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Thirteen members of 1st Wallsend Girls Brigade were given the chance to attend a week-long residential camp at Bowley Scout Activity Centre in Lancashire, after the Brigade received a grant from the Dickon Trust Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
The inclusive camp offered a range of activities for the teenage girls including rafting, archery, orienteering and grass sledging. Beyond this, the camp aimed to give the young people an opportunity to build confidence, help develop social skills, build resilience and promote wellbeing.
Su Legg, Senior Philanthropy Adviser at the Community Foundation said:
“The camp represented a timely opportunity for these young people to reconnect socially with their peers and to make new friends; try new activities and gain useful life skills. This is particularly important after the Covid pandemic which disrupted their ability to access such opportunities and maintain their social networks”.
The camp gave the girls the chance to meet people from across the country and grow an appreciation of differences and develop their empathy. Its rural setting also meant that they were outside exploring the natural world and learning about ways to care for the environment.
Pamela Fender from 1st Wallsend Girls Brigade said:
“A week of fun, friendship and learning for girls who would otherwise not have had a summer holiday. They gained experience in life skills, working together and understanding each other’s differences. These skills will be taken forward in other aspects of their lives such as at home and school or other youth groups they may attend.”