Saturday, 23 February 2013
The Boat Office
Two days of
working out of the ‘boat office’; introducing people to this wonderful resource
on their doorstep. Very few having actually experienced the waterways, some not
even realising it was so close to their communities.
The first trip
was an interesting mix of people business and educational settings, showing
them the countryside in the heart of the city. One of the teachers stated that
he usually takes trips to the dales but here he could save time and money but
still do similar activities. The business people were looking at underused
properties adjacent to the navigation, linking that to education and
employment.
The discussion
finished with the business people asking ‘What can we do for you?” and
refreshingly seeing a potential partnership for mutual benefit rather than a
cap in hand for cash.
Day 2 was
entirely different. The JDI club being held on the boat and not in Moyes. The
first comment from a member of the group was, “I work with young people so I
look at the risks of being close to water.” The comment being reinforced by the
sight and sound of the River Aire in flood going over the weir. Another member
stated that you have to look at risk benefits - assessing and managing the risk
and balancing that against the benefits from the activity.
The trip
finished with a variety of comments but they all saw how their clients would
benefit from this wonderful resource on their doorstep.
Housing: “We
have young warden groups. This could bring the team together and reward them
for their behavior.”
Family
intervention: “What a wonderful way to get members of the family working and
learning together.”
Group leaders:
one working with women and the other with men but both seeing how they could
link into breaking social isolation, a calming environment and the other
relating it back to risk taking.
Others saw how
they could link it into event management, community cohesion, inter faith and
binding it all together through creative arts. Experienced practitioners
alongside trainee youth workers. All
this in the space of 20 minutes on a boat!!!!!
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