Life at dreamwall archive
Summer '08
By Sam Stokes
The summer just past was my first summer programme that I have worked for dreamwall. The summer overall has been a fantastic experience for me. It’s been great working with so many different young people in different groups throughout the 5 week programme. I have enjoyed doing all different activities with the young people from arts and crafts to sport sessions to sneaky beecky games. One of the things that have been a highlight of my first summer programme was doing a river walk with every group. Just seeing the groups working together and enjoying themselves walking through the cold river is amazing. Also seeing my first dreamwall extravaganza was great, seeing all the young people working so hard rehearsing during their week away, then coming back and performing on the Thursday night was incredible.
The first group away in the summer were boys group 2 and it was a pretty big group so I thought it was going to be a tough week. But actually I quite enjoyed myself working this week away. The best moment for me with boys 2 was the sports day we had, playing all sorts of sport from sharks and fish to crazy relays. I also really enjoyed just throwing the American football about with everyone.
The second group away was girls group 2, which was a very fun week. I really enjoyed working this week especially when the girls were making up and practicing their umpa lumpa dance for the show. It was excellent also seeing them at the show all dressed up as an umpa lumpa with their orange face paint and green spray on their hair. The next group away was boys group 1, which is the group I always like working with because they like the same things as I do. This week was enjoyable for me because everyone was cooking for themselves and it was nice just seeing the young people sorting out their meals for themselves everyday. I enjoyed playing the sports with this group and walking everywhere too. The last week was girls group 1 and the junior leaders that again was another great week. This group had the important job of setting up the stage for the extravaganza and also rehearsing their act for the show. My best moment with the junior leaders would have to be writing and playing a song with them for their act in the show. Girls 1 did an excellent job of decorating the big marquee for the extravaganza, which was good just doing all the arts and crafts with the group. But overall I have had a brilliant first summer away working for dreamwall and with all the young people. And even though I was sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag and the weather during the summer was not great I still really enjoyed my first summer. I look forward to many more.
Boys 1 Jan 09
By John Hall
The navy based weekend was a very different experience for everyone who attended it. It was a boys group 1 weekend, but it was not what they were used to. That weekend they had to live and be like the navy. The group had to do a various amount of things, such as they had to learn how to march, they were awesome!
They learnt it so quickly this is because none of them gave up; it was a brilliant sight that all of the boys were giving a 100%.
All the boys had to wear boots, and to be honest they weren’t the most comfiest boots. Also they were all wearing tracksuits so that they all looked the part and my god they did. On the Saturday the boys had a long day, they had to wake up early and go for a run, you could see their faces that they were not looking forward to it, but they all worked together to get through it, they all encouraged each so that they all achieve finishing it, they all went at the slowest mans pace so that they all finished together.
Later during the day they went to the low ropes course, where they were under instructions from sergeants, they had to work as a team to ensure the safety of others, they were amazing at it, no-one was hurt and also everyone had fun when doing it.
In the evening, we were doing a session with the PTI, everything he made them do they did it and with flying colours, no-one and I mean no-one backed down they just put their minds to it and did it.
On the Sunday they met Captain Colin Wellborn, youth chief of staff, he was the one who gave us this great opportunity to see what the navy were like.
It was amazing to see a group of young men, to be able to come together as equals because at dreamwall everyone is equal no matter what! These young men set a mark in the navy’s book and showed that teenage boys can do anything when they set their mind to it, I was proud to be apart of that weekend thank you boys group 1.