Page 32 - link magazine

32 The Link Magazine • October 2001
Youth to put skills into the community Girls join in with the lads
Young people now have the chance to contribute to the good of their Three girls have decided its more fun learning with the lads and have
community with the launch of West Swindon Millennium Volun- been accepted into 1st Westlea Scouts, the first to join in the North
teers on 7 September. Wiltshire district.
Aimed at 16 to 25 year olds, the unteering develops life skills that
project funded by the Department could appear on a CV alongside
for Education and Skills and based school or college qualifications.
at Freshbrook community centre, This is a chance for people to do
will involve volunteers in a wide things in their own community,
range of activities such as sports work with people they know from
coaching, helping at clubs for eld- their neighbourhood and get sup-
erly people, youth club discos and port. It's going to be fun as well."
environmental projects. Tracey will be at Freshbrook
Project organiser Tracey Community Centre on most
McKeddie is keen to meet any Wednesdays 6pm to 8pm to meet
young people interested in offer- people who want to find out more.
ing their time and energies. "Vol- Or call her on 07876 451140.
Tracey, centre, with Terry Isles of the Freshbrook Village Group
and volunteer Claire Smyth

Zinnia and Amanda get ready for camp with members of Westlea Scouts
Amanda Robinson, Zinnia interesting activities and get in-
Haimes and Katie Weatherspoon volved with all the games, but it
joined last January and have got was scary to be inducted by torch
stuck in straight away with a youth light in a haunted youth hostel."
hostelling weekend in February, Scout leader Shaun Dunham
camp craft activities including gut- said that although the Scout Asso-
ting and skinning a rabbit, and a ciation had accept girls for five
summer camp at the end of July. years, the group had not adver-
"It's great fun," said Amanda. tised for them as there were Guide
"My brother is in the Scouts and he groups in the area. "The girls ap-
was always going away and hav- proached us and we did not want
ing fun; so me and Zinnia asked if to disappoint them. They've be-
we could join. It's much better than come excellent scouters.
staying in and watching TV. The 1st Westlea Scouts meet on Tues-
boys are helpful and show us what day, 7pm to 9pm at the Upper Shaw
to do." Farm Centre, Ridge Green. There
Zinnia said she had always been is a waiting list, but to join, call
a tomboy and looks forward to Darren Cooper on 695447 or Shaun
Scout evenings. "We do a lot of Dunham on 874867.

Big A moves into a mobile

Children who attend the Big A after school club at Oliver Tomkins
junior school now have a permanent base for their activties in an
unused mobile classroom.
Acting headteacher Elizabeth Wood said the club is an excellent
resource for working parents and the school governors were keen to
THE improve facilities for them. "The school had a mobile classroom full of
teaching resources which were underused because it meant finding the
key and crossing the playground. At the same time the Big A could not
_/BIGU© have big equipment out, because they were using a classroom in the
e Big Adventure Club main building, and had to put everything away each evening. It seemed
a good idea to let them have a permanent place to meet."
Big Adventure manager Tracey Bailey said the twenty children who
After School Child Care attend the club love
having a home to meet • '^" •' "" T
Y
School Holiday Child Care in "They are very set / i ,
tled knowing that all the
play materials and 4 a" N
Providing after school care for the following equipment is in a single '' 4
West Swindon Schools: place. The building is ""
right next to the play-
Tregoze Primary, Brook Field Primary, ground so they can go
Saltway Primary, Oliver Tomkins Infants & Juniors, in and out as they
please.
Peatmoor Primary, Freshbrook Primary,
"We're really thank-
Windmill Hill Primary, Shaw Ridge Primary. ful to the school for let- — ^r
ting us use the mobile."
Telephone: 875992 Big A children with Mrs
Wood, rear left, supervi-
sor Melanie Robson,
Tracey Bailey, right