Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018 Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre
Summer Project 2018
th nd Monday 30 July to Sunday 2 September
Fitch London Charity Committee River Projects
The Maitlands Fund Charitable 1 Trust Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
Youth Activity Co-ordinator - Report
Throughout the year there are many different aspects to the co-ordinator role and even after twenty years I remain highly motivated to see the development of young people due to the great work that takes place within the Youth Project. Throughout the year there are over 200 planned sessions, between 15 to 20 day trips and 3 to 4 separate residentials and expeditions throughout the UK.
The Summer Project is the largest onsite project we run and a key aspect of the Youth Project. This year there were 148 individuals that took part most of which participated for at least one to two weeks and some for the whole project. It also attracts many new participants as young people have fewer commitments at this time of year and more time away from school. Individuals who attend find out that we are a year round Centre and this feeds other holiday projects and the regular weekly sessions.
The skills that individuals learn at Shadwell can then be adapted to the real outdoors on residentials and expeditions where individuals can enjoy peak performance and reach their adventure threshold. The beauty of outdoor education is that there are many of these peaks which attract individuals to stay on the long term programme hence continual development. The Youth Activities programmes are centred on the “Pathways” scheme which aids personal skill development, award achievements and provides the opportunities that lead to life long skills.
The changing of young people’s lives becomes the focus for us as year upon year it is evident how individuals progress at a personal level and develop into great young citizens. Further to this many become young leaders and contribute to the outcomes of newer less experienced members.
Through the funding we gain for the Summer Project we can employ more coaches which allows us to reach the participation figures and evidently increase achievement and success in young people’s lives. I am particularly pleased with the situation we are in as there are now so many young people with such high level skills within the project as a whole.
Another area that we should be proud of is the way in which the young people adopt our Youth Values which develops great personal skills and inspires them to become good role models. The atmosphere was fantastic this summer with very little personal issues needing resolving which is a credit to the development of the individuals who take on these values.
It was encouraging to see so many girls participating with 40% overall and a higher percentage of repeat visits than boys. The ratio of staff is usually 50/50 or thereabouts which in the outdoors is unusual. I am proud of our commitment to an equal gender balance.
I thank the staff coaching team and volunteers for their individual contribution to the project. They have shown that they are dedicated to making high quality experiences for our members. Adopting the Youth Values and developing young people around these takes time and commitment. Staff are encouraged to go beyond the scope of coaching activities to develop mentoring and caring skills which clearly aids the obvious development of our youth members.
William Tytler
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
1 Introduction
The Centre’s work with young people started with a summer programme in 1976. Today it remains important to continue to provide much needed activities for young people in the school summer holidays. In 2018, a daily week-day programme took place from Monday 30th July to Sunday 2nd September which included the activities programme at Shadwell Basin and a seven day residential expedition to Ullswater in the English Lake District at the end of the project.
2 Preparation and Planning
The evaluation of the previous year’s programme was considered in the planning process, including the views of the young people. This year the plan was to cater for more individuals and less groups as local funding for this type of group has reduced and bookings have lessened over the last couple of years. The Inclusion Programme also takes up to 10 individuals daily to encourage participation and lead those individuals to integrate into regular youth sessions. In the early phase of planning we decided to liaise with two school groups from Central Foundation and Date Palm as a strategy to develop individual participation and increase diversity throughout the project. At the latter part of this planning we decided to give this programme more development time and plan to run a pilot scheme for 2019. In line with the Shadwell Youth Clubs aim to work at a more long term educational development stage with individuals, it seems right to select local schools and give additional opportunities for prospective youth membership for the future. Here is an outline of the weekly participation targets.
Individuals Inclusion Programme School Groups Week 1 60 10 00 Week 2 60 10 00 Week 3 50 10 10 Week 4 50 10 10 Week 5 27 Residential to Ullswater
As the regular youth members progressed through the “Pathways” Scheme in sessions prior to the summer project, they were given a level: Green, Blue, Red or Horizons. A list of names and respective levels were created, which included individuals that were likely to turn up from previous projects and the summer before. This aided the efficiency of the Pathways administration and the educational development and progress of individuals.
