Dear Parents
The activity programme
offers a chance for young people to meet in similar age
groups and participate in activities that stretch their
potential and encourage teamwork.
We have more mountain bike
sessions, challenge courses at High Ashurst and Father and
Son overnight camps planned for the future. Last July the
Dads and sons overnight fishing camp at Springbok Estate,
Alfold was a successful male bonding session.
In August some of young
people went to Brooklands Museum for the Italian Formula One
festival which resulted in two of them winning rides in
Formula One Races around the Long Hill Circuit. Another
weekend we had the use of a Ferrari for the afternoon and
six young people were lucky enough to enjoy the thrills of a
spin down the Bypass. Afterwards, on being able to quote the
"Ferrari pledge" of: Life in the
fast lane - needs self-control, personal care and
consideration of others, they toasted their success with
glasses of champagne.
In October
ten young people spent the day at Camelot Paintball Centre
who kindly subsidised the activity for us. During the day,
10 young people worked as a team, with no accidents,
arguments or upsets. They all had a brilliant time and
bearing in mind that these are children that are usually
excluded from school trips, we were all extremely proud of
them. We are also working with the Camelot team to offer
further survival and activity days.
The Studio is registered as
an independent Duke of Edinburgh Award Unit for young people
with ADHD. This offers them an opportunity to meet one
another on a regular basis and engage in sport, leisure and
service activities. 7 of our young people completed the Fire
Service Course at Leatherhead Fire Station, finding out
about risk assessment and consequences and enjoying eight
weeks of working with the Brigade. Football continues to be
one of the most popular choices for the sports section,
followed recently by fishing karate and boxing. Although
many parents are wary of encouraging their unpredictable
ADHD offspring to participate in martial arts, feedback
continually confirms that it teaches self-control,
confidence, balance and co-ordination skills. Fishing is
surprisingly enjoyed by our active Studio members who seem
to benefit from the space and relaxation it offers. We are
hoping to offer further fishing days this summer.
Having been organising
team-building activities for the past three years, there is
no doubt of the benefits brought by encouraging young people
to participate in structured leisure interests that involve
meeting socially rather than being isolated in indoors with
either television or computer games.
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