AOP/AITP Volunteers Speech

hi, good morning
my journey began when i had a heart attack with cardiogenic shock in July 2017
4 stents, and 2 surgeries later, then cardio rehab, i found Lets Get Working early 2018
with much support from Jay Kramer, who supported me throughout, and especially through
my gender reassignment processes, and surgery in May 2019. in October that year, she
referred me to Arts On Prescription. i signed up for every course they had on offer, including
creative writing, a myriad forms of art, dancing, singing, drama, and lino cuts, which
 resulted in the Gotham Alley Trinity Triangle display. in 2021,Jay Kramer put me forward
as a volunteer for Care For The Carers, which i still do. then in April last year, i also became
a volunteer for Arts In The Park, a sister project to Arts On Prescription. the first thing i did there
was life model! also last year, i joined various local open mics, did a Q&A at the St Leonards
Academy about my gender reassignment, also a performance poetry at Hastings Womens Voice,
and assisted at all the events at Art In The Park, and now am lead volunteer. none of which would
 of seemed possible, even two years ago, but AOP, led by the amazing Tara Reddy, has helped
me pick up the pieces of my life, and given me the confidence to now help others on their journey
of recovery from physical, and mental health problems, and quite often both. and in my time
with AOP, ive seen the huge benefits that people have gained from this fabulous project, some
of which, have moved on, and are now attending college, and university, moving forward with their lives, whilst still being supported by everyone within this project
and the lovely supportive community that we've become.
the following poem i wrote about 3 years ago about AOP which describes more or less what AOP, and AITP are about, and what we still do