Podium Magazine Issue 5 | Autumn 2023

Issue 5 – Autumn 2023

VOLUNTEERING | BOWLING | MOUNTAINEERING SCHOOL READING | LITTER PICKING | WALKING | INTERRAILING EXPLORING | SAVING | HEALTHY LIVING | WELLBEING | AIRGUNNING

Contributors Contents

Lou Andrews is a freelance writer and co-owner of the new free digital magazine Reframe (reframelife.co.uk) which takes an alternative poke at all things mind-related.

Adrian Monti is a father of two who lives in Brighton. An experienced journalist, he writes regularly for national newspapers including the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and Daily Express. He is a keen runner, who contributes regularly to Runner’s World and writes content for health and fitness websites.

Kaye McIntosh is a freelance writer who covers a wide range of health and wellbeing issues. The daughter of a retired civil servant, Kaye is a judge for the Medical Journalists’ Association annual awards. She lives near St Albans, and is a vegetarian who isn’t very good at cooking.

Judy Yorke has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She is a journalism tutor and also trains non-journalists to improve their writing at work. Married with two teenage sons, her hobbies include baking, football and playing Words With Friends.

5 Taking the chair Mulenga Nyondo, chair of the Scotland region

7 Weird and wacky wellbeing

Trying something offbeat might do you good

9 Rolling, rolling, rolling... There is a game of bowls to suit everyone

11 Seasonal cheer

Autumn has many joys, so make the most of them

14 An accidental volunteer How Richard Hemley realised he’d been volunteering for a while

16 Wellbeing at work We visited one workplace association sports day

18 Walk this way Give walking rugby a try

20 Environment matters CSSC’s volunteering activities are helping protect the environment

22 Back on track Interrailing for the modern age (and all ages!)

25 Secret gardens

The hidden corners and secluded treasures of Kew Gardens and Wakehurst

28 Charity for Civil Servants Donating time to help your charity reach more people

30 Hoop-la!

Netball needn’t stop when you leave school

32 A truly virtuous circle Volunteering boosts your own health and wellbeing

35 Bagging the Munros –gotta catch ’em all! The enduring appeal of walking and climbing each of these 282 Scottish peaks

38 Aiming to help more people take up sport We talk to Matt Gleaves about airgunning

40 Save with CSSC Find out how CSSC can help you financially

42 Leading the way Meet your newest Volunteer Team Leaders

44 Seeing the road ahead Supporting a fellow runner to complete a marathon

46 The art of martial arts Martial arts are fantastic sport for any age or ability

50 Fishing for soul

Revisiting beautiful childhood memories

Welcome to Podium

Dear Member

Well, that was a quick summer: over in a flash, it seems, and now we’re on to autumn. Here’s hoping that we can make the most of it, enjoying more of what we love – whether that’s exploring ancient ruins or sumptuous gardens, continuing to stay active outdoors, or perhaps maximising the use of our outside spaces by enjoying good food in good company.

In his poem Troilus and Criseyde, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote that all good things must come to an end. And while I hate to disagree with one of England’s finest poets – and former civil servant and Member of Parliament to boot – I wonder if instead it may be more fitting to say ‘all good things must change’; by which I mean that the ending of something agreeable merely opens the door to the start of something else, perhaps even better. Which brings me back to autumn, the very embodiment of change.

I say it frequently here, but autumn is possibly my favourite season. It’s still light enough to enjoy long evenings with friends and family. It brings the perfect climate and temperature for exploring nature’s kaleidoscope of colours. And that’s not to mention that, with fewer than 100 days until Christmas, the promise of cosy nights in and hearty food is ever-present.

To reflect a time when so many of us consider fresh starts and new pastimes, we’ve dedicated this issue to volunteering. Throughout Podium you’ll hear stories from volunteering veterans, novices, casual helpers and people whose health has been greatly improved by sharing their passions – together with some more traditional ideas on how to make the most of your CSSC membership.

We hope you enjoy this membership magazine. However, If you prefer not to receive future copies, you can opt out of receiving Podium by post or digitally, by emailing editor@ cssc.co.uk or by calling 01494 888444.

The keen-eyed will notice that I’ve contributed two very different articles this time around to showcase my rather lackadaisical approach to volunteering, which I hope resonates with some of you.

Have a joyous autumn and winter. Stay curious.

Richard Hemley, Editor

Richard Hemley

Accidental volunteer page 14

Healthy volunteer page 32

Eco-volunteers page 20

Sports day volunteer page 16

Taking the chair

One of the best things about volunteering with CSSC is the range of options. We caught up with Mulenga Nyondo, chair of the Scotland region, to find what motivates him to share his precious free time.

How long have you been a member of CSSC?

About 16 months. I joined the civil service during lockdown and became the new Scottish chair about nine months ago.

I love sports and I’ve always been active with athletics, football, rugby and basketball. I remember a funny occasion at one of the school swimming carnivals when I was the ONLY entrant for the 50m backstroke! I wasn’t even good at backstroke, but I’d put my name forward to get a participation point for the team. I hoped I would be declared the winner by default, but we still had to go through the formality of having a ‘race’ with just me in the pool.

To this day, I’m still not sure if the screams and cheers were encouragement or because I looked as if I was drowning.

What do you hope to achieve in your time as chair? I’d like to get people outside and taking part in activities – whether that be playing sports, helping to organise and run them, spectating, or taking part in other things such as planting trees and doing community clean-ups. It would be great to get folk to try something that they’ve never done before, and to see them participate with their families. I meet a lot of great people who have incredible enthusiasm and energy for what they do. I love seeing that energy bring people out on a cold, rainy day to plant trees, or to give their time to organise things for the benefit of CSSC members. I find that really inspirational and, to me, it goes to the core of what CSSC is about: community, serving and supporting each other.

What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a CSSC chair, secretary or treasurer?

Definitely go for it! You can put in as much time as you want if you’re really getting stuck into it and want to roll your sleeves up.

There’s no set-in-stone standard for how much time you have to commit. Understand the organisation and what the position entails so you can be clear about not just what is needed in the role but also if you share CSSC’s vision and have the passion for it.

It’s always great to get new people in with fresh ideas and new ways of doing things as well. There’s a fantastic support system of other volunteers and the Volunteer Team Leaders (VTLs), and the head office staff are always there to help with anything.

What’s your favourite CSSC benefit and how do you relax outside of CSSC?

It has to be the gyms for me. With the access to gyms, I have no excuses for not being active, and I always feel better when I’m keeping myself fit.

I’m into motorbikes and love going out on mine, although I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. When I’m not volunteering, I have a fairly new-found interest in houseplants, so I enjoy tending to the plants, reading up on plants, watching videos about plants, and just learning more about them in general. I wish I had the space (and the money!) to get even more plants. Strangely to some, I find mowing the lawn relaxing as well. That fresh-cut grass smell, and standing barefoot on the turf afterwards, is invigorating. It’s like connecting to the earth and recharging my batteries.

What superpower would you most like to have? Healing powers.

I meet a lot of great people who have incredible enthusiasm and energy for what they do

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

In 10 years? I don’t think I’ve ever thought that far ahead. I want to enjoy what’s here and now rather than try to predict what’s 10 years away.

What advice would you want to give to your 10-year-old self?

Staying up late is overrated! Go to bed early and enjoy your sleep. Thank me later.

What one thing would you take to a desert island?

A plant that can tolerate desert conditions. I’m assuming everything else will be provided on the island – comfortable bed and pillows, hot shower, shampoo and shower gel, body butter, buffet and à la carte menu.

Which famous person past or present do you admire the most?

Only one? There are so many. I’ll feel I’m doing an injustice to the others by just naming one, but the first name that comes to mind is Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso. Everything that he stood for, everything that he achieved at such a young age was absolutely incredible. A phenomenal human being.

Taking it step by step... As Mulenga points out, there’s no set-in-stone standard for how much time you need to commit

If you’d like to follow in Mulenga’s footsteps and take on a more active role in steering CSSC, why not get in touch? We find a role that suits your hobbies, passions and experience and is just right for you (cssc.co.uk/ volunteering)

Weird and wacky wellbeing

Sound bathing? Laughter yoga? You never know: trying something offbeat might do you good. By Kaye McIntosh

Walking into a room with yoga mats on the floor and a bunch of brass bowls at one end, I wondered what on earth I was doing. But when the gong sounded I relaxed and stopped thinking at all.

The ‘sound bathing’ class I was at is part of a bigger trend for quirky wellbeing activities: from forest bathing to laughter yoga. What’s more, people aren’t trying them just for the novelty value; it seems that the weird and wacky can unlock something the familiar does not.

That’s partly because we focus more on these new-to-us activities. “When we do things we’re used to, we don’t pay much attention,” explains psychologist Linda Blair. “But when it’s new, you have to; otherwise you’d get it wrong. That makes you more aware of the moment.”

In fact, time seems to slow down because we’re taking it all in.

Novelty is particularly important as we age, Blair adds. That’s not just because time in other areas of life seems to speed up, but because we get more of a feel-good rush of dopamine chemicals in the brain when we pull off something new to us. “The older we get, the harder it is to make changes. But that means the accomplishment is bigger. Because the challenge is higher, the reward is too, so you feel even better when you accomplish new things.”

We take a look at four kinds of quirky wellbeing practices which aim to improve your physical and mental health. Who knows, one of them might just take your fancy.

Joking aside: laughter yoga

Family doctor Madan Kataria is credited with inventing laughter yoga. His key insight was that chuckling is good for you…even if it isn’t real.

“Your body and brain do not know whether you are acting or whether you are really laughing.” He got five people together in a park in Mumbai: “We started fake laughing, just going ‘ha ha ha’. Within seconds everyone was laughing for real, and we couldn’t stop. Laughter is contagious.” He believes it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, boosting feel-good brain chemicals such as serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine.

Sessions start with deep breathing and stretching and move on to

clapping and chanting. Exercises use elements of role play: ‘argument laughter’, for instance, involves wagging your finger at another person as if you are telling them off. And there’s evidence to support the benefits of the self-triggered “ha ha ha”. Studies have shown laughter yoga can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol by up to 28%. People who took classes at work reduced their scores for emotions such as fear, sadness and guilt by 27%. Find an online or in-person class: laughteryoga.co.uk

Plunge in: ice bathing

Scroll through Instagram and you’ll see people plunging into freezing lakes or climbing into baths full of ice. It’s not just a social media trend – cold water therapy is used by athletes to speed up recovery after exercise. It makes the blood vessels narrow, sending blood to your organs. When you get out, oxygenand nutrient-rich blood gets pumped back to your tissues. This may boost circulation and lower inflammation.

But most of all, it’s exhilarating. “Our lives are so mollycoddled, but challenging yourself is exciting, and it gives you a buzz. You feel that all of your angst is gone,” says Kate Rew, author of The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook As Kate says, this is not like your local pool. There are dangers. Within a few seconds your heart rate and blood pressure go up. Cold shock makes you gasp – you may inhale water, which can cause breathing problems. Then comes hyperventilation. The trick is to get in gradually, and staying in your depth until the shock response has passed and breathing is under control is safer, advises the Outdoor Swimming Society. Similarly, when you get out, dry off and get into warm clothes quickly. Find out more: outdoorswimmingsociety.com/ category/survive/cold

Tree time: forest bathing

The Japanese call it ‘shinrin yoku’, spending time under the canopy of trees, observing nature, and being calm and quiet.

Liz Burfield leads forest bathing sessions (“silent journeys through the

woods,” she explains), stopping at points to explore. You allow your eyes to travel into the distance, then nearer, “noticing the different colours, patterns, texture and movement”.

In the silence, other senses come to the fore too. “We release the smell of the forest floor with a stick,” says Liz. “We take our hands up and down a tree, noticing how it feels in different areas, spending some time with our eyes closed.” The aim is to get people to stop thinking and slow down. The sessions end with guided relaxation, gazing up at the trees.

Forest bathing has other physical benefits too because trees release chemicals called ‘phytoncides’ that protect them from germs and parasites, and research has shown these have health benefits for us too. The Forest Bathing Institute says these chemicals boost our mood and immune system, normalise blood pressure and reduce stress and anxiety.

Find out more: forestryengland.uk/ forest-bathing

Bang a gong: sound bathing

Sound bathing is a meditation where you lie down and listen to resonant sounds. You wear comfortable clothes and have a blanket, as your body temperature often drops. The therapist plays instruments including gongs and

Himalayan singing bowls, which produce rich echoes.

Sound therapist Farzana Ali says your brainwaves fall into sync with the vibrations of the bowls: “It allows your brain to move from a beta-dominant brainwave state, alert and focused, to an alpha-dominant state. It’s like those dreamy ten minutes before you fall asleep, rested and relaxed. And the beauty of sound bathing, especially if you’ve struggled with traditional types of meditation, is that you don’t have to do anything. You just turn up and lie down.”

