Since starting to work at Daybreak’s Hexham centre in January, Life Skills Instructor Sandra Wilkinson has worked extensively with the various Art and Craft groups at the centre to produce some wonderful displays.

The Art and Craft groups have made a montage around the theme of spring. Displayed in the foyer, visitors to the centre see it as they enter Network House.

The Sensory Room is now decorated with several themes including deep sea and space.

The Wednesday Art and Craft Group are currently working on a jungle theme.

The day started out with the weather not looking very promising. Rain in the air and dark clouds on the horizon. Not really the best of conditions to go walking in the woods.

However, that didn’t stop a group from our Consett Centre who had planned and organised a visit to Chopwell Woods.

With appropriate waterproofs, packed lunch and suitable footwear the group of 5 service users accompanied by Instructors Les Thompson and Ray Walling set off.

The group had arranged to meet Chris Affleck who is the VisitWoods Outreach Officer for the East Durham Area. His role is to show how the woods can be a free resource which can offer people many benefits such as: exercise, appreciation of nature, woodland activities and he works with organisations representing children, young people, older people and people with disabilities to bring these benefits to new audiences.

Chris took the group on a guided walk through part of Chopwell woods and along the way they took part in different activities. Richard Weston who attends the Consett Centre has written his own account of the trip:

On Friday 20th of April a group went to Chopwell Woods. I was there with Stephen Mills, David Goundry, Gary Brown and Andrew Weyman with two staff, Les and Ray.

We saw different wooden sculptures. One was of a bird and another was some giant hands. We all sat on some giant wooden leaves for a photo.

We all wore walking shoes and water proof coats and took a packed lunch. When we got there we went for walks and had to pick different things up. We built a shelter out of branches and leaves and we looked at leaves and pine cones. Then, we went for our lunch at a picnic table where we had to build things from twigs, leaves and stones.

I built a house. We played a few games made out of branches and then went back to Minsteracres. Everyone enjoyed the trip. Some of the games were really good and I would certainly go again.

By Richard Weston

The group returned to the Centre and were all enthusiastic about the time they’d had in the woods. As it turns out, the rain stayed away in the end!

We are planning to arrange future woodland walks with Chris and explore other woodlands and nature which the area has to offer.

ClickVisitWoods.org for further information.

Andrew Burns who attends our Newcastle Centre is a keen participator of sports and is a member of the Special Olympics Club – Northern Region where he regularly trains. At the end of last month, Andrew went down to London to attend the Special Olympics National Athletics Competition.

The event was held at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in Edmonton, London.
235 Athletes with learning disabilities from clubs throughout Great Britain competed in track and field.

Andrew has written his own article about the event:

London indoor games

I attend the Northern Region Special Olympics Club and this weekend 31 march and 1 April was the National games in London. My specialist event was the shot put you get three throws. I came first and won gold. My next event was the 60 metre sprint and I came 2nd and won silver. My last event was the 60 metres relay. There were 6 runners in my team. I was the 3rd runner and again I got the silver medal. All in all it was a great weekend and everyone enjoyed themselves. I had a great time but the journey home was a long ride. It was well worth it though!

By Andrew Burns.

Congratulations Andrew on such a fantastic achievement.

For more information about the Championships you can visit the Special Olympics website by clicking this link:
Special Olympics Great Britain