Some of you may know that I am the very proud patron of the National Star College. My first ever visit to the college was several years ago now but I remember it very clearly. I had been asked to speak at their charity ball and decided I really ought to know more about the place before I did that.
My relationship with the college was set in stone that day as I met one student after another who faced challenge upon challenge every day. The kind of things I take totally for granted like being able to make a cup of tea whenever I want one or rush back to the kitchen because I have forgotten something. Being able to have a shower in private or going out for a walk with my dog.
The National Star College has a philosophy that is as simple as it is powerful. “Do something for a disabled person today and you will have done something good. Give a disabled person the tools to be able to do something for themselves and then you start to make a real difference”. And at National Star, those aren’t just words, they are a way of life.
I have only seen clips of a new series starting this Thursday on BBC3 called “The Unbreakables” but what I have seen captures some of the amazing positivity and “Can do” attitude that pervades the whole college.
The series is part of BBC Three’s ‘Defying the Label’ season which aims to help people understand what it’s really like to be a young person with a disability in the UK, and the Star College plays a leading role.
The series is very much from the students’ point of view and focusses on those things that dominate any young person’s life outside the classroom – romance, parties and the hunger for independence.
You can see the first of the 3 episodes on BBC Three this Thursday 30 July at 9pm. The remaining two episodes will be shown on Thursday 6 August at 9pm and Thursday 13 August at 9pm.
I hope you manage to watch them and please do let me know what you think
To find out a bit more, check this out http://www.nationalstar.org/the-unbreakables/