Stand up and be known

An activity day for The Salvation Army in Llanelli developing young people

Stand up and be known

Steve’s word for the week on being you and being community

Friendship is one of the most precious things we see being developed consistently throughout our youth events and activities.

There is no formula being outworked here, no social engineering just a safe space to express, to take a step outside some comfort and lose ourselves in the moment.

As I reflect on how many of these team events we have delivered throughout the years I’m humbly reminded at how friendship endures, encourages and strengthens through the storms of life.

As human beings we need each other, we are built to connect and connection is part of being human. This picture above is of an activity day we ran for the Salvation Army on 20 August 2018 on North Dock in Llanelli.

It sums up so much of what friendship and community is:

Commitment

To journey together. Through the good times and the bad. To say in action, ‘I’m with you’.

Communication

To listen well. To find the rhythm within the relationship, to work to become in tune and stay in time, to go in the right direction

Courage

To step out and be known. Space to get it wrong, strength to get it right, to forgive, to be forgiven, to laugh and to cry, to choose be known.

Multiplying Future Leaders

You can model leadership, talk about leadership and even write about leaders; these are all great aspects of training, but miss something.

Experiencing leadership in action is the missing piece of the jigsaw.

Experiencing leadership in action this is what our Solid Ground leadership course is all about.

Last May 30 young adults aged between 18- 30 years old from around South Wales engage in a 3 day intensive programme.

Here’s what they had to say, and their words say it all:

“I have learned so much throughout these three days - thank you”

“Life-changing”

“More people should be on these courses - great!”

Your turn

If you would like to develop your young people through adventure leadership training or find out more about Solid Ground Leadership courses, do get in touch.

I know what I want to do now

Year 11 student launched into new career

Interview with Cameron Brown year 11 student from Cefn Hengoed

“I know what I want to do... I want to join the police force.”

— Cameron Brown, year 11 student

After six months of being on one of our Youth leadership courses Cameron now begins his first steps to fulfilling his ambition to become a police officer.

This coming September Cameron starts his BTEC in Public services at local Swansea College.

Here Cameron talks about the experience with LoadedUK over the last 6 months and how he sees this experience as being an integral part in his journey to becoming a Police Officer.

Cameron thanks for talking to us about your experience on our leadership course involving completing a Duke of Edinburgh Award.

How has LoadedUK helped you this year?

I guess I’m lucky in some ways as I know exactly what I want to become! This experience has definitely helped me gain a place at college because I’ve achieved my Duke of Edinburgh through your support.

What skills would you say this has developed in you over the last six months?

“Communicating clearly is so important and a skill!”

I would say learning to communicate well and organisational skills. The climbing award really highlighted for me how important it is to communicate clearly and also how much of a skill good communication is!

Working as a team has been so important and the sessions have demonstrated this in such practical and real ways. There have been many times where we as a group have had to work
through challenges and make choices that have had real consequences.

Give us some examples of how this developed you as a team?

When we went climbing we learnt how to belay each other up and down the rope. This built a real sense of trust between us. We had to step up and take real ownership of our actions.

“It highlighted for us the benefit of working together and making a clear plan.”

If we mucked about there would have been real consequences, people could have got hurt. But as it turns out we rose to the challenge. There were some real surprises on that day lots of people really stepped up and this really began to build the team.

Another example was when we went underground we had to navigate through a cave in the Brecon’s. I was navigating and we had to work together to find the right route. I think it was
these times that really highlighted for us the benefit of working together and making a clear plan.

Where would you say personally this has helped you grow?

This journey has transformed my belief in me. I now believe I can complete something. To complete something like the Duke of Edinburgh this has opened my eyes to what I am really capable of doing!

“You have to do it. No one else is going to do it for you!”

The expedition was a massive part of my self-belief changing. The long walk both days, putting up your tent, cooking your own food and navigating.

You have to do it, no one is going to do it for you, this kind of prepares you for life, no one's going to do it for you, you have to take responsibility for your actions.

Has this been good for the school?

Yes definitely! A lot of us struggle in a classroom! It gets too much sometimes…stressful! Learning outside has been so effective in a lot of us getting awards and gaining new opportunities.

Thanks, Cameron; so would you recommend this course?

Yes. It been a great experience and the LoadedUK team have been great! Thank you.

