The star of one of children’s TV ‘s most loved shows, popped into a North Shields housing estate to help volunteers who were learning how to write their own community newsletter.
Newcastle based actress Kim Tserkezie who played Penny Pocket in the hit BBC series, Balamory gave an interesting insight into her career to help the trainee editors write copy for their neighborhood newsletter.
Chief Executive, Phil McGrath of the Cedarwood Trust, Meadow Well Estate’s community development charity, was delighted to welcome Kim to the Trust.
“Our volunteers have discovered new skills on a special course we’ve arranged for them including social media management, PR photography skills, branding and how to write a newsletter. Kim kindly volunteered to help us by talking to the group about her life and acting career as well as the difficulties and prejudices she has faced as a disabled actress so that we can include it in our next edition.”
Kim is best known for her work on the BAFTA award winning children’s show, Balamory. She appeared as ‘Penny Pocket’ in 254 episodes of the CBeebies TV series. This role led Kim to be voted in a national poll as ‘the best representation of a wheelchair user on screen’ and one of the ‘most influential disabled people in the UK.’
Kim was pleased to help the project as it brought her back to her roots. Before she worked in TV, she worked in community development in Sunderland.
She now runs Scattered Pictures, a TV production company that features local talent and writers who make and locate their films and programming in the region.
“It’s great to be able to help this group learn new skills which in turn will help the whole community to be more informed about what is going on in their area. I’ve seen some exciting activities today and I’m happy to support Cedarwood in whatever way I can,“ she said.
The Cedarwood Trust encourages people to make a real difference to their lives and to the tight knit community in which they live. Established more than 30 years ago, the charity has carried out a number of pioneering projects to raise confidence and aspiration in the people who live on the estate.
Previous projects have changed lives by instilling skills and hope into the community. Practical gardening skills have led to plots of land being planted with flowers to improve unsightly areas, café and restaurant skills have been used in a community drop in facility and sport has played a big part in raising aspirations. Recently, the Soup A Grans scheme saw residents learning how to cook and taking the food to vulnerable people in the community