Summer work catch-up

Here's a few images and words from my work activities over the summer.

Airedale & Wharfedale  Autism Resource at Lineham Farm

A particularly rewarding day's work was had at Lineham Farm, climbing and cycling with young people with autism from Airedale & Wharfedale Autism Resource.

I spent time prospecting some bike bivi routes for a work project I have in mind

RSPB

Field-teaching for the RSPB has continued to provide very satisfying work, teaching primary school children about habitats, life-cycles, adaptations and food-chains at Fairburn Ings reserve, Castleford.

SkyRide

I've worked for SkyRide and British Cycling, leading adults on local road rides in the Bradford area, encouraging people to take up and continue cycling.

National Citizen Service, Summer of a Lifetime at Herd Farm

I've enjoyed some work with the Leeds pilot of the National Citizen Service, Summer of a Lifetime event working with great colleagues from Learning Partnerships, a Leeds-based education charity. The scheme was supported by the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and, in Leeds' case, by Jenna Downing - champion in-line skater and all-round good egg and inspiration.  The project was based at Herd Farm, Leeds City Council's excellent outdoor activity centre where the young people took part in challenging activities, community volunteering and learning.

Young people on the NCS Summer of A Lifetime showed persistence firelighting in damp weather.

For some of the staff firelighting is a competitive sport.

Young people completed strenuous, physical work, voluntarily. Clearing paths in Middleton Woods, Leeds.

The youngsters showed enthusiasm, pride and cheerfulness in the work they completed.

One of the most heartening aspects of working on the project was the way the young people overturned many of the prejudicial stereotypes so widely aired in the media in the wake of recent riots.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award with C I Adventures

Working with C I Adventures I coached and supervised pupils from Trinity Academy, Halifax in completing their Duke of Edinburgh's Award, bronze expedition.

Young people completed their bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Calderdale

Stoodley Pike on day one of Trinity Academy's Bronze DofE expedition

Other work for C I Adventures has involved teaching young people about the natural history of bats, building bat boxes and erecting them on the Hebble Trail in Halifax.

Contributing to bat conservation in Halifax.

Navigation Training with Lupine AdventureCo-operative

For Lupine Adventure Co-operative I worked with a fantastic group of adults, teaching them how to navigate effectively in the mountains of the Lake District. On day one of the course it poured with rain and I was impressed that they remained so cheerful and keen to learn. On day two we were rewarded with fantastic sunny weather as we explored Scandale.

My notes from the Scandale walk on Day 2

Update - Feedback from the Lupine Navigation Course

"On behalf of the group, I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ for teaching and looking after us this weekend – a truly positive ‘bucolic’ experience!

You helped to make the weekend a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience for all of us and we appreciated your patience, clear explanation and extensive knowledge which you pitched at just the right level for the group.

We found you to be very personable and thorough and particularly appreciated your willingness to be flexible to ensure we got the most out of the weekend – even if you did insist that we went off that very inviting, well worn ‘brown’ path and climbed up through the more difficult bracken!  Are you absolutely sure we couldn’t just have taken that path?!?

We have all come away inspired and motivated to try out our new found skills which is testament to your excellent tuition!

There was nothing we could think of that would have improved what you did except we would have appreciated you sorting the weather out on Saturday!

Thanks again, we all hope to meet you again sometime.

Best wishes

Cathy"