Young Ambassador Gateway Learning Community – Private Event
3 June 2024:
A walk for wellbeing and a leap for kindness…
So began the first of our series of walking events devised and led by T100 Young Ambassadors as part of the T100 Goes Wild festival.
Since January 5, via an intergenerational leadership model, Gateway Learning Community pupils from across 4 Primary and 1 Secondary schools have worked with Young Ambassador buddies and experienced walk volunteers, to create walking events for their peers, parents and carers.
GLC engaged their wellbeing ambassadors to work with the T100 team on the project, underlining the link between physical activity, enjoying the outdoors, connecting with others, expressing oneself creatively and the positive benefits these have on mental health and wellbeing.
Responding to the call to Go Wild for the T100 theme for this year, GLC ambassadors planned walks that explored the unique sites of their schools, including the plant life and wildlife, whilst also playfully inviting their participants to engage with the 5 ways to wellbeing framework.
Monday, 3 June, saw us at Lansdowne Primary, then Gateway Primary. A heron watched on enjoying a new splash pool as flooding of stretches of walking routes forced some quick replanning. Unphased, the children led an engaging series of walks for their school community – right from nursery classes upwards. One participant questioned why the new lake wasn’t on their map!
Squeals of glee, excited chatter, and refrains of group singing filled the participating school fields. There was a notable slowing down, too, as groups paused at the various activity stations, where they were invited to engage with the five ways to well-being via a series of prompts, questions, and challenges.
Walking, talking, making, stopping, connecting and noticing. An inspiring start to our work with young people taking the lead.
(c) Claire Couves
