More than 100 disabled children get a taste for the high life at BF Adventure

Oct. 28, 2011 - PRLog -- More than 100 Cornish children with disabilities have experienced exciting activities like canoeing and abseiling for free at BF Adventure.

The young people were on fully-funded short breaks at the centre paid for by Cornwall Council Disabled Children Short Break Services, formally under Aiming High.

The chance to take part in adrenaline-fuelled adventure days helped to build their confidence, try something new and even make new friends.

BF Adventure has been able to offer the breaks after a £70,000 grant, awarded through capital funds from Cornwall Council Disabled Children Short Break Services, paid for outdoor activity equipment for young people with disabilities.

And since July more than 100 children aged seven to 18 have been able to take part in the fully funded multi-activity days which are on offer during school holidays and on weekends.

Alanna, who is ten and has Autism was terrified of water before she visited BF Adventure.

Programme Manager for Short Breaks Samantha Quinn said: “Alanna’s mum asked if we could perhaps take her for a walk and show her our canoe quarry.

“By the end of the day she had spent an hour canoeing and is planning to come back and go for a swim!”

The shorts breaks are tailor made to each child's abilities and needs and offer the chance to try out exciting challenges like abseiling, canoeing, archery and bush craft or to explore BF Adventure's new sensory trail.
Samantha Quinn said: “The activity days help the children taking part to push their boundaries and gain more confidence.

“We are so pleased about all the great success stories that we have seen."

“We can’t count the number of thank you notes we have received including a lovely card from Grace (16) who is visually impaired and visited us with her family, spending the day braving the zip wire, popping balloons on the archery targets and kayaking.”

Cornwall Council continues its commitment to supporting disabled children and their families by Aiming Higher by continuing to invest in short break services.

For more information visit http://www.bfadventure.org

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Media contact:
Britta Hoffmann
01326 340912, britta@bfadventure.org

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BF Adventure is an outdoor activity centre and a charity working with disadvantaged young people and children, people with disabilities, unemployed adults and also offers school programmes, private parties and corporate team building days.