Oxfordshire ACF Outreach 2010

James Gurung, 21 September 2010

On the afternoon of Thursday 16th September, seventeen young people from Oxford and Kidlington jumped onto two Army Cadet Force minibuses headed for Llangorse in Wales. Each of these adventurous individuals had accepted the challenge of the Oxfordshire ACF Outreach programme, offered to them by our partners in the community, and were embarking on what would be one of the most exciting weekends of their lives so far. Accompanying them were a team of dedicated adult staff and two experienced cadets who were seeking to develop their leadership skills.

It was a long journey but finally the buses arrived at the activity centre. Once there, our first task was to put up three large military tents in the field and the teenagers already found themselves needing to work as a team. After the evening meal there was a briefing to explain our high expectations and we split the young people into two groups. For the first night, one team slept in the tents and the other bunked in the building.

Friday was the first full day of activities and it kicked off with a high ropes course of outdoor climbing and zip wiring. The participants faced their fears and supported each other to achieve challenging tasks. Later in the day they completed a ‘dingle scramble’, which was an obstacle course going up a muddy stream. Everyone got completely soaked and had a fantastic time. There was clearly a very strong team spirit, even though some of the young people had known each other for less than a day. In the late afternoon, a trip was led up a local mountain and the participants surpassed all expectations in encouraging each other all the way up to the summit. Later, back at camp, we played ‘guess the song’ where we took turns humming a tune and everyone had to guess what it was. SMI Higgs lost the game when we all sneaked away as he went into the other room to hum.

More great activities were lined up for Saturday. The groups split to complete a round robin of climbing and kayaking. The indoor climbing tower at the centre was the best any of us had ever seen. It had lots of tough climbs, an abseiling wall, rope bridges to cross, a caving system and even a dragon for bouldering. The kayaking was also great fun, run at a local lake by a Regular Army instructor from 16 Cadet Training Team. The participants showed great courage in attempting activities which they admitted were quite scary. In the afternoon there was a trip to Brecon Beacons National Park where we played wide games and enjoyed some peace at the top of a hill. That evening there was a quiz and the participants also swapped accommodation so that everyone would have a chance to sleep outside in the tents.

Sunday began with horse riding, and this was more difficult than some participants expected. They were certainly all quiet in the stables when we were told not to scare the horses! We were taken in two groups along a scenic cross-country route and got the chance to trot quite fast along the track. After lunch we launched into outdoor teambuilding activities which included Jacob’s Ladder, climbing a wobbly telegraph pole and another go on the zip wire (see a video of the participants in action). The final evening activity was a cultural trip to Abergavenny Castle.

On Monday morning the participants broke camp and returned to Oxfordshire. They had all enjoyed an incredible few days discovering their full potential, and were completely shattered. Every young person took home a certificate, t-shirt and fleece, and should be commended for the exemplary personal, social and team skills they demonstrated over the course of the programme. Some have already expressed an interest in continuing to train with us as members of the Army Cadet Force and we look forward to seeing them at future events.

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Lots of courage is required to step over the edge

A participant prepares to cross the rope bridge

Lots of activities involve working together

A capsized participant remains in good spirits

The instructor makes sure everyone gets wet

And training in an unfamiliar environment

At the end, the kayaks are dragged out of the water

Some participants miss the point of hanging up wet clothes!

Everyone is cheerful even first thing in the morning

One of the senior cadets takes a tea break

The staff rarely get any peace and quiet

These participants are excited about horse riding

The centre is well equipped for adventurous activities

Teambuilding is the final activity of the weekend

The participants get into small groups for the tasks

An adult and two participants ascend Jacob

They trust a ground team to belay them safely

The zip wire is a test of strength and confidence

Participants must pull themselves up before letting go

All young people demonstrate their full potential

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Oxfordshire ACF Outreach 2010

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