WHAT A SUMMER WE HAD

“Summer of fun 22”

We were so excited to offer young people of our Parish the chance to take part in our Summer Activity Program “Summer of Fun 22”. Here’s a taste of what we got up to during our Summer of Fun adventures.

Week 1. Go-Karting

For the first trip we went Go-Karting near to Hurn Airport Bournemouth.

14 young people attended this trip; we had so much fun! For several of the young people, it was their first time in a Go-Kart. Everyone embraced their opportunity to drive a Go-Kart. Surprisingly, the top speed of these vehicles is 45mph! Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed getting kitted out with their balaclava, gloves, boiler suit and crash helmet. They looked wonderful! We did have a quite a few crashes (on and off the track). Quite a few spun out and crashed into the tyre walls. After Karting we went to a local sports field to have a kick about and play Frisby Golf.

Week 2 Dorset Adventure Parks Inflatables on the Lake.

We had 26 young people attend this activity. Once again, for a number of the young people this was their first-time experiencing inflatables on a lake. As with the previous activity this certainly didn’t stop their sense of adventure and they all fully took part. Playing ‘tick’ whilst running around in a thick wetsuit and buoyancy aid was not the easiest of things to do (well for me anyway!) The young guys absolutely loved it! The lake was awash with laughter and yelps of joy!

Week 3 Beach Clean and BBQ.

We stayed local for week three. 18 young people signed up for this task, we also had a special honorary guest join us, Barney (Jos n Elliot’s dog. See pic below). Our wonderful young people walked up and down the beach near to The Pier Bandstand, Weymouth. We collected about 5 black bags worth of trash. Thank goodness it wasn’t all just discarded rubbish. We asked families and people on the beach if they’d like us to take their rubbish. Many were very impressed that a group of teenagers were willing to help make their environment a nicer and cleaner place. This all took place after we’d filled our stomachs (first principal of youth work) We had a great BBQ in the Hope House Garden. We then spent a couple of hours in the ocean; a game of Water Russian Roulette was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We had an amazing couple of hours of fun but also the seeds of serving our community have been sown into the minds of the teenagers of Weymouth.

Week 4 Thorpe Park

We had 21 young people on the Thorpe Park trip. Oh goodness! What an awesome time we had! Our very early start (7 am) had many turn up blurry eyed but ready to embrace the thrills the day would have for them. From Stealth’s 0-80mph in 2.7 seconds or the sensational Swarm the UK’s only ‘Wing’ roller coaster, then, there’s always the good old water rides to experience and Tidal Wave did not disappoint. You got soaked on and off this ride. The weather as with each SoF activity was totally spectacular. I don’t think anyone came home unhappy; everyone was beaming. This truly was a fantastic trip, many of the guy’s experienced roller coasters for the first time. One young lady sat next to me on the Saw ride and almost burst my ear drum, not with screams of fear but of actual joy (well, after the first vertical drop anyway). The minibus and other vehicles were a buzz on the way home everyone reliving their experiences of the day and exchanging stories. We made a food stop at Winchester services and got home just after 8pm. What a wonderful day!

Week 5 Jurassic Coast boat trip.

The 5th and final activity for Summer of Fun was a boat trip with Jurassic Coastal Tour company from Swanage. Later in the afternoon we went up to Durlston Head Country Park for some dolphin spotting. We had 20 YP come along to see if they could spot dolphins.

SOME OF THE GUYS ACTUALLY SPOTTED DOLPHINS. Yeeeehaaawwwwww!

The cruise along the Jurassic coast was wonderful, we sailed east past Old Harry’s Rocks, entered Poole Harbour and spent a little time on shore there. We all had an ice cream and hopped back on board for the return trip. It was a circular cruise but the cruise back to Swanage didn’t disappoint, here’s where a number of the teens saw a small pod of dolphins. After returning to the Pier, we drove to Durlston Head. The guys had a good look around the Castle and went for an explore. The views from the castle were so stunning!

I would like to say a massive thank you to all the volunteers who made SoF possible. Also thank you to the parents who entrusted their children into our care. We mustn’t forget to say a huge thank you to the GLYN MACAULAY TRUST for their generous grant that financed our trips and made it all possible.

Here are comments from a few young people and their parents.

Hi Joe, I just wanted to say that I think it’s absolutely amazing what you have done. It was so nice for my daughter to get out and join the Thorpe Park and Jurassic Coastal tour trips. Especially now with everything getting more expensive, we certainly couldn’t have afforded these days out with all of our family, so it was really good for her to be able to go. She absolutely loved both trips but of course Thorpe Park was her favourite as she loves rollercoasters 
(Parent)

I was really nervous about going, but Joe and the team made me feel at ease and I had a fantastic time, especially Thorpe Park. I love that my dad was a helper. – F age 11.

Thank you so much to Joe and the team for providing such wonderful activities for our daughter, ones we would have never been able to do this summer. She had a brilliant time as did her dad who came as a helper and has now agreed to help at the Hope House Youth Club! (Parent)

I’d like to say thank you for allowing my daughter to go on the trips she has done so many things we couldn’t afford to send her on. She’s had such an amazing time and looked forward to each Friday. I’d say her favourite was Thorpe Park. She went out of her comfort zone and tried loads of new things and without the amazing leaders I don’t think she would have done any of it. And thanks for allowing me to go on the boat trip I had such a fantastic day.

(Parent)


Thank-you to all of the organisers who funded and arranged these trips. I really, really enjoyed every single trip we went on, and have made so many good memories from the experiences. I especially enjoyed the Go-karting because I liked going fast as I could around the course. Thank you again for enabling me to have a fantastic summer and making friends along the way.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to go Go-Karting for the first time! It was so much fun!

I don’t have the words to express what a difference these activities have made to our families summer. Thank you for the fun had and enabling connection with peers to make friends.
Thank you for providing an environment whereby confidence can grow. Thank you for taking the pressure off our family in providing a summer of fun whilst navigating the cost of living challenges. Not has it been an okay summer but an exceptional one! (Parent)

I joined in with the beach clean and BBQ, it was great because I loved playing on the beach with my friends and it felt good to help keep the beach clean’ Lily

The Dorset Water Park was very fun and exciting.

It was a great opportunity for my two boys to try something new and spend some quality time together. Thank you. Denise (Parent)

Thankyou for giving us the opportunity to go on those trips throughout summer, I enjoyed all of them, as for a highlight, Thorpe park was definitely a favourite especially with everyone there enjoying themselves.

I really enjoyed Summer of Fun because I got to meet up with my friends and make new ones. I have lots of lovely memories of all the fun activities we did. 

We felt truly blessed this Summer that our son could take part in Summer of Fun. There were so many exciting activities on offer. He loved each one he attended. We are thankful that this also gave the opportunity to build friendships amongst the youth. (Parents)

Both of mine named the go-karting and Jurassic coast tour as favourites, Our son also added the water park and Thorpe Park. Our daughter enjoyed trying new things, and our son loved being in the company of all his Ignite friends and leaders. For us it was the first time we had our kids have a regular church programme through a summer, and it was brilliant that they could be with such a great group of people and have the variety of activities you put together.

Thank you so much for all your time and efforts in putting it together, it will be a summer they look back on positively for a long time. (Parent)

I would like to say what an outstanding Church Youth Group we now have. We are so Blessed to have Joe Hobday and the Team giving their time and effort to make this work. 

Thank You So Much For Everything You Have Done For Our Younger Members! (Parent)