Success Stories

When I met up with X outside the theatre, he said he had only come because his sister (also in year 7) wanted to see the show. He appeared anxious and said he didn’t like the large crowds of people around him. He appeared to be dependent on his sister, following her lead and saying very little. Child X has a diagnosis of ADHD, and was reported to have difficulties with concentration and remaining still in class at school. He had brought along a big carrier bag full of sugary energy drinks, and lots of packets of crisps and sweets. My anxiety was high that he would not engage with the show and would want to leave part way through the performance. How wrong could I have been!

During the performance, child X was restless and he engaged in lots of self-soothing and calming behaviours such as rocking, tapping his feet, fidgeting, and constantly eating and drinking. It was difficult to ascertain his level of engagement with the story and in the interval, I suspected he might want to leave. As the curtain fell for half time, I asked him how he felt and what he thought of the show…

‘I absolutely love it!’ he said. ‘I love the magic tricks and the singing and dancing and I can’t wait for the second half to start!’

Child X shared that he had previously seen a pantomime and had enjoyed it, but ‘this is much better!’.

During the second half, we were lucky to have seats close to where Mary ‘flies’ with her umbrella. Child X stood in amazement, he clapped and cheered and his face was an absolute picture. He said it was ‘the best thing I’ve ever seen!’. Despite his additional needs and his presentation, this visit was a massive success and a highly enjoyable experience for Child X, who said he would ask for tickets to see more musicals for his upcoming birthday.

When finding young people to attend this trip, we tried to reach out to those who haven’t joined us on any activities before. NP, a 16-year-old female who lives in a residential home in South Staffordshire expressed an interest.

From this point, VS staff messaged NP back and forth to build a relationship as she was quite apprehensive about coming at first.

When she arrived, she was reserved but soon opened up to another peer in the group. NP enjoyed the train journey and shared that she’d never been to London before.

Once we arrived at Euston Station, the chaos of the tube brought some nerves but clear excitement to NP. We managed to fit in a quick detour to Buckingham Palace which made NP’s eyes light up and she was very excited when we said the King was in there as the flag was flying!

Then came the theatre. NP was firstly overjoyed at how close we were to the stage, stating excitedly, “I’m going to be able to touch Hamilton!”. In the interval, NP was explaining to a peer what was going on as they were quite confused, it was at this stage we realised NP had done quite a bit of research before she came to see the show.

We went for some food after the Q&A and NP was asked what she felt about the show and the discussion at the end. She said, “I didn’t realise how much goes into making a show like that”. When asked if she’d like to do something in the theatre following today’s experience, she said, “If you’d have asked me before I’d say definitely not, I could never act, but there’s actually loads you can do backstage which would be cool”.

NP’s gratitude and love of the experience showed when she shared a video she had made with us and said, “please let me know when you have other stuff coming up”.

This day not only allowed NP to experience something new, it provided her with a cultural experience and opened her eyes to different opportunities.

Recently, that dream came true when she attended the Hamilton education performance in London. The excitement began on the train journey down—she told me it was her very first time visiting London. During the show, she was completely captivated by the music and energy. On the way home, she couldn’t stop talking about her favorite moments. But one part of the day stood out most: hearing a cast member share his experience of growing up in care and how his resilience and hard work led him to be performing on the West End stage.

“He grew up in care and is now in Hamilton. It’s so cool to know that!”

“I wouldn’t have thought someone in care like me could be on the West End.”

That moment inspired her. She told us about joining a local theatre group in Nuneaton and preparing for their upcoming musical: “We’re doing Wicked. I only have a small part, but I have speaking lines.”

She quietly recited her lines from memory, focusing on the delivery of each word.

Before leaving, she reflected on the day and her ambitions: “I want to have a career in the arts. It’s why I try to do a lot of extra things outside of school to build up my experience. Seeing someone from care on the West End makes me excited for what I could do.”

When D first joined our Arts Link activities, she was a quiet and shy Year 6 student with little confidence in herself. Having entered care at the age of three, D faced significant changes in her family life , speech and language support was put in place early on. Despite these challenges, her love for music began to shine through.

D expressed an interest in learning the trumpet, and with PP+ funding, she began instrumental lessons in school. Previously, she had tried recorder , but this was her first step toward something bigger. Then she discovered the Baritone!!!??.

Through Staffordshire Virtual School , D attended several events with her siblings and foster carers.. Outdoor Education Day at Laches Wood, where she faced fears and built teamwork skills.

A magical trip to see Mary Poppins at Birmingham Hippodrome, complete with an after-show Q\&A. This experience sparked her interest in orchestras and the wider world of performance.

Although D was invited to join Entrust’s Blast Off music sessions earlier in the year , she wasn’t ready at first. However with gentle encouragement from her music teacher and continued invitations, she started attending in September 2025. Playing alongside others gave her a sense of belonging and boosted her confidence. Her foster carers and teachers noticed her enthusiasm and talent, ‘ she is always practising at home- even we know all the notes now!! It is so lovely to see that she loves playing’

Her progress didn’t stop there. In October, D attended our Come and Play Music Workshop, helping younger children and even presenting certificates. By November, she was performing with Blast Off at a Christmas concert. In December, she joined our festive craft event, supporting new foster siblings and showing leadership.

D’s commitment and growth earned her the title of Music Ambassador – one of the first in our programme. Her teachers see real improvement in her musicality and confidence. What helped D was consistent communication and familiar faces building trust, Keeping opportunities open and allowing time for readiness, recognising achievements, even small ones, transformed her confidence.

D herself says she loves playing music and enjoys the arts and crafts at our events. Her thank-you note after the Mary Poppins trip says it all:“A huge thank you for letting us go and see Mary Poppins – we really loved the show!”

We are really proud of everything D has achieved, and very excited for her journey ahead.