SFIO and Club 10 Blog

Club 10 - Christmas Cinema Trip 17th December 2019

With some family members absent, we want everyone to feel they have a full support network around them to make the festive period as enjoyable as possible. For December 2019’s Christmas Club 10 we had a very special trip to Tony Macaroni and The Vue cinema to see the Christmas movie of the year - Frozen 2!

There was a lot of excitement as everyone took their seats and placed their orders from a menu of delicious dishes at Tony Macaroni. Things soon quietened down when the food arrived and everyone tucked in. As we began to finish up we had a special visitor - SANTA!! Even the older participants (who obviously like to play it cool 99% of the time) let out a squeal of excitement!

Santa made his delivery of gifts and then went of to continue spreading festive cheer as we packed up to have a stroll through the Christmas Market before heading to the cinema.

With a small homemade pick and mix for dessert everyone settled in for the movie - which was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

A lovely end to a busy year for the Club 10 group - we look forward to what 2020 will bring!

Club 10 - Tubing 26th November 2019

Another hugely popular activity from 2018 (which has been requested again regularly!) was tubing! So in November. as the winter nights were back, we returned to Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports.

The weather was a bit drizzly, but this didn’t stop participation and maybe even gave us a bit of extra speed as we went down the hill!

Those who had been nervous of trying out the tubing last time were brave enough to go for it this time, and after one go there was no stopping them.

To warm up afterwards, we sheltered from the rain in the cosy summer hut for a treat of hot chocolate, cream and marshmallows! Some of the group also started making crafty Christmas decorations for their trees and houses.

For next months Club 10 we’ve got a special trip planned for Christmas!

Club 10 - Codona’s 22nd October 2019

After such a successful trip in 2018, we decided that a return trip to Codona’s was definitely on the cards for the October holidays this year!

We started the day off with some wee packed lunches to make sure everyone had plenty of energy or going round the amusements. There had been some renovations from our last visit which meant lots of new attractions to try!

The firm favourite of the day (for the younger members of the group) was by far the waltzers - how they kept their lunches down we’re still not sure! The roller coaster, pirate ship and crazy golf were also very popular.

The absence of the water flumes did not mean safety from a soaking, as the new Scallywags Bumper Boats allowed for everyone’s competitive side to come out, whether on a boat or with a super soaker on dry land!

After the days excitement, we finished off with some pizza to fill everyone’s tummy’s for their journey home.

As always, a huge thanks to Central Coaches for their continued support of the programme and ensuring our families can get to the Club 10 sessions.

Club 10 – Games Night 24th September 2019

On a cold and drizzly night in September, what better way to warm up than toasting giant marshmallows over a campfire! We had great fun watching the marshmallows change colour and become lovely and gooey. The best part – eating them!

Following on from toasting marshmallows, we played a mixture of games. There were some for those who wanted to be active and run around, and others that were more challenging on the mind!

This was the first Club 10 for the new Families Outside Regional Family Support Coordinator Jen, who got to meet those in the group who were able to attend and hear all about some of the activities we’ve done previously.

The favourite of the evening was definitely a human version of Hungry Hippos. The aim of the game – to balance on the skateboard and catch as many balls as possible with your ‘Hippo mouth’.

As always a massive thank to the organisations who support Club 10, including RGU for access to their wonderful facilities!

Club 10 – Allotment and Hockey Tuesday 27th August 2019

August brought us another sunny day for Club 10, which was fortunate as we were heading back to the Garthdee Allotments! With the help of Garthdee Field Allotment Association volunteer Stuart, we unearthed all vegetables we planted in April. 

We were very fortunate to have had the help of the Allotment volunteers to keep a eye on our goods we’d planted, and what a brilliant harvest we had! From chunky carrots to pink potatoes, we had plenty of veg for soup and stew making and everyone was given some recipe cards to provide some inspiration.

After a short walk back to RGU Sport and wee break for a drink and snack, everyone was ready to try out Hockey! For many this was their first time trying out this sport so we started with learning how to hold and use a hockey stick, then passing and dribbling with tennis balls. Goals were soon being scored and we even had a willing volunteer who wanted to try being goalie! 

Thank you to the Garthdee Field Allotment Association for their time, help and space to plant!

