Hats on for Christmas (Dyspraxia Foundation Christmas Appeal 2014)

Hats on for Christmas (Dyspraxia Foundation Christmas Appeal 2014)

Dyspraxia is a form of Developmental Coordination Disorder which affects fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. It can also have an impact on speech. There is currently no cure. It can have a serious impact on the individual’s life and can cause great hardship for all those involved.

Please read this article, called ‘What is Dyspraxia? (The Basics)’, for further details:
http://jakeborrett.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/what-is-dyspraxia-basics.html

-----

This Christmas please get involved in the ‘Dyspraxia Foundation Christmas Appeal 2014’ named ‘Hats on for Christmas’. This appeal aims to raise as much awareness as possible for the learning condition. It hopes to do so by showing the faces of all those affected but also all the love and support they have received.

You can help get involved by following these three simple steps:

Step 1

Take a photograph of yourself wearing some sort of Christmas hat and holding up a piece of paper that says something about Dyspraxia.

Then either post your photograph onto the ‘Dyspraxia Foundation’ Facebook Page found here https://www.facebook.com/dyspraxiafoundation?fref=ts or by emailing it to fundraisingtrustee@dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk and they will do it for you. They will also add all photographs to their Twitter Page.

Many people have got involved already, so why not join in.

Step 2

If you like you can make a voluntary donation to the brilliant Dyspraxia Foundation, who continues to help thousands of people affected by the condition.

To do so text ‘HATS02 £2’ to 70070

Step 3

You can change your profile pictures on social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to their Dyspraxia Foundation Christmas logo. This will help spread lots of awareness across many social media platforms.

-----

I have had Dyspraxia since I was a child, but was only diagnosed at the age of eighteen. Like many, I know the importance of getting the word out there so those impacted can get the support they need and ultimately deserve. So I have decided to get involved myself. Here is my photograph, hoping to send a good message out for Dyspraxia.

Thanks for the continual support everyone and have a great week.

Photograph Reference

Here is my poster to raise awareness for Dyspraxia.

The following is written on the page: 

Remember that people with Dyspraxia are not only Dyspraxic but they can also be fantastic 

Raising awareness for Dyspraxia at jakeborrett.blogspot.co.uk 

Diagnosed with Dyspraxia at age 18

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Back in June 2014 I, along with a few others, became barristers for the day. No, we were not asked to stand in court and defend or prosecute a client against a criminal act. Now that would be scary. No, we were asked to act instead. We became extras for the day.

This opportunity was initially posted on the University of Hertfordshire website. It mentioned that a digital creative company known as Clearhead were going to create a promotional video for the School of Law. They needed students to volunteer for the day to take part in a film which showcased the ‘real experiences’, ‘real courses’ and ‘real futures’ which the university offers.

Clearhead needed to make the film seem as realistic as possible. Some of us were asked to dress smartly as if we were members of the court, while others like me also had wear barrister outfits. As you will see in the video, the barristers were split into two ‘teams’. The defendants were made up of Summer and I, while Shivam and another member of our group were on the prosecution side.

Of course when creating professional videos like this one, you do encounter some small problems. For me this happened to be the costumes. As you can see from the photograph below, the robes and the hair wig are very much real props. As you wore them all day they would often come out of place, and a member of the Clearhead team had to fix them in place again. Also, I had some problems with my acting. When it came to my close-up, it did take quite a few shots to get the impression that I was a winning barrister, but we got there in the end. These problems are all extremely forgivable as this was my first time acting, but hopefully not the last.

Call me Barrister Jake if you wish...

I have to commend Clearhead for doing such an excellent job. Each member of their team was extremely helpful, patient and hardworking in making such a professional video for the university. They also gave us a good insight into how to produce and edit such a challenging video as this one. Hopefully I will be able to channel some of their expertise in the future if I ever decide to create some videos of my own. You can see their other projects at http://weareclearhead.com/ They are definitely worth a watch.

I would thoroughly recommend ‘extra’ opportunities to you. They gave you a good insight into the world of producing and acting, while at the same time are extremely fun to take part in. You can watch the video titled ‘Mooting – real experiences in law’ below. See if you can spot me.

Copyright © 2014- by Clearhead and UNIofHERTFORDSHIRE. All rights reserved. 

Perhaps one day you will see me acting in a big blockbuster film…Or perhaps I should stick to writing. Thanks everyone and have a great weekend.