HillsNews Autumn Newsletter
@HillsRoadNews
December 2018
Wellbeing Days in November Helen Clarke from the Summerhouse Studio held a ‘Painting Escape’ workshop for students. Helen talked to students about the benefits of painting and gave them tips and advice on how to paint a variety of mediums including winter berries and seed heads such as poppies, teazels and hogweed. She showed them a variety of techniques and also encouraged them to simply use their imagination - the session was for students to use as they wished by having fun playing with colour.
Helen Clarke with students at the Painting Escape workshop
Anila and Bernie (with her dog Stan) from Cambridgeshire Child and Adolescent Substance Use Service (CASUS), the drug and alcohol service working with young people in Cambridgeshire, came to talk to students about substances and the effects they have on the body and brain, the conseuqences of taking them, and the laws around drugs. Anila and Bernie were able to offer advice to students on the many ways they can keep themselves safe and make better decisions about drug and alcohol use.
Anila and Bernie from CASUS talking to students
Dave talking to students about Men of Oar
How do you row across an ocean? Why would you do it? What does it have to do with bowel cancer and mental health? Students were able to find out the answers to these questions from the crew of Men of Oar, who, on 11th December 2018, will be starting a 3,000 mile row across the Atlantic. Dave told students about his friend Robin, 31, who was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer in 2016. Fortunately, with surgery and chemotherapy treatment has been prevented from spreading. Following his successful treatment, Army soldier Robin told Dave of his desire to undertake an adventure to celebrate surviving
cancer while also helping people who have the disease in the future. Dave and two other friends, Sam and Will, wanted to help him do something life-changing whilst attempting to raise £250,000 for Bowel Cancer UK and Combat Stress, a charity that supports service people in the Armed Forces who experience posttraumatic stress disorder. The four man crew therefore set about making this happen by raising the £80,000 needed to fund a boat and what they will need to survive in order to take part in an annual race to row non-stop across the Atlantic. We wish them well!
Goalball is a fast paced Paralympic sport played by blind and low vision individuals. Teams consist of three players all wearing a blindfold. In this session students were taught how to pass the ball, defend and finally play a game by Nick Burr and Amber his guide dog from CamSight, a local organisation who support people of all ages living with low vision and blindness to lead the lives they choose. Nick Burr from Camsight instructing students on how to play Goalball