Club 10 – Summer Family BBQ Tuesday 30th July 2019

For our summer holiday Club 10 we had a family BBQ & sports day – and oh were we lucky with the weather! 30 of our Stronger Families Inside Out group joined us in the sunshine for an afternoon of food, fun and fresh air.

The old school races started the day off  – egg and spoon, three-legged and sack race! All of the activities during the day resulted in tokens for the participants to save up and at the end they were able to add them all up and put them towards prizes!

After the first few races the BBQ was ready to be served (all thanks to the wonderful Muriel at the Aberlour Centre who’s food was brilliant!). We had a feast of burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches and homemade coleslaw with clean plates all round! Everyone still had room for their ice lollies as pudding though, but they’re a necessity on a warm summers day!

To let all the food in our tummys settle, the activity after lunch was a game of beat the goalie! One of our participants Layton nominated himself as goalkeeper, and what a birlliant job he did! It certainly wasn’t easy to get the ball past him.

Our final races of the day were relay races with some twists, the favourite being rolling a tire to your team mates! We also had some fishing for ducks and tin can alley to get in some final extra tokens.   

It was lovely to have an afternoon outside enjoying the sun, with everyone able to have a catch up before heading back to school. Thank you to Central Coaches as always for their support in getting the families to and from the sessions and to the Action for Children Peterhead Family Centre and Help Hub staff and volunteers for their support on the day.

Club 10 – Tennis Monday 24th June 2019

To coincide with Wimbledon starting on 1st July, June’s Club 10 activity was Tennis! We started the night off with a hot drink and a snack to have a catch up – with Connor and Pyper getting to share their experiences from London (see our previous post for more information!). 

To get the hang of using the racket, we began the tennis session with some drills and races – which definitely showed who the competitive ones in our group are! Some the younger participants started with a bean bag or balloon instead of a tennis ball to help them familairise with the movement and coordination of striking and being able to hold a rally.     

After tennis we gathered for a well deserved snack of strawberries – in keeping with the theme of the evening of course! We also had marshmallows and some melted chocolate to give tophat making a go which went down a treat.

Next month we’re running a special event for the summer holidays – more details to be posted soon!  

Children’s Voice Conference – London 14th June 2019

On Friday 14th June 2019, young people from across the UK travelled to London to be involved in ‘Our time to be heard’, a conference led by children affected by parental imprisonment. The children involved were all connected to organisations that support children who have a family member in prison (Families Outside, Vox Liminis Kin project, My Time, Children Heard and Seen and Nepacs). The conference was held in the prestigious Churchill Rooms in Westminster – a treat for all involved to be fortunate enough to see inside! Present on the day were journalisits, academics, policy officials, MPs and Peers.      

Two of the young people invovled in our Stronger Families Inside Out Programme – Pyper and Conner – made the journey with staff Lindsay and Kiana to London. The first experience of the trip was the sleeper train (excitement made it difficult to get much sleeping done!). On arrival to London we met with other young people from Edinburgh and Glasgow who had also made the journey down and started our day with a walk to Buckingham Palace, through Regents Park and to 10 Downing Street to squeeze in some sightseeing before heading to Westminster.

The day started with Keynote speeches from children who shared firsthand their own experiences of having a family member close to them imprisoned: 

“Everything was not the same. My routine changed. My school changed. All I wanted was to see her and to know that she’s ok. I had to mature before I even knew how to.”      

My Time Project Participant

“My mum went to court and she told me he got 4 years … I had to grow up really fast. I had to get a job really quickly.“

“Sometimes people say ‘You’re better off’ well that’s not for other people to decide.“

The afternoon session saw a panel of young people discuss their views on prison visits. This demonstrated clear differences between the ways in which visits are run in prisons across the country, with some speaking favourably and others less so:  

“My first visit was uncomfortable and intimidating when I got searched . The guards were very strict in their tone and grumpy when they told me what to do.“

“A prison officer made the visits so welcoming and fun that my brother thought he was just having a normal day with his Dad”

“School said my wee sisters couldn’t go to the visits because they were on Friday mornings.”

“Family days were much better – more fun and less scary and intimidating. Dad could walk around and play with us. There was a much happier atmosphere. They made me feel more like a family again.”