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More about the project and our approach

The awards serve to increase changes in life and making the most of opportunities for young people through gaining qualification and awards.

These contribute to their access into further training or employment.

For us nothing is more important: the transformation of an individual’s belief about themselves and our capacity to choose differently, to choose life.

A core value of Loaded is in serving to develop character and we see the environment a person dwells in as a key factor in our healthy development.

Did you know?

Loaded UK is a LOTC Quality holder (certificate #R2QB104139).

This national award combines the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme for all types of learning outside the classroom provider organisation.

Find out more about our accreditations here →

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Your turn

If you would like to know more about our D of E expedition training package or about supporting your project please get in touch.

From "I can't" to "I can"!

Life-changing projects from Loaded UK

The transition from “I can’t” to “ I can”

For the last six months we have been delivering a learning and personal development project.

This has supported young people who are at risk of failing to gain opportunities when leaving mainstream education.

Impact

“I did it! This has been an amazing experience!”

— Logan, 14

One of our Duke of Edinburgh groups completed their practice expedition this week.

Nothing that out of the ordinary, you might think.

But, for this group of 14 to 15-year olds from Swansea this has significantly burst their self- belief bubble, moving them from “I can’t” to “I can” and even more - “I want to!"

Not only did this group of seven smash this expedition training in good style - coming out stronger as a team and more competent in life skills - they completed it in a heat wave of 27
degrees.

Well-done Cefn Hengoed crew 2018!

More about the project and our approach

The awards serve to increase changes in life and making the most of opportunities for young people through gaining qualification and awards.

These contribute to their access into further training or employment.

For us nothing is more important: the transformation of an individual’s belief about themselves and our capacity to choose differently, to choose life.

A core value of Loaded is in serving to develop character and we see the environment a person dwells in as a key factor in our healthy development.

Did you know?

Loaded UK is a LOTC Quality holder (certificate #R2QB104139)

This national award combines the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme for all types of learning outside the classroom provider organisation.

Find out more about our accreditations here →

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Your turn

If you would like to know more about our D of E expedition training package or about supporting your project please get in touch.

Be more Bear

Teams learn how to pull together - literally!

First aid in adverse circumstances - a good way to problem solve and deal with emotions

Young people had to overcome their personal fears in this challenge

Catering away from the ease of a kitchen is character-building!

Life-changing projects from Loaded UK

Be more Bear (Grylls)

Recently we have been delivering Woodland Classroom courses and Leading and Surviving in the wild. 

Learning outside the classroom provides positive results in learners, gaining a higher retention of skills and information which develops increased levels of concentration.

Impact

Woodland sessions

In our woodland sessions, pupil put pulleys, jammers and ropes into action.

They gained an understanding of Newton forces in their design of a rope bridge.

Elsewhere, we prepared groups for an expedition into the wilds, using a survival skills workshop Bear Grylls-style!

Leading and Surviving in the wild

It's one thing to survive, very much another to survive and lead others.

In our Bear Grylls survival skills workshop we helped the young people research and discuss possible risks before trekking into a wilderness environment.

This process helped raise awareness of risk and develop skills and actions that serve to prevent and manage those factors when out on expedition.  

We have also used the workshops to highlight our environmental impact, which teach young people about sustainability.

More about the project and our approach

These courses serve to increase changes in life and making the most of opportunities for young people through gaining qualification and awards.

These contribute to their access into further training or employment.

For us nothing is more important: the transformation of an individual’s belief about themselves and our capacity to choose differently, to choose life.

A core value of Loaded is in serving to develop character and we see the environment a person dwells in as a key factor in our healthy development.

Did you know?

Loaded UK is a LOTC Quality holder (certificate #R2QB104139)

This national award combines the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme for all types of learning outside the classroom provider organisation.

Find out more about our accreditations here →

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Your turn

If you would like to know more about our D of E expedition training package or about supporting your project please get in touch.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition training

We are currently training 17 students from Cefn Hengoed Comprehensive in Swansea for their Duke of Edinburgh expedition taking place this June and July.

This project has enabled access for these young people to achieve a Duke of
Edinburgh Award and all the benfits that go with it.

The impact this project is having on these young people is life changing.

We have seen throughout the weeks a deepening of friendships, each person developing
new skills and a growth in confidence and self-belief in what they can do.

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Your turn

If you would like to know more about our D of E expedition training package or about supporting your project please get in touch.