Research shows sound baths can boost relaxation. A 2020 review of four peer-reviewed studies showed improvements in anxiety, depression, fatigue and blood pressure but concluded more research was needed.

The journey is different every time, depending on the therapist and choice of instruments. Higher-pitched bowls are stimulating, lower-pitched more relaxing. Daytime sessions can be uplifting, but after an evening class, according to Farzana, most people feel sleepy and want to head home.

And that is certainly what happened to me – I made it home, curled under the duvet and slept better than I’d done in a very long time.

Find Farzana: instagram.com/ thesoundtherapist

CSSC life is our free, comprehensive wellbeing platform, packed full of tools and classes, from traditional instructor-led yoga and Pilates classes to nutrition, self-care and money management techniques. Throughout 2023, CSSC life is hosting a series of virtual events and seminars on a range of family health and wellbeing topics. It takes just five minutes to register and it’s completely free to use. Visit CSSC life from the member login page to find out more.

Plunging into cold water is more than a trendy phenomenon: it’s used by athletes too

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

From tenpin to pétanque, from whitegarbed professionals to bobby-soxers, from bowling to rock and roll, there is a game of bowls that will suit all.

By Sally J. Hall

Have you ever sat beside a bowling green and watched contented older people, all dressed in perfectly pressed whites, sending a strangely shaped ball along the pristine turf? Or gazed at locals in the square of a small French ville, spending their afternoons throwing balls at a small target while sipping pastis? Perhaps you were taken to a bowling alley for a birthday party as a child, where you broke your thumbnail off on the ball and sent each one sailing into the gutter, rather than knocking down the mocking pins standing at the end of the alley?

Bowls, tenpin bowling, skittles, boules and pétanque…they’re all great for hand-eye coordination plus a sense of community, and they’re suitable for all ages and abilities. Could one of them be your new favourite pastime?

Tenpin bowling

Most of us are familiar with tenpin – even if you have not played it yourself, you may have seen it in popular American films like Kingpin and The Big Lebowski The 18-metre lane looks intimidating when you stand – heavy ball hoisted aloft – at its start (the foul line), readying

yourself to try knocking down the pins (set in an equilateral triangle) at the end. The lane is made from wood, or a synthetic alternative, with a gutter down each side, so if you don’t aim the ball precisely, you’ll end up with a big zero on your score. Surprisingly, the lanes are also oiled for two-thirds of their length, especially in competitions, to allow a ‘skid’ area, which calls for skilled rolling.

Once you have knocked down some of the pins, you’ll then need to throw the ball in such a way that it has side rotation, known as ‘hook’ or ‘curve’, to get it to those final pins. Though for many it’s a fun day out, you can take it to the next level and improve your game by playing regularly and maybe joining a local branch of the British Tenpin Bowling Association (BTBA). You can join a local league and may even make it to a national tournament.

What do you need? Nothing – the bowling alley will supply shoes and balls. If you start to get more serious, you can buy your own.

More info: the British Tenpin Bowling Association (btba.org.uk). Find national alleys at Tenpin (tenpin.co.uk).

Boules, bocce and pétanque

These names cover a range of similar games (it can also be called Bocanje, Jeu and Giochi) and the game owes its origins to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, when stone balls were probably thrown. In what we usually call ‘boules’, the objective is to roll heavy balls as close as you can to a small target ball, called the ‘jack’ (or ‘cochonnet’, which means ‘piglet’). If it’s pétanque, you throw the ball. On the other hand, some people will argue that it’s the other way round…In essence, as long as all players agree, you have a game! It’s usually played in open public spaces, such as town squares, on a court made of sand, gravel, earth or crushed stone surrounded by a wooden border. Many UK parks are installing a boules pitch – if yours doesn’t have one, petition to get one created! It’s also the perfect game to play in the garden or on the beach.

Two teams of one, two or three players take it in turns to throw the balls from a circle, and you can play as singles or doubles. The person whose ball ends up closest to the piglet wins!

What do you need? Buy boules or pétanque sets from department stores or toy stores.

More info: Pétanque England (petanque-england.uk).

Bowls, tenpin bowling, skittles, boules and pétanque are suitable for all ages and abilities

Crown green bowls

This is the game you’ll see played on bowling greens around the UK – usually located in beautifully manicured areas of a park, surrounded by low hedges or palings and flanked by a pavilion. It’s traditionally the preserve of older players, but that surely means it’s time hipsters started their own team to take on the veterans. To create the green, the lawn is closely clipped and the surface is convex, with the central, raised area known as the crown – hence the name. The bowls are traditionally made from a very hard wood called ‘lignum vitae’, and you should choose a ball of a weight that is not too heavy to hold in your hand with your palm facing down. The bowls have slightly flattened sides and this helps with directing the bowl towards the jack – which takes practice and skill. Two players ‘deliver’ their bowls towards the jack, and you earn points from your bowl being nearest. It’s a very sociable activity and suitable for all,

including those with poor health and people with disabilities.

What do you need? A set of bowls, a foot mat, a jack and smooth-soled shoes. But most clubs will provide beginners with the bowls, jack and mat and many clubs offer free taster days.

More info: the British Crown Green Bowling Association (bcgba.org.uk).

Pub skittles

Once, many pubs had a skittle alley. Nowadays they are a rare treat, so if you find one, you’re very lucky. Typically, the alleys are wooden, and so are the skittles, and it’s a far more informal game than tenpin. There are usually low boards along each side rather than gutters, so you can bounce the ball off those to try to knock down the pins, rather than losing it to the gutter! Some can be hired for private parties, some are in outhouses, and all of them are fun! What do you need? Nothing.

More info? Do a search of your local area or look for one when you’re next on holiday.

If you’ve been tempted to try tenpin, then Hollywood Bowl and AMF Bowling offer CSSC members up to 50% off lanes. Or if skittles is more your thing, type ‘Skittles’ into our search bar for events and tournaments near you.

Piglet proximity: who’s going to get closest?

Bowling is also great for fostering a sense of community as well as coordination

Seasonal cheer

Autumn has many joys – so make the most of them! By Bushara Ali

As the nights start quite definitely drawing in, we could be forgiven for feeling a little low. So how best to raise our spirits? Well, for my family we have loads to look forward to and lots of things to do with the kids – whether that’s Halloween, Bonfire Night or indeed Christmas (which, as editor Richard Hemley says, is less than 100 days away). At this time of year, I like to reminisce about these important festivals and reflect on how childhood memories of these events can stay with us for years – or indeed for decades.

I remember once not being in the mood to go out trick-or-treating with my friends and then, at the last moment, deciding to go but having no costume. What would you do in this situation? In my case I went to the linen cupboard.

I took out what I thought was a plain white bedsheet and started to cut two eyeholes into it to dress as a ghost. It wasn’t until much later I discovered that it was in fact a 45-year-old sheet, handcrafted with crochet by my mother. At the time,

This can be such a joyful time of year for families

off I ran with my friends, shouting out to Mum that I’d be back shortly – and of course, as a busy mother, she failed to notice my ‘new’ outfit.

I got back home around 7pm with a bucket full of sweets and put the sheet back quietly, still unaware quite what I’d done. We’d collected from neighbours, including an American ex-Navy officer, who was

It’s nice to reminisce with family and friends during these winter months

more like a grandfather and had treated me with a pound coin – which was a lot of money back then. I remember being so excited to tuck into my haul…

It wasn’t until a few weeks later that the inevitable happened and my mum took out the sheet. Guess who had to do extra chores for the rest of the month?

A winter warmer

It’s nice to reminisce with family and friends during these winter months, looking at old pictures of holidays and fun trips throughout the year gone by.

I particularly remember the warm winter months in Pakistan when we visited four years ago in November. The Lahore Fort (Shahi Qila) is a large mesmerising complex of marble mosques and palaces built by Mughal Emperor Akbar, known as Akbar the Great. Although there have been buildings and fortifications on the site since the 11th century and even before, it was under Akbar the Great that the current fort flourished. In the 16th century, Lahore became Akbar’s capital, and in 1580 he established the Lahore Fort, as it is known today.

Since his reign, successive leaders have made their mark on the fort including Shah Jahan’s 17thcentury Crystal Palace or ‘Shish Mahal’. There’s also a tree planted on behalf of Queen Victoria, so it’s over 100 years old. When you enter the old streets, you feel the essence of time gone by in the streets and buildings, still in the bygone era and yet very different. The smell of warm jalebi sweets and samosas from the huge selection available at the street food traders trying to attract your attention with vibrant coloured garments is etched in my memory.

Cosy nights in can also be delightful

We also enjoy indoor activities like drawing or sewing. Cooking is another great way to stay active and creative and spend time with the family. At this time of year it could be soups, casseroles, warm fudge cakes, apple pie or crumble…anything to make you feel warm and cosy inside. And there are always board games too; they’re unfailingly popular in our house, and bring the generations together.

I consider myself really lucky that we live so close to London, especially with Christmas approaching. We look forward to our favourite Christmas lights and winter wonderlands to truly capture the spirit. But plenty of other places are equally fortunate, with festive markets in towns and cities all over the UK to visit, and the sights, sounds and smells of the season. If you’re still stuck for ideas this autumn, check out the hundreds of things to do and places to visit with CSSC’s local offers and member benefits, and really make the most of your membership.

Share your seasonal ideas

I’m very interested in hearing what others like to do during the autumn and winter. By sharing ideas, we need never run out of things to do or ways to keep the family fun going. Please feel free to get in touch and share your top hacks at bushara.ali@cssc.co.uk

If you’d like to explore Bushara’s Blog, you can find the latest post on CSSC News. Do get in touch with your ideas, and start a conversation.

The Lahore Fort

Volunteering was never really for me. As a full-time working parent, I never had any spare time. On the rare occasions I had nothing else to do, I was happy relaxing, watching a film or catching up on social media. But somehow, over the last few years, I’ve suddenly come to realise that I actually do volunteer; I’ve just never labelled it. So, I find myself in the rather curious position of being an accidental volunteer.

Like quite a few other middle-aged people, I’ve been guilty of feeling I’ve learned enough by now in my mid-40s to see me through. Instead of seeking new skills, challenges, hobbies, friends or higher incomes, I’ve been happy to coast through my fourth decade, enjoying the fruits of my previous labours – hanging out with the same friends I’ve had since preschool and not maturing much since then.

Which comes in quite handy when you’re trying to entertain a three-yearold, and you find yourself with a captive audience who hasn’t heard your jokes before. But not exactly what you’d call an admirable role model for a 10-year-old.

A rubbish Saturday

By chance, I saw an advert in the local community magazine from the Lions Club, asking for volunteers to take part in a litter pick around town. The club would provide all the equipment. All I would need to do was turn up for an hour and pick up some rubbish. So, spotting a relatively low-impact, teachable moment, I convinced (bribed) my wife and our daughter, Izzy, to come along for a nice walk.

As luck would have it, the early June day turned out to be gorgeous. A few families gathered together outside our town’s church with a handful of others, making a team of about 20 of us. We each chose a section of town, and armed with our bin liners, grabbers and safety vests, trotted off to the park to collect as much refuse as we could.

Perhaps it was the family time, but we had so much fun. We turned it into a game of who could find the largest and weirdest object. The odd wave and ‘thank you’ that you get from passers-by when you’re doing something of this kind really helped spur us on. And fortunately,

An accidental volunteer

Volunteering wasn’t for me…till I realised I’d actually been volunteering for a while. By Richard Hemley

we didn’t find anything grim enough to put us off our lunch. It took us about 45 minutes to circle the park, getting in about 3,000 steps in total.

Afterwards, we took our half-full bag back to the collection point, whereupon Izzy was presented with a small trophy for her endeavours. But it wasn’t until we shared this news with the school, which rewarded Izzy with some house points, that we all really felt the warm glow you get from helping others.

Shaping young minds

This first foray into volunteering sparked something in my imagination. As fortune would have it, another opportunity fell into my lap.

Just before the summer break, our school asked for volunteer readers. It’s a successful programme that it has run

for many years, encouraging parents to help the faculty by spending some valuable time listening to students read. The volunteers are providing a peaceful opportunity, outside the usually noisy and distracting classroom environment, for some quality one-to-one time with a book.

As a middle-aged, middle-educated, middle-skilled and middle-fitness person, I don’t consider myself to possess many special skills worthy of passing on. I used to teach sailing back in the day, but when your sporting prowess reads like a chronicle of ‘things I used to do’, it inspires little confidence in ever passing on that knowledge. But as a somewhat ‘professional’ copywriter, what I can do is read. And while I may not be exceptionally well read, I do firmly believe that the written word is

humankind’s greatest invention, which can unlock anyone’s potential, and we have an obligation to pass that skill on to future generations.