Finishing this segment of the day was an interview with a Prison Governer – where the children were given the opportunity to grill him with any questions they have regarding the prison system. He coped well with the quick fire questions! 

Individuals from the media were also present on the day to discuss ways in which media outlets report incidents, the details they print and the issues this can cause.    

“That’s my home where I live. I should be able to feel safe and content. Why did the address need to be published in the paper to make income for the paper?”

The day concluded with the 7 calls to action that the children and young people created:           

1. There should be a policy where any offenders who have a child under 18 yrs should not have their name or home address printed in the press to protect the children and family from community backlash 

2. In all prison visits, children and families should be given at least a 10 minute warning that their visit is coming to an end so that they can say a goodbye that is not in a rush

3. All children with a parent in prison should be entitled to family day visits and these should not be held back to punish an offender.

4. More consideration should be given to the needs of children when a parent is arrested.

5. Children with a parent in prison should be eligible for pupil premium money at school. We are disadvantaged and should be supported as other disadvantaged children are.

6. If children of prisoners were priorities in the same way that looked after children are for school admission it would not only help us with our education but give our families a real reason to disclose we have a parent in prison to gain the support. At the moment a disclosure equates to little or nothing and at worse unwanted judgment.

7. More funding should be provided so that all children affected by parental imprisonment can access a specialised support group in their local area to reduce their sense of isolation and increase their coping strategies. We should not be ‘tagged on’ to wider support services – our needs are very specific   

Before returning to the station for our train journey home, we had time to do a wee bit more sightseeing in the form of a boat ride down the River Thames. We were fortunate that the sun shone and we got some great views of some of London’s most famous landmarks!   

Club 10 – Transition Extreme Climbing and Skateboarding 28th May 2019

We were fortunate enough to return to Transition Extreme in May to try not one, but two activities! When we arrived we separated into two groups so we all got to try both skateboarding and the climbing wall (parents included if they wished!).

Some participants in the group were hesitant to try the activities, but once they were kitted up in the safety gear it was very impressive to see everyone going outside their comfort zone and, for many in the group, trying something new!

The first task when skateboarding was to learn how to propel the board forward – whilst managing to stay balanced! Those who were more confident were able to try some more skills, including using the ramps and doing some ollies!

Through in the climbing wall the group started by familiarising themselves with a smaller version of their (much) larger climbing walls. 

The group had a brilliant time – thanks to all at Transition Extreme who helped make it such a successful trip!

Club 10 – Allotment and Easter Egg Hunt 30th April 2019

April’s Club 10 was time to return to our local allotment to replant our raised bed! It was almost 8 months since our previous visit to harvest our goods and the perfect time to plant more. Members of the group who had missed our previous visits or who have since joined were able to be shown around by those who had been before.

We started the session off with a small game of football to get warmed up and ready to dig and prepare the soil! Once the bed was ready, we began planting a variety of root vegetables, salad leaves and herbs.   

It was great to see some of the older participants taking the time to help and assist the younger ones. We look forward to heading back to harvest all our goods later in the summer!

Once our bed was full of freshly planted vegetables and herbs, we walked back to RGU Sport for a change of activity! Rio from APEX Scotland joined us to provide advice to some of the group on employment, whilst the rest had some fun in the sports hall playing a variety of games!

Our final activity of the day was a giant Easter egg hunt – which was no easy task with Streetsport’s Hannah being the Easter bunny! There were lots of hiding places including tree trunks, in branches and under bridges but everyone managed to go home with some treasures. We were all so excited we forgot to get photos! 

Next month we’ll be making a return trip to Transition Extreme!

Easter Holiday Excursion – Innoflate 10th April 2019

We were fortunate enough in the Easter holidays to fit in a trip to Innoflate at Aberdeen’s Beach Boulevard, which is Scotland’s first inflatable theme park! Stepping inside was like a Tardis, the inflatable seemed to go on forever with numerous different sections to try.

The activities included giant slides, obstacle courses, basketball nets and a climbing wall to name a few! Hide and seek was a favourite game to play with so many areas to hide in.

