Community Summer Camps

Team Durham Community Summer Camps

August’s Team Durham Community Summer Camps proved an astounding success, providing the opportunity of professional coaching to groups from several different backgrounds. Children both young and older from the Youth Engagement Service, in addition to children from fostered backgrounds were given the chance to hone their skills in basketball, football, and trampolining to name only a few. The week also presented introductions for many to extreme skipping, kickboxing, belly dancing and fencing, all of which were met with unbridled enthusiasm.

From the perspective of a student volunteer, the week was a truly rewarding experience, offering students the chance to make a positive difference to the lives of young people. The levels of dedication and genuine passion to help were evident for all to see, in particular to the children taking the courses. The time spent at the beginning and close of each day managing sports apparatus certainly paid dividends. Trampolining was taken up with exuberance by all who tried it, and the expert classes of local martial arts instructors gave pupils the opportunity to practice a disciplined exertion of their seemingly boundless physical energy. The weather held up at least once a day, giving everybody a chance to get out into the fresh air and participate in some hotly contested games of rounders. However when the heavens did open, the rain did not prove too great a hindrance as many braved the conditions to play football under the superb coaching of Jonathan Scott.

The week proved not only one of exciting opportunities for children participating, but also fine example for students, carers and staff alike to observe the important work of the Community Department, should they have had the chance to step back from their exertions.