A sports and physical activity grants scheme has inspired teachers at a Penarth school to lace up their walking boots and tackle the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Earlier this year, staff at the Ashgrove School for children with autism successfully applied for a Community Chest grant to set up an outdoor activity and walking group. Agreed by a panel of volunteers with support from the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s sports and play development team and Sport Wales, the grant enabled the staff to buy equipment including walking poles, head torches and a first aid kit.
A number of staff at the school are benefiting from regular exercise with the walking group, while a hardy dozen are taking their walks to the next level by climbing Africa’s highest summit in July as part of the school’s fundraising drive to raise enough money to transform their current playground into a sensory playground, full of interactive equipment that the children can explore to develop their sense and skills.
Sharon Evans, who helped set up the outdoor activity and walking group, said: “Over the years, as the school has grown, the staff have become physically further apart from each other so we wanted to do something that would bring us closer together outside of the school day. We thought that the simplest and cheapest thing to do was to start going for regular walks. We’ve walked up some beautiful mountains in Wales that many of us had never taken the time to see before, and everyone has really enjoyed themselves.”
Sharon added: “With the experience that we have gained, and the equipment that we now have, we can also look to provide outward bound activities for pupils, which is something that we have never done before, and would be hugely beneficial for the pupils.”
The Community Chest grants scheme provides grants of up to £1,000 to provide new or improved opportunities for local people of all ages and abilities to take part in sports and physical activities.
Vale Council’s sports and play development manager Karen Davies said: “The scheme is available for Vale-based clubs, organisations and workplaces, and it was fantastic that the staff at Ashgrove School took the initiative to apply for a grant and set up a regular exercise group. A growing number of community groups and workplaces are joining established sports clubs in applying for Community Chest grants, and I hope that even more get in touch with proposals.”
The deadline for the next round of Community Chest grant applications in the Vale of Glamorgan is Friday 2 July, and to find out more please call Karen Davies on 01446 704793 or request an application form by calling Julie Morgan on 01446 704748.
Meanwhile, you can follow the Kilimanjaro challenge online at www.climb4autism2010.blogspot.com, where you can also make any donations.