3 Staffing
The staff on the Project comprised of full-time and part-time staff who had all previously worked on the summer project. The staff team, including volunteers, had a good balance of qualifications enabling the multi-activity programme to run well. Unfortunately this summer we were one staff member down but this turned out quite well as numbers were lower due to no group bookings as you will read later in the report. Daily staff de-briefings were important enabling staff to share and explore ideas as well as discuss individual and group situations. It also allowed the opportunity to monitor the development of the young people and gauge their progression on the “Pathways” scheme. Specific issues regarding young people were also discussed here and plans made to aid individual development and solve any personal issues, which were then handed over to the Youth Activities Co-ordinator to pursue and provide additional support where needed to individuals and parents/guardians. 3
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
4 Programme
The feedback gained from regular youth club members, Centre staff and the coaches have allowed for further development of the “Pathways” scheme, which was introduced in 2014. The scheme focuses on an educational journey of exploration and discovery, which allows the student to gain experience and skills as well as progressive certificates and National Governing Body awards. The Pathways scheme is colour coded green, blue, red and purple. The awards are designed to become increasingly challenging as the young people progress from green to eventually reach purple and reflect the National Governing Body awards they also gain along their journey.
As you can see in between levels, there are stepping stone tasks which include elements of bushcraft, challenge and adventure as these allow young people to gain a depth of knowledge about the sport, build confidence and gain essential survival and life skills relative to the sports and adventurous activities. A further development which was introduced this year was the Pathways Leader Award which included three awards in unison, Communication, Team Building and Leadership. Individuals who are at the Horizon (purple) level, who have achieved at least three red awards in different sports were eligible for this award. It was decided to run this as a pilot with the next group of young people who would become potential members of our Adventure Coach Training Scheme as a pre requisite to the upcoming coaches. This award develops qualified individuals and provides them an ideal opportunity to become leaders, through developing essential group skills and the use of coaching models in a practical way, helping less experienced members within the early stages of the Pathways Scheme.
The Youth Club Values play an important part in individual development and personal skills whereby coaches and leaders can educate young people to become the best person they can be. They can either do this by selecting one of the nine key values to work on to develop the aim of the session or as a way to resolve problems and progress resolution in a behavioural sense. 4
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
4.1 Activities Programme
The final programme offered the following activities: canoeing, kayaking, sailing, climbing, high ropes, improvised rafting and mountain biking. The Pathways Leadership programme also involved theoretical and practical lessons in Communication, Team Building and Leadership. These skill sessions took place from Monday to Friday during the four week onsite project.
4.2 Trips
Sailing, kayaking and mountain biking trips were scheduled on Thursdays and Fridays on the River Thames or local venues, which enabled the young people to transfer the skills learnt on the Basin to these more dynamic adventurous environments which allowed them to gain more experience and challenge them further. The new slipway enabled easy and safe access to the River Thames making it easier to use for a variety of abilities.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
4.3 Competitions
Competitions in a range of sports took place on Thursday and Friday mornings which developed performance in different environments so as to solidify skills and broaden experience. This also gave the young people the opportunity to learn more about discipline specific boats and sample different competitive elements within the sport. Paddlesport sprint, slalom, polo, play boat tricks and synchronised canoeing were all included. Sail racing also took place, as well as speed climbing and indoor bouldering.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
4.4 Friday Challenge
A different Friday Challenge was set up each week where all of the Pathway level groups merged and competed on multiple activity challenges using all their practical skills they had learnt on different activities. Groups were created with Green, Blue and Red students with members at the Horizon level collaborating as a team. This helped develop team work skills, communication and leadership roles which played an important part within the success of the task and allowed the Leadership group to develop skills under pressure.