We had some new members of the group join us and everyone mixed really well, the hour flew by and when it was time to come off the inflatable there was definitely persuasion required!

After jumping we headed upstairs for some food, which everyone was more than ready to tuck into after their hour of exertion. This gave the group a chance to sit down and have a catch up.

Our day finished off with a wee disco – even the individuals in the group who are more on the shy side joined in and showed off their dance moves – this was great to see and demonstrated how well Club 10 has helped everyone build new and strengthen existing friendships.

Thank you to Innoflate for their brilliant service and to Central Coaches for providing transport to families, allowing them to attend.

Club 10 – Badminton 26th March 2019

We were back to RGU Sport for March’s Club 10, this time for badminton! We started the evening with some fun – a big game of Stuck in the Mud which had parents, coaches and volunteers all joining in!

Similar to February’s basketball session, everyone spent time familiarising themselves with the rackets and shuttlecocks. This initially took the form of an egg and spoon style race – trying to balance the shuttle on the racket but also trying to run as fast as possible!

After some more drills everyone took up position at the nets and practiced trying to keep the shuttle going back and forth. For the younger participants in the group we used balloons instead of shuttles – which caused great amusement! We also had a group of Occupational Therapy students helping on the evening who were great at getting everyone in the group involved.

The evening was finished off with some spring crafts, where some beautiful rainbows and spring bunnies were made using cotton wool and colourful card.

Club 10 – Basketball 26th February 2019

At February’s Club 10 we were very lucky to have the RGU Basketball team join us and deliver a session at RGU Sport.

The session started with a warm up and drills, giving the group the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the ball and some essential skills. It was great to see everyone making the most of the opportunity and taking in the tips the basketball team were giving them.

After completing some drills and basket challenges (which brought out everyones competitive sides!) there was time to perfect the art of scoring baskets! It was great to see the older participants in the group helping those who are younger.

A highlight towards the end of the session was the basketball team showing off their skills, such as spinning the ball on one finger!

After basketball everyone sat down for a ‘Conversation Café’ with Tracey from Families Outside. Families provided their feedback and opinions on what they thought a ‘good’ group was and provided examples of such whilst having a cuppa and snack. This was a good way for us to hear some thoughts on Club 10.

Thank you as always to RGU for their continued support.

Club 10 – CFINE Cooking Class 29th January 2018

Following on from our successful visit to the Garthdee Allotments twice last year (you can read about these visits in our earlier posts!), the Club 10 group visited the Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE) Kitchen in January to learn how to use some of the ingredients they had grown and harvested last year.

Sean from CFINE looked out some brilliant recipes for us to use that were simple but tasty. First up was a Soda Bread, which was to go with a delicious Lentil Soup. After curdling some milk with vinegar (which wasn’t very appealing to start with!) the rest of the ingredients were added and mixed to make a ball of dough, which went into the oven to cook.

The soup bubbled away whilst the soda bread cooked in the oven, and our final recipe was a sweet treat in the form of rock cakes. Some chose to include the dried fruit…others chose to avoid it!

We all had our concentration faces on to chop the soup vegetables!

At the end of the evening the families had a chance to sit down and enjoy what they had made, and still had some left to go home with!

Thank you to CFINE for sharing their expertise and as always to Central Coaches Aberdeen for providing the families transport, enabling them to attend.

Club 10 - Christmas Movie Night 18th December 2018

December’s Club 10 saw the families meet for their final Club 10 of 2018 something a little less sporty but more in keeping with the season – a Christmas Movie Night!

Before the evening families were sent their ‘Movie Tickets’ to let them know when and where to meet. On arrival Santa and his Elf were waiting by the Christmas Tree to spread some festive cheer with gifts for everyone!

A large screen and theatre style set up were used to create a mini cinema so everyone had a seat that ensured no parts of the movie were missed. A choice of Christmas Movies was given and the classic Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas was chosen to be watched. Served along with the movie (and of course the popcorn, which can’t be forgotten on a movie night) were festive snacks including candy canes, snowballs and gingerbread men – yummy!

Our evening finished with everyone picking some old school games. Duck Duck Goose and Keeper of the Keys were the final run around for the evening to expel some of the stored up energy from sitting!

Thank you to Central Coaches Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University for their continued support of the programme.

