Education

Youth Adventure Trust celebrates 30 years of helping school children

Above: The Trust has provided life-changing experiences to school children across Wiltshire, including many in the Salisbury area Below right: Tim Fitzhigham, the first and only person to row the English Channel in a bathtub

SWINDON and Wiltshire-based charity, the Youth Adventure Trust, is kicking off its 30th anniversary celebrations on Friday, 25th November with its inaugural Adventure Dinner.

The evening promises to be ‘no ordinary charity dinner’, bringing the outdoors indoors to both highlight the importance of the Trust’s work and inspire guests to find their own adventurous side with an after-dinner talk by Tim Fitzhigham, the first and only person to row the English Channel in a bathtub.

Tim is a record-breaking adventurer and a friend of the Youth Adventure Trust. He brings humour, humility and a true sense of adventure to the evening.

Mark Davey, CEO of the Youth Adventure Trust, said: “Tim’s tales of crossing the English Channel in a bathtub are the epitome of everything the charity stands for – resilience, facing adversity, stepping out of your comfort zone and realising that you can

Letters

Support for Spitfire location change

Below is a response to the letter published in the last issue from David Willoughby regarding the location and position of the Spitfire on Castle Street, Salisbury:

“Yes! As a teenager working on Spitfires during the war. I would like to see it moved to a better location.”

Stan Gordon, aged 95

achieve more than you think you can. I’m continuously inspired by the young people we work with and am looking forward to celebrating their achievements over the past 30 years.”

As well as hearing from Tim, guests will also hear a first-hand account about the charity’s work from a young person who has recently completed its mentoring scheme. The event will live up to the charity’s adventurous name, designed to showcase how outdoor adventure combined with one-to-one support has been lifechanging for almost 2,000 vulnerable young people from Swindon and Wiltshire over the past 30 years, including many in the Salisbury area. In that time, the Youth Adventure Trust has facilitated over 428,000 hours of participation in outdoor activities – the equivalent of 39 hours every day for 30 years.

Young people in our communities need these invaluable opportunities to get outside, build resilience, develop confidence and ‘be children’ more than ever before.

Becky, a current Youth Adventure Programme participant, said: “My ongoing aim is that I carry on doing adventurous stuff and always believe that I can do it. A memory that I’m taking away with me is that I’ve met new people and done stuff I’ve never done before and now believe in myself.”

Tables of 10 cost £700 or individual tickets can be purchased at £75 each. Tickets include a drinks reception with canapes, a two-course meal with wine on the table, after-dinner speaker, campfire hot chocolates and marshmallow toasting, an adventure auction with some amazing prizes up for grabs, as well as some fun adventurous activities to keep everyone entertained through the evening.

All funds raised on the night will help the charity continue to run the Youth Adventure Programme and its Mentoring Scheme. For further information or to book tickets please visit www. youthadventuretrust.org.uk/adventure-dinner or contact Natalie Levin on natalie.levin@youthadventuretrust.org.uk or call 07944 666412