So what actually is The Challenge?
This.
But of course a website doesn't really tell you much, so I guess I can elaborate on what has actually happened, unlike the previous rather half-heartedly approached post.
Anyway, Week 1, the challengers and staff arrived via coach to Cumbria, had dinner, got shown around and led to the appropriate dormitories. As there are less boys, the rooms were shared between 4, whereas the girls had to share rooms between 6. The day after involved getting up, getting dressed and heading to the main centre for breakfast, packed lunches and a quick briefing of the day's activities.
Then the activities start at around 9-10 something, and you and your team (12 people, a senior mentor and an additional person, depending on the week) either walk to location e.g the lakeside, or get driven via minibus (to get to a rock climbing location etc.) where the outdoors instructor helps with various task. Different teams do different activities and not all team have a chance to do all of them, but various sports and team-building exercises exist and many teams will do most of them, ranging from canoeing to ghyll scrambling.
After the day the teams meet up back at the centre for dinner and wavetime - a period where everyone is involved in one large event, for example a team-based hide and seek etc. After that, the evening session begins where each team goes to their own respective area for a group talk, appraisals of each other and smaller group events. Then free time and bed, which is generally around 10:45.
Challengers also earn T.R.U.E awards (Trust Respect Understanding Empathy/Enthusiasm?) for outstanding display of at least one of the four aspects, which enters said challenger into a raffle for a small reward. They are given out to around 3-5 people in the group in each week.
WEEK II
Week 2 is similar, sharing the same scheduled breakfast, bedtime, wavetime/evening sessions. You stay at a students residential building within your cluster (area, eg. Manchester) and you are expected to cook, clean and look after your flat along with your allocated group of 5-ish people and a staff member. Obviously boys and girls are grouped into their own separate flats, and those from one group cannot enter another's flat. You are also expected near the end of the first week to order the appropriate food items for your 4 day stay with a monetary limit of £60, excluding dinners.
The teams are sent to their appropriate activities, be it sport, drama, enterprise, media or photography. Each team develops their skills and uses it in relation to the local community, such as helping people in care homes or interviewing people about their community surroundings.
I would say more, but I haven't actually "graduated" yet so I don't really know much until later.
(Is this really a) Rant Over(?).
This.
But of course a website doesn't really tell you much, so I guess I can elaborate on what has actually happened, unlike the previous rather half-heartedly approached post.
Anyway, Week 1, the challengers and staff arrived via coach to Cumbria, had dinner, got shown around and led to the appropriate dormitories. As there are less boys, the rooms were shared between 4, whereas the girls had to share rooms between 6. The day after involved getting up, getting dressed and heading to the main centre for breakfast, packed lunches and a quick briefing of the day's activities.
Then the activities start at around 9-10 something, and you and your team (12 people, a senior mentor and an additional person, depending on the week) either walk to location e.g the lakeside, or get driven via minibus (to get to a rock climbing location etc.) where the outdoors instructor helps with various task. Different teams do different activities and not all team have a chance to do all of them, but various sports and team-building exercises exist and many teams will do most of them, ranging from canoeing to ghyll scrambling.
After the day the teams meet up back at the centre for dinner and wavetime - a period where everyone is involved in one large event, for example a team-based hide and seek etc. After that, the evening session begins where each team goes to their own respective area for a group talk, appraisals of each other and smaller group events. Then free time and bed, which is generally around 10:45.
Challengers also earn T.R.U.E awards (Trust Respect Understanding Empathy/Enthusiasm?) for outstanding display of at least one of the four aspects, which enters said challenger into a raffle for a small reward. They are given out to around 3-5 people in the group in each week.
WEEK II
Week 2 is similar, sharing the same scheduled breakfast, bedtime, wavetime/evening sessions. You stay at a students residential building within your cluster (area, eg. Manchester) and you are expected to cook, clean and look after your flat along with your allocated group of 5-ish people and a staff member. Obviously boys and girls are grouped into their own separate flats, and those from one group cannot enter another's flat. You are also expected near the end of the first week to order the appropriate food items for your 4 day stay with a monetary limit of £60, excluding dinners.
The teams are sent to their appropriate activities, be it sport, drama, enterprise, media or photography. Each team develops their skills and uses it in relation to the local community, such as helping people in care homes or interviewing people about their community surroundings.
I would say more, but I haven't actually "graduated" yet so I don't really know much until later.
(Is this really a) Rant Over(?).