ACTIV8! Our Activity Archive
ACTIV8! is our programme of exciting opportunities
for Foresters members (or children of Foresters policy
holders) to get active, get involved and make a difference!. The
group get together throughout the year to help make a difference to
a community group or project, or to enjoy new and challenging
events and experiences and to meet new friends and have fun!
Activity Weekend - Glenborrodale, Scotland - July 2006
ACTIV8! members enjoyed new challenges and experiences at
their Breakaway Weekend.
Activities included tackling the low and high rope courses to
encourage team and communication building, kayaking on the Loch and
also taking the plunge on the zip wire and abseiling. 
While at the centre the group also undertook a community project
which involved helping to build the centre's archery range.
Winter Sports Weekend - Snowdome, Tamworth October 2006
Ben Large who went
along for this winter weekend said: 'ACTIV8! is a great opportunity
for younger Foresters.
I have had a 
fantastic time this year at ACTIV8! events and would
really encourage others to come along to our next event'.
Partnering The New Dimensions Group, Worcester - April
2007
A team of
Foresters ACTIV8-ers put their best brush forward on the weekend of
14/15th April and got together to make a difference in the
community, by 
partnering with The New Dimensions Group in Worcester, which
is the largest provider of support services for people with
learning difficulties in England.
ACTV8!'s mission for the weekend was to re-decorate, clear out,
paint walls and give a new lease of life to two sets of assisted
living accommodation.
Adrian Crow one of the members of ACTIV8! said: 'It was great to
work together over the weekend decorating these two flats.
We really feel
that we have made a difference to New
Dimensions and the
people who are unable to live alone without special help and
support'.
Alex Rumble,
from New Dimensions continued: 'I'd really like to thank the
ACTIV8! group from Foresters. They tackled the work with good
humour and achieved a lot for us - we couldn't have done it without
them.'
Pictured left is the ACTIV8! teamwith Sean and Alex from new
Dimensions far left and right respectively, and above is a
selection of phoos of what we got up to!
CLIC Sargent Abseil - May 2007
One of our
intrepid ACTIV8! members went over the edge in aid of CLIC Sargent,
abseiling 120ft down one of the tallest office buildings in
Ashford, Kent.
The event raised £17,000 for CLIC Sargent.
Well done Aaron!
Nun Runs - Gateshead & Shefflield - May and June 2007
Runners dressed up as
Nuns to take part in a one mile fun run to raise money for the
Association of Children's Hospices to provide funding and support
to St Oswalds Hospice and Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.
The Gateshead run took place around the Northern Fields of
Saltwell Park and the Sheffield runners took part in the city
centre.
Volunteering to help restore the Waterways on the Wiltshire
& Berkshire Canal. By Adrian Crow - 27th –
29th June 2008
“Graham and I shared the drive on the traffic
filled trip to Wiltshire on Friday afternoon. We arrived at
the village hall accommodation, Ed arrived and we walked round to
the pub, had a lovely meal and waited for the rest of the
group.
I woke
up before the shout on Saturday morning, as I could smell the bacon
cooking. We had a delicious full English in anticipation of
our day clearing the waterways. Graham and I then jumped in
Ed's Landrover along with Nigel to get to the site where we started
work, burning willow, including a huge tree stump. The trees
had been cleared from the canal by a previous group before the
nesting season and had to be burnt as Willow re-grows very
easily.
Once our fire
was going, the remainder of the morning was spent tirforing (hand
winching) a smaller tree stump out.
After lunch I put my wellies on, ready to work
in a culvet/ditch. We had to lower the water level so that
the culvet could be rebricked - so lots of shovelling mud and
water!
Graham helped build the frame work that will hold the
bricks up whilst the culvet is rebuilt.
At the end of the day we opened a bottle of wine, helped make
dessert, then we had a lovely meal of mince stuffed marrow. A
group of us then went to the pub – again! ;o)”
Banishing the January blues
A winter wonderland greeted
twenty-four families from The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and
CHASE Children’s Hospice on Sunday 11th January, when
Foresters ACTIV8 members welcomed them to an afternoon of skating
at the beautiful Hampton Court temporary ice rink.
With January notoriously a month when
families
have to cut back after the expense of Christmas, Foresters
ACTIV8 were able to treat the children who use these two Children’s
hospices, and their families, to a great day out together. Even the
wheelchairs were allowed on the ice, which allowed the whole family
to enjoy the skating experience!
On arrival every child was
given a goody bag containing various treats including ear-muffs and
beanie hats to keep them warm, and the skating session was followed
by a chance to defrost with a complimentary warming cup of hot
chocolate at the ice rink café.
The Parsons family, one of the families at the
event said, “This was excellent, a really good laugh. The hot
drinks afterwards were really welcome as well!”