Summer scheme fun for Southern Trust children
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Mr. Colm Donaghy, Chief Executive of the Southern Health Trust, with leaders and participants of this year’s summer scheme. SG3602
A SUCCESSFUL children's summer scheme has been held across the Southern Trust area for young people aged between four and 12 years old.
The scheme offered excellent all day supervision for children of employees from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, the Southern Education and Library Board (SELB) and local councils. An invitation was also extended to local families.
Funding for this project was provided by the DHSSPS Opportunity Now Initiative who have been involved in this project for a number of years. Additional funding was provided by the SELB, who also supplied a number of the staff involved.
Children from the Newry area explored their creative sides in Bessbrook Primary School, where some of the favourite activities were learning how to make badges, tie-dye T-shirts and create glass paintings that could all be taken home as souvenirs of the day.
Children local to the Armagh area got physical at the City of Armagh High School, where the main focus was on 'free play'. Large board games - as well as parachute games - were played indoors, while rounders and obstacle courses were set up outside for the more adventurous.
Karaoke, DVDs and computer games were also on the activity list for those inevitable rainy days.
Each group planned fun and educational day trips, which took them from W5 to Belfast Zoo and even Dundonald Ice Bowl.
Days out were topped off when the three localities met up for a Fun Day in Gosford Forest Park. Here games and sports were played and children were able to have their faces painted, dance to DJ Pat Hughes and the day was rounded off with an ice cream.
This was an excellent opportunity for the children to make new friends from other areas as well as for the leaders to discuss their experiences.
The Co-ordinator of the Scheme, Rita Trainor, said: "I would like to acknowledge the hard work and effort of the leaders, deputy leaders and assistants who made the programmes fun, exciting and safe for the children.
“Also, many thanks to estates, transport, canteen staff and HR staff Roisin Hamill and Martina Rice for all their help and involvement in making things run so smoothly - without them the schemes just would not have run.
“The highlight for me was the Fun Day in Gosford.
“We prepared the programme for the day with the rainy weather in mind and it ended up the sunniest day of the month, but with children - and weather - you improvise and everybody went away happy".
