Information - Activity Weeks 2009
Introduction
We have run these weeks since 1985 for children and young people who have speech and language disorders. As usual, the programme provides fun and challenging activities geared to improve and enhance communication and confidence.
We provide a high ratio of helpers (links) to children: 1-to-1 for the two younger groups. This ensures that each child may participate in all activities with confidence. We run a children’s club during school term and many of our club helpers also volunteer for activity weeks, which we greatly appreciate. The other helpers are mainly a mix of speech therapy students and sixth form students. In addition, the littles week has a speech therapist who helps in the planning and the running of the week.
This year we are organising three groups according to age, much the same as last year. Our activity weeks are very structured and we expect children to attend the full five days. For example the middles group get to know their links for the first two days before they go away for two nights.
|
|
Group One "Littles" |
Group Two "Middles" |
Group Three "Bowles" |
|
Age guide (at 1/8/09) |
5 to 7 years |
8 to 10/11 years |
From 11 years |
|
Attendees |
12 children |
10 children |
21 young people |
|
Helpers and Leaders |
14 |
11 |
13 |
|
Date from until |
Monday 3rd August Friday 7th August |
Monday 27th July Friday 31st July |
Monday 3rd August Friday 7th August |
|
Main venue |
St Giles Church Hall Ashtead |
Mon-Tue: St Giles (daytime) Wed-Fri: Sayers Croft Field |
Bowles Outdoor Activity Centre (residential) |
|
Cost |
£100 |
£150 |
£255 |
The activity weeks are heavily subsidised by North Surrey Afasic, both with volunteers’ time and with money. The financial subsidy means parents contribute just under half of the amount that it costs us to run the Activity Weeks. We have held Littles and Middles prices unchanged for two years, however we have increased them a little this year. There is a price increase for Bowles, reflecting their increased cost to us (we pay Bowles £259 for each attendee and for each helper). Please remember that we would not like a child to miss out on an activity week because of cost, so if payment is a problem, please contact Malcolm Stuart at the address below.
About
We are a parent-led group whose aim is to support children and young people with language and communication difficulties. We are all volunteers. Most of us have children with a communication difficulty, some of whom are now adults. Like many voluntary organisations, we are constrained by the time people can give us. Much of our time is taken up in organising and running the activity weeks themselves, due to demands such as insurance assessments and health and safety checks. Anyone who is able to help by joining our committee would be very welcome, especially parents (or grandparents) of younger children, as the majority of current members’ children have now left school.
Any efforts by people to raise funds towards next year’s activity weeks would be much appreciated by us. To this end we have prepared a document for use in applications to grant making organisations - you can print it from here or just ask us for a copy. Sometimes employers give preference to applications made via a member of staff.
Group One "Littles"
Monday 3rd August - Friday 7th August
This group is for 12 children aged between 5 and 7 years. The children have 1-to-1 helpers. It is based at St. Giles’ Church Hall in Ashtead and the sessions run from 10am – 3.30pm each day. Planned activities include playball, cooking; swimming; craft and an outing, all based around a central theme of colour. Kelly Cross will lead this week. She organises activities for the NCT and has been a 1-1 helper on our activity weeks. Alongside her will be Shelley Godfrey, who is a Speech and Language Therapist based in a Surrey school.
Cost £100
Group Two "Middles"
Monday 27th July - Friday 31st July (part residential)
This group will be for 10 children aged between 8 and 10/11 years. The children have 1-to-1 helpers. The first two days will be at St. Giles’ Church Hall in Ashtead. These two days run from 10am – 4pm. This will be a getting-to-know-you time for all, enabling children to feel confident enough to go away from parents for perhaps the first time. The group will meet before lunch on Wednesday at Sayers Croft Field Centre and spend two nights there, leaving Friday after lunch. Sayers Croft is at Ewhurst, south west of Dorking. It is owned by Westminster City Council and it is the venue we used last year. It has a lot of on-site activities with teaching staff.. More details are at www.sayers-croft.org.uk. Planned activities include craft; swimming; barbeque; an outing and activities on site at Sayers Croft. Sophie Hinds, who runs our junior Friday Club, will lead this week.
Cost £150
Group Three "Bowles"
Monday 3rd August - Friday 7th August (residential)
This group is for young people aged 11 and over. We are returning again to Bowles Outdoor Centre, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (web page www.bowles.ac). Here they will participate in challenging activities such as dry skiing, abseiling, rock-climbing, canoeing and lots more. There is also the popular talent show evening to look forward to. Di Warwick will lead this week. She is an experienced youth worker, who has led our “Bowles” group many times before.
Cost £255
Enquiries
If you want more information, please contact Malcolm:
email aw2009@afasicnorthsurrey.org.uk
tel 01372
278718
Application Forms
If you would like your child to
participate in an activity week, print the application form and return it, with a deposit of £40 to
Malcolm Stuart at the address on the form. Once you have been allocated a place
the deposit is not refundable. We will of course return the deposit of anybody
who is not allocated a place. Places are normally allocated on a
first-come first-served basis, subject to your child being suitable for our
activity weeks. If demand exceeds the places available we will set up a waiting
list. If Bowles is oversubscribed, we will give priority to those not going on
the Whitsun weekend.
What Then?
We send out confirmation (or
otherwise) of places soon after your application. A detailed programme and a
reminder for the balance due will be sent near the end of June. If you prefer
to pay in instalments, rather than one bill at the end of June, then phone
Malcolm (see below) to arrange this.
This year’s programme will be
similar to last year’s, which you can see by using the link above.
Activity Week
Location Maps
St. Giles Church Hall, Ashtead c
Bowles Outdoor Activity Centre,
Nr Tunbridge Wells
this page updated 
on 30 July 2009