5 Groups
5.1 Inclusion Programme
Between Monday and Wednesday on the weekly programme young people with autism and learning and emotional difficulties were introduced to our activities. 14.4% of the overall attendees (Mon-Wed) were involved in this programme. Daniel Cantwell co-ordinated the Inclusion programme with additional support from our staff team. The whole staff team were all involved in supporting the programme at different periods over the project, which helped broaden their coaching experience and understanding the need for different approaches to learning. It is a real challenge working with young people with disabilities, but extremely rewarding to be able to provide outdoor activities of an integrated nature. This is the fourth year the inclusion programme has run and its success is wide-reaching to the point where young people are able to access the regular youth sessions after the summer project has concluded. The programme enables them to develop and learn how to successfully cope in this new environment on their own within the group, which enables individuals to become more independent. One of the successes of this has been a youngster who started with this scheme four years ago and has now developed enough skill and confidence to join the Leadership Programme with the intention to move on to the Adventure Coach Training Scheme in 2019.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
5.2 Girls Can Adventure
Prior to the summer, the Girls Can Adventure programme engaged lots of keen girls who became more confident within themselves and on activity through participation in the scheme. This continued during the Summer Project whereby 100% of the dedicated places were full. As the girls progress it is evident that they integrate well within the regular youth activities which is one of the main development aims of the project.
5.3 Youth Groups
As discussed in the preparation and planning section, reduced funding has meant that local Youth Club Groups are not as able to fund bookings and therefore there were no group bookings made by youth groups prior to the project this year. 8
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6 Summer Residential
As part of a progression from adventurous activities on site and on local trips, a camping based residential activity experience was planned in the Lake District on Ullswater and its surrounding landscapes.
The aim of the trip was to broaden individual experience and skills bringing them into the real outdoors. Challenging activities brought individuals into a peak experience where individuals could reach their adventure threshold at different levels.
Young people learnt the importance of teamwork, how to organise equipment, how to prepare meals and how to carry out essential camp craft duties which are all integral parts of the success of the whole trip/expedition.
Individuals would need to be prepared for activities each day which meant co-ordinating with the coach regarding personal safety equipment needed and organising their own personal clothing and food supplies into rucksacks or waterproof bags.
Sharing these experiences can test you individually and as part of a team however it was evident that they also really strengthened individuals which will help prepare them for other challenges within their life to come.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
It was also decided that all the Staff who worked on the project should also go on the residential. This was an important step towards up skilling the whole staff team in teaching in more demanding and adventurous activities in more challenging environments. This enabled us to have three, as opposed to the traditional two, groups on activity. This meant that we could take more young people away and divide into a wider level of experience. The three groups were called the Discover Group – Introductory level, Explore Group – Intermediate level and the Challenge Group - Advanced level. The group members were then of similar levels enabling us to really push individual learning and increase skill and adventure opportunities.
6.1 Itinerary
Below you can see the Itinerary which includes detail of the different activity groups.