Anyone who has ever tried to encourage an unwilling pre-teen to read will feel my frustration at personal failure. Throw into the mix a parent who has dedicated the last 20 years to reading and writing, and you become convinced your children are intentionally disavowing something you love, just to spite you.

However, if I couldn’t bequeath my passion to my progeny, perhaps there were others who might benefit. So volunteer I did, and having passed the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) safety checks and supplied a letter of recommendation from a friend, began visiting the school weekly from the start of the September term.

I quickly found my rhythm and now

We had so much fun. We turned it into a game of who could find the largest and weirdest object

barely notice the two hours a week I spend during lunch while working from home, listening to kids from year five (10-year-olds) read. The level of confidence among them varies wildly, from extremely accomplished to gaining new grace.

The books they choose reflects this variety, from space facts to child-friendly versions of Great Expectations. But every single one of my readers approaches the task at hand with an admirable vigour. In just the first year I’ve seen a clear transformation in confidence, reading level, attitude, openness and willingness to try.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think I’ve helped them ignite a passion for reading. In fact, I deeply suspect that 20 minutes’ reading with me is seen merely as 20 minutes’ less classroom time. But, whatever their motivation, the thrill of seeing improvements in their flow and pronunciation has been truly uplifting.

But that was just the beginning. There have been so many other hidden benefits I never anticipated.

Unintended consequences

I’m often spotted around town by my readers, who have no qualms about shouting greetings across the road. (This must be how celebrities feel when they’re recognised everywhere.) What’s more, setting up as school life

continues all around me, ensures I see my daughter as she comes and goes between classes. In this setting she couldn’t be kinder or more loving towards me, which is always a refreshing change from telling me how much she hates me at home. I would hope, too, that seeing me help others ingrains a more valuable lesson in her than I could ever hope to instil by reading together. What’s more, the parent readers who’ve sat with her reassure me that she’s coming along great, and her reading has improved dramatically. And it’s with this realisation that I’ve become much more sanguine and have learned to relinquish any guilt I’ve been harbouring over my personal ‘failures’: I know that she is learning, even if she doesn’t appear to be listening.

Finally, the teachers really seem to be glad of the assistance. I’m embarrassed to say that, like many, I never truly appreciated the hard work and love teachers pour into their work and how much influence they have in shaping young minds – though my world view was dramatically challenged during lockdown! Now, having had a very small taste and insight into a teacher’s day, I’m even more in awe of their patience, kindness and professionalism. It’s true what they say about walking a mile in someone’s shoes.

So, while I got into volunteering for altruistic reasons, it’s the sense of purpose, wellbeing and personal growth which I continue to reap that was the unintended benefit I never anticipated. And what keeps me looking forward to the start of next term.

Volunteer with CSSC

l With CSSC you can volunteer in hundreds of roles: from treasurer or committee chair to event organiser or sports coach. You don’t necessarily have to have any experience, and you’ll be fully supported along the way. All you need is a little time, a little dedication and a little passion.

l Why not see if there’s a role for you in our vacancies (cssc.co.uk/ volunteering/vacancies) and discover the hidden benefits of volunteering.

Wellbeing at work

We visited one workplace association sports and wellbeing day – it definitely wasn’t your typical egg-and-spoon race

Many civil service departments have a sport and wellbeing association that is affiliated to CSSC. These associations have access to many of our resources including funding and toolkits to help organise sport and wellbeing days, and over this summer CSSC supported a series of days in different departments.

These experiences aim to provide the inspiration and opportunity for colleagues to enjoy sport and physical activity while supporting their health and wellbeing and fostering new connections and teamwork. We visited the Defence Sports and Recreation Association (DSRA) summer sport and wellbeing day to find out why events like this have become so popular and are so beneficial for participants’ health and wellbeing.

MOD Day 2023

The MOD Sport and Wellbeing Day 2023 was held in June at King’s House School Sports Ground, Chiswick, with tennis, rounders, touch rugby, football, volleyball, netball and yoga all on offer. The event aimed to be inclusive, so there were taster-style sessions such as adaptive sports run by Activity Alliance, a smoothie bike put on by CSSC, and some fun games of tug of war which were guaranteed to get the blood pumping and the rivalries going.

It was organised by the DSRA, using the CSSC sports day package, which included the use of King’s House School Sports Ground and event management support from Sport Society. Several passionate partners enhanced the

event, with Rounders England and England Touch providing competitions and introductory sessions. In addition, the Charity for Civil Servants organised a mini-mile challenge, and Halfords promoted the Cycle to Work scheme and offered electric bike demos and some interesting insight into this costeffective and eco-friendly alternative way to commute.

Heat did not halt them

The day was an absolute scorcher, right from the get-go. Our advice to bring suntan cream and to drink plenty of water proved spot on! Working in partnership with CSSC, our enthusiastic team of MOD and other government department volunteers did a marvellous job of setting up the sports ground. It not only looked the part, festooned with banners, marquees, and signposting, but thanks to the organisers (who had laid out all the equipment and set up each arena ready to go), players could jump straight into their main events.

Fortunately, the extreme heat was not enough to slow down the competitors, and by early afternoon half the matches had been played. However, some lunchtime shade was a welcome relief for many, and provided an excellent opportunity for everyone to take a breather and catch up with colleagues from across the country.

The day was made possible through the work of volunteers

Then fully refreshed, the players were back out competing, finishing their tournaments, and settling old scores, to take home the silverware. For those whose tournaments had ended or who just fancied a little added exercise, the Charity for Civil Servants’ mini-mile challenge around the campus was the perfect way to run, jog or walk off lunch. By 4pm the last ball had been kicked, hit,

swatted or thwacked, and it was time for a well-earned rest and presentation. Many congratulations to all the teams who took home the winners’ trophies and medals.

But most importantly, a massive well done to everyone who took part and enjoyed this fantastic day. It was a superb opportunity for members of the DSRA to connect with colleagues, relieve some stress, and all while looking after their health and wellbeing.

This event could not have happened without our dedicated and enthusiastic team of volunteers. So, we’d like not only to thank all those who took part but also to extend our thanks to everyone who helped make this a really special day.

This is the first year that the MOD has used the CSSC sports day package; we hope to build on this day to provide even more fun in 2024, so keep an eye out for next year’s date!

The DSRA for all

The DSRA offers a fantastic range of sporting and recreational opportunities to improve staff health and wellbeing, from local bespoke sports and wellbeing activities to virtual challenges and funding.

To benefit from the majority of DSRA opportunities you must be a civilian, employed by the Ministry of Defence or a defence organisation, and a member of CSSC.

You can explore all the benefits of the DSRA by searching on Defnet or by emailing people-civhr-dsra@mod. gov.uk. To join through CSSC, you can use the specific DSRA sign-up link, which helps to generate more funding for MOD civilian sport and wellbeing –cssc.co.uk/DSRA

If you’re already a member

The DSRA has recently elected a new board of volunteers to make the key decisions on its programme of events. A couple of positions on the board are still available. New applications are welcome, to help steer the DSRA over the next two years.

The association is also looking for volunteers to set up new groups and clubs in their local areas. The DSRA will provide full guidance and funding to support your activities.

If you are interested in taking on any of these incredibly rewarding roles please contact people-civhr-dsra@mod. gov.uk – they will be delighted to talk you through the process.

Walk this way

Feel your rugby days are behind you? Not necessarily –give walking rugby a try!

By Adrian Monti

If this autumn’s Rugby World Cup in France has piqued your interest in the sport, there’s an easy – if more relaxed –way to continue enjoying the game. Just as walking versions of popular sports (including football, cricket, netball and hockey) are now growing in popularity, rugby also has a thriving version of the sport where running is outlawed.

Walking rugby is nothing like the rough and tumble you might see at Twickenham or Murrayfield with its mauls, rucks, line-outs and abundance of crunching tackles. Instead, as the name implies, it’s all played more sedately, with minimal contact, and with scrums too being far less intense. You also score by walking the ball over the try line rather than hurling yourself over it at full pelt.

This more inclusive version of the sport has gained traction during the last decade, with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the sport’s governing body in England, encouraging its grassroots

development as one of its non-contact formats of the game. The activity itself is aimed at those on the upper side of 50 (although you can be younger and still join in); smaller-sized teams can consist of both sexes; and you don’t need to have any previous experience of the sport. The rules have been simplified from those of the traditional game too, so it’s easy to pick up.

But like many of the other sports which have applied the brakes to slow down to walking speed, the emphasis is on finding a fresh challenge, keeping fit and the social side.

Embracing the revolution

That’s certainly the case at Cheltenham Civil Service Rugby Club, which might have been playing the more traditional form of the game since 1947, but in the past two years has firmly embraced the walking rugby revolution.

“Size, ability and skill really don’t matter at all for anyone wanting to

start playing walking rugby,” explains Lee Janes, who has helped set up regular walking rugby sessions at the Gloucestershire club’s ground. Lee, 49, a former player for the club, is now a junior coach and committee member. “It’s one of the most inclusive things we have come across for widening interest in our club and drawing in new members. We don’t exclude anyone, and everyone is welcome to give it a go; you don’t even need to be a civil servant to play for us. Our oldest player is in his 70s, but we have plenty in their 40s and 50s, with both men and women playing together who love it.”

When the club started putting on walking sessions, only half a dozen players turned up – but since then numbers have steadily grown, and now two games are often played simultaneously on the reduced-size pitch. And in the future, as interest grows, they may start taking on other walking rugby teams in the local area. “The odd

player has suffered a strained muscle during a session, but nothing serious enough to stop them coming back the next week. Once they get into it, they enjoy learning more about the game and how to improve. I couldn’t play sport for a few years due to a back injury, but walking rugby has given me a chance to play it again, which has been fantastic.

“We’ve also found it has brought some former players back to the club who had drifted away when their playing days were over. Now they can return to the pitch and be back playing, which they might have thought was no longer an option. It has also been great for current players returning from injury to keep their fitness up. We have one player who has had a hip replacement but won’t let that stop him.”

All inclusive

What’s more, this club has put its own spin on the usual walking rugby set-up by also encouraging children to play – often alongside their parents or other family members – as a more relaxed introduction into the game.

As a result, the well-attended weekly Tuesday evening sessions are made up of players spanning the generations, all of them spurring each other on whatever their age and experience. “It was my son Cameron who came up with the idea as a way to build up an even greater sense of community at our club.” In fact, opening

We have one player who has had a hip replacement but won’t let that stop him

up to younger generations as well as older ones has brought in new people who’ve never tried rugby at all.

“When some people hear it’s a walking activity, they are quite dismissive,” Lee concludes. “But only after playing do they realise you can get a real sweat on and be a bit out of breath despite games lasting about 20 minutes with frequent breaks. It’s always played in a good spirit, and we have a fairly loose interpretation of the rules to keep the game flowing. We’ve seen good new friendships develop and a chance for former teammates to catch up again over a drink in the bar afterwards. It ticks so many boxes.”

If you’d like to find out more about walking rugby at Cheltenham, visit ccsrfc.co.uk. To find your nearest place to play, click on walkingsports.com or type ‘Rugby’ into your CSSC search bar.

Above: evening training in Cheltenham

Below: Lee Janes

Above right: team break time

This year we’ve all been working a little bit differently and seeing if we can have more of an environmental focus for some events. We’ve recently undergone an environmental audit and launched our CSSC Green mission statement which you can find on our website: cssc.co.uk/cssc-green. We wanted to learn more and share how people can become more sustainable and how we as a business can improve our carbon footprint and ensure that we’re being as sustainable as possible.

With so many members, we have a real opportunity to help spread the word and do our part in reducing our impact on the environment – and hopefully encourage a few members and partners to join us. Volunteers from around the UK have been exploring different ways we can be more ecofriendly, tying in nicely with our aims to reduce our impact on the world.

Getting out and about in many areas

We’ve seen events including community and beach clean-ups, tree planting and guided foraging walks, to name a few! We’ve been working with the local Eco Hub and the Wellie Wombles in Wellingborough to encourage more CSSC members to join in different projects in the local area including community swap

shops and getting involved with the community allotment.

You may have seen the article back in January about a tree-planting event in which Hertfordshire area got involved with the ‘plant a tiny forest project’, run by the Rotary Club, and helped to plant 1,700 trees. The members had a great day out with like-minded volunteers, and one told us, “It was fun participating in planting the trees on Saturday. Great teamwork and lovely people.” And another said, “Thank you all for your support. We met a lot of very lovely, committed people.”

During February’s Active Wellbeing month, we ran an Around-The-World challenge. Along with our partners, Big Team Challenge, we were able to plant an incredible 1,817 trees with Ecologi. This is the largest number of trees that have been planted since this initiative began, and it wouldn’t have been possible without each and every one of our members who took part.

