12 | Features
Annington Challenge Experiencing the 2018
Whilst the summer’s RAF100 centenary celebrations were in full swing, around 45 young people from armed forces families were all busy preparing to make their own summer memories by taking part in The Annington Challenge. Project owners, Annington Trust invited Envoy Editor, Caroline Woodward over to join in on the last two days of events at the Outward Bound Centre in Aberdovey, Wales.
Rewind quite a few months and you may remember Nick and I in the comms team at the Families Federation putting details out online, searching for interested young people from our service families who might like to take part in this life-changing adventure!
Sons and daughters of all three services then applied and went through a selection process, all co-ordinated by Outward Bound’s Army Veteran, Pauline Ireland where our youngsters chose one of three paths:
• Discover Adventure (7 days for 11-13 year olds) • Serious Adventure (7 days for 13-15 and 15-19 year olds) or • Skills for Life Award (19 days for 15-19 year olds)
All courses were part-funded (up to 90%) by The Annington Trust with a small contribution made by each family. So bearing in mind, the 19-day course itself costs just under £1,700 this is one significant opportunity!
So off to Aberdovey I went on my 4.5 hour drive across to Wales with my boot packed with all sorts of things to cover all eventualities of activity let’s say! (I do hate not to be prepared!). I was joining Jane Harsham from the Annington Trust who leads on this particular project and we would be experiencing a little of what our ‘armed forces family’ have lived through over their stay.
We began our day early joining in on the instructors’ briefing which I have to say was extremely comprehensive. We heard the day’s met brief, plans on all group activities from each lead instructor and any general pastoral updates in terms of anyone being poorly. This also included the reminder that it was also A-level results day and to be aware of any potential mixed emotions from those in that age range. Particularly for some who had been camping out in Snowdonia for the past two nights – not only was there most probably no signal, let alone access to WiFi – the last 24 hours had rained and horizontally!
So Jane, Rod (the photographer) and I headed out with OB instructor, Ant. He drove us out to the base of the hills, where
Some of the armed forces cohort before the final presentation evening ENVOY | Winter 2018 |
raf-ff.org.uk
Back from a triumphant expedition!
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