ITINERARY – Summer Residential 2018
Summer Activities Residential 2018 – Ullswater / Lake District
Monday 27th August to Sunday 2nd September
Day Discover Group Explore Group Challenge Group Evening Activity Base Meet at Shadwell at 0600 hrs, arrive 1800 hrs Monday 27th Travel from Shadwell to Ullswater via agreed route. Organise food locally Set up Camp Gowbarrow Crag Aira Force: WT & MG Grizedale MTB Trail or Night Walk Tuesday 28th Climb: MW & JC Gowbarrow Crag Ullswater 9m Route Recreation RC Aira Force: Climb: MW & JC MTB: RE & DC WT & MG Ullswater Lake Grizedale Forest Gowbarrow Crag Team Games Wednesday 29th Canoe Kayak: RE & MTB: WT & MG Climb: MW & DC Canoe Bivi: JC RC Day Trip Return 1.30pm MW & WT Return 2.30pm 29th 5pm to 30th 11am
CULTURAL VISIT Thursday 30th BBQ 0 12.00 noon: Visit to Carlisle Castle and Town
Ullswater Lake River Eamont Helvellyn - Striding Edge Night Walk Friday 31st Rowing am: RE & Canoe Kayak: JC & RC Mountain Scramble Recreation DC MG Day Trip MW & WT Day Trip Bushcraft pm: RE&MG Helvellyn Helvellyn River Eamont/Eden Packing for return Saturday 1st Joint Group Joint Group Canoe Kayak: WT & RC JC Mountain Walk Mountain Walk Day Trip MW, MG, RE, DC MW, MG, RE, DC 0800: Travel from Ullswater to Shadwell via outlined agreed route. Sunday 2nd 1800: Meet Parents at Shadwell - unpack Equipment / Set tents out to dry upstairs room 1900: Young people leave Alterations to plan / Bad weather plan Monday: Lose convoy/meet at next agreed service station / Mechanic problems/plan to be made on route Tuesday: If conditions are too bad for climbing then walk only / MTB smaller route/walk Wednesday: Canoe shorter trip / MTB smaller route/walk Thursday: Continue and visit a town Friday: If no rowing longer Bushcraft activity Saturday: Local Hill Walk / Continue river unless in flood – different river or lake paddle Sunday: Lose convoy/meet at next agreed service station / Mechanic problems/plan to be made on route
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6.2 Climbing at Gowbarrow Crag & Walking the Aira Force circuit
Climbing ropes were set up on the Gowbarrow crag with its formidable but stunning structure deep in the forested setting of Gowbarrow Fell. Both Discover and Explore groups showed some really good climbing techniques, succeeding on a variety of routes between 5a to 5c. The Explore group walked the Aira Force circuit first and then descended to Gowbarrow Crag following an excitingly steep path down the sides of the towering rock faces. After climbing the Discover group then walked up to Aira Force, a spectacular waterfall made the walk very worthwhile. The Challenge group completed advanced routes up to 6a.
6.3 Mountain Biking at Grizedale
Both the Explore and Challenge groups were engulfed by the forest environment as they embarked on the mountain biking routes of the North Face Red Trail. The trails had difficult uphill endurance sections which challenged the group’s fitness. There were excellent downhill sections on the route which were fantastically fast, requiring overall skill and the use of accurate lines in order to stay in control of the bike. This gave both groups an ability to test their skills and themselves and learn new skills in this dynamic environment. The Challenge group also tried out the exhilarating Black downhill single-track section which really tested their limits through a series of tight bends and jumps on the narrow paths through tall trees.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6.4 Cultural Day – Carlisle Castle
The groups merged for a day to gain an experience of English history and to give them a well-earned rest from the activities. Everyone had a great day out visiting Carlisle Castle, standing proud in the city it has dominated for nine centuries, Carlisle Castle remained a working fortress until well within living memory. It has withstood many sieges, held captive a royal prisoner, and been home to the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.
6.5 Rowing
Rowing boats were hired from the campsite allowing the Discover group to row on a planned 6 mile circuit half way round the lake, whilst on route the group visited Pooley Bridge village then took in the beautiful sights of Helvellyn. This was the first time we had included rowing on a residential and the group had a really nice time on the activity.
