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Mournes and Slieve Croob District Electoral Area Forums (DEAs) have collaborated with County Down Rural Community Network, Ark Housing, Arbour Housing, Clanmill Housing and Northern Ireland Executive Housing for All Programme to deliver a successful ASD and ADHD summer friendly sports camp.
Over 40 young people took part in the programme from Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 August at the 3G pitch at Castlewellan Community Centre. On the final day, all participants had the opportunity to try new land and water-based sporting, team building and social activities together at Castlewellan Forest Park.
Transitioning into mentors a number of previous summer camp participants shed light on the benefits of taking part in the summer sports camps while helping to ensure this year’s young people enjoyed the experience to the full.
Summer camps can pose significant challenges for children with ASD and ADHD. The sensory stimuli, unstructured routines and social interactions in an unfamiliar environment can be overwhelming for young people, hindering their ability to fully engage and benefit from conventional programmes.
Newry Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte said, “It was great to see a tailor-made programme catering to the unique needs of young people with ADHD and ASD being delivered in the area. We want to continue to roll out programmes that are inclusive for everyone as part of the action plan for Slieve Croob and Mournes DEA’s to enable our young people to come together in a safe environment where they feel comfortable and can enjoy engaging in a range of suitable programmes”.
Gareth Keown, Interactive Football Academy who facilitated the programme said, “The programme has been a resounding success exceeding all our expectations. Feedback from families has been really positive, highlighting the continued need for more programmes like this locally.”
