The PACE & ACE group recently went on their residential trip to the Lake district, as a way of immersing themselves to different experiences, and taking them out of their comfort zones.
From the offset the group were keen to spend some time away from their friends and family. Also to experience new activities, and at the same time increase their confidence and self esteem.
After a few false starts, and various members of the group dropping out, the ACE group managed to book some accommodation, and outdoor activities with the Bendrigg trust - an organisation set up to help young people with physical and mental difficulties. The trust was extremely helpful in organising the trip and making it a memorable experience.
We arrived at Fell End lodge after a tiring 3 and a half hour trip up to the accommodation, situated just outside of Sedbergh in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. When we finally got to there we were blown away by the panoramic views from the bunkhouse, and also the silence and isolation. The ACE group revelled in the location and it wasn’t long before the volunteers were walking across the barren moors to take advantage of the spectacular views, and also the great thermal up drafts, as one of the volunteers – Sean was a keen Kite flyer, and rides Kite Buggies in his spare time. His kite caused quite a stir in the group, and his patience and good instruction meant that all the group managed to have a go at flying the kite with various degrees of mastery!
By the end of day 1 all the group were extremely tired, and after a well earned spaghetti bolognaise, expertly cooked by Christian, the volunteers retired to bed very worn out.
On Tuesday the group had a full day of learning Bush craft skills to look forward to, and this is what happened:-
Bush Craft
When I originally booked this Bush craft day I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Were we going to be like Ray Mears, skinning rabbits, or cooking moose on hot coals, or were we going to be exposed to the Bear Grylls way of life where we dived into frozen rivers, and jogged 50 km’s through mosquito ridden swamps. Luckily it wasn’t the Bear Grylls side, phew! but it was definitely more Ray Mears, and definitely a lot of fun! As soon as we arrived in camp, which is set in a beautiful pine forest, set on the far banks of Lake Winderemere, we had to make fire, and properly. We all failed miserably at this task, but we learnt very quickly how to make a fire properly, and this lesson will stick with me for a long time to come. Throughout the rest of the day we made some Banock cakes that we then ate. Tracked foxes and squirrels, ate wild berries and mushrooms, and even made fire from wood. Not only do I feel like a proper caveman but the whole group thoroughly enjoyed the whole day and we were all sad to see it come to an end! Stephen was a great instructor, who delivered at just the right level, and the day has made us all want to learn more about how to survive in the wild. Bear Grylls, eat your heart out! And maybe a snake too! 5 out of 5 – Brilliant!
Thursday and Friday were also two activity packed days, with expert instruction carried out on a range of subjects, from Kayaking to Rock climbing, Abseiling, Orientation and the use of Zip wires at Bendrigg lodge.
The Bendrigg trust did an excellent job of keeping the group interested and on task, and made the week better then ever expected.
All in all the trip was a great success, but I think I’ll need a weeks holiday just to recover!
Neil ACE
Christian PACE
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