6.6 Kayaking
Canoeing and kayaking also took place directly from the campsite with the Discover group. The Explore group were due to take on the River Eamont which flows from the North of Ullswater Lake, but low water levels meant the group could not run the planned section. The Challenge group then planned an alternative to the Eamont and visited a section of moving water on the River Eden instead, learning new skills in running rapids and playing on waves in kayaks.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6.7 Wild Bivi
The mixed levels group of 13 young people and three staff kayaked out from the campsite after dinner on a 2 mile night journey leading to a remote forested area at Kailpot Bay near Sandwick on the Ullswater Lake. The group spent the evening setting up a wild Bivi shelter to sleep in and practicing bushcraft activities including making a great fire. In the morning the group then paddled back to camp. Wild camping like this is a great team building and leadership exercise, providing an amazingly memorable experience.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6.8 Striding Edge & Helvellyn Mountain Walk
The Challenge group walked out of Patterdale to complete a horse shoe walk around the Red Tarn summiting Helvellyn via the infamous Striding Edge and returning via Swirral Edge. The weather was perfect for the ascent over the rocky ridge with awe inspiring views with twenty five mile visibility. It was a challenging level of difficulty acquiring nerve and commitment in mountaineering technique with drops of hundreds of metres either side in some sections.
6.9 Helvellyn Mountain Walk
The next day the mountain weather changed completely and the Discover and Explore groups all completed the ascent of Helvellyn in adverse conditions with limited visibility of fifty foot at times. As this was a large group with less experience a more manageable ascent route from Thirlmere Lake on the west of Helvellyn was chosen, although this was still very challenging in steepness the group all succeeded in gaining the summit. This group was made up of younger members, some only nine years of age.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
6.10 On Reflection
You will read what the trip meant to the young people in the comments section. However, on behalf of the staff team I can confirm that the trip was a great success in many ways.
Watching the young people take on the challenge of this year’s residential experience was very inspiring and most definitely quantified why we do what we do. Apart from the very challenging adventurous activities, whereby the young people felt a real sense of achievement, memories of our bivi, the most amazing camping spot overlooking the beautiful Ullswater Lake, the meals and social moments we shared together all made the trip a wonderful experience for the young people and the staff leaders. The effort in planning and taking a group so far from home in a remote spot such as this is demanding on everyone involved but also very exciting in the moment of adventure.
It is certainly worth all the effort to come to these remote destinations and to see how much the young people flourish when pushed to their adventure limits. The other fantastic thing is the way in which this experience creates confidence and independence. For some people it was their first trip away from home and the young leaders were a big part of how comfortable individuals felt being so far from home for so long, it was great to see young people supporting each other in this way. Many friendships were made and made stronger being in this environment and many life-changing experiences took place. 15
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
7 Attendance Analysis Huntleys Crag Attendance Summer 2017 Summer 2018 Male Female Individuals Attending 174 148 89 59 Attendances 2662 1802 1036 766
The number of individuals and participation overall went down from the previous year. This can be linked directly to the cuts in the borough that took hold over the last couple of years as there were no group bookings this year.
The gender ratio, with boys attendance at 60% and girls at 40%, is encouraging and we are proud to provide a service that enables girls to have such a high attendance. This year’s figures show girls attend more sessions than boys with the girls coming on average 13 times as opposed to boys coming 11 which we are particularly pleased with. Historically we have always been pleased with the numbers of girls attending, and this is something we aim to continue to develop in particular with the “Girls Can” projected integrating to the regular Youth Projects.
Percentage of Attendance Breakdown Asian or Asian British Black or Black British Indian 1.35 African 2.02 Bangladeshi 5.4 Caribbean 1.35 Pakistani 1.4 Somali 1.35 Other Asian Background 2.02
Dual Ethnicity White Asian and White 6.08 English 52.7 Black African and White 0.67 Irish 2 White & Black Caribbean 2.7 Scottish 1.35 Other dual ethnicity 8.1 Other 8.1 Ethnicity not recorded 3.37 Other NB – Other includes Eastern Europeans
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
7.1 Summer Project Survey
During the project 38 young people were surveyed regarding the activity programme.
Summer Project Survey 2018
Figures are shown as an average percentage of 100 %
How enjoyable are the activities on the Summer Project 90.2 How healthy did you feel before you started the activities 76.5 How healthy did you feel after you had done the activities 93.1 Is the summer project good for making friends 90.5
What was the preferred activity as a percentage Paddlesport 63.2 Sailing 16.4 Climbing & High Ropes 12.5 Mountain Biking 7.9
It appears that young people clearly enjoy the activities, feel healthier at the end of the project and find it a great place to make friends. The timetable accurately reflected the young people’s preference of the activities, e.g. around 60% of sessions planned were paddlesport based.