Club 10 - Tubing 27th November 2018

As afternoons and evenings had gotten dark and the temperatures had begun to drop, a winter sport seemed appropriate for November’s Club 10.

Alex from the Aberdeen Snowsports Centre (and a member of RGU’s Snowsports Team) kindly ran a Tubing session for the families, which brought the whole group together (both adults and children!). Many of the group had never been tubing before and were nervous on their first go, but one run down the course and there was no stopping them!

The walk back up to the top of this hill after each go gave everyone rosy cheeks, and a sit down in the warm log cabin afterwards was definitely deserved!

Staff made sure there were cosy hot chocolates with cream and marshmallows waiting for everyone as they came in from the cold. This was followed by a Christmas Crafts session to make some decorations and cards in preparation for the festive period.

Thanks as always to Central Coaches Aberdeen for provision of transport and to the Aberdeen Snowsports Centre for their assistance and use of their brilliant facilities.

Club 10 - Codona’s 23rd October 2018

October’s Club 10 landed perfectly in the school holidays which gave us the opportunity to have an afternoon out at our local amusement park – Codonas!

Our meeting point for the day was Transition Extreme. Here all the families were provided with packed lunches which allowed everyone to have a catch up whilst they ate before our busy afternoon.

The log flume ride was a hit and even though the rain stayed off for our day out, jackets were still required to save everyone from getting soaked on this amusement!

Throughout the day the families wandered the park, jumping between attractions such as the Pirate Island, Grampian Eye and even some challenges on the dodgems. The younger participants of the group were certainly able to stomach the Waltzers numerous times more than the adults, they were definitely a favourite. The level of enjoyment can be seen in their big grins!

The 4D Frankenstein Ride proved too scary for some… once was enough for that experience!

The families all had a brilliant time and as always a big thanks is due to Central Coaches Aberdeen for providing transport for the families.

Club 10 - Scavenger Hunt 28th September 2018

September's Club 10 brought some visitors to see what sort of activities we get up to!

Tracey, who is one of Lindsay’s colleagues in Glasgow, travelled to join the group and find out more about the structure and benefits with the hope of starting a similar support group in Glasgow.

The activity this month was an outdoor scavenger hunt. Families were given a list of items and clues on how to find them, and worked together scouring RGU’s campus to collect as many as they could. On completion of the hunt, we returned inside to use some of our findings for arts and crafts (like leaf hedgehogs - as you can see in the picture!).

Club 10 - Allotment Revisit 30th August 2018

Our final CLUB10 of Summer 2018 was a return trip to the Garthdee Allotment to see all the flowers, vegetables and herbs we had planted in May – and luckily the sun was shining for us!

When everyone arrived we were all very surprised at how much had grown in our raised bed for us to harvest; we had Gladiolus, Rhubarb, Chard, Broccoli, Shallots, Parsley and a variety of other fruit and veg.

The allotment also kindly allowed us to help ourselves to their apple tree and potato crop, giving us more bags than we could carry! It was brilliant to see the delight on everyones faces as they were able to pick their fruit and veg straight from where it had grown.

With bags of apples to munch on, we walked to RGU Sport for some table tennis. This was a new sport for some but with help from the older participants the younger ones soon got the hang of it.

We’d like to say and big thank you to Stuart and Norman of the Garthdee Field Allotments Association for their time and assistance during our visits to the allotment, and also to all that took care of that was planted for such a super harvest!

A thank you also to RGU Sport for use of their facilities.

A Thank You to Central Coaches

Central Coaches have continued to provide support to the Stronger Families Inside Out programme through the provision of transport for families affected by imprisonment to CLUB10 sessions and our summer trips.

This has allowed families from all areas of Aberdeen city to attend sessions without the concern of money for transport, and further enabled participants to continue strengthening relationships and making memories together.

We are extremely grateful for this and thank them for their generosity.

Central Coaches Aberdeen – http://www.centralaberdeen.co.uk

Edinburgh Book Festival - 11th August 2018

Our second Summer trip was to Edinburgh on the the first day of the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. We were lucky to have gotten tickets for the ’25 Years of Horrible Histories’ show.

