Ailsa Orr & Mousie

I have been working with PRESMA since February 2001 and I thoroughly enjoy it!

Originally I trained as a general and sick children's nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London and worked full time until 2 years after my husband and I were married. Then followed a 12-year gap from nursing whilst raising our 3 children, who are all now grown up.

During that time I worked at a playgroup, leading the music-making times. If there had been any pre-school music groups around when my children were at that stage, then I would certainly have taken them along, but instead we sang a lot at home and I played the piano.

Later on I eased my way back in to nursing and took some part-time work on the Nursing Bank, followed by a few years of working part time in the Children's Outpatients Department at Manchester's Wythenshawe Hospital.

In 1998 we moved here from Cheshire and I met Christine Anderson who mentioned her work with Musical Keys and PRESMA (Musical Keys is a group for children with Special Needs).  Almost immediately I became involved with Musical Keys and then in 2001 I started working with Christine as a PRESMA teacher.  We still work together on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and have a lot of fun.  Playing the autoharp and guitar is very useful in the groups

It is such a privilege to be part of PRESMA and to be able to share music making with parents, carers and the children: Watching them joining in, having fun and growing in confidence is very special. Having the support of other PRESMA teachers is most valuable.

Pictures

You can get in touch with me by email at ailsa@presma.org