8 Recognition and Qualifications
The Pathways Awards were co-ordinated by Robyn Cuthbert on a daily basis. The system that was created to record outcomes was extremely accurate so that as the coaches ran the programme they would update individual learning and this was then recorded. For daily attendees, their certificates were created from the information at the end of the day and then awarded to the young people. On the Friday afternoon of each week for weekly attendees, we celebrated young people’s achievements by presenting the Pathways award certificates that they had completed. Additionally, other certificates such as “the most improved” and other special recognitions were presented, which showed our ability to recognise not only skill but more importantly individual successes and personal achievement. The Pathways scheme has clearly improved the ability to record young people’s progress and awards. The structure of the scheme enables coaches to run high quality sessions and allows for the individual to feel connected with their coach and personal learning.
Recorded outcomes: These are monitored by completing all section tasks within the “Stepping Stones” syllabus level, which takes place during sessions in between running the certificated and accredited awards, and are designed to broaden skills allowing for exploration in bush craft, individual / team challenges and adventure. Out of 148 individuals 1,023 individual tasks were completed within subject areas. This area of work relies on more equipment and additional planning.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
Certificated Outcomes: These are lower this year in comparison with the last two years, this we feel is related to the number of repeat visitors and regular youth club members who have already gained many of the awards. Young people who only visit each summer would not have enough time to attain the higher level awards.
Accredited Outcomes: Higher level National Governing Body qualifications have decreased slightly this year. This is because many of the regulars who attend the youth project year round have already attained these levels previous to the project.
Therefore it is fair to state that there are more successes at the lower level due to new attendees and fewer awards at a higher level due to members already gaining experience and skill. These more experienced members are now on a new pathway and are now working towards the Leadership Award put in place to develop individuals even further.
Pathways Awards Analysis 2015 to 2018
Summer Project Outcomes 2015 2016 2017 2018
New Skills /Recorded Outcomes Not recorded in this format 160 64
Certificated Outcomes 170 337 303 201
Accredited Outcomes 200 205 164 146
Pathways Awards Activity Breakdown 2018
Activity Start Passport/Stage 1 Discovery/Stage 2 Total Green Blue Red Accredited NGB Paddlesport 72 22 7 101 Sailing 33 12 0 45 Certificated Green Blue Red Rowing 20 0 0 20 Climbing 69 19 3 91 High Ropes 34 22 0 56 Biking 18 13 3 34 Total 246 88 13 347
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
9 Comments
9.1 Summer Project Comments
Zofia “I made new friends and I love Shadwell”
Bridget “I really enjoyed the summer project as I made new friends and learnt and developed new skills”.
9.2 Comments about the Summer Residential to Ullswater
Jane “On the summer residential I thought it was fun because we had opportunities that we may not have been able to do elsewhere. For example kayaking, rock climbing, camping and mountain climbing”.
Jack “On the summer residential we got to do so many amazing experiences such as the brilliant mountain walks to Helvellyn including the ridge crossing of Striding Edge. Crossing the ridge was a challenge but was very fun as I have never done anything like that before. The residential opened up new experiences that I will keep for the rest of my life”.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
Bridget “I really enjoyed the summer residential because it was very fun and I got to do new things and I made new friends. Also I am very grateful to have this opportunity and for Shadwell to help me go on this trip”.
