulties. Pupils work around a group of desks. One of them is being assisted by a teacher to read a book. Another reads out loud, while a teacher sits next to her. She is in fact using a picture she’s drawn to tell a story, which involves reading only small pieces of text she has introduced to the picture. Another pupil uses a special recorder to listen and recognise individual words. The teacher asks the pupil to speak using the words in a sentence. On screen Frank talks about the pupils who are also resident at the school. Title: Frank Schofield – Headmaster – Hilton Grange Frank then goes on to outline the work of volunteers, who he refers to as children’s social aunts and uncles. He says it is beneficial to have volunteers to visit at weekends and take some of the children out on trip somewhere or perhaps a visit home. Some children go to local youth cubs so volunteers who can offer to drive them there and or bringing them home that would also be welcome. They would also like volunteers to visit children in the residential flats to help the children with games or with work related to the Duke of Edinburgh award. A general view shows an adult working with some of the resident children. The programme returns to Austin Mitchell in the studio. Austin urges viewers to contact them if they would like to be involved with helping pupils at the school. An address to contact appears on screen. Title: ‘Concern’ Yorkshire Television Television Centre Leeds LS3 1JS Ann Syrett appears on screen to outline another area of children’s support and care that would welcome volunteers. Title: Ann Syrett Ann explains one area where volunteers are needed which is running playgroups for pre-school disabled children or children who spend some time in hospital. A view follows of a woman walking into a play area. Title: Children’s Playgroup – Seacroft Hospital. Katy Ellis, a playgroup leader at the hospital, appears on camera to explain how she uses volunteers. Title: Katy Ellis – Play Supervisor She begins by saying they are a valuable support in playgroup work, especially in situations where children can’t attend the playgroup area as they are confined to bed. Katy demonstrates a painting technique using string to the children in the playgroup room. On camera Katy outlines some volunteers find the work difficult especially in a hospital situation, but she emphasises that there is a real need for more volunteers. The film shows Katy with the children in the playgroup, some are painting others are playing with wooden building blocks. The programme moves to a different location. Title: A Playgroup For Handicapped Children In Ilkley The children at this playgroup, with the supervision of an adult play with a small bath filled with water. A plastic toy is filled with water so that one of the children can pour the water out. Title: Elizabeth Greenwood – Volunteer Elizabeth explains that they have good access to volunteer assistance but would like reserves to call on from time to time if one of the regular volunteers cannot attend. The programme shows staff working with the children in the playgroup. Title: Pauline Giles – Volunteer She says you can’t bring up a disabled child and cope on your own, you need a family that back you up. She says help from social services is minimal. Off camera a playgroup teacher explains how they help children trust other adults, play with other children and generally learn how to play. Title: Glennis Senior – Playgroup Teacher On camera Glennis encourages potential volunteers who know of a child with a disability in their neighbourhood to go out of their way to include them in general activities. Another volunteer helps a small child who is sitting on her knee to paint a picture. Pauline Giles seen earlier says that she deeply cares for the children she’s involved with at the playgroup. Elizabeth Greenwood confesses she was taken aback on one occasion when confronted with a severely disabled child. She realised that progress with a child can be slow but ultimately does make a difference which is rewarding. The programme goes back to the playgroup where the children are encouraged to play instruments along with one of the other teachers who plays the piano. Glennis Senior talks about how some of the children will sing at home one of the songs they may have heard during their session at the playgroup, even if they have been quiet most of the time during the day. She also says the children know when a favourite song hasn’t been played, and that music generally creates a greater response from many of the children. All the playgroup joins in to sing and clap ‘Happy Birthday’ to one of the children. They all help Mark to blow out some candles. The programme goes back to Austin Mitchell in the studio, where he introduces two guests. Title: Dorothy Dyson – Voluntary Help Organiser – BFD. Area Health Auth. Austin asks Dorothy how volunteers are used in Bradford. She refers to Westwood Hospital in Bradford where she says they use volunteers in a variety of ways and recruit all ages. She uses volunteers to help with handicrafts and on wards. But the main aspect of volunteer work in the hospital is that they represent people coming in from outside the hospital, and those in hospital like to talk to find out what’s happening in the outside world. Austin asks the other guest the same question about how volunteers are used. Title: Harry Thomson – Chairman – City of Leeds Society for Mentally Handicapped Children Harry outlines the benefit of volunteers in the capacity of their special school especially volunteer drivers that help with transport to and from a youth club Both guests are aware of the demand that looking after those with mental disabilities might be daunting. But they also suggest the rewards through building relationships and making progress with those with learning difficulties is worthwhile. Austin asks about the practical aspects of volunteering, such as how often should someone attend and for how long. They respond by saying as often as they can, but they say those that stay for a month or so then leave, can often leave a student upset or confused as to why they have stopped attending. Dorothy says anyone can volunteer and any skill will be of value. Ann Syrett on camera outlines another area where volunteers are needed. She says that many older people are glad to talk to people or even have someone there to listen to them. A newspaper cutting from the Sheffield Morning Telegraph dated 30 October 1975 reports of a man who lay dead presumably at home for five months. Ann Syrett talks of voluntary organisation which offer friendly visiting schemes for older people. Ann encourages viewers to write in if they can help with this type of voluntary work. The address to write to is the same one which appeared earlier. Title: ‘Concern’ Yorkshire Television Television Centre Leeds LS3 1JS Austin Mitchell closes the programme and gives out the address again to anyone interested in volunteering. Credits: Presenters – Ann Syrett, Austin Mitchell Camera – Brian Wilson, Frank Pocklington Sound – Terry Ricketts. Stan Ellison Film Editor – Terry Warwick Graphics - Brian Beardmore Research – Irene Cockroft Producer – Jim McCann Yorkshire Television Colour Production End Title - © Trident Television Ltd 1976