To learn more about the specific trees that are being planted, please visit Big Team Challenge (ecologi.com/bigteamchallenge). We’re now looking to partner with Ecologi and see how we can work together to get more trees planted. Maybe one day there will be a CSSC forest somewhere out there!

More and more people are wondering what they can do to help protect the environment. Some of CSSC’s volunteering activities are leading the way. By Lucy Vizor

Environment matters

Blackpool & Fylde and Central & East Lancs Area Associations cleaning up Lytham St

Anne’s Beach & Promenade

We held a similar event in Edinburgh in March, facilitated by Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust. And on World Earth Day, 22 April, we encouraged volunteers to organise a community clean-up event.

North Yorkshire joined in by organising a local litter pick for members and Blackpool & Fylde and Central & East Lancs Area Associations joined forces in June to organise their own Beach Clean and Litter pick. Volunteers worked incredibly hard to clean up Lytham St Anne’s Beach & Promenade and managed

to promote all things CSSC to tourists visiting the beach for the day.

Along with the local offer, we’ve been looking at those organisations we partner with, in order to understand their green agenda and share with our members information about those which have a serious environmental focus – check out the CSSC Green section on our website. Speaking of the website, we’re continually updating this to show what changes we’ve made in line with our key environmental principles, so do keep an eye out for further updates!

Elsewhere, volunteers have been exploring new ideas and workshops, from making seed bombs to creating wreaths from recycled rags to beekeeping. We’re always on the hunt for new, innovative ideas, so if there’s something we’re missing that may interest our members, then we would love to hear from you! We’re looking to create a pool of eco-volunteers who have a focus on events with an environmental theme, so if this is you, please get in touch now.

If you would like to find out more about this and what would be involved, please get in touch with lucy.vizor@cssc.co.uk.

Back on track

Interrailing has changed – you can do it at any age now. Over 60s even get a discount!

By Judy Yorke

It was 35 years ago when, accompanied by three friends, an overloaded rucksack and a single guidebook, I set off from Victoria station on an adventure: a month travelling round Europe by train.

It was 1988, and interrailing was a rite of passage for teenagers and 20-somethings – your ticket allowed you to board just about any train in Europe.

We started off in Paris before zipping down Italy and back up to Amsterdam via Switzerland and Germany. It was exciting, exhilarating and exhausting; a heady sense of freedom more than compensated for our meagre budget. We saw the sights, we dealt with mishaps, we lived on pizza, and we laughed like drains. I still remember staring up at the departure board in Paris, thinking “we could go ANYWHERE”.

In a few weeks’ time, now in my mid-50s, I am interrailing again, and this time, my travel companions will be my husband and two teenage sons. Things will be very different this time round, though – we’re jumping on the Eurostar rather than the train-boat-train, I’ve booked all our accommodation on this new-fangled thing called the internet, and I’ve swapped my backpack for a wheelie case.

The new old-fashioned way

No one is more surprised about getting back on the tracks than me. I’d assumed my interrailing days were over; back in the day it was only for those under 26. Then last year a quick google revealed that now anyone can buy a ticket. Older

interrailers are positively encouraged –the over-60s even get a discount.

Having sold the idea to the family –who in fairness needed no persuading whatsoever – I found a lively Facebook group called ‘Interrailing for the older crowd’. I realised to my delight that there were hordes of people just like me, who were discovering or rediscovering the joys of a holiday by rail. For many, the spur was a 50% reduction last year to celebrate Interrail’s 50th birthday. Thousands who had been dithering about whether to do it or not seized the moment and snapped up tickets.

One of them was Katie Howarth, 51, from Somerset. She and then-boyfriendnow-husband Dave, 53, had interrailed for the first time in 1992 when they finished university. “I remember that sense of adventure and freedom,” she

Judy on her travels first time round

Kate Pearce in Ljubljana

recalls. “I’d only ever been abroad once before, on a German exchange.” The pair had thought about interrailing again recently but had never got round to it. “We had the children, who are grown up now, and a dog, and it just didn’t happen. Then last year we saw the 50% offer. We talked about it. We both teach so we were restricted holiday-wise. Then at about 11pm the night the offer expired, we asked the kids to look after the dog for three weeks and pressed the button.”

Katie and Dave set off to Northern Europe, taking in the likes of Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Norway. “It was fantastic – we even saw Father Christmas!” They loved it so much they interrailed again this Easter, this time to the Balkans. And though Katie won’t pick a favourite trip, it was definitely easier doing it in the 21st century. “It’s about

having a bit more money, as well as being able to look information up online and find out where things like the major tourist attractions are.”

Kate Pearce, 53, booked a 50% off pass after seeing a social media post about it. “I thought ‘do you know what, I’d bloody love to do that,’” says Kate from Shropshire, who travelled alone. “It was something my pals had done when I was at college but I never had. So the same day I booked a first-class ticket for a month. It was just a spur-of- themoment choice, and one of the best things I’ve done. I absolutely loved it.”

Kate travelled to 14 countries. “It was life-affirming,” she says. “It gets you out of your comfort zone, which does huge amounts for your confidence. You get to a certain age and realise there’s just so much more of the world to see. Seeing it

Interrail then and now Then Now

A month’s pass

Various lengths (15 days to three months), continuous passes or travel day passes (such as 10 days within two months).

Single country passes are also available

Paper ticket Mobile ticket option

Traveller’s cheques Apple Pay Google Pay

Turning up at youth hostels hoping for a space

Three rolls of film

Booking ahead

Hundreds of phone photos and videos

at ground level is such a lovely thing to do. It’s so positive for the environment. And it’s healthy – you’re so mobile – I walked 114 miles on my trip. You also get to meet people. You can spend hours not speaking to anyone, but then someone comes into your carriage and you’ll just start chatting.”

Eco-friendly and slow(ish), train travel is a perfect fit for the 2020s. You can plan it down to the last detail or wing it and see where the mood (and the train) takes you. You can go for a few days or a few months, on your own or with a crowd.

So dig out that old case and rediscover your sense of adventure. See you in the buffet car...

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, why not get in touch with your local Volunteer Team Leader to see if we can help you organise a group trip for your fellow members? You might be able to take advantage of group discounts and even find like-minded travellers to share your adventures with.

PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK/GUITAR PHOTOGRAPHER

Above: Katie Howarth in Paris

Right: Katie in the Balkans

Get on board for new adventures – at all ages

We plan our cruises differently. Our team of Journey Planners change our itineraries every year –unlike some other cruise lines who always sail the same routes. We arrive at the perfect time to watch the fascinating bird migration cross the Straits of Gibraltar or witness the Perseid meteor shower in the Azores, one of the most dramatic events to take place in the night sky. We also put as much time into planning scenic cruising on every sailing as we do in choosing the destinations themselves.

Secret gardens

We explore the hidden corners and secluded treasures of Kew Gardens and Wakehurst.

By Sally J. Hall

You might think you know the sweeping lawns, majestic glasshouses and neatly planted borders of Kew Gardens, and the wild botanical landscapes of Wakehurst, home to the Millennium Seed Bank. But there’s almost certainly lots more to explore that you didn’t know about. Membership to both is free to you as part of your CSSC membership, so pack a picnic, a book and a blanket, and take the time to seek out these hidden gems of landscaping and planting. Here are just some of my favourite hidden corners of both Kew Gardens and Wakehurst.

Kew Gardens

The Mediterranean Garden A hotspot of plants that you might be more used to seeing on your European holidays, this area specialises in species from across the Mediterranean and has collections of the endangered green-flowered

Narcissus viridiflorus and Gadoria falukei, a small yellow snapdragon that has only recently been named by science and is found in the wild in Spain. Visit the sun-soaked shores of southern Europe without leaving London, and revel in the smells and sights of blue-flowered rosemary, Tuscan olive trees, stone pines, cork oaks and Italian cypresses. The Kitchen Garden This elegant walled garden once fed royals including King George III, Queen Charlotte and their 15 children, who lived in Kew Palace. It’s now an experimental edible science garden, where the team at Kew grow an array of fruit and vegetables to learn more about creating sustainable and nutritious food. Many heritage varieties of carrots and apples have been planted to assess which grow best in today’s changing climate, along with some unusual, ancient crops which have the potential

to become the food of the future. The produce from the Kitchen Garden is used in dishes across Kew’s restaurants, so there’s a wonderful garden-to-plate ethos behind the science.

Marianne North Gallery Turn left from Victoria Gate and head along Camellia Walk, and you’ll come to a charming red-brick, Grade II listed building with a wraparound veranda. It looks every inch the Victorian villa, but step inside and you can soak in the splendour of this truly unique place.

Every single centimetre of space on the walls is covered with botanical oil paintings – 848 of them, in fact. Marianne North (1830-1890) was a biologist and prolific botanical artist, who travelled the world to capture an incredible variety of flora and fauna in her paintings. Years before the advent of colour photography, Marianne

The Mediterranean Garden

The (Edible Science) Kitchen Garden Marianne North Gallery

North’s paintings offered a unique insight into a range of plant species from around the world, as well as providing vital information about the habitats in which they survived. The gallery at Kew Gardens, laid out to her specific design, was completed in 1882, and is a remarkable representation of her legacy. Queen Charlotte’s Cottage If you had walked a half a kilometre or so, you’d probably need a place to sit and rest, wouldn’t you? Especially if you were wearing a three-metre-high wig, embellished with feathers and boats, and if your farthingale skirt weighed more than a small child! Well, you certainly would have done if you were Queen Charlotte, immortalised by the latest Bridgerton spin-off on Netflix. Her pretty thatched cottage, tucked away in the middle of Kew’s Natural Area is a fantastic example of a cottage orné, an ornamental cottage beloved of the royalty and aristocracy of the 17th century. It was used not as a home, but as a place to have a rustic rest stop, a peaceful location for a picnic or for taking tea, the latest trend of the time. In the cottage paddock the Queen kept a menagerie of animals including zebras, kangaroos and exotic birds. Inside the thatched cottage today are pretty painted rooms festooned with stencilled flowers, plus some period furniture. The Davies Alpine House Wander to the right after entering Kew Gardens through Victoria Gate and you’ll end up heading towards one of the high walls which runs parallel to Kew Road. Have you gone too far? Well, if you follow the sound of trickling water, you’ll come across a pond with a little cascade into it and a modern, curved glasshouse, which has rightly won a RIBA award for

its amazing double-arch design. This is home to alpines from some of the world’s highest altitudes, adapted to grow above heights where trees and other plants struggle to survive. Alpine plants have been found in as remote and inhospitable places as the Poles and the tops of the highest mountains across the planet. Emerging from their snowy blankets in the spring, these tenacious plants often have surprisingly vibrant blooms. Varieties include ferns, succulents, sedums, daffodils, tulips, campanulas and verbascums, plus a few very rare and unique species.

The Japanese Landscape How did a tranquil Japanese garden, complete with raked gravel, make its way into south-west London? As part of the

Japan-British Exhibition, which was held at London’s White City in 1910, an amazing wooden Japanese gateway was built. The Chokushi-Mon (Gateway of the Imperial Messenger) is almost a replica of a gate at the Nishi Hongan-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan’s former capital. At the end of the exhibition, it was moved to Kew, and was placed among the Garden of Peace, the Garden of Activity and the Garden of Harmony. Each brings in different elements of traditional Japanese garden design, and this peaceful landscape provides the ideal spot to sit, rest and meditate. It is, of course, planted with traditional Japanese shrubs such as acer, azalea and rhododendron.

The Davies Alpine House

The Japanese Garden

Bluebells near Queen Charlotte’s Cottage

And at Wakehurst…

The American Prairie The journey of Wakehurst’s American Prairie began in 2019, when a group of horticulturists travelled to North America to handcollect millions of wild seeds from native prairies, in close collaboration with partners in the US. At the Millennium Seed Bank, different species of seeds were mixed together before being sown across the landscape at Wakehurst in 2020, with carefully cultivated plug plants hand-planted into the six-acre space in 2021. Taking you back to a time when bison swept across the grasslands of North America, the American Prairie had its first flowering season last year and is sure to be spectacular again this season, as well as providing a

vital research resource to support Wakehurst’s role as a living laboratory.

Pearcelands Wood Formerly closed to the public, this sprawling 20-acre ancient woodland, adorned with native coppiced oak and hazel trees, offers a true taste of the English countryside.

Pearcelands Wood is also home to Wild Wood, an inspiring natural gallery of hand-woven structures, making this a truly enchanting realm.

Coronation Meadow Open from May to October, this charming meadow of native flowers and grasses is a true joy for the senses in the height of summer.

Coronation Meadow was created in 2015 as a response to The Prince of Wales’s call for new wildflower meadows. So, as part of a long-term research project PHOTOGRAPHS:

at Wakehurst and with the University of Sussex, the grasslands restoration can be measured and evaluated, and it has thrived ever since.

