Disabled youngsters get active in West Wales (3)

Bush craft  and cooking food on campfires were part of an activity weekend for disabled children in West Wales.

Young people with varying disabilities from Action for Children's Hawthorn Project in Haverfordwest attended the fun event - with an important and serious aim.

The break, at Newgale YMCA Outdoor Education centre in Pen y Cwm, Haverfordwest, was held to help youngsters gain skills needed for job hunting and independent living.

Nine youngsters aged between 14 and 19 got to grips with bush craft techniques, team games and a range of outdoor activities such as walking on high ropes during the break.
 
Charlotte Phillips, Action for Children Key Worker said: "The activity weekend was a great confidence booster for the youngsters, many of whom had never been away from home before. It was a fun way of boosting their social skills, building their self esteem and will help them make the often difficult transition of  moving out of the family home to  lead independent lives."

Mark, 16, one of the young people who attended the activity break said:  "I'm really glad that I went on the break, as first of all I didn't want to go.  I loved staying away from home and it was not as scary as I thought.  The camp fire was great and everyone was really nice and chatty".  

Emyr, 14, said:  "The team games were a nice way to get to know each other and the staff at the Newgale Outdoor Centre that I did not know before.  I really liked getting involved in the bush craft and sitting around the camp fire". 

The Hawthorn project works with children and young people with disabilities and their families.

Action for Children runs over 120 services in Wales, supporting over 15,000 of the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people and their families in local communities.