Seas the day! Our big beach bonanza for children and families
An event full of sunshine and smiles, as we took over 70 children and teenagers on the trip to Cullercoats beach, for a much-needed day of fun in what has been a difficult summer for many families.
It was a special moment, harking back to the trip which started it all for us 131 years ago, when founders John Lunn and John Watson took children from the inner city on a trip to Tynemouth beach to help their health.
Yesterday’s event was attended by groups from our different services, from families with little ones to youth groups. Splashing in the sea, beach volleyball, sandcastle competitions and an ice cream for everyone, fun in the sun was the goal. Some of the children on the trip had never been on a visit to the beach before, with one mum sharing it was only her second time.
Jibran, aged 15, said, “It’s been really fun. Normally I would come to the beach a lot, but I’ve been put into foster care so I haven’t been able to do anything like this. I’m really happy I got invited to come. I’ve enjoyed digging holes, building sandcastles and going in the water.”
One mum, Samah, said “We’ve really enjoyed it. It’s better than staying in and doing nothing. The children have really enjoyed it, they’ve got to play and meet each other. It’s really beneficial.”
The trip was made possible by many of the charities 60 different services collaborating, including teams delivering youth work, domestic abuse recovery, family support, mentoring, counselling and community activities.
Mandy Brown, Deputy Head of Families and Parenting, commented, “The beach trip came about as an idea because it links us back to where we first started as a charity. We have some families and young people who have never been to the beach. It’s important to provide opportunities like this, the beach is on our doorstep and there are people who have still never been. It’s difficult to share in words what it might mean for a family who have never had that experience of coming here before today.”