Zofia “I learnt new skills and had so much fun doing the activities which I practiced for all summer by doing my pathways blue awards”
Louis “I enjoyed very much the kayaking on the rapids as I managed to roll for the first time on moving water. I found out about new people and made new friends”
Aaliyah “Before coming to Ullswater with Shadwell I had been quite lazy, staying at home, waking up late, watching Netflix etc, but this week was the complete opposite. I woke up before 8am every day and I did activities which wouldn’t waste my time. Even though I was a little uncomfortable with these new activities as this was my first trip like this, they helped me build skills and I became more confident. I also made friends and built strong relationships.
Francesca During this week I have had a great time. My favourite thing was climbing up Helvellyn which was really challenging and at the top it was amazing! I could have done better at climbing on the crag, but life is full of fears that you have to overcome and I overcame them a little more. I have learnt how to talk and help people around me more than I used to and I am happier”.
Zofia “I was a bit scared before climbing the rock as it looked really high but I tried my best and did it. I learnt that I am good at hiking up mountains”.
Sophia “Before the trip I was scared of capsizing even though I have done my spraydeck test at the Basin and paddled on the River Thames. On the trip I learnt to paddle in big waves, how to use different moves to climb real rock and how to climb a mountain and how to be confident when I want to be. I hope that I can improve and achieve even more things. This trip was AMAZING! Thank you Shadwell”.
Georgina “I learnt how to put a tent up and be part of a team on this trip as I feel I have become more integrated into Shadwell. I climbed to the top of a really high mountain, Helvellyn. I paddled whitewater. I learnt how to set up the ropes in order to climb on a crag”.
Connie “I learnt how to cook and clean and had so much fun and I will never forget this trip”.
Khaled “Before the trip I was less enthusiastic about going out and being active. I am very happy that I managed to get on to the Striding Edge Helvellyn mountain hike. I learnt how to paddle on white water and made three new friends”.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
10 Finance
Summer Project Finance 2018 Income Amount Canary Wharf £5,000 Maitlands Fund Charitable Trust £5,000 Hermitage River Projects £3,872 London Dock Community Fund – St. Georges £2,835 Fitch London Charity Committee £1,000 User Fees £3,483
Total £21,190 Expenditure Staff & Volunteer Costs £16,083 Facility & Programming £5,104 Certification and Logbooks £216 Publicity and Marketing £0 Total £21,403 Surplus / Deficit (£213)
Summer Residential Finance 2018 Income Amount User Fees £3,600 Virgin Money Giving Donations £4,630 Bench Blisters Rowing Magistrates £2,000 Total £10,230 Expenditure Staff & Volunteer Costs £4,563 Food £1,141 Accommodation £900 Transport and Fuel £2,198 Ancillary Costs (Parking etc...) £320 Equipment £888
Total £10,010 Surplus / Deficit £220
Summary Summer Project Summer Residential Total Income £21,190 £10,230 £31,420 Expenditure £21,403 £10,010 £31,413
Surplus / Deficit (£213) £220 £7
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
11 Conclusion
Registration: there are a number of processes that take place including receiving and checking consent forms, payment (weekly or daily payers), and selection of the activity. The use of the “Pathways” scheme and the valuable work that was put in prior to the project had proven to reduce the time taken on activity selection. Member/parent queries and complaints were also dealt with at registration time. Registration was completed by the target time of 10.30am on Mondays and around 10.00-10.15am on other days. Young people and parents were queuing from as early as 8/8.30am in order to get a place for the day or week. We really encouraged weekly bookings this summer by increasing weekly spaces so that we could have more consistency and increase skill levels overall. It was much easier for coaches to plan effectively and give higher quality coaching.
We have learned that the ‘pathways’ structure will have long term development benefits to young people and provide a much more sustainable approach to outdoor and adventure activities at the Centre. It will challenge young people attending both the summer programme and the wider youth programme to push their own limits more with the activities they do. It will also give both the young people and staff a focus on direction and on the long term future of the programme. The “Pathways” adventure learning scheme is appreciated by young people, staff, management, the governing bodies including AALA at our last inspection, Learning Outside the Classroom and, very importantly, our funders.
