Crate-Climbing a Way Back to School Engagement

Harry McPhail, Activity Instructor at Gowanbank, describes working with a group of young people who visit the centre once a week for a term. The group from Kilmarnock are all at risk of not attending school, so the programme is designed to support the young people to engage more regularly with each other, and their teacher, enjoying the outdoor and building stronger relationships.

Many of these young people face challenges outside school, from limited opportunities for outdoor activities to social and emotional struggles. Coming to Gowanbank gives them a safe space to try new things and build confidence.

Back at the start of term when I first met this group we took time to get to know each other and build rapport. We set some ground rules for the sessions and agreed a contract about how we speak to each other and how each of us would like to be treated.

Early in the programme we offered site-based activities, like crate climbing and tree climbing. Then, as we got to know and trust each other more, we began to take the group out and about for rock pooling and bush craft. Since then, we’ve been gradually increasing the adventurousness of the sessions with kayaking and abseiling—activities that I don’t think they would have tried earlier on in the programme.

The young people have been coming weekly and across the term we’ve noticed them calmer around us, as we gradually get to know and trust each other. I love when they want to show me something they have found in a rock pool or demonstrate their stone skimming expertise. Being outdoors in God’s creation is such an important ingredient in the whole process and really helps in building positive relationships and sharing about our faith.

The group, who all come from a secondary school in Kilmarnock, are building relationships with each other and with their teacher, as well as with us. One young person told us she only came to the programme because her friend wanted company. I noticed recently that she had come to a session, and her friend wasn’t even there!

Not every young person naturally gets to access a great range of choices and opportunities. I want to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to thrive, to experience the wonder of God’s creation, understand more about faith and to take part in fun and exciting activities.

It’s great to see how a programme like this might lead on to other things. SU Scotland has gaming nights and activity days in the region which we can offer to young people in the group. It’s exciting to think that young people we support in this way will hear about Jesus and might go on to connect with other SU events and explore more about Jesus for themselves.