The Challenge 2012

In the UK, they offer this thing called The Challenge to all students who have just finished year 11. I think I've referred to it in the past as "the youth programme". It is a programme for youths. So I signed up because once my GCSEs had finished, I had like four weeks until I went on holiday and wanted something fun to do.


You're in a "Wave" of sixty people you've never met and there are five groups of twelve (obviously..). My group was amazing and I lovelovelove them. There were seven girls and five boys; King, Nick, Steve, Jamie, Darren, Alice, Shria, me, Clara, Rhianna, Shanelle and Lauren. The first week, you get to stay in cadets camp in Durham and we did a thirteen mile hike, camping, canoeing, rock climbing up and abseiling down a cliff and a first aid course.. bit of an anticlimax. But it was so great! Allow me to share some photos with you.

So wonderful

Unfortunately, this is me

In the second week, you stay in university halls of residence with people from your group. You make your own meals each night and have to clean up aaaall the time, eurgh. You go out and do work for the community in the area of either sport (which was us), drama, media, photography or enterprise everyday for a week. We coached children in a school in Peckham (SCARY!) in football and basketball. At the end of the week, you present everything you've been doing to an audience of like a hundred people.

Preparing for the coaching

Love dis! L-R: King, Nick, Darren, Stevie, Clara, Shria, Stefan, Jamie, Alice, me,
Lauren, Lindsey, Shanelle, Rhianna

Lindsey and Stefan were our "mentors" for the three weeks. They are babes. In the third week, you stay at home but go to this massive hall place every day and work on a project for your local community. There is lots of planning involved and you need to dress smartly every day but you get to go to local businesses. We went to a racecourse and they got us free concert tickets for Ratpack.. bonus!

My favourite one. L-R: Jamie, Darren, King, Clara, Stevie, Lindsey,
Alice, Shanelle, Lauren, Stefan, Rhianna, Shria, Nick, me.

So, to anyone in year eleven in the UK now, do it do it do it! It sounds so lame and cheesy but it's probably the best thing I've done this year. There's a few extra community projects to do in September but it's still fun. Since we've all met back at the start of July, I've not gone longer than three weeks without seeing them. We're going out on Saturday to Nando's actually because it will be three weeks then! I actually love that place so much. Anyway, sign up to the Challenge here: http://www.the-challenge.org/. I hope I've sold it to you... promise they're not paying me to advertise.

Song of la day:

Stay This Far Away - Kate McGill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjeX2HfEPeY&feature=g-all-u