The creators of Horrible Histories, author Terry Deary and illustrator Martin Brown, spoke, sung and drew their way through their favourites parts of history in a fun and interactive show that included everything from the Eqyptians, to the Victorians and the Vikings.

After the show we were able to wander through Edinburgh and saw some of the Fringe Festival Street performers. We also managed to make time to go past the floral clock!

Our day finished with another piece of history with a walk up to Edinburgh Castle which was all set up for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

For most of the participants that attended this was their first time in Scotland’s capital city, and although it was busy due to the Festival everyone enjoyed the atmosphere and variety of activities going on.

Next up is the August Club 10 in just over 2 weeks time!

Club 10 - Athletics @ Aberdeen Sports Village 26th July 2018

July’s CLUB10 saw us attend Aberdeen Sports Village for an athletics session.

The evening was thoroughly enjoyable and everyone got the opportunity to try out some news skills!

We started on the indoor track for our warm-up and moved onto attempting a few high jumps. We started low, with a step up onto the matting, before the height of the jump slowly started increasing!

We then moved outside and things got technical; it definitely required skill when it came to throwing the javelin the furthest! The long jump into the sandpit required just as much concentration to stay upright when landing in the sand, and trying to beat the footprints of the person who had gone before.

Our athletics session was concluded with the only way it could have been, a 100m sprint! We maybe weren’t quite at Usain Bolt’s recording breaking speed, but it certainly got everyone (adults and children) huffing and puffing!

After a much needed refreshment break the families partook in some small races and skittles, simple but competitive!

Thank you to Aberdeen Sports Village for use of their facilities and provision of an athletics coach.

A return trip to the Garthdee Allotment in planned for August’s CLUB10 to check up on all the herbs, vegetables and flowers that were planted in May.

Summer Trip - Blair Drummond Safari Park 12th July 2018

Our first trip of the Summer Holidays was a day out to Blair Drummond Safari Park. We were really fortunate with the weather, it stayed very warm and dry!

Eight families attended and everyone was really excited to see all the animals. As we entered the park we were treated to close up view of a Rhino who came over to investigate the bus!

Whilst driving around the Safari Park, we gained an extra participant in the form of a monkey who decided to hitch a ride on the roof! He kept everyone entertained and we didn’t leave his enclosure until he was back safely on the ground with the rest of his friends.

After a picnic for lunch we all visited various parts of the park. There were lots of activities including the safari walk where the keepers spoke about the tiger, the flying fox where we could zip across the water, the pedal boats, the play fort and so much more!

Ice creams were a must have to cool everyone down after all the excitement of exploring the park.

Before boarding the bus for the journey home, everyone had a shot on the Astraglide to see if they could be the fastest down!

We are fortunate enough to have been able to plan a second trip later on in the summer holidays…more details to follow!

Club 10 - Cruyff Court Denis Law 28th June 2018

June’s ‘CLUB10’ took place at the Cruyff Court Denis Law on Catherine Street, just off George Street.

The Cruyff Court is an all-weather, multi-use community pitch that is free for everyone to access, and was the first one in Scotland!

We made the most of the scorching weather and had our full session outdoors, starting off with some football and tennis on the Cruyff pitch.

This was followed by the families getting arty and creating a large ‘CLUB10’ mural on the tarred area adjacent to the pitch, leaving our mark at the Cruyff!

We tried out a game of Quoits and also played ‘Pin the Cherry on the Ice Cream’, simple but fun! We finished off with a much needed water fight to cool down which everyone enjoyed, especially the children getting to soak their parents!

July’s CLUB10 is an exciting one at Aberdeen Sports Village…more information to follow!

There are free weekly Streetsport sessions on a Thursday evening at the Cruyff Court. See the link below for more information on our session times and locations:

http://www.denislawlegacytrust.org/locations/

Club 10 - Garthdee Allotment 31st May 2018

May’s Club 10 saw the families turn green fingered and try their hands at some gardening!

To make the most of the lighter nights, the families all met at the Garthdee Allotments.

Stuart from the Garthdee Field Allotments Association kindly took the time to educate the families on what could be planted in the raised bed, and how to do so. Everyone had a go at planting some herbs, vegetables and flowers.

