Ella's Moor Time journey

Poet and Aspergers Advocate Ella tells us the story of how she got involved with Moor Time, from volunteering to serving on our board of trustees...

Hi, I am Ella Frances Tallon. I am 27 years old. I enjoy helping the primary age children and other members of the church I go to , I write and perfom poetry and run writing workshops and love to advocate for autism and make things more accessible by doing various coproduction work.

I started volunteering at Moor Time after I met Jane E and she told me about the charity. The charity at the time was called LS29 Holiday Club.

I volunteered at the holiday club. I really enjoyed helping the young people smile and enjoy themselves. It was hard work but I soon got used to it. I remember really enjoying the trip to Addingham MoorSide and working with a key person to help a young person engage with the activities and nature there.

As well I was introduced to some basic Makaton signs and now I am going to further my training in this in April.

I also got to experience the change to Moor TIme. When LS29 Time Holiday Club decided to become Moor Time they needed some help with the admin and I helped change the wording on various documents.

They also needed to recruit some trustees and they asked me to become one. I accepted and have loved being a trustee. I especially enjoyed being on the Moor Time walk and getting to connect with various people who are involved with Moor Time. I also got to introduce my best friend and her husband to the club. I love sharing my views and helping Moor Time adapt and grow.

I got nominated for the Inspiring Women award and won! See below: .https://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/24196461.young-volunteers- celebrated-ilkley-soroptimists-fairtrade-group/

I loved getting to dress up in a beautiful velvet red dress and go to the award ceremony with Jane E and my husband Patrick to collect my award.

At the moment as well as still being a Trustee I volunteer at the Moor Time holiday club doing any tasks that need doing such as helping in the kitchen and I help at the Under 5’s play group.

I have been at the under 5s playgroup since it started in a scout hut with Jude as the manager to now at Dan’s Den play centre with Rachel. I have enjoyed interacting with young children and getting to know the families of these children. Some of the families now recongnise me outside of the group and stop and say hello. I am also a good help to the families when they have a variety of different children as I can help give them a break from some of them and a chance to listen to the specialist informal talks that the group

often runs.

I am really proud of Moor Time, of where it has come from and the work it has done and is still doing. I am looking forward to being a part of Moor Time long into the future.