BlueSpace Poplar and Surrey

Poplar

We have started working with a new charity, introduced to us by the PLA (Port of London Authority) who have generously funded the sessions on East London as part of their Active Thames Project. The Charity is the Kitchen Social project. It is for underprivileged children, to make sure they have enough to eat.

We work with them to give them life skills around water. Many children tragically drown each year and teaching them about the dangers in a safe environment is a key part of BlueSPace sessions. It is also a fun thing to do and something that they might not have been able to afford.

Surrey

We continue with our series of BlueSpace sessions for mainly teenagers at the moment. We welcomed back Dost Centre to Wey Island in Surrey for their annual visit. The group consisted of 18 teenage boy refugees who had escaped persecution in their original country and had found some peace in our country.

Being out on the water gives them that mental peace and the activity of paddling takes their minds of their challenges. The afternoon was warm and the water cool. The River Wey was looking beautiful as it flowed through the lush countryside, which was looking beautiful.

The boys were spilt into 3 groups and we paddled upstream, under trees and passed moored boats. There was plenty of wildlife to spot. A few tried to stand up and a one or two fell in. But all had a great time and it was very beneficial for their Mental Health.

Here are some Quotes
“I enjoyed the paddleboarding…and being on the river…it was beautiful and fun and I was happy I stood up”
“Even though I can’t swim..I still did it and I felt proud..” – For the non-swimmers, we take extra care of them and make sure they are safe at all times. At the end we encourage them to float in their Buoyancy Aid to get used to the water. The don’t take much encouragement.