More than 100 funded short breaks for disabled children

More

than 100 Cornish children with disabilities have experienced exciting

activities like canoeing and abseiling for free at BF Adventure.

The

young people were on fully-funded short breaks at the centre paid for by Cornwall

Council Disabled Children Short Break Services, formally under Aiming High.

The

chance to take part in adrenaline-fuelled adventure days helped to build their

confidence, try something new and even make new friends.

BF

Adventure has been able to offer the breaks after a £70,000 grant, awarded

through capital funds from Cornwall Council Disabled Children Short Break

Services, paid for outdoor activity equipment for young people with disabilities.

And

since July more than 100 children aged seven to 18 have been able to take part

in the fully funded multi-activity days which are on offer during school

holidays and on weekends.

Alanna,

who is ten and has Autism was terrified of water before she visited BF

Adventure.

Programme

Manager for Short Breaks Samantha Quinn said: "Alanna's mum asked if we could

perhaps take her for a walk and show her our canoe quarry.

"By the

end of the day she had spent an hour canoeing and is planning to come back and

go for a swim!"

The shorts breaks are

tailor made to each child's abilities and needs and offer the chance to try out

exciting challenges like abseiling, canoeing, archery and bush craft or to

explore BF Adventure's new sensory trail.

Samantha Quinn said: "The

activity days help the children taking part to push their boundaries and gain

more confidence.

"We are so pleased about all

the great success stories that we have seen."

"We can't count the number of

thank you notes we have received including a lovely card from Grace (16) who is

visually impaired and visited us with her family, spending the day braving the

zip wire, popping balloons on the archery targets and kayaking."

Cornwall Council continues its

commitment to supporting disabled children and their families by Aiming Higher

by continuing to invest in short break services.

For more information visit http://www.bfadventure.org