Every child should have a bit of adventure in their lives
Hostelling Scotland is opening its doors to children and families who might not normally be able to experience a trip away, writes Fiona Russell
Arriving at a trampoline park in Inverness, a group of 10 and 11-year-old children buzz with excitement.
Yet this is no ordinary outing, for the pupils from a primary school in East Ayrshire have planned it all themselves.
No one has told them where to go or how to get there. In fact, the youngsters have never been to Scotland’s most northerly city before.
One child sums it up for all the others when he remarks with unbridled surprise: “We have actually made it.”
This is one of many heartwarming episodes in a twonight trip taken by 22 children from Muirkirk Primary School to Inverness Youth Hostel, supported by Hostelling Scotland’s Explorer Fund.
The innovative programme aims to encourage school and youth groups from deprived areas of Scotland to organise residential breaks.
Lois Marshall is Hostelling Scotland’s Youth and Volunteer Engagement Manager, a post that was created two years ago to boost the numbers and range of people accessing the charity’s youth initiatives.
Explaining the aim of the Hostelling Scotland Explorer Fund, Lois, 35, of Glasgow, says: “The fund, launched in 2018, provides funded residential trips for disadvantaged young people aged eight to 25, to stay at one of our youth hostels for up to three nights at a time.
“They can choose where to stay, whether a rural or urban hostel, and are encouraged to plan their own trip away, such as organising and arranging activities, meals, excursions, games and more.
“We will also provide information about local activities, as well as information on things to consider.”
The youth hostel experience is frequently a young person’s first time spending a night away from home.
Lois says: “Many of the young people will have rarely had the opportunity to travel, even out of their local area, and most have never stayed a night away from their parents, let alone two or three.
“These residential breaks are an amazing experience for the young people.”
Research by campaign group Learning Away shows the benefits of residential learning experiences. The group is a driving force of a Uk-wide consortium of 18 organisations, including Hostelling Scotland, that aims to make “high quality residentials a reality for every child”.
Kim Somerville, the chief executive officer of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, says: “Our research shows clearly that residentials provide opportunities and advantages that cannot be achieved in any other educational context or setting for children and young people of all ages, improving their resilience, achievement, relationships and engagement with learning.”
Natalie White, an Outdoor Learning and Development Leader with East Ayrshire Council has observed many of the benefits first-hand while playing a supporting role in the Muirkirk school residential.
She says: “These children come from one of the most deprived areas in our region and without the Explorer Fund they would not have been able to make the trip to Inverness Youth Hostel.
“The children were very involved in the planning, ordering food, booking transport and arranging the excursions.
“They learned so much, including basic life skills, communication and team work. It was great to see their confidence grow and to believe in themselves to make things happen, such as the trip to the trampoline activity.”
To date, the Explorer Fund has supported more than 50 youth and school groups to have residential breaks (and continues on from the Give Us a Break fund which Hostelling Scotland ran for over 10 years).
This year, funding has been widened by Hostelling Scotland to include younger children.
A Mini Explorers Fund was piloted last year, and in 2019 it is supporting three further groups to get away working with both Early Years Centres and charities, which support parents.
Lois said: “The Mini Explorers Fund supports Early Years outdoor learning residentials and is aimed at disadvantaged nursery aged children and their families or carers.
“Five families from Woodburn Nursery in Falkirk along with the Nursery leaders took part in the pilot enjoying a two-night stay at our Rowardennan Youth Hostel on the shores of Loch Lomond.
“They managed to fit in a boat trip on the loch, a hike, singsongs around the campfire, seeing bats in the dark, toasting marshmallows, paddling in the loch’s waters and a forest walk. It was all rounded off with tasty meals, board games and a sleepover for two nights in the youth hostel.”
There are benefits for the young children, as well as other members of the family.
Lois says: “Woodburn Nursery staff had found that the majority of the children attending did not usually access the outdoors with their families, due to a range of barriers.
“Through the trip they aimed to create a programme of activities to help the children and families experience the outdoors together – and to show them the fantastic fun and benefits that this can offer.
“The trip also built on the relationships between the nursery staff and parents and guardians, so that they would be keen to take part in future outdoor learning sessions planned by the nursery.”
For the young children, the residential offered first experiences and created great memories.
Lois says: “After the trip, they talked excitedly about the boat trip, the walks, the campfire and where they stayed. One child saw sheep for the first time.
“For the parents, the impact was amazing. It gave them fun times away with their children
“After the trip, they talked excitedly about the boat trip, the walks, the campfire and wheretheystayed.one child saw sheep for the first time”