AWARE - Giving an extra hand

Recently I have been given the opportunity to help a group of children and teenagers simply by giving a few days of my life. These children are just like me or you except from they have been diagnosed with autism. Autism is a lifelong disability which affects they way in which a person communicates and is able to relate to those around them. Autism includes symptoms such as speech difficulties, lack of eye contact and no fear of danger. These difficulties with everyday social interaction and the ability to form friendships is due to their limited capacity to understand the emotional expression of others. Therefore it is greatly appreciated both by the children and their parents and guardians when volunteers like myself offer to spend some time either with a group of autistic children or even spending one on one time with a particular child. I know of this appreciation because my younger brother, Conor, has been diagnosed with ASD and attends this group once a week and loves it. Sometimes it is better for children like Conor to have a couple of hours every week where they can spend time with friends and helpers taking part in a range of activities including sports, puzzles and games.

Personally as a volunteer I have been involved in a range of events which both I, and the children involved have enjoyed. The first is the simple weekly gathering of children which I frequently attend along with Conor and our parents. As well as this though there are a range of other activities available for those who want to attend such as play schemes which any child can attend. These usually take place during school holidays and give volunteers such as myself a chance to spend one on one time with a child. Here us volunteers are encouraged to talk to the children and watch over them and join in with what they want to spend time doing.

Finally there is the monthly trip club which unfortunately often clashes with my Saturday job leaving me unable to attend. However on the occasions when the trip club falls on a Sunday I am more than willing to help out. These events involve taking children out to activities such as the cinema, ice skating and a range of eateries. The previous trip club which I was able to attend was highly enjoyable as a group of about fifteen children with five or six supervisors went to Leeds, first calling at the Red Hot World Buffet before going to watch the latest Disney film, Frozen, at the cinema. These events give the children and us volunteers a chance to get out of the house and have fun while being able to socialise and get to know each other.

A Trip to London

It was 5:40 on a dark and damp Monday morning when I left my house and started my short journey to school. The journey that followed however was a longer one as the coach waiting outside was ready to carry my history class to London, a trip that would take us around the capital of the country giving us sights to see, photos to capture and fun to be had. The 6 hour trip that followed did not include any of this but it was necessary and time passed about as fast as can be expected on a cold and cramped coach. This all changed though as we passed through into central London and the landmarks began to flood our vision. The Eye, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square all flew past as we reached our destination; the perhaps slightly less exciting Science Museum. Although interesting at times the museum was not the most notorious building in London and the two hours we spent there were not the best I have experienced in my life. However morale remained high as we piled back onto our coach and set off to the four star Thistle Hotel. Storming into the high class hotel and feeling out of place felt great as we grabbed our key cards and explored our living quarters for the next two nights. The rooms for two, although small, were extremely impressive with comfortable beds smothered in various pillows and cushions as well as a en-suite bathroom and a handful of other fantastic features. Following a quick shower and change of clothes we were off again as we began a ten minute walk to our eatery of choice...Nandos! Although not the classiest place to eat sometimes a good, filling meal is what you need, especially after a long busy day. The food was fantastic as always, in my own opinion as a Nandos fanatic but the highlight of the night was yet to come. Setting out again on full stomachs we soon reached the West End. That's right, we were going to see a show. The decision fell onto The Bodyguard and my fellow students and I gathered above the stage ready to watch but not sure what to expect. The show was much more entertaining, nail-biting and hilarious than I could have ever imagined and I'm not ashamed to say I loved almost every minute of it.

As we awoke for our first and only full day in the city it was apparent that tiredness was a problem. However a hearty breakfast dismissed this early start and we were soon ready to set out to our next destination, the Houses of Parliament. After a quick security check we were inside the magnificent building. A short tour followed and we saw many parts of the legendary structure including both the chambers of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Additionally we went on to meet the labour MP of my local town Halifax, Linda Riordan. This meeting was interesting as well as informative and we were given the opportunity to find out about our own town, future plans and how to get into the world of politics. After this came the sightseeing! Buckingham Palace was the first to be checked off and was followed by a range of venues from Covent Gardens to Tower Bridge. It was truly a great feeling to see all these amazing features of a magnificent city. A quick return to the hotel left us an hour to get ready for our next night out. A smarter outfit was advised for this night as we were booked to eat at the five star Strand Hotel! Although it was a great experience I would honestly say I preferred the Nandos! They should sponsor me...

Waking up on our final morning was a sad moment as the realisation that by that night we'd be back home set in. However it was not over yet as the coach stopped to let us out at Oxford Street where hours of shopping would take place. Four hours and plenty purchases later we were done though and the time had flown by. The mood on the coach home was sad but we had all had an amazing time visiting the magical city that is London.