FOLLOWING the cancellation of Frome Carnival, a local man with learning disabilities, who is normally an avid carnival-goer, has still been able to enjoy some of the atmosphere after support workers helped him make a float.
Michael Birch, a longtime resident of The Beeches supported living house, lives his life through events, with the town carnival every September being a highlight.
“This year it’s been hard for him to understand why things are so different,” support worker Emma Speck told Frome Times. “At the moment carnivals aren’t happening and we came up with the idea to make a carnival float for him.”
Emma and her colleagues, Claire Burge and Sonia Huxtable, all chipped in on the project and Michael went out and bought all the materials.
“We built it around a wheelchair and made it sensory, with colours, lights and materials,” Emma said.
“We made animals out of toilet rolls and when it was finished, we took it outside and everyone sang ‘Noah’s Ark’ and Michael put the animals on the float.”
She added, “The float is right outside his bedroom window so he can look out and see it.”
The support workers plan to enter the float in next year’s carnival.