there are probably voluntary things like this currently?

I think this does sound like a good thing. different and "forcing" of people to try something new.

Copy cat!

they're might still be places? fone them up and ask them to put you on the waiting list if not.

have i not mentioned this to u on tribune? sorry! :oops:

You wrote:

there are probably voluntary things like this currently?

I think this does sound like a good thing. different and "forcing" of people to try something new.

He no longer thinks its a good idea
(I'm writing about this in my report)

I have seen the light.

ok ive changed my entire reply. it sounds likea good idea. but when would this be done? Will it be incorporated as a part of gcse i/e pass the voluntary service element to receive ur full grades? If so sounds very american, this occurs over there already, i dont know if its in every state but a lot of schools do this.

If it will make ppl more socially aware of those in society who need a "helping hand" i think its a great form of not only charity but acquiring new skills.

But the pilot scheme seems to mention youngsters of different background mixing, and doing outdoor pursuits. Learning new skills. It doesn't sound like a voluntary scheme to help the more vulnerable in society, sounds like a self help scheme? What exactly does it involve voluntary work to ultimately help others, or is it just residential trip for youngsters to learn skills just for themselves?

Learning new practical skills is a good thing, but I don't think the charity side would be the most important part of it if this was under my control.

I would focus more on self enablement, teaching people useful or not so useful skills that may help them out in the practical world.

Hajjar, I'm guessing you didn't read my blogs lol.
Some extracts from there:

Also i thought just because something is hard it really doesn't mean its unachievable, or horrid, if you put the effort in, you can get through anything Insha'Allah.

(This was after climbing to the top of mountain.)

This week i learnt what it means to work as a team.
I think this week my confidence may have slightly increased in terms of speaking in front of audiences.
I learnt that those chavs or hoodrats as my mentor says, won't be rude to me if i try and talk to them. I learnt not to judge them and others who's appearance may not give the "right" impression"
I learnt theres more to life than sittin in front of the telly, pc,xbox,wii,w/e.
I learnt I can make a positive change to my community.
I learnt that it's good to make a positve change to the community. that may sound obvious but i had a a view about those people, who volunteer to help others, the community etc, they were like "losers" or whatever maybe jsut cuz they volunteered to do good. says a lot about me doesn't it? anyway i've changed my outlook.
I learnt it's not JUST the people of Africa, Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq etc that need help. People within my own community need it. And i can provide it. Everyone can provide it.

The real challenge indeed was very real. It was actually in some ways harder than the personal challenge!
I was being challenged on my weakness and what i lacked confidence in - physical challenges are easier than mental ones!
I most likely learnt more but i that's all i think of right now and i should end this now so i'll stop right there.

One thing that shocked me though, was that there are actually people who live in birmingham, a place so diverse and rich of different cultures yet people don't know who Bengali's are! or the difference between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. But i tried to educate them and im glad they tried understanding and were still so friendly and everything afterwards rather than discriminating or anything.

I think the above shows that it was a great experience, in which I learnt a lot. I mean don't get me wrong, I wasn't so clueless and ofcourse I "knew" some/all of those things before, but until I had experienced it I never really understood it or believed it.

Also you say it sounds like a self-help scheme, but I think people need to try new things, go through certain experiences and learn what they are capable of to be able to help others either along the way or afterwards. If they themeselves aren't put in certain conditions they won't realise how it is for others or they won't realise that they can help others etc. Am I making sense?

It actually takes place after the Yr11's finish school, during the summer holidays so it has nothing to do with their GCSEs. It consists of a three week programme; first week there are a number of personal challenges, people having to face fears of height etc. Second week, a team activity which makes you improve your team-working skills and leads onto the third week's challenge in which you have to raise awareness, fundraise or do a "connect" campaign to help the local area and/or charities/businesses.

E.g people did road safety campaigns, fire safety campaigns, raising the awareness of dementia and STD's (separately), fundraising for a charity working for disabled children etc.

no havent read your blog sorry, i didnt realise i was being prompted to read it, otherwise i would have.

by what you've said i shouldnt have deleted my first post. So i'll sum it up. it sounds very much like what my secondary school was already doing as is most likely still doing.
It was known for doing activities to help students of different backgrounds to mix and learn new skills.

i.e the duke of edinburghs award is very popular there. it consists of working as a group to complete different tasks to achieve the bronze silver and gold awards. for each aware u have to do an expedition (which involves covering set number of miles over set number of days, it increases with each award. will be camping up mountains, near lakes or deep in dense forests, if you're lucky u could do your trek abroad.)you learn a new skill, take up new physical activity, and volunteer in a charity or for some other good cause.

our school along with a few others also went to doly moch in wales. its not as intensive as duke of edinburgh and similar stuff is covered but it just residential for 1 week.this course was better for kids who's parents would not let them go camping out in the sticks as duke of edinburgh award requires.

does it sound similar powerofsilence? heres website if u wana look
http://www.dofe.org/default.aspx

something like that and then they tried to sneak her into doing stuff for charities.

How evil of them.

Any event like this should be one where you go in, get it done and get out instead of them trying to sign you away for life in their causes.

Hajjar wrote:

no havent read your blog sorry, i didnt realise i was being prompted to read it, otherwise i would have.

lol don't be sorry, I was just mentioning it cuz you didn't seem to know what the scheme was like. I've deleted my blogs now

And yeah I know about DofE, it is similar but I think DofE has more activities, lasts longer and most things apart from the expedition/residential can be done locally whereas with this most of it is a residential.

LOL admin, yes I need to do my 48 hours of charity work before April. Well not "need" but I said I would, plus just carry on doing charity work in general.

I'm being made to organise a community cohesion event at school :/

Lol I hope so. If I have a good group in which we all work well together and plan something good then it could be alright.