'Include Me In' - Celebrating 10 Years!

Our Ballikinrain School launched the 'Include Me In' Service on 12 September 2001.  The Vision was driven by the belief that all children's services, including those provided through Residential Schools like Ballikinrain and CrossReach's Geilsland, should be:

• Child Centred Services that deal with each child as a whole person, with all his or her relationships and involvement with his or her community.
• Family Centre Services that support parents in their role - rather than taking over.

10 years on, we celebrated the on-going work, by inviting former pupils and their families, former staff, those currently commissioning 'Include Me In' services, friends and neighbours to a birthday party at the Castle (Ballikinrain's magnificent building) on 03 October 2011.

During his speech, Chris McNaught (our Director of Children and Families services) introduced video clips of four former pupils sharing their experiences of Ballikinrain (see the links below).

Robert and Danny still phone the staff for advice or a friendly chat and Danny reported his ambition is to work at Ballikinrain!  Robert also said his Ballikinrain photo album and Certificates of Achievement inspire him when he feels low.

Darren is motivated by his strong desire to keep his son from suffering in the way he did and uses the lessons learned at Ballikinrain to keep himself on the right track.

Feedback from those in the audience (many fighting back tears) was 'Include Me In' works, but we cannot be complacent.

The clips below reflect the loneliness and isolation these young men have encountered and continue to experience and highlight none have been able to secure work.

CrossReach used the event to launch a longitudinal study into the 'effects' of Ballikinrain and Geilsland.  Following the launch of the report 'Getting it Right for Children in Residential Care' by Audit Scotland at the beginning of September 2010 CrossReach commissioned a study to evaluate its work.  We acknowledge the privilege and responsibility that is given to us in looking after other people's children and we want to ensure we do this as effectively as possible.

The event at Ballikinrain was also used to announce the opening of the first CrossReach HUB - find out more by clicking on this link

Include Me In - Robert

Include Me In - Darren

Include Me In - Danny

Include Me In - John