To finish the evening we played some outdoor games, including giant Jenga, badminton and golf. The favourite game of the evening was a by far the most simple, a classic game of ‘What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?’

A return trip to the allotment will be planned to allow everyone to see the difference in what they planted, and hopefully get to take home some of the what’s grown!

New Team Members - Lisa and Kiana

2018 has seen lots of new faces at the Denis Law Legacy Trust, and more specifically for the Stronger Families Inside Out programme.

Lisa has joined the team as an AdHoc coach to help with the delivery of sport sessions at HMP & YOI Grampian, assisting the Streetsport Outreach Coordinator.

Lisa is a qualified Personal Trainer and has travelled the world playing football. She has a degree in Sports Management, which she completed in Virginia, USA.

Kiana has joined the team as the new Streetsport Outreach Coordinator, taking lead on the Stronger Families Inside Out programme.

Kiana has a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and has also worked for Police Scotland. She is based at HMP & YOI Grampian one day a week, coordinating with staff from Families Outside, Action for Children and the Scottish Prison Service to aid the programme and sessions run smoothly and provide variety and enjoyment each week.

Both Lisa and Kiana will also be at the CLUB10 sessions!

Club 10 - RGU Sport 26th April 2018

April’s ‘CLUB10’ took place at RGU Sport, with some games, crafts and sports all in one session!

The evening started with everyone tucking into some snacks and trying their hand at making some puppets, which the younger members of the group loved!

The older members of the group played ‘Heads Up’, an app that gets people guessing celebrity names, singing and doing silly accents to try and help the person opposite them guess the word that is on their head before the timer runs out.

Traffic Light cards were used for the children to express how they were feeling and this got them all chatting about how their days had been.

The latter half of the session was spent in the games hall, playing hockey, badminton and basketball – a complete mix!

May’s ‘CLUB10’ is in the works, with some outdoor activities planned for the summer months to make the most of the light nights and hopefully some nice weather!

Club 10 - Transition Extreme 29th March 2018

March’s ‘CLUB10’ saw the families return to Transition Extreme for another new challenge – rock climbing!

Progressing on from their bouldering at RGU Sport, the 3 families who attended all got kitted up and had the opportunity to see how high they could go!

Following climbing, everyone sat down to enjoy a cuppa and some Easter treats and have a go at some crafts, also Easter themed! Robert Gordon University Occupational Therapy students organised the crafts which was thoroughly enjoyed by the younger members of the families.

The evening was finished off by an Easter egg hunt, which got everyone running around again after concentrating on crafts; it’s amazing how competitive chocolate can make you!

Club 10 - Transition Extreme

Transition Extreme have been kind enough to grant our CLUB10 families affected by imprisonment in the north east use of their facilities for not one, but two events!

This has been arranged through the Partnership Pot funding scheme after we at Streetsport received the following message:

“We are delighted to invite you to apply to our brand new Partnership Pot, which aims to engage with your young people through fully funded extreme sport sessions over the next 10 months. Transition Extreme would like to support and engage 5-25 years olds to be a part of sport sessions at NO cost to them or yourself. Sessions can include climbing, skateboarding, BMXing or inline skating and the outdoor ropes course.  This can facilitate up to 12 participants at a time.

This opportunity will be for properly constituted community groups or charities working with young people.”

Our families will be joining Transition Extreme coaches on Thursday the 22nd of February to learn how to skateboard and again on Thursday the 29th of March to try out some rock climbing!

New Team Members - Michele and Struan

As of January 2018 Denis Law Streetsport have employed two AdHoc coaches to assist the programme Coordinator of Stronger Families Inside Out in the delivery of sport and activity sessions within HMP Grampian prison visits.

Michele Alexander

Michele has volunteered with Stronger Families Inside Out since the very first session in July 2017. 

She will deliver sports during the Wednesday family visits in the visitation room at HMP & YOI Grampian. Michele also volunteers with Streetsport at drop-in evening sport sessions across Aberdeen which aim to tackle crime rates in the most needed areas of the city.

Michele had this to say about Stronger Families Inside Out:

“I’ve enjoyed working with families enabling them to have more valuable time together during visits.

Hopefully as the programme grows we can continue to have a positive impact on families affected by imprisonment in the north east.”

