WHO CARES IF THEY'RE IN CARE?

For someone who does not 'do' the outdoors, let alone the wind and rain on a stormy weekend, it was hard to decide, as I took on the role of 'action woman', which of the activities was the least tortuous; abseiling, tunneling, rip sticking, shooting, rock climbing, or the blind folded sensory walk. Certainly, my vote for the worst was a toss up between being left hanging as I lost my foothold whilst rock climbing, or tunneling. In a moment of madness I, a childless woman, old enough to be their grandmother, had volunteered to join youth worker Catherine Newberry and Carolyn Drew from the County Council, on an outward bound type activity weekend at 'Parents Get Lost' in Weymouth, along with 11 young people from the Somerset in Care Council (SiCC). That'll teach me I thought, as a claustrophobic I found myself tunneling through a dark abyss, with barely enough room to wriggle in the mud, trying not to hyperventilate. In my elected County Council member role as cabinet support member for children and families, and as a long term school governor, I feel that practical involvement is key to understanding what we are doing to support our youngsters, particularly those that are vulnerable. In Somerset there are currently 500 children in care for a wide variety of reasons. Some are in long term placements, and the setting up of the SiCC has helped to give those that want to get involved (and some don't) the chance to meet up, and more importantly, to have a greater say over what happens to young people in care. This weekend was all about building relationships, learning to get on with others, to overcome fears and challenge boundaries. For some this was their first 'residential' trip away, and that in itself was something of an achievement as Carolyn and her team work towards ensuring the limited resources available are put to good use. I probably gained as much from the activities as the youngsters did; to witness the older ones taking on responsibility and looking out for the younger ones was a joy to witness, as was the extent that those who had iniitally declined to join in gradually opened up over the weekend, trying new things. Despite a severe lack of sleep, and very muddy clothes, the verdict was that the weekend was a real success for all of us. I'm now planning to help organise other similar events, but will be sure in future to avoid the lentil soup, as its effects were not much appreciated by all!