1 Feb: DADLG Steel Drums

This week I started to learn steel drums with the Durham Area Disability Leisure Group. We met up every Monday for six weeks at Greenfield Arts College, learning a new song each session. At the end of the sessions we did a small performance for a few lucky family members.

31 Jan: Stomp

This weekend me and my brother went with the DADLG to see Stomp the musical at the Empire theatre in Sunderland. We all had a great time and thought that the show was fun and exciting.

29 Jan: Animating with Vivien Peach

Vivien spent this session teaching me and Robert how to use iStop Motion. I made a Ten Pin Bowler and Robert made a Footballer.

Link to Michael gets a Strike:

Link to Roberts First Kick.

28 Jan: Tae Kwon Do

I started going to Tae Kwon Do with the DADLG every Thursday at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. The course was supposed to be for ten weeks but since everyone enjoys it so much we have decided to keep it up as a weekly thing.

27 Jan: Animation Props

Robert and Andrew both visited after college to help plan the storyboard and make props for the Language Stealers animation.

25 Jan: Meet New Social Worker

24 Jan: More Art with Andrew

23 Jan: Magnetic Word Parts

My brother finished cutting out the word parts and sticking them on to magnetic strips.

22 Jan: Animation Artwork

Our animator Vivien couldn't make it today so we spent the day making artwork ready for next weeks session. We also cut out word parts and stuck them on magnetic boards to use in the animation and to practice our literacy with.

19 Jan: Big Challenge Meeting

My Big Challenge project manager Jo introduced me and Robert to our project buddy Gillian, who is studying politics at university and has campainged before, and is going to help us make our campaign go international.

We set our tasks for February and March to finish our newsletter, recruit volunteers, make a campaign and petition letter and to create a contact list of people to send petition letters and the newsletter to.

18 Jan: LD Parliament

Today I gave two talks at the Learning Disability Parliament and asked members to support my campaigns for everyone with speech and language difficulties to get the technology and teaching they need to speak, read and write, and to meet AAC role models who are good at altenative communication.

2 Jan: ICT, Literacy & Gaming

Got me a nice little touchscreen laptop and a nice big TV to plug it and my X Box into. Great!

Christmas

12 Dec: Quads & BBQ

Turkey & Tinsell at Hardwick Park quad bikes with DADLG! Andrew had his ride on the quads. When we got home we all helped to put lights on the big tree in the garden, my bedroom and the living room.

4-6 Dec: Big Challenge Residential

Getting to know the other Big Challenge winners and the Youth Leadership Team at Trafford Hall, Chester. Abby, Carl and Joe from UnLtd and Laura, Anna and Tiana from Changemakers were there. Big Challenge is a project of UnLtd and Changemakers.

We had a great weekend of interactive training in project management, with lots of fun and games, and all the winners did a 5 minute presentation about their project.

My Flip camera conked out so I don't have video of my talk, but I did it again at the LD Parliament and will post that when it's edited.

11 Dec: KK2 Disco

I don't like dressing up but most people did. Had a great night with KK2 and the Stay Up Late Campaign.

20 Nov: Community Service Volunteer

10 Nov: Kasabian

After listening to Kasabian in the car all year I finally got to see them live at Newcastle Arena - went with my brother John, cousin Tom and a couple of friends - for John's birthday. I enjoyed the whole gig, especially Vlad the Impaler and Underdog.

5 Nov: House of Lords

We had tea at the House of Lords to mark the official handing over of Shine Week from the Talent and Enterprise Taskforce to the National Youth Agency, and thank everyone who made Shine Week a big success. Shine Week is a national celebration of young people's talent. I was a Shine Week reporter for the Diana Award Channel at Radiowaves and I uploaded videos of my friends' talents to the Shine Week site. 

http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/r/ShineMichael 

http://shineweek.brightlemon.com/users/michaelbreed