Horsebridge Wood At the edge of Wakehurst you’ll find Horsebridge Wood, a woodland dedicated to the North American landscape. This shady spot is ideal for resting during sunny days under some of the longest-living tree species on earth, including the Californian giant redwood and Douglas fir.

Water Gardens Find peace in the enchanting Water Gardens, with pops of vibrant colour and gentle water features to transport you to a place of serenity. This area forms a network of important habitats for wildlife including birds, frogs, newts, dragonflies and insects.

More exhibitions and activities to explore this year

l Forest bathing at Kew on 7 October

l Tai chi at Kew on 6 and 13 October

l Sound baths in nature at Kew on 3 and 16 October

l Planet Wakehurst, one of the UK’s largest outdoor art installations, will continue to wrap the Elizabethan Mansion; and a viewing platform offers a spectacular outlook over the gardens from a height of 33 feet

l Christmas at Kew – the world-famous winter light trail starts 15 November

l Glow Wild 2023 at Wakehurst – the winter lantern trail starts 23 November

CSSC members get unlimited entry to both Kew Gardens and Wakehurst with up to five accompanying children and 50% off entry for one other adult guest. Remember to log in to your CSSC membership online to show your membership card, and take photo ID with you. Some exhibitions will require an additional fee.

Pearcelands Wood

Coronation Meadow Horsebridge Woods

The American Prairie Garden

Charity for Civil Servants

Donating your time to help your charity reach more people

The Charity for Civil Servants is your charity. It’s the national charity that’s been here for you and every civil servant for generations, providing the umbrella of support that’s there when people need it.

Whether you’re coping with unexpected bills, in need of debt advice, finding ways through mental health struggles or even adapting to life as a carer, the Charity for Civil Servants is there to help, thanks to the support of many volunteers. From team members at the Department for Work and Pensions hosting an updated presentation in their Jobcentre, to a retired civil servant staffing an information stand in the Ministry of Justice, volunteering at your charity has never been more important.

With the rising cost of living and the pressure on your charity, it’s the amazing support of people like Marilyn that makes it all possible. “I always feel engaged with civil servants from all walks of life thanks to my own civil service background,” she says. “At every opportunity, I spread the word and promote the charity, focusing on the good work it does and the services it provides.

“If you’re thinking about becoming a volunteer, I would say just go for it. It does a lot for your self-esteem, especially if you’re a people person. You always have a thank you from the charity; that’s one of the big things – they recognise what you do.”

Help us to reach even more people

If you have some free time, or haven’t used your volunteering days in the workplace, or simply want to give, then why not join in? Whatever you want to do for your charity, we’re here to help. You can sign up now at volunteer.cfcs.org.uk

Your charity can’t always prevent difficult things from happening in people’s lives, although we wish we could. But when they do, thanks to donations and fundraising from civil servants, we can make sure that your charity is here for you. If you’d like to find out more, visit cfcs.org.uk

Coming soon: ‘Supporting your mental health and wellbeing’ conference, 9-13 October. Join us for the civil service’s flagship wellbeing conference, in partnership with civil service HR. With lots of information, advice and guidance from across the civil service and your charity, it’s something to keep an eye out for.

Get email updates from your charity

If you hadn’t already heard about the conference, then you can sign up to get email updates from your charity at cfcs.org.uk/hello. Don’t be shy about telling people they should be signing up too!

Hoop-la!

It’s a sport that many of us haven’t played – or even thought about – since we were at school. But it’s well worth trying again. By Judy Yorke

Cast your mind back, to school days, and what do you remember about netball? Stinging fingers on icy winter mornings, the sharp shrill of the whistle, the thud of the ball against the rim of the goal as it bounces agonisingly out again? Or maybe you can picture the deft passing, the teamwork, the exhilaration of victory?

There is absolutely no reason why schoolkids should be the only ones to enjoy netball. It’s a fabulous game for adults too. One of its many joys is that the rules are easy to pick up – no standing around trying to figure out the offside rule in netball! It’s ideal for anyone who would like to get fit in a gentle way, who wants to maintain a certain level of fitness, or who just likes the idea of rediscovering team sport. You can play indoors or outdoors or a mix of both, and you can join a team that has serious training sessions or a more relaxed one where you just turn up to play games. It’s also very sociable and a great way to make new friends.

“There are so many physical and mental health benefits that come with playing netball,” says a spokesperson from England Netball, the national governing body which oversees the sport. “There’s a version of netball for everyone, from five to 95.”

Surprisingly popular

And more and more people are seeing the advantages of the game. An Active Lives survey from Sport England shows that netball is now the country’s most

Not just for women

If you’re of a certain age, you might have found a real gender divide in school PE lessons, with girls playing hockey and netball while boys played football and cricket. However, men and boys are no longer missing out. There are men’s and mixed leagues too. According to play-netball.co.uk, around 20,000 men play regularly. There’s even an England men’s and mixed netball association (englandmmna.com).

Whatever ability, age or fitness level you are, there will be netball for you

popular sport for adult women. In fact, it’s the third largest team sport for all adults, after football and cricket. In the year to November 2022, just under 660,000 people played the game, with nearly 200,000 taking part every week.

Rosie Carey, 60, has never stopped playing netball – as a goal shooter she’s been scoring goals for 50 years. She joined a team after she left school and has played for various sides since then. “I’ve always just enjoyed playing,” she says simply.

“As well as being a physical game, it’s a mental one as you are trying to outwit your opponent. You’re trying to dodge free, you’re trying to score a goal when they are marking you, you’re trying to get in a position where you are protecting your space and you can get the ball passed to you.”

Rosie, who’s from Norwich, believes it really is a sport for everyone. “Anybody who has played netball in the past and wants to play again can play – there are no barriers at all,” she says. “Whatever ability, age or fitness level you are, there will be netball for you.” And there’s a good sense of camaraderie and a strong team spirit, with lots of chat before and after matches. “TV is helping

to promote the sport too,” she adds. “When we won the Commonwealth gold medal in 2018, I think that gave netball a push in the UK. People then realised what a clever, physical and skilful game it is. It can be played at all levels.”

Easy to get involved in too

Netball avoids most of the barriers that can face people wanting to do sport. There’s no expensive equipment – you don’t need much more than a pair of trainers to start with, and you should get the hang of it pretty quickly.

You can also choose the position that suits you best. Netball teams have seven players, all with clearly defined roles. Centres are all action and perfect for players who like to be fully involved, while if you’re tall you’ll make an ideal goalkeeper. Got great handeye coordination? Goal shooter is the position for you.

England Netball has a number of initiatives to encourage people to take up a version of the sport that will be most suitable for them. These include walking netball, which is played at walking pace and designed so anyone of any age or fitness level can play. It’s particularly suitable for older players or those who have stopped playing sport because of injury.

Another initiative is Back to Netball. It’s aimed at those who haven’t played for a while – most likely since school – and offers players the chance to reconnect with the game in a relaxed environment. England Netball also has a ParaNetball strategy, which encourages more deaf and disabled women to play the game.

So if you’re looking for an all-yearround sport that’s suitable for all fitness levels, get involved with netball – and step back into your past for an exciting new future. you.

We’re hoping to expand our netball offers throughout the next three years, with more clubs, teams, events and opportunities to play and train popping up all over the country. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, simply type ‘Netball’ into our search bar to find offers near

Rosie Carey (front left) and her netball team

A truly virtuous circle

Volunteering benefits other people, of course – but it also boosts your own health and wellbeing too, so everyone benefits. By Kaye McIntosh

There is an army of volunteers in the UK: one in five people steps up at least once a month, and seven in 10 volunteer at some point in their lives. And while the Covid crisis had very little to recommend it, one striking thing was how it galvanised the nation – 12.4 million people stepped forward to support their communities, neighbours and the NHS. What’s more, from charity shop workers to school governors and kids’ football coaches, giving our time to good causes doesn’t just help other people directly –it’s also good for volunteers themselves.

There’s strong evidence that helping out improves health, wellbeing and even happiness. A survey for the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) found 75% of its volunteers said it improved mental health. They were less anxious, too, scoring 2.8 out of 10 on an anxiety scale compared with the general population’s over four out of 10. Almost

If we could take a pill that made such a difference, we’d be battering down the GP surgery doors

half said it made them more physically active and nine in 10 said it gave them a sense of purpose. Volunteering for 200 hours a year even reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, one study found. If we could take a pill that made such a difference, we’d be battering down the GP surgery doors.

Fiona Liddell is a manager at Helpforce Wales, which recruits volunteers to work in the NHS and care services. She says while the scheme makes a difference to society, “it’s also the case that getting people involved supports their own health”.

Forging connections

One key reason for this is that volunteering connects us to others. Coming into contact with those we are supporting, as well as other people

involved in the same organisation, creates “interaction with a purpose”, Fiona says. “That sense of achieving something significant together is important.” Another important factor seems to be that you are sharing your skills and using your own experience and knowledge.

“Having a social network who can pick you up when you are down is clearly good,” points out Dr Eddy Hogg, senior lecturer in social policy at the University of Kent. “We know that volunteering helps to grow these networks because you meet people from different backgrounds and engage with people in various ways. The key to friendships and building relationships is that you have things in common. If you are volunteering for a particular cause, that gives you a fundamental first thing in common.”

Physical activity is another important benefit. “It can be a way of getting people active who are in very sedentary roles or who stay in their house a lot, perhaps later in life when they aren’t at work any more,” says Fiona. Just getting out and about to the organisation or venue is key.

If you volunteer outdoors, of course, there are extra benefits from being in nature. A study in the Netherlands showed that every 10% increase in exposure to green space translated into a reduction of five years in age in terms of expected health problems. Similar benefits were found by research in Canada and Japan. Fresh air and exercise will really do you good – so if you’re coaching a kids’ team or clearing rubbish from a river, you’re maxing out the physical benefits.

How often you volunteer also makes a difference. Frequent and regular is better than occasional, according to What Works Wellbeing. However, the benefits can wane if it all gets too intense, they warn. There’s no agreed threshold for ‘too much’. It depends on personal circumstances.

Age matters

Many people think about volunteering after retirement, and there’s plenty of evidence that volunteering promotes health and wellbeing in older

You need support too

One of the benefits of volunteering is also feeling that the work you’re doing is appreciated – so to reap the full benefits you do need to pick an organisation that puts some resources into supporting you rather than just leaving you to get on with it. A report from What Works Centre for Wellbeing says volunteer management and support are ‘key factors in creating a volunteer experience that fosters wellbeing’. Emotional engagement, such as encouragement, is vital, it adds.

That’s why CSSC volunteers receive ongoing training, a knowledge base packed with everything they need, and the full support of a team of dedicated and experienced team leaders and head office staff. We recognise the value and impact our volunteers have on our members’ experience, which is why we reward our best volunteers with an annual awards celebration and a generous expenses compensation scheme.

Find out more about volunteering with CSSC and browse our opportunities in roles ranging from event and sports organiser to regional chairs and treasurers. Whatever your passions, hobbies, skills or commitments, we’ll find a role that suits your needs.

people, as the result of factors such as socialising and creating a sense of purpose. The What Works Wellbeing report also found volunteering may play a supportive role for people who are going through other life changes such as bereavement. It’s something positive to focus on.

The social activity aspect is especially vital for men, who tend to define themselves by their profession more than women, Dr Hogg explains. “Men retire and see an entire part of their identity disappear. And it can be very mentally difficult.”

But all ages and stages can benefit. Younger people can explore different career options through volunteering. And later on, even when juggling work and family life can make you feel that there’s no possibility of squeezing anything else in, volunteering (even if it’s not a time-consuming commitment at the moment) can enhance your life. “It can be a way of carving out the time to do something that you just enjoy – pursuing a passion or doing something that contrasts with or complements the day job,” Fiona points out.

Cause and effect

These statistics stand up to questions about whether those who give their time are healthier in the first place. Research into people who volunteered in the NHS during the Covid crisis –making phone calls to people shielding, delivering medicines or helping as stewards at vaccination centres – found levels of wellbeing increased and the effect lasted for months. People who carried out a task for NHS Volunteer Responders rated their life satisfaction higher than those who had volunteered

but not yet acted. Research co-author Dr Christian Krekel, assistant professor in behavioural science at the London School of Economics, says: “Volunteers benefited tremendously. If we try to put a monetary value on those wellbeing benefits, it comes in at around £1,800 each. When multiplied by the 250,000 volunteers reached by July 2020, this amounts to about 140 times the cost of the programme, so it creates enormous social value – and this is to say nothing of the benefits to the recipients of the volunteering.” And to

Stepping up allows you experiences that you would never normally have

back up that financial calculation, one study that compared volunteers with non-volunteers, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, calculated that to achieve a similar improvement in your happiness score, you’d have to earn around £911 more a year.

