#ICan Youth Camp 2019

#ICan #YouCan #WeCan young people’s camps have been part of a collaboration between LimbPower, Steps and the Limbless Association. All three charities saw the need to support young people and their families on their rehabilitation journey and we have been working together since 2017 to provide activities, including the #ICan Camps.

Children and young people with limb loss and limb difference face many barriers in life and can struggle with key transitions such as starting a new school or leaving school, and moving into higher education or employment. The Limbless Association, LimbPower and Steps are able to deliver adventure/activity camps for children and young people with an amputation or limb difference to aid their physical, social and psychological well-being. There is a focus on building resilience, confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy with the objective of reducing isolation through making friends and establishing their own relationships with the healthcare professionals who support them through their lifelong rehabilitation. 

Longtown Outdoor Education Centre worked closely with us to adapt of of the activities to suit all the young participants. These participants were encouraged to invite a friend or a sibling to join them for the camp, to offer a fully inclusive experience. Everyone was able to enjoy climbing, paddle boarding and canoeing.  

Three adults joined the group along with the fantastic team at Longtown Outdoor Education Centre including Chris Parsons who was the resident prosthetist for the weekend. Luckily his skills as a prosthetist were not needed and his extensive workshop that had squeezed into the boot of his car stayed just there.  

Chris has worked for many years in the field of prosthetics and was keen to share the weekend with us. 

” Having been in a position to shuffle my life about; I answered a late call put out by LimbPower for a prosthetist to attend this year’s #ICan teen weekend camp at Longtown Outdoor Education Centre; I can honestly say that I had a wonderful, inspiring weekend.

Hosted by the energetic Carly, LimbPower’s own children and families prosthetic coordinator who was accompanied by her two sons, one as a participant and one as a volunteer helper.

Friday evening was a meet and greet session where everyone got to know a little bit about each other. This set the scene for a weekend of football, friendships, food and frolics on the paddleboards, the climbing wall and Canadian canoes. All activities are supervised by fully-trained centre staff and are designed to build confidence and trust in yourself and others, by carefully nudging you towards the edge of your comfort zone. 

All participants are encouraged to bring along a friend or relative for support, so next year why not sign you and your bestie up for a weekend of thrills, spills and chills?

Everyone had a great time and we are already getting requests to join us next year. Parents and children have been giving equally positive feedback on the weekend. 

“Our son went on the #ICan Teen Camp on his 14th birthday, a shy and quirky teenager and had a wonderful time. I collected him in the Herefordshire sunshine on the Sunday with his friend and they talked about the camp all the way home and stopped complaining about the lack of the wifi very soon. A couple of days later I found my son confidently talking to an adult in the cinema and he said that he really felt he had turned a corner with his confidence after the?camp. Thank you so much to all the charities involved for facilitating this. 

Parent

“The #ICan Teen Camp was great fun, I really liked that I could bring a friend with me. I really enjoyed canoeing and I want to go back next year. Also, the beds were really comfy!” 

Teen

#ICan Family Camp 

September will see the #ICan Family Camp launching for our younger members of the community and of course Mum, Dad and siblings can come too. Get your wellies out and contact carly@liimbpower.com for more details. This is one not to miss, for all the family, offering interactive workshops, support and information. A chance to speak with prosthetists, physiotherapists and other professionals, and of course lots of fun family time. 

Adventure/Activity Camps for children and young people with limb difference to aid their physical, social and psychological well-being, with a focus on building resilience, confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy, with the objective of reducing isolation through making friends and establishing their own relationships with the healthcare professionals who support them through their lifelong rehabilitation.

Contact Carly Bauert at carly@limbpower.com for more information