Programmes

Access-Ability Project

Access-Ability delivers an equality of opportunity for young people by demonstrating that physical and learning disabilities should not be perceived as barriers to participation through a broad range of outdoor experiential learning activities. The Project is sponsored by the Big Lottery, Reaching Communities Fund until 2014.

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Big Lottery Fund Logo The programme, which has been running since 1997 engages young people with a broad range of disabilities in long and short-term personal development programmes. It empowers young people to reach their full potential through acquisition of new skills, developing new friendships, and having a lot of fun!

Access-Ability engages young people with a broad range of physical, sensory and learning disabilities. Our short and longer-term programmes offer challenging but achieveable activities that focus on personal and social development primarily through the medium of outdoor experiential learning. By setting achievable Goals Access-Ability strives to:

Promote access of opportunity for young disabled people.
Empower young people to reach their full potential through learning new skills and developing new friendships within an exciting but safe and fun environment.
Improve the health and general well being for participating young people.
Highlight and address the barriers faced and imposed by society and community towards disability.
Deliver accredited and non-accredited programmes and awards.
Offer and develop volunteering and mentoring opportunities.

Accredited Courses include:

Duke of Edinburgh's Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
Rescue and Emergency Care (REC) First Aid
Awards Scheme Development and Accrediation Network (ASDAN)
The John Muir Award (Environmental)
National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme (NICAS)
National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS)
Open College Network (OCN) courses
Paddle Sports Star Awards

Programmes of activity include:

Weekend Club
Summer Scheme
Outward Bound Week
Multi activity programmes linking in with the school curriculum

LOOK AT WHAT COURSES AND PROGRAMMES ARE COMING UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE

CIRCUS SKILLS WORKSHOPS

The Access-Ability Project will be working in partnership with Streetwise Community Circus to run a series of Workshops at the centre, which will be focused on learning various skills such as juggling, diablo and stilt walking. The Project will run for 18 weeks between now and March 2011. At the end of the programme the group will put on a showcase at the Kennedy Centre.

This Project is funded by the Belfast City Council's Development & Outreach Programme. The Project is organised by Streetwise Community Circus workshops who are funded by Belfast City Council, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The Arts Council Lottery Fund.

circus

RESCUE & EMERGENCY CARE (Lifesavers Course)

The Project will be running a Lifesaver First Aid Course on the 20th & 21st November 2010 from 10am - 1pm on each of the days.

This is a one day practical course including First Responder skills; injury, systems approach; CPR. Skills to deal with a life threatening incident when an experienced First Aider is not available. Lots of hands on practical with scenarios; innovative training; how to use a basic first aid kit.

The course costs £35.00 (subsidised from £65.00). If interested please contact the Project to register your interest.

ACCESS-ABILITY WEEKEND CLUB

Below is a list of weekend club dates, if you are interested in taking part in any of these. The cost is £10 per activity day and there will be 8 places allocated on a first come first served basis. Please contact the Access-Ability Project for any further information and to register your interest.

25th September - 9am to 6pm - Caving to Marble Arch Caves

24th October - 10am to 3pm - Adventure Walk in Tollymore Forest Park

27th November - 1.30pm to 4.30pm - High Ropes Course

30th January - 10am to 3pm - Geo-cashing in Delamont Country Park

26th February - 10am to 3pm - Mountain Biking around Craigavon Lakes

27th March - 10am to 3pm - Canoeing

ACCESS-ABILITY SUMMER SCHEME

The first week of the summer scheme has finished. Fifteen young people took part in a week of fun activities which included; climbing, caving, team games, ten-pin bowling and circus skills. Unfortunately there are no spaces left for the Access-Ability Summer Scheme the last week of August.

FUNDRAISING BBQ & TREASURE HUNT

On Saturday 26th June approximately 120 people attended the Access-Ability Fundraising BBQ & Treasure Hunt at Belfast Activity Centre in aid of the Scottish Adventure Week.

It was a glorious sunny Saturday evening, perfect for a BBQ and Treasure Hunt at BAC. This reflected in the number of teams that we had coming along to participate in the event. The Treasure Hunt took approximately 1hour to complete and teams had to solve clues, answer riddles and bring back creepy crawlies! We had two teams as joint winners of the Treasure Hunt, who will be coming back to the centre at a later date to take part in a 3hour session in the Adventure Learning Park.

BBQ and Treasure Hunt

A big thank you to all those who donated prizes for the ballot which included M&S, Post Office and Beauty Product vouchers, sweets, wine etc.. Also a big thank you to Joe Couser for all his help and BBQ skills.

A total of £330.00 was raised on the evening which will go towards a group of young people being given the opportunity to participate in a weeks outdoor adventure programme to Scotland. The week will enable them to become more independent, make new friends, improve their life skills, increase self-esteem, live a more healthy life style as well as giving them the opportunity of reaching their full potential.

BBQ

JOHN MUIR AWARD

We have now a couple of groups who are undertaking the John Muir Award.

The John Muir Award is an environmental award that encourages people of all backgrounds to connect, enjoy and care for wild places through a structured yet adaptable scheme. The Award is not competitive but should challenge each participant. Taking part will develop an understanding of, and responsibility for, a chosen wild place or places. For some this will offer an opportunity to explore values and spirituality.

It was launched in 1997 by the John Muir Trust to:

Promote educational, social and personal development through exploration of wild places and involvement in conservation
Encourage an environmental agenda within youth organisations
Ensure that social circumstances don’t exclude people from opportunities to experience wild places.

John Muir Award Criteria

Four Challenges are at the heart of each John Muir Award, to achieve an Award each participant must:

Discover a wild place
Explore its wildness
Conserve - take personal responsibilty
Share experiences

Participants should show enthusiasm and commitment, and have an awareness about John Muir.

There are 3 levels of the Award, encouraging a progressive involvement. The same 4 challenges above are repeated for each level, with increased involvement in time, activity and ownership.

Discovery Award (introductory level) minimum 4 days (or equivalent)
Explorer Award (intermediate level) minimum 8 days (or equivalent)
Conserver Award (advanced level) minimum 20 days (or equivalent) over 6 months

If you have any queries about any of the above programme or activities, please do not hesitate to contact myself, Nicola Campbell at Belfast Activity Centre on either 90600132 or email: nicola.campbell@belfastactivitycentre.com

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Belfast Activity Centre

Leaders in Outdoor Experiential Learning