Scotland's leading social care charity, Quarriers, is to host a concert for performers from Wetaskiwin Composite High School, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada on Friday 21 April 2006, at 7.30pm, in the Sommerville Weir Hall, Quarriers Village, nr Bridge of Weir.
The concert has a varied musical programme including a concert band and a jazz choir formed from the schools students who will travel over from Canada as part of an exchange programme with St Columbas School in Kilmalcolm.
Paul Sweet, musical director at Wetaskiwin Composite High School, said: "The focus of the programme is learning about music and life through performance and touring. Several hundred students in these groups have travelled across Canada, England and the United States, gaining a greater understanding of their musical talents and similarities between people of all cultures."
He continued: "This is the first trip for the groups to Scotland. All of the students are very excited to be here. The chance to experience such wonderful history and share music with great people in a very beautiful place is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The concert will take place in Quarriers' Sommerville Weir Hall which is normally used as a restaurant and doubles as a training facility for adults with a disability who are learning about food preparation and catering skills. Sommervilles was originally run as a coffee shop and named Miss Foreman's Pantry after Miss Forman - a Quarriers girl who was a maid to William Quarrier's family. She subsequently left to begin a new life in Canada. When she returned in 1930 she became a housekeeper to William Quarrier's daughter, Mary Quarrier and became renowned for her home style cooking and baking and thus the village coffee house was named after her.
The organisation has had strong links with Canada since the late 1800's when a number of Quarriers children travelled to Canada to start a new life.
Phil Robinson: "Quarriers believe in creating opportunities in life and we're delighted to welcome the pupils from Wetaskiwin. We hope the concert will also provide the opportunity for local people to get involved in the activities of the charity."
Quarriers provides support and care for adults and children with a physical or learning disability, for children and families facing poverty, family breakdown, exclusion and disadvantage and for young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or who are homeless. Quarriers also offers support to carers of all ages who need respite, advice or just a friend to listen, it also has the only residential epilepsy assessment centre in Scotland.
Quarriers has grown considerably since it was founded by William Quarrier during the 1870s, expanding to meet the needs of children, adults and families. Staff numbers are now in excess of 1800 and the charity has an expected turnover in the region of £40 million for 2006.
This information and further details from Jane Smith at The Business
T: 0131 718 6022
M: 07780 666 136
E: janes@thebusinesspr.co.uk
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