A GROUP that provides activities for young people with learning difficulties is on the hunt for more volunteers.
Teesdale Opportunities for Disabled Youngsters (TODYS) provides weekly sessions at The Hub, on Shaw Bank, but has limited capacity because there are not enough people to help out.
The group tries to provide one-to-one support during their sessions.
A trip to Copley for a woodland adventure was part of their latest get together.
Activities provider Kirsty Brien led the evening and helped the young people make their own adventure playground.
Among the group were six young people from Barnard Castle, Stainton, Cockfield and Gainford, each with a volunteer to help.
Ms Brien said: “They are really fantastic and the volunteers are awesome with the things they do with them.”
The group was started by Joan Bailey in 2000 when she arrived in Teesdale and found the area lacked provision for disabled young children. It has grown to the point where volunteers cater for about 17 young people. She said: “We have 14 volunteers but they can’t all volunteer every session.”
Sessions for the younger group run from 5.30pm to 7pm on Thursdays, and the older group meet from 6.30pm to 8pm. Richard Graham started helping with the group after his retirement and decided to sign up after reading articles in the Mercury.
He said: “It is fantastic. There is something different each week. The work Joan puts in is really impressive.”
Younger volunteers say they have not only found working with the group satisfying, but it is helping them professionally too.
Danielle Passfield,16, said: “It helped me get a job as a teaching assistant.” .
Niamh Fletcher added: “It is rewarding and it helps me in terms of what I want to do. I want to be a learning disability nurse.”
She plans to study at Northumbria University.
Ms Bailey said the group costs about £6,000 a year to run and along with a small subscription, funding has come from Teesdale Action Partnership, GlaxoSmithKline and Barnard Castle School.
As well as the weekly sessions, the group also enjoys Calvert Trust activity breaks in Keswick during Easter and October, which have been funded by County Durham Foundation Trust.
Ms Bailey said: “The children just love it and it provides respite for parents who need the break. Unfortunately funding for the trips has dried up and now the group is looking for a new pot of cash. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact The Hub on 01833 690150.
