Project Description
Young Star Mentoring provides opportunities for care leavers in the UK to take on outdoor challenges like climbing Ben Nevis or hiking in the Lake District. These excursions are shown to improve the self-esteem and mental health of isolated and disadvantaged young adults on the brink of leaving care. The excursions also help them develop resilience and teaches them about teamwork.
On 2nd August 2021, Young Star Mentoring took a group of young Care leavers including a single mum with her 16 month old toddler, all from London to the Lake District on a 6 day adventure. Their aim was to climb Scafell Pike and to complete a 2 day Hills and Skills course with the Mountain Training Association in order to help teach the young people map and compass skills and to be safe hiking in the mountains .
The group worked really well together helping one another as they ascended up the mountain. The Lake District is stunningly beautiful which amazed the young people as they saw these beautiful vistas that inspired so many artists like Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth.
The next 2 days were the Skills course. They spent the next two days hiking up mountains learning about the map, how to use a compass, what the symbols mean on a map and about the weather which is so important in the mountains. Although many of the young people were getting tired at that point, however they pushed on to complete the course .
The final day was a rest day. The group connected with the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team based in Keswick Town where they were hosted by Staurt and John, two committed Mountain Rescue team members who spent the next 2 hours showing the young people the rescue equipment, first aid kit, Land Rovers and satellite radios. During that visit it came across very strongly how passionate Stuart and John were about being on the Keswick Mountain Rescue team. Although they joked about how sometimes their wives give them a hard time about it, the group all realised that these volunteers are very much needed as they rescue about 300 people off the mountains each year.