But Dr Hogg reminds us that putting a financial value on helping out misses the point of volunteering. “People do things for all kinds of reasons. Money is clearly a huge motivator, but so is love. And volunteering is very much rooted in that place of love. For others, or for groups, or for particular causes.”

Life and leaving life

It’s that coming together with others which is one of the life-enriching things about volunteering; and it can be incredibly moving. Helpforce ran a project where volunteers supported people who were receiving end-of-life care – it involved holding hands, reading aloud, listening to music with them and just being together.

“It’s so rewarding, it feels like a privilege,” says Fiona. Volunteers are helped to deal with the emotional impact, but they also know what a vital difference they are making to someone’s last weeks. “The support that someone can offer is a hugely important part of healthcare, and there isn’t always a lot of time for that from paid staff,” she adds. Stepping up allows you experiences that you would never normally have.

That’s the beauty of volunteering –the opportunity to do something that isn’t for money, or for building a career. Doing something for others, contributing to a cause and a community is worthwhile in itself. You aren’t doing it for your own benefit – yet it does come back to you in better health and wellbeing. A truly virtuous circle.

Facts and figures: volunteers have improved their health and wellbeing

The past few years have had their challenges – and volunteering has helped many people overcome them

20% of volunteers felt their mental health was better than a year ago (nonvolunteers: 11%).

25% said their physical health was better, (non-volunteers: 15%).

21% of volunteers felt their general wellbeing was better (non-volunteers: 13%).

Bagging the Munros – gotta catch ’em all!

We explore the enduring appeal of walking and climbing every single one of these 282 Scottish peaks.

By Sally J. Hall

Walking is one of the great pleasures in life and a great way to get exercise, whether it’s strolling through gentle countryside or speed-walking for an endorphin rush. Many of us, though, like a bit more of a challenge, and hillwalking is a great way to get your heart pumping. But it’s when those hills start to rise over 600 metres above sea level that things get serious!

There is a set of mountains scattered across Scotland that come with a layer of glamour and mystique. Named ‘Munros’ after Sir Hugh Munro, the avid Scottish hillwalker and mountaineer who identified and listed all these peaks in 1891, they are defined as mountains over 914 metres (3,000 feet).

Sir Hugh was a keen traveller and climber, and although too old for service in World War I, he volunteered by running a canteen in France and worked with the Red Cross. Sadly, he died of flu in the post-war pandemic, without having attained all the

peaks – he had saved three particularly challenging ones for last and never got to climb them.

Since Sir Hugh’s time, many walkers and climbers have become obsessed with the Munros (those who have climbed all of them are known as ‘compleaters’ or ‘compleators’), perhaps because as well as appealing to people’s competitive and acquisitive spirit, the peaks are set in some of the most beautiful areas of natural landscape.

They vary in difficulty, but rest assured that all of them will earn you serious kudos among climbers.

Easy does it

If you’re new to hillwalking, it pays to start with some of the easier climbs and to be well prepared, as even these can have their difficulties, and the weather can close in quickly.

Here are some of the easiest of the Munros to get you started.

Mount Keen: with amazing views over moors scattered with red deer, this huge dome is easy to tackle. It can be reached from Glen Esk; the terrain is fine, with a track and path, but it’s an exposed location, so plan your ascent in good weather. Distance, 17.5 km; time to climb, 5-6 hours; nearest city, Aberdeen

Looking across Coire Lagan towards the Inaccessible Pinnacle

The 10 most difficult Munros

Although there is no such thing as an ‘easy’ Munro to bag, some are acknowledged as being for serious climbers only. The most difficult to reach and climb, they’re also the most iconic. Don’t tackle these without rock-climbing experience and the appropriate equipment. For more advice, guidance, equipment and companionship, check out our walking communities, events and offers.

1 Sgùrr Dearg and the Inaccessible Pinnacle: located on the Isle of Skye, the ‘In Pinn’ (above) needs specialist rock-climbing equipment and is a serious ascent. It’s also the scene of one of novelist Val McDermid’s murders!

2 Sgùrr nan Gillean: a challenging peak, also on Skye, it has several ways up, all of them tricky.

3 A’ Mhaighdean: perhaps the most remote Munro, it takes days to get there and back, so camping gear is a must.

4 Ladhar Bheinn: miles from any road, the peninsula with the Knoydart peak can be reached by boat from Mallaig.

5 Mullach na Dheiragain: this can only be reached by a boat journey, followed by a sharp climb.

6 Beinn Dòrain: a deceptively gentle-looking hill, the peak is often plagued by mist, making it a tricky expedition.

7 Aonach Eagach: this difficult summit is one of Britain’s narrowest peaks, so you’ll need a head for heights.

8 Beinn Mheadhoin: you do a 20km hike to reach even the start of this Munro, whose name means ‘middle hill’. Fit people only!

9 Sgùrr Alasdair: the highest peak of Black Cuillin, this is a hard scramble to the top.

10 Liathach: one of the Torridon Hills, this is two Munros in one, with a sharp, vertiginous ridge between them.

Ben Lomond: popular with mountaineers since the 18th century

Broad Cairn: this forms part of the Mounth plateau in the Cairngorms and gives a view of Loch Muick. It often boasts black grouse in its shrubs. Take in five Munros, or the shorter route from the Spittal of Glenmuick.

Distance, 29 km; time to climb, 9-11 hours; nearest city, Dundee

Ben Lomond: set in the Trossachs, this has peaks looking like whipped egg whites and gives stunning views of Loch Lomond and of the Highlands. It’s the most southerly of the Munros and has been popular with mountaineers since the 18th century, which has sadly led to erosion in the area. Minimise this by keeping to the paths.

Distance, 12 km; time to climb, 4.5-5.5 hours; nearest city, Glasgow

Schiehallion: though it looks like an inaccessible cone-shaped mountain, it is actually a broad ridge. It has a decent, easy path, though the final section is strewn with boulders, so you may have to do a bit of scrambling.

Distance, 10 km; time to climb, 4-6 hours; nearest city, Dundee

Ben Wyvis: fairly easy to climb and inhabited by the rare dotterel bird, it has an ascent through forests on the lower slopes and is covered with tawny moss higher up. If you’re really lucky you might even see the ptarmigan, which is only found in the Scottish Highlands.

Distance, 14 km; time to climb, 4.5-5.5 hours; nearest city, Inverness

A cluster of Munros to bag

Torridon: in the north-west of Scotland, the area is packed with stunning scenery and is home to five Munros that offer views over Torridon and Maree, the most picturesque lochs. To the south you’ll find fishing villages and forests; to the north, sandy beaches. Distance, (Liathach, Glen Torridon) 11.5 km; time to climb, 8-10 hours; nearest town, Ullapool Kintail and Morvich: perfect for nature lovers, the Five Sisters of Kintail bags you three Munros and is a challenging walk and a very long day, so start early. You’ll need to be a fit and experienced walker for this. Distance, 15 km; time to climb, 8-10 hours; nearest village, Glenfinnan

And finally…

Being prepared and letting people know where you are is hugely important, as was demonstrated by my Great-Uncle Theodore Cadoux, Professor of Ancient History at Edinburgh University and a keen Munrobagger, who set out to climb yet another Munro in his 70s. Having twisted his ankle in a fall, he hunkered down and waited for help, secure in the knowledge that he had told his B&B hosts his route.

Later that afternoon, his sister Ruth in Oxford heard a news flash on Radio 4. “An elderly man has been airlifted from the Munros today,” it said. “Rescuers had to bring him down from the mountain when he fell and injured himself.”

“That will be Theodore,” thought Ruth.

And it was.

Kit, gear and provisions

Plan your visit well, have plenty of water and snacks, camping gear if necessary and a phone that gets reception where masts are few and far between – a satellite phone is best. It’s important that someone always knows where you are and can raise the alarm if you fail to return to your base.

Your kit would include good hiking boots with ankle support, waterproofs, trekking trousers, a thermal and a fleece top, a watch and GPS unit, a hat, gloves and good socks. In a large rucksack, pack an extra layer, compass, map and torch, a whistle and a small first aid kit. Carry food and drinks sufficient for the length of the journey and a bag for rubbish (do NOT leave it on the mountain). You’ll need an emergency survival bag (like a thermal sleeping bag – found at activewear stores). In summer you’ll also need sunscreen, hat and sunglasses, plus midge repellent.

For winter and more challenging peaks, you will need extra equipment and rock-climbing gear.

Proper clothing and equipment essential for demanding climbs

Resources

l For the National Trust for Scotland, go to nts.org.uk and remember you can request CSSC’s corporate cards for free admission to NTS.

l Visit walkhighlands.co.uk for details on climbing routes and other information including where to stay.

l Go to visitscotland.com for Munro and visitor information.

l Get 10% off entry to Historic Scotland sites with CSSC membership.

l Get most of your gear and equipment through CSSC savings with up to 10% off at Snow+Rock and other camping retailers.

l If you’re planning an exceptional challenge like completing all the Munros, you may qualify for financial support through CSSC’s Elite Sponsorship fund.

l Our Sport Qualification Fund could also help you gain walk leader or hillwalking instructor qualifications.

Aiming to help more people take up sport

CSSC was founded on the idea that sport and friendly competition have the power to unite people, improve health and wellbeing, and reward hard work and dedication. We talk to Matt Gleaves about airgunning

How did you get into airgunning?

My dad bought me a Webley Tempest air pistol in the 1980s. The hobby became a father-and-son thing for many years. Airgun shooting has always been the hobby I’ve returned to throughout my life.

I think as access to firearms and shotguns becomes more difficult, many people with an interest in shooting are moving to airguns. They’re very popular and people love the challenge. Indoor Olympic-style shooting is well funded and organised, and the outdoor side is catching up fast too. You need a licence in Scotland, but not in England or Wales.

A little over three years ago I also started doing benchrest shooting seriously – but I never thought I’d be in the top tier of Benchrest UK’s tour shooters in my second season.

What do you enjoy most about airgunning?

Winning is obviously important, but that’s just part of the whole experience. I enjoy the community both in person and

online as well as the exhilaration of sideby-side competitions.

I also enjoy running my AirAbility Facebook group and my AirAbility YouTube channel for the many opportunities this has given me to do other things, such as writing for magazines and reviewing new products.

What advice would you give to anyone wishing to try it for the first time?

After a quick search for a local airgun club, talk to as many shooters as possible and try as many guns as you can to see what suits you. Read the information on the governing body websites, and become familiar with the rules to steer you to what equipment you need to buy.

Subscribe to a good magazine such as Airgun World, get advice from some experienced people in the industry, and join a UK-based benchrest Facebook group such as AirAbility. The online community is a friendly bunch, and it’s where I started.

If you can sit still and hold a rifle while it’s resting on something, it’s game on!

What is benchrest shooting?

As the name suggests, benchrest is a discipline where you shoot your rifle from a bench or table while using a front rest and sometimes a butt support. The distance might be 20 yards or 25 metres, depending on the organisation’s rules. The rifle is supported, so you can aim at extremely small targets, often with just a 2 mm bullseye. It’s harder if you’re shooting outside and battling atmospherics or your own heartbeat. This shooting discipline is deceptively hard! Many people think it’s easy, but trust me, it’s one of the hardest disciplines: the smallest fraction of a millimetre can make all the difference.

Is this a great sport for all athletes competing together?

Benchrest is a static, seated sport with the rifle weight supported, so this makes the discipline suitable for a wide range of people. As I’m a wheelchair user, this was what first attracted me. People of all ages, genders and physical abilities

take part and the governing bodies actively promote it as an inclusive sport. If you can sit still and hold a rifle while it’s resting on something, it’s game on!

What has been the hardest part of competing at such a high level?

It requires a lot of practice and lots of gear to go in and out of the car. You’d think it’s only a rifle, but I fill the back of my estate car on competition days. Also, the sport is virtually fully self-funded, other than help from CSSC and some discounts from companies.

How supportive are your employer and family of your airgunning?

They say it takes a village, and it really does. Work allows me to take my leave around my competitions, and colleagues are very supportive. My wife, Sharon, deals with all the physical stuff I can’t do. At events she helps me set up and carry equipment; she also does much of the pre-event preparations and packing. I could not do what I do without

How CSSC can help

Supporting those who wish to learn, play or compete in their chosen field has always been at the heart of CSSC principles. So we’ve recently enhanced our financial support packages, to help even more members find a sport or activity they love and to provide the opportunities they need to grow.

The CSSC community lottery now funds our financial support fund (cssc.co.uk/disability-andfinancial-support-funds) helping remove barriers for even more members to take up sport.

