A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR RAF FAMILIES
RAF Cosford’s Deployed Operational Training Area . . .
Camping with a difference RAF Cosford’s Community Support Team and Cosford Youth Club offered young people a camping experience with a difference! They utilised the Deployed Operational Training Area (DOTA) on the station for a young people’s three-day camping trip. The DOTA area is used to train service personnel for deployment and is set up as though it would be in theatre.
The invite to participate was extended to Airplay projects across the RAF Ccommunity with young people travelling from RAF Valley, RAF Wyton, RAF Wittering, RAF High Wycombe and RAF Shawbury for a weekend of fun and exciting activities.
The aim of using the DOTA was to utilise the area to give young people an insight into deployment, there were discussions around deployment where young people had the opportunity to engage first hand with serving personnel whose vast experience on the issues of deployment helped young people develop a better understanding. FS Alex Thompson, who has recently returned from a five-month tour of Oman and Cosford’s resident SCSO FS Jim McClymont, volunteered their time over the weekend to be on hand for discussions as well as joining in with the programme.
Throughout the weekend activities on offer were hub workshops, where young people participated in six workshops that covered teamwork, democracy, command tasks, drama and performance, creativity and design. Young people were split into mixed teams from the different RAF stations which enabled young people to build up relationships with each other, whilst participating in fun activities in a safe and friendly environment.
42 Envoy Winter 2014
Young people also experienced a visit to Laser Tag where they were put into teams, dressed up in combat and let loose in the woods. Great fun was had by all.
Tom Cavalot, Station Youth Worker at RAF Cosford organised the summer activities, said: “I am so pleased with the interest we have had in the summer activities and the number of young people that have participated. The variety of activities has been a great opportunity to learn new skills and stay occupied during the summer holidays.”
At the end of the camping experience, young people did an evaluation of the weekend and it was clear that they all had a fantastic time. The highlights captured from the evaluation were: “I didn’t want the experience to end; I have made friends with people from other stations; I learned how to cook a spaghetti bolognese; balloon chairs are comfy; the graffiti workshop was amazing; can’t wait till the next time we do it all again and I had such an awesome, epic time!”
Jean Hartshorne Community Development Officer at RAF Cosford said “We are always looking for innovative ways to offer further opportunities to young people; we are committed to offering high quality youth work provision that will further the learning opportunities that improves outcomes for young people. I believe that we have achieved that with the DOTA programme”.
Due to the success of this year’s residential and the learning outcomes for young people being achieved, RAF Cosford plans to hold another DOTA residential as part of their summer activities programme next year, so watch this space!
Benefits and Outcomes of the DOTA Camping Experience Social Skills Development • Leadership • Communication • Participation • Team Building
Self-Respect and Character Building • Responsibility • Resourcefulness • Resilience
Community Living/Service Skills • Caring • Fairness • Citizenship • Trustworthiness
Cosford Youth Club is part of Airplay which is an RAF Benevolent Funded youth project providing support for children and young people of the RAF family aged between 0 and 19 years, operating on all main RAF stations across the UK. As part of this project, it has commissioned national charity 4Children to provide a network of trained youth workers on 25 RAF stations. Youth workers deliver activities and projects all year round creating lasting positive memories of their life on stations.
For more information on Airplay or Cosford Youth Club please contact Jean Hartshorne Community Development Officer on 01902 377021/07818510652
jean.hartshorne454@mod.uk or Tom Cavalot 01902 704998 tom.
cavalot@4children.org.uk
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48