Summer update

In the last two weeks of my holiday I have been involved with a couple of youth work/charity/outdoor projects. The first, "Champions' Challenge", involved supervising a group of lively youngsters on a journey on foot and by bike for 5 days around the Yorkshire Dales.

The journey took in the Yorkshire Three Peaks as well as climbing, caving and environmental challenges. Below, a ranger instructs the youngsters in building a red squirrel feeding box as part of their John Muir Award.



The idea, apart from providing a fun challenge for the youngsters, was to demonstrate that sustainable journeys can be made from Bradford to the surrounding countryside using only public transport and one's own muscle. The event was a collaborative project between Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Go Dales! A joint project of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Sport England.

The second event, "Personal Award for Excellence" or "PAWE" was based at Ambleside Youth Hostel and was a reward to young people, nominated by their schools, who had "given back" to their schools, communities or families. The Keighley News reported the event here.

Among activities such as wakeboarding, canoeing, climbing and ghyll scrambling; the group also got to take part in dragon boat racing under the coaching of Paul and Rachel, both previously GB team members and medal winners. Both were very motivating to meet; Paul, a former Royal Marine and Rachel an ocean racing oarswoman. Their current projects can be found respectively here and here.

A dragon sends the local wildlife into temporary retreat.

Although the weather was mixed the event culminated in glorious weather and a disco on the Swan, a steamer on Windermere.

View from the bow of the Swan on the last evening of the PAWE residential.

More photos here.

Finally, yesterday, we went to a falconry centre near Thirsk to take advantage of a voucher I'd been given for my 40th birthday. As well as looking at some impressive birds of prey I got to fly some of them and built up a short but meaningful relationship with Brown, a young, male Harris hawk on a "hawk walk" when he flew to my fist for a reward of turkey chicks' wings. It was particularly rewarding when Brown, bored with the fare we'd been offering, rocketed off into a wheat field and flushed a Grey partridge.

Brown relaxing while not chasing worms, caterpillars or Grey partridges.

More photos here.

Back to proper work tomorrow!