Why not explore our enhanced funding options for race day entry fees, qualification funds, workplace activity funds, elite sponsorship or disability and financial funds to see how CSSC could help your sporting ambitions? Find out more at cssc.co.uk/financial-support

Sharon, and we have some really great weekends away shooting. We have a Team Gleaves mentality.

How has CSSC supported you?

CSSC helped me with a £250 grant, and I’m very thankful for that. Rifles and scopes alone are between £2,000 and £5,000, and then there are the costs of competing and travelling. So any help is greatly appreciated.

What could CSSC, schools or employers do to help more people try airgunning?

I think promoting access to local clubs, where people can start shooting safely and with like-minded others, is a good start. I’d be happy to help organise a ‘come-and-try-it day’ or to answer any questions readers have through my AirAbility Facebook group

What drives you to succeed and to keep training so hard?

I just enjoy the sport, and that’s what motivates me. Obviously winning is

Winning is important but the whole experience of airgunning is great

a buzz too. I train and compete to relax as it is my go-to place away from everyday life, especially when I’m preparing and tinkering in the shed. I’m very lucky I’ve never felt stress or nerves when competing, and I think this really works to my advantage.

What’s next for your airgunning ambitions?

There’s always something that can be done better, so I keep practising. I’d love to be sponsored by one of the major airgun companies, and I’d like to compete in the world championships when they’re a little closer to home. I had to decline my invitation this year as it was too difficult to get all my extra gear out to the event.

Just a fraction of a millimetre can make all the difference

With so much recent pressure on people’s wallets it can be hard to know how to make your income stretch further and how to make extra savings. But CSSC is here to help. Michelle, a CSSC member, certainly makes the most of her membership. From everyday savings on food and essentials to days out and school uniforms, her whole family benefits, she explains.

Shopping with less stress

For a single parent with an ever-growing (and hungry) child, it can be hard to work out what and where to save.

I already buy own-brand clothing, food and toiletries but I never want him to feel he’s missing out, and it’s sometimes difficult to know how to strike the right balance or where I can make additional savings. This is where I’ve found my CSSC membership comes in extremely handy.

Topping up my reloadable store cards every payday with an allocated amount through CSSC savings helps me stick to a budget. It also allows me to buy and save on bigger items, like birthday presents and treats.

For me, the best bit about CSSC savings is the cashback I earn for everything I spend. A sum of 50p might not seem a lot to some people, but thanks to the digital wallet, it soon adds up. I transfer my cashback every month onto my Costa or Marks & Spencer card, and this can be enough for a treat or even a nice meal at the end of the week.

Recently my washing machine broke down, and when payday came around, I finally decided to bite the bullet and get a new one. I found a great deal with AO.com, just happened to check CSSC savings – and realised I could also earn cashback, taking some of the pain out of this massive expenditure.

But far and away the biggest difference I notice is around Christmas. I used CSSC savings vouchers, cashback and discounts for all my Christmas presents last year and earned myself some hefty cashback, which paid for my entire Christmas food shop!

l See for yourself. Visit cssc.co.uk/ cssc-savings and check out the savings calculator to see how much you could save

Save with CSSC

The cost of living is a top priority for many of us at the moment, so find out how CSSC can support you. One single parent explains the crucial difference it has made to her family

I used CSSC savings vouchers, cashback and discounts for all my Christmas presents last year

Never a dull day out

I also make sure to use my CSSC membership for days out. Whenever we’re planning a break the first thing I do before we go is check the CSSC website to see what free trips or discounts are available in the area. My son invariably wants something to mark the day, and 10% off in our partners’ gift shops is a great excuse for a small treat – and some serious ‘mum points’ too.

To mark his eighth birthday, thanks to CSSC’s discounted hotel and park entry tickets, I was able to treat him to an overnight stay at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It was a fabulous day and one he still remembers, all thanks to the savings I made. Over the years, through CSSC I’ve visited LEGOLAND, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and many SEA LIFE centres while on holiday. We’ve always made great savings, but also, and perhaps more importantly, had fantastic days out and made memories.

I haven’t used all our partners yet! Next spring I’m hoping to utilise our great discounts on one of our many zoo partnerships, adventure parks and local theme parks. So, if anyone has already taken up one of these great offers, do email Podium at editor@cssc.co.uk and share your experiences.

Explore our days out and plan ahead at www.cssc.co.uk/near-me.

Magical movie memories

One of my son’s favourite CSSC savings is through the excellent cinema tickets offer. As a typical eight-year-old, he’s obsessed with Marvel films, and thankfully, there’s an endless stream of new releases every year.

With just the two of us we regularly save over £8 on each visit! Sometimes when we want an extra treat I use one

of the combo snack vouchers to cut costs even more. Last year I managed to save a small fortune when we took a few friends to the cinema for his birthday, getting a hefty reduction on each ticket.

Find your local cinema at www.cssc. co.uk/cinemas and see how much you could save

Try something new

Over recent years we’ve done some amazing one-off member events together, from Christmas Light Trails at Kew Gardens and wellbeing events to family fun days, theatre trips and loads more.

We’ve found some really great local activities that only cost a few pounds and introduce us to something we would never have thought of without CSSC. Perhaps more importantly than saving money, it gives us a chance to try something new, make the most of our free time and meet other members.

I follow all CSSC’s social media channels to make sure I’m always up to date with all the new offers, discounts and days out, and I regularly look out for the member emails which are packed full of great ideas and themes throughout the year, including near where I work, where I live and where I go on holiday.

Remember to check out www.cssc. co.uk/near-me for your local offers and things to do near you.

Live your best life

Since joining CSSC savings we’ve had some amazing adventures using our membership, creating awesome family memories without breaking the bank.

I urge anyone on a budget, whether on your own, as a couple or with your family, to explore the CSSC website, and definitely check out CSSC savings. It’s saved others I know over £300 a year just from living their best life.

A small treat (meaning ‘mum points’) at the gift shop may well be possible too

Christmas is even better when you can fund it through cashback

Discounted days out are great fun

CSSC is ably supported by nearly 1,000 volunteers, who come together from across the country, representing every sector, area, region and nation and providing an incredibly broad and diverse range of activities and events for members to enjoy.

But who looks after those who look after our members? Coordinating 1,000 volunteers takes some doing – making sure we have the resources where and when we need them, helping to organise events, and liaising with partners and providers to ensure each volunteer’s experience is enjoyable and rewarding.

That’s where our Volunteer Team Leaders (VTLs) come in, and work tirelessly in this essential role. We caught up with two of our newest VTLs, Kelly Young (VTL for the South and South East region) and Kate Hanlon (VTL for the North West), to find out what drives them to give their best for our members.

Kelly Young

Kelly, what did you do before joining CSSC?

I’ve worked in the charity and public sectors for over 10 years, mainly in community support, volunteer management and project management. I’ve been very lucky to work with some fantastic and passionate individuals over the years.

How did you get into volunteering?

Coming from a small-charity background, I’ve seen how the commitment of dedicated volunteers can truly change the lives of people and communities. Without the passion of volunteers many organisations simply wouldn’t be able to offer the services they do.

What do you get from working with volunteers?

I’m a ‘people person’. I get a lot of joy from helping others to achieve their goals and from lifting others up. I see every day how passionate our volunteers are, and being able to support them means a lot.

I just like helping people. It gives my life purpose and meaning seeing the impact I’ve made on someone’s life. When I chat and really connect with someone, I come away feeling I’ve made a real difference.

What does a typical day consist of?

It depends on the day. I can be out and about meeting local area association volunteers, supporting our regional committee or helping to drive forward new projects. My role is varied but centres on helping our volunteers to develop the best activities and offers for CSSC members.

What plans do you have over the coming years?

I’m 100 per cent on board with our Volunteer Improvement Strategy. I’m really pleased to be supporting our training project, as delivering training is something I have done in the past for volunteers and it’s an issue I feel really passionate about.

Over time, once I’ve built a strong foundation, I want to be more dynamic about projects and ideas for simpler ways of achieving goals and improving our service to better support our volunteers and members.

Kate Hanlon

Kate, what drew you to work as a VTL for CSSC?

I’ve always loved sport. From an early age, I was lucky enough to have parents who dedicated their spare time to driving me up and down the North West – whether that was to judo, dance classes, football matches, cross-country or netball tournaments. You name it, I wanted to give it a go.

Get in touch with your local Volunteer Team Leader

Kate and Kelly are among a team of VTLs dedicated to supporting our volunteers. If you’re interested in organising an activity for your local area, why not get in touch with your VTL

to find out how easy it is to host something dear to your heart?

Perhaps you’re passionate about ecoprojects and want to arrange a litter pick. Or maybe you love the theatre and would like

As I got older, I turned that into a career as a personal trainer before finding enjoyment in the charitable sector, and most recently as a volunteer manager. When I saw the role of VTL for the North West, it was all my favourite things rolled into one job – delivering great events run by volunteers, with the bonus of ensuring that some of the hardest-working people in our country had access to incredible discounts.

My role centres on helping volunteers develop the best activities and

When you first encountered CSSC, what struck you most?

How many offers are actually available – all for just £4.99 a month. I couldn’t believe how much was on offer and how so many of our events were run by volunteers giving up their spare time to help colleagues and strangers alike to save money, have fun and find new communities.

What is it about volunteering that you find so satisfying?

I’ve always really admired people who give up their own time to help others. I speak to a lot of volunteers who have families of their own, children, grandchildren, pets, hobbies – but still find time to dedicate to helping others. I think it’s knowing that you’ve made

to meet new friends? Whatever your hobbies and whatever your spare time, volunteering with CSSC is incredibly rewarding, a great way to make friends and the best way to stay active.

a difference to somebody, however big or small that difference may be. Do you volunteer outside of CSSC? Yes. I support a charity set up to help women who support women who have had or are currently experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum (severe prolonged vomiting) during pregnancy.

Do it, but start small

Kelly, what advice would you give to anyone thinking about volunteering? What you achieve will have a huge impact on our members, and you’ll come away with lots of warm and fuzzy feelings! We have a variety of roles, so just give me a call and we can find something that fits in with whatever you enjoy.

Kate, what’s your advice?

Always speak to people already volunteering to find out what it’s really like. Start off small and support a longstanding volunteer with one of their events. A chat over a cup of coffee can go a long way. And of course, why not contact your friendly VTL. There are so many opportunities to get involved, so you’re guaranteed to find something that suits your tastes.

Contact your local VTL at volunteer@cssc.co.uk

l Lucy Vizor: Eastern

l Jennifer Yarrow: London

l Michelle Chelu: Midlands

l Katie Bradshaw: North East and Yorkshire

l Kate Hanlon: North West

l Siobhan Hogg: Scotland

l Kelly Young: South and South East

l Natalie Parry: South West

l Jon Bunyan: Wales

Passionate about training: Kate Hanlon

Seeing the road ahead

Volunteering takes many forms. We talk to someone whose support enables a fellow runner to complete a marathon.

By

Adrian Monti

When Alice Dalrymple crossed the finishing line at the Brighton Marathon earlier this year, it was a double celebration in every sense. Not only had she completed the 26.2-mile road race, but she had been the sighted guide for blind runner Paul, who was running his first ever marathon. “Before the race we both decided we just wanted to enjoy it, but ended up running it six minutes faster than we had planned, so were delighted,” recalls Alice, 32. “Three weeks

later we did the London Marathon together, which was also brilliant.”

Running together

Alice had been a keen runner for about a decade before she became a sighted guide last year.

“I discovered it because VI Runners Bristol, a group for visually impaired runners and sighted guides, is based where I live,” she says. “The group appealed for volunteers for an event,

and some time later, I started going along to the weekly session.” Both sighted and visually impaired runners meet up every Tuesday for a social run of an hour or so – often ending back at the pub.

She admits to being nervous at first about being responsible for keeping another runner safe. “I never did a course in guiding but instead learnt more on the job,” she explains. “Although it can be awkward, you first need to ask your runner what their level of sight is, as you don’t want to make any assumptions about it. That’s also important because it plays a part in how they would like to be guided, which is quite an individual thing. Some visually impaired runners might want you to describe absolutely everything, while others want a lighter touch. My biggest fear was that the visually impaired runner I was supporting would trip over.”

The guidance can be non-verbal communication too: using a tether, a short fabric loop which each runner slips around their wrists so they can run side by side. “You can slightly pull on it so you run closer together if you’re going through somewhere busy or noisy where

How running changed my world: Dave Williams’ story

I was born with a rare inherited eye disorder called Leber Congenital Amaurosis. It means I’ve virtually no central vision and only a little light perception around the edge.

I was actually looking for a pilot –a sighted cyclist – so I could ride a tandem bike when I discovered the national database to locate guide runners close to where you live. That’s how I came across Steve, my first guide. I didn’t feel confident with the tether at first, so instead I put my hand on his elbow and we started with a run/walk session and built it up over a few weeks.