Struan Sinclair

Struan will take the reigns during Saturday visits in the visitation room of HMP & YOI Grampian.Struan has built vast experience as a project worker with Barnardo’s and also volunteers for Streetsport at drop-in evening sport sessions on Thursday and Friday nights in Northfield, Aberdeen.

Pittodrie Stadium Visit - January 27th 2018

Kids from a prison affected family in Peterhead were treated to a great match at Pittodrie Stadium, watching the Dons come back from 1-0 down to win 3-1 against Kilmarnock.

This was the first time ever the girls had been to Pittodrie to see Aberdeen play.

We enjoyed some AFC rock, macaroni pies and hotdogs and played “pass the mascot” where our mini Angus the Bull toy was passed between us every time someone headed the ball during the match. After the final header of the game one lucky child who was holding Angus got to take him home to keep!

The kids loved the experience but all agreed they would prefer to be in an executive box next time! 

A huge thank you goes to Central Coaches who provided the kids with a free journey back home to Peterhead. Without their support the day wouldn’t have been possible.

Club 10 - Bouldering 25th January 2018

On Thursday the 25th of January 2018 prison affected families gathered at RGU:SPORT for the first CLUB10 session of the year.

Click the following link for a video of the session:

https://videopress.com/v/RtkYvIbU  ​

Two new members of the group joined us; a father and son who rarely get to spend time doing activities just the two of them because they have a large family.

The group worked well together as a team to help each other find easier/ more difficult routes up and across the wall. There was some great examples of children from different families helping each other out and cheering each other on.

Due to the great success of this activity and the engagement of all participants Denis Law Streetsport have arranged to bring CLUB10 to Transition Extreme next month to try out some more rock climbing alongside skateboarding and BMX.

We had some amazing feedback last night from a participant:

“I just love coming here! I mark the next time on my calendar and I count down the days until it’s time to come back! When he gets home my dad would love this too!” – 11 year old participant

We are looking forward to working with Transition Extreme next month to give our families some more experience in extreme sports and continue to build relationships as a team.

Club 10 Preview - 25th January 2018

On Thursday the 25th of January CLUB10, an activity group for families affected by imprisonment in the north east of Scotland, will be coming to RGU:Sport in Garthdee to try their hand at bouldering.

Bouldering is much like indoor rock climbing but over a smaller height and without a safety harness.

Instead of a safety harness, climbers are protected by a large crash mat covering the entire surface of the bouldering room, so any unexpected dismounts are cushioned.

There are different runs on a bouldering wall for different ability level climbers. This makes it ideal for beginners.

The idea of bouldering without instruction is that the adults in the room can support their children in achieving the height they want and having plenty fun along the way, building stronger relationships.

Pictures of our CLUB10 families climbing on the night will follow!

Stronger Families Inside Out is a programme funded by BBC Children in Need that aims to strengthen relationships between prisoners at HMP & YOI Grampian and their family members.

In July 2017 Denis Law Streetsport, a charity housed in RGU:SPORT, began attending family visit sessions at the prison every Wednesday providing sport and physical activity in partnership with another charity, Families Outside.

The layout of the visit room means that to do any sporting activity we have to be creative. It is not a room intentionally designed for sport like a gym hall or studio and so the activities we have delivered so far have been ‘mini’ versions of sports or ‘challenges’ found within a sport rather than a full 11 a-side game of hockey for example. One instance of a ‘mini’ version of a game we have played comes from our very first session in July where we played ‘mini basketball.’ Plastic cups were stuck to the visit room wall to mimic basketball hoops and orange ping pong balls were used as ‘mini basketballs.’

Since that first session we have been able to progress with the activities we deliver and at our most recent session the families enjoyed ten-pin bowling and football.

Sessions have been well received and since we began in July, visitor numbers at Wednesday sessions have risen by 30% and the number of families permitted to the room has also risen from 10 to 15 families per visit due to high demand.

As the programme has developed we have seen fantastic engagement from families who regularly attend visits. The atmosphere within sessions is pleasant, positive and productive with visitors often opting to join in activities altogether as a family which is an ideal scenario for building strong relationships. Our hope is that these activities can provide as close to a typical family experience as possible for those visiting.