The more experienced staff successfully provided support so that less experienced coaches and volunteers could develop their coaching skills.
There were seven members from the Centre’s Adventure Coach Training Scheme who participated in the pilot for the new Pathways Leader Award which is now being developed as the pre requisite for Coach training at the Centre. 22
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
The “Girls Can Adventure” project had encouraged many of the girls to participate in the summer project with 100% of places filled.
To alleviate the historical capacity issues, we did not allow any group bookings this summer. Instead we spent time developing a relationship with local schools so that we can invite groups of selected young people to come along as a group in future projects. We are looking to start this in 2019. The idea behind this is to increase diversity within the Youth Project and reach further out to the local community.
The concessionary rate offered to those from larger than average families meant that families could afford to have all their children participate in adventurous activities here at Shadwell. Families like these were well represented.
The inclusion project was hard work as expected but of course extremely rewarding work, especially getting to know the individuals and how best to support their needs. It has allowed us to analyse young people and to make recommendations for some of the members to join in with regular youth sessions in the future. We also involved more staff within the support role of the inclusion sessions and this broadened the coaching experience of the staff steam. Other youth members also joined this group if they were new to activities, this resulted in helping those more in need to feel they really were a part of the whole project and not just being looked after separately.
The summer project truly reaches young people borough-wide with some young people coming from further afield. It brings together young people from different cultural and economic backgrounds. This is an incredible social experience and helps young people to make new friends. Young people had lots of experiences working within team situations, which helped develop communication skills. For the more experienced and/or older members, there were opportunities for young leader training. The environment creates a place that is safe for young people to collaborate with each other and the activities are a great leveller for finding potential in young people and 23
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
young people gaining self worth and confidence whilst gaining and developing skills within activities and essential life skills.
The residential expedition to Ullswater in the Lake District was an extended trip and a great success with regular long-standing members as well as newer members of the youth club being challenged at much higher levels in remote and dynamic environments. We were particularly impressed with their strength and courage that allowed them to succeed in the planned activities and the extra special night-time wild bivi. The young people had the opportunity to reflect whilst on the trip and to describe how the trip had impacted upon their lives. Their feedback was quite astonishing and highlighted the importance the summer trip has on the work we do as a staff group and a charity. Leadership opportunities lead to valuable experiences had by those that one day may themselves lead in the outdoors or within other job related roles.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
The experienced staff team provided over 700 hours of coaching throughout the on- site summer project and residential. The whole team are a credit to Shadwell Basin. Their individual contribution and desire to enable young people to find adventure through an exciting and fun filled activity programme is enriching of lives. When a leader can connect with a young person and help them in some way to find a path that is safe, rewarding and inspiring it is truly empowering.
It was a particularly hot summer making it more demanding for coaches to fulfil the Pathways outcomes, in particular the Stepping Stone elements of the award. The very hot weather meant that coaches focused on wet skills rather than some of the land based elements of the awards.
Adventurous activities here at Shadwell Basin and in the real outdoors are so amazing and it helps us all in so many ways to fulfil our passion for adventure and feel good about ourselves. Outdoor education positively contributes to our physical and mental health. This heightened well being also translates into different areas of our life and contributes to us being great citizens who become the best person we can be.
There were funding issues this year and this affected the amount of staff which the Centre could employ to fulfil our targets and meet the needs of our growing community.
Providing a positive environment for young people to grow in experience through adventurous activities and to succeed and excel in these sports at an affordable cost is the charitable aim of the Centre. This could not be possible without the help of our dedicated funders who we owe thanks to for their financial support.
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Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre Summer Project Report 2018
Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre, 3-4 Shadwell Pierhead, Glamis Road, London, E1W 3TD. [email protected]. Registered Charity No: 293475 Contact: 020 7481 4210 - www.shadwell-basin.org.uk 26 Help us by donating to the Shadwell Youth Fund: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/shadwell-basin-youth-fund