After 10 weeks I could run continuously

for a whole mile, which felt amazing. Shortly afterwards, Steve introduced me to his running club, Black Pear Joggers, where there were other members who offered to guide me. Since starting five years ago, I’ve done lots of races, including nine full marathons, and I’ve completed London twice. I’ve run more than 5,000 miles with Bex, another of my regular guides, including the New York Marathon in 2019, only a year after my first ever parkrun.

I have different guides I can go out with – some faster, some more keen on the longer stuff, some who are better in the heat,

it’s harder to give guidance. You can’t plan for everything though – if a dog off its lead runs in front of you, you just have to deal with it.”

Like most volunteering, the benefits are two-way. “I’ve developed some lovely friendships from being a guide runner,” says Alice. “At our sessions we run with different people each week, although you tend to run with those

and so on. You have to fully trust them and appreciate they have a very hard job in concentrating on what’s coming up ahead and on being assertive by telling other runners you are coming up on their right or whatever.

Being able to run has transformed me as I’m fitter, meet new people and have a new interest. Many visually impaired people can become isolated and lonely. But having a running guide can bring you out into the world instead of hiding away at home.

Dave Williams, 46, from Worcester, is a customer experience manager for RNIB.

Interested in trying?

VI Runners Bristol is on Facebook, and a number of other groups can be found online. Parkrun (the Saturday morning 5km run/walk) may also need volunteer guides to pair with blind or visually impaired runners.

of a similar pace, so everyone gets something out of it. Paul, who I ran my marathons with, only lives a street away from me, but I’ve run with lots of different people. Some are blind from birth, while others have lost their sight later in life. Being somebody who can help get others out and running is a real privilege, and it also really broadens your own experiences of life.”

Although anyone can be a guide runner, you can only become a licensed guide after successfully attending the England Athletics Sight Loss Awareness and Guide Running course. This two-hour workshop has been developed in collaboration with British Blind Sport.

If you’re looking for a guide to support you or another runner, findaguide.co.uk is worth checking out. And CSSC’s running page can take you to our Facebook community and local parkrun challenges.

Dave (left) and Paul (above) have both been able to run in marathons because they’ve had the support of volunteer runners to guide them through to the finishing line

The art of martial arts

Martial arts are so much more than just fighting or self-defence. They are fantastic sport for any age or ability. So why not make them something that all the family can take part in? By

Richard Hemley

As the father of a nine-year-old, never a day goes by when I’m not thinking about her safety. You only have to turn on the news for a short time to see a worrying headline. But it’s not just the thought of her physical safety that keeps me awake at night, but her emotional strength too, particularly in light of the inevitable pull of social media.

However, as a ‘modern’ parent I’ve always tried to stay balanced and not let fear rule my life, or more importantly hers. I suspect my concerns about social media and kids leading a sedentary life are the same fears my parents had with the introduction of video games, and their parents before them with the rapid growth of television. So how does one find the right balance between cautious safety and providing a carefree childhood?

To date, the best way I’ve found of managing is taking on board that famous mantra ‘hope for the best but plan for the worst’. And so, with this mantra in mind, it’s always been my hope that my daughter, Izzy, would become proficient in some form of self-defence, enough at least to give her confidence in her own abilities and provide a valuable tool and outlet to grow, as her young mind is shaped by the world around her.

that got her kicking off her shoes, or maybe it was the opportunity of being the only one in the class to perform the splits. But, whatever the enticement, that’s all it took to awaken her focus.

Developing in every sense(i)

In the two years we’ve been attending TMA, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. As a sociable and precocious tween (or pre-teen), she has, let’s say, needed some encouragement, coercion and at times bribery to keep up her interest. The magnetic pull of other afterschool activities like gymnastics, netball, YouTube, Roblox (don’t ask) has been constant. But TMA’s experience and the continual reward and affirmation of receiving grades and belts within martial arts have helped propel Izzy forward and keep her motivated. I’ve seen her grow with the kind of confidence that sport seems to foster so well.

Muay Thai boxing taught me life lessons on positivity, strength, fitness, endurance and camaraderie

What’s more, it’s brought out something in her that I never appreciated before: her compassion and desire to help people. She’s always been sensitive to others’ needs and worn her heart on her sleeve, but having an outlet to share the skills she’s learned with others has been transformative.

Meeting an irresistible force

During my early 20s I studied Muay Thai boxing. It’s a discipline which taught me some incredible life lessons on positivity, strength, fitness, endurance and camaraderie. I wanted Izzy to benefit in the same way. So two years ago, as Izzy was turning eight, I searched for local martial arts studios, looking for a child-friendly dojo whose classes could be easily managed alongside homework and other afterschool activities.

And boy, did I find it: Tring Martial Arts (TMA). With just a short read of their bio and ethos it was easy to see why so many of their members continued to give them such a high rating year after year. When I got to know it better I met a warm, welcoming, familylike team, whose caring and attentive nature was obvious from the offset.

I was keen not to push my expectations onto Izzy too hard and too fast. So, initially we only intended to join our first class as spectators. But once the class began, watching from the sidelines was never going to cut it. You could feel her excitement and anticipation of joining in grow, so join in she did. Perhaps it was the pull of the shiny new uniform

Izzy is currently the only girl in her school class to learn martial arts. In some ways this feels like a shame and a missed opportunity to socialise – but there have also been some unexpected benefits. Not

PHOTOGRAPHS: RICHARD HEMLEY, BEARFOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Team sports or contact sports seem to deliver that extra incentive to get to know each other

only does Izzy relish being the only Black Belt in school, she’s also been encouraged to reach out and make new friends and widen her circle from other schools in our local area.

Making new friends of all ages

A shared passion or hobby works brilliantly in bringing people together, but sport, especially team sports or contact sports, seems to deliver that extra incentive to get to know each other. We’ve had play dates with friends from other catchment areas, who we might never have met without martial arts, who in turn have shared their extracurricular activities and broadened our horizons.

As she’s an only child, my fond hope that making other friends will stand her in good stead as she progresses on to secondary school and beyond. What’s more, it’s also helped me meet other parents, who have shared their insights, helping me to be a better dad.

Keeping a flexible approach

As she approaches 10, Izzy will transition to the beginner adult class. It’s here that I’m anticipating her confidence taking a knock. She’ll suddenly find herself effectively starting afresh on the adult grades, working with teens and grown-ups.

But, as with all knocks, we’ll face it together and we’ll learn as we go. To help combat this, I’ve promised that I will be joining her in our twice-weekly class. And as anyone who has ever ‘promised’ a 10-year-old something knows, there’s no backing out, as they will definitely remember. In fact, despite my 40-something-year-old knees and the kind of inflexibility you would typically expect to see in a rhinoceros house, I’m actually quite looking forward to some quality daddy-daughter time.

So, watch this space as I attempt to keep up with Izzy and reawaken my own long-forgotten passion for martial arts to find a community as well as a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment.

What the mind can perceive, the heart can believe, and the body can achieve

If you’d like to find out more about any form of martial arts, I’ve put together my beginner’s guide to finding a class that works for you:

l Find something you enjoy. Some kids may like boxing, some judo, some karate. Others may prefer activities with less contact, like tai chi.

l You don’t have to settle for the first class you try. Explore multiple ideas. In fact, you may become more rounded the more styles you try.

l Find a provider that you feel comfortable with. Most good classes will offer a free taster day or trial class and won’t insist on an upfront payment or purchasing a uniform in advance. A good class will sell itself and won’t need to insist on longterm commitments.

l Depending on your or your child’s age, you may be able to find a class that accepts kids and adults, so you can both train together and share the journey for some great family time. Finding a class that grows with your kids can be an excellent way to maintain their enthusiasm.

l Read reviews, whether on Google, Facebook or the school website. Your child’s school may be able to recommend a class or instructor. Or simply ask your social networks if they have any recommendations.

l If you have any concerns, perhaps about a nervous child or those with additional needs, visit or speak with an instructor before you start. A great tutor will be only too happy to talk with you about your personal circumstances and how they can accommodate most individual needs.

l For cautious children, a great way to join a new class is to go with a friend or relative. Some schools will even offer discounts on your tuition for introducing new members. Instructors may also be able to suggest quieter classes for first-timers.

l And finally, have fun. Martial arts are a life skill that gives so much while demanding so little. They can be incredibly rewarding and a truly great way to look after your mental and physical health and wellbeing.

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Fishing for soul

Returning to childhood memories can be beautiful, and unexpectedly enlightening too.

By Lou Andrews

There’s something about the sea that I find overwhelming. The unpredictable nature of the beautiful beast gets me every time. It can lap you in gently and allow you to bask in all its glory, but with the same breath, suck you in and never let you go. As I stand here looking at the magnetising backdrop of the Cornish coastline, I find myself completely chilled out. I’m visiting with my best friend and her family, and tonight I have come night-fishing with the boys. It’s about 8pm and they are setting up their rods while I’m taking it all in with a cold drink.

I haven’t been fishing for many years, but as a child I spent much of my time in and out of the sea with my dad. We had a chalet on the beach at Whitstable and he was a keen fisherman, so I grew up with it…maggots in tins, sandy sandwiches and the best times with my old man. He passed away when I was eight, but those times are still very vividly embedded in my mind. As I stand here today, there is a large part of me that feels close to him and a part of me that will always belong to the sea.

Away from the world

Whipsiderry beach is a real hidden gem in Newquay. It’s sheltered from the world by massive cliffs (there are signs around warning of falling rocks, which I’m choosing to park in the back of my mind while I am down here…no room for worry tonight!).

and I’m not sure why that is. This experience is so consumingly calming – in fact it’s a little overwhelming – that I think more people should give it a try. That’s what hobbies are about: just trying things. You never know if you’ll like something until you give it a go.

The thrill of the chase (not the catch)

There’s the thrill of the chase too…am I going to catch anything, big or small? At this point I’m not too fussed which! After a while the sun begins to retreat and it’s a stunning view: an intense glowing pink ball heading home behind the backdrop of the blue sea. It’s a perfect blend of colours. The tide is also beginning to retreat, so the rock pools and caves are now accessible. We head off to explore.

TThere is a large part of me that feels close to my dad and a part of me that will always belong to the sea

The only downside is the mammoth set of stairs you must conquer to get down to the sea, but the views on the way down are well worth it and so is the beach. It’s littered with rock pools and caves which can be explored when the tide goes out.

I take a few more sips of my drink and realise that the boys are casting off already, so I make my way down to the seashore. Andy tells me that he’s using a spinning rod – essentially you cast off and then reel it straight back in. After a few casts he turns and passes the rod to me and says, “Here, you try!” He shows me what to do and it’s pretty straightforward, so off I go. After the first cast I’m already loving it. Andy begins to tell me how expensive the line and reel are…I have visions of letting go of the rod on the next cast and throwing the whole darn thing into the sea – or reeling in and hooking Calum by the mouth and taking him down with me. Andy isn’t bothered, and in fact he leaves me so he can go off and chat.

I’m holding onto the rod so tight it’s like a whiteknuckle ride. As I cast off again, I look out at the sea, and I’m reminded how small we are in such an amazing world. It’s full of wonder – and yet so many of us never get the time to stop and look at it. It suddenly dawns on me, too, that you don’t see many women fishing

It grows dark, but the torch on my phone shows that the rock pools are littered with life. There are decent-sized shrimps, and you can see their eyes glowing in the dark as they dart around. Crabs are scurrying under rocks to avoid being caught. The boys have spotted a fair-sized one that has positioned itself under an overhanging rock in one of the pools and they are trying to coax it out. Suddenly, I find myself rolling up one of my trouser legs and I’m down on the mud swooping for it.

I hear my dad whispering in my ear, “Go for the rear, Lou, so it can’t get your fingers with its claws.” I’m transported back to being a child again, all full of hope with him at my side. It’s then I realise that the things we are taught stay with us, and that even if those who taught us are no longer here, a part of them always will be. With that I swoop in, and boom… I have the crab! I can’t tell you how proud I feel in that moment – I mean, it’s just a crab, but it’s also so much more than that. I put the little fella back in the pool and then I hear Andy shout, “Starfish!” I’m so excited I forget I’m stupidly wearing my canvas trainers, and a second later one of my feet is fully submerged in a rock pool (I’m such a novice!). The boys are laughing as I squelch my way over, but I’ve got to say I don’t care.

Around midnight, we head back to the beach to pack up. When we leave the shore behind, I feel enlightened in so many ways. Great conversations, new lessons learned and all under a wonderful backdrop provided by nature. We caught nothing, but we landed one hell of a life experience and one that I will never forget.

l Reframe is a new, free, digital magazine that looks at frame of mind differently. You can read the latest issue at reframelife.co.uk