Friends Southern Summer Events

Over our time at summer school, we have been on a few outings. We’ve been to the maze which had everyone running around and when we went to Saffron Walden, I was surprised the citizens of this little town weren’t hiding in their houses. But here is what we think of what we have been doing.

The maze was filled with laughter, instructions and confused 11 to 14 year olds. We have enjoyed the maze immensely. “I found it so hard; I had to climb through quite a few bushes to get to the middle.” Says Rachel who said it was 10/10 for the maze. Lydia who found the maze extremely hard, said it was “Hot, exciting, tricky but enjoyable.”  If I were to describe it, it would be misleading but exciting. But all in all it was an excellent day out.

The trip to Saffron Walden was a chance to buy things for secret friends, buy supplies and just hang out with your friends. Glitter was a top-seller and when I asked the toy shop owner whether it was weird that a load of 11 to 14 year olds were buying facial glitter usually bought by 4 to 7 year old girls, she said she thought it was a joke and they were taking the mickey, but who wouldn’t turn down a good customer and she certainly didn’t. I bought some yesterday and it still on my face after a thorough face wipe. Also very popular was, wait for it, pineapples! I know it sounds weird but they were given as presents for secret friends! I was walking round with Lilly and she bought a pineapple to give to her S.F. But she eventually declared she was attached to it and would keep it. But her S.F got their pineapple.

Written by Bethan Davis

At summer school everyone is put into groups of friends, called base groups. Here you get to make new friends, of all age groups, and find out more about each other. There good for discussing the week and how it is going, and how everyone is settling in.

Base groups come together after theme sessions and discuss the matters that were raised, and what we got out of it. We play lots of games, in our base groups mainly things like name games, so that we can get to know each other. Base groups are a nice way to get to know people in a small group, and it discover fun facts about each other.

Rebecca says ‘Base groups make things easier to discuss, as they are small groups.’

Rachel says ‘they are fun…fun times.’

Beth says ‘They are fun, and the base group leaders are very imaginative.’

Alice states ‘I think they are especially good because you can integrate with other people’

Amanda comments ‘I love them, because you get close with your group.’

So overall everyone enjoys the time they spend with their base groups were laughs and fun is shared amongst friends.

Summer School was able to take part in a UN Simulation that would decide the future of our planet. There had been evidence of extra-terrestrial life and each country had to argue whether Earth should send out nuclear weapons into space, send some but not nuclear weapons or no weapons at all. We were divided into groups of varying sizes to represent the different countries: Great Britain, United States of America, China, Brazil, India, Bahrain, Togo, Suriname, Haiti, Greece, Bolivia, Japan and Azerbaijan.  We were given information about our countries and envelopes which stated our countries’ opinions on the matter. To earn points for our countries each group had to participate in fun challenges which included picking up objects with our teeth, carrying water with teaspoons, memorising objects on a tray, something to do with marshmallows and of course making our countries’ flag and designing a national anthem. Each country had certain amounts of resources to trade with to buy materials, depending on the prosperity of their countries. Bahrain surprised everyone by coming 5^th.  Beth, a Bahraini, said that “It was fun pretending to be other people”. The discussions were exciting with many different opinions voiced convincingly. It was an incredible evening and enjoyed thoroughly by all of the young people.

By Rachel Liu