Towards independence

With support from the John James Foundation over the summer Open Minds Active were able to run a range of outdoor activities for a group of young adults from south Bristol. These inspiring young people are on a course at the Park Centre that works with adults with specific needs to become independent and overcome some of their physical, mental or emotional barriers to everyday life. Lock down has been especially challenging for these young people and some much needed respite for them and their families was needed. We took small groups of young people up to Ashton Court to experience some wild yoga and down to Clevedon Marine Lake to spend some time outdoor swimming and trying stand up paddle boarding. Some of the young people have had negative experiences of water in the past and a big part of our sessions is about reintroducing a positive memory and a fun encounter with each other and our team. We certainly achieved that! We have a few more sessions again with new students in September which we are already excited about.