Royal College Manchester students have been visiting Bendrigg for many years thanks to generous donations from Seashell supporters. This year after an unavoidable pause due to the pandemic, the three day residential trip was back and it didn’t disappoint.
It’s no secret that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can work wonders for personal development. There are also a number of studies, which show the benefits of being outdoors, particularly for mental health. People with additional needs don’t often have the same opportunities to experience outdoor activities, for them it’s no exaggeration to say that a trip to Bendrigg can be truly life changing.
Bendrigg Trust in Kendal, provide fully accessible, all-inclusive activity breaks for schools, groups, families and adults with disabilities & additional needs. The team work with each individual and enable everyone to participate in adventure activities from climbing walls, to canoeing, to whizzing down zip wires!
Both students and staff alike were welcomed warmly at the centre, and as well as enjoying a range of fun filled activities, the experience brought challenges too and many students embraced stepping out of their comfort zones.
“It is amazing to see the students out of college and thriving in an environment many of them are not used to. It just shows we should never presume someone ‘cannot’ do something, seeing the students accessing the different, and some quite terrifying, activities is magical.” – Sinead O’Donnell College Teacher
Residential holidays are something all children and young people in education should be able to access, and to find somewhere that no only accommodates, but welcomes individuals needs really is special.
