BBQ Season Ends the DeKanWiz term

Wee Ganavan was the setting for our last gathering of DeKanWiz before the summer, joined by friends from the 2 Lochs Project in Kinlochleven. It was a splendid opportunity for good chat, good food and a good laugh. Both groups will now move into a different rhythm of summer camps and one-off activities for the next period, before re-starting towards the end of August, when DKW will continue their 'Walkabout' around Oban churches and visits to Christian youth events around Scotland.

H2O Award 2014 - Well done Lyndsay!

Lyndsay Foster is this year's H2O Award recipient. The presentation was made to Lyndsay at the annual Oban High School prize giving.

Lyndsay (centre) with H2O Youth Workers Joan Beaton and Ewen Munro

Lyndsay's contribution to her peers has been invaluable over the past year, both in Oban High School and within the Scottish Youth Parliament, where her focus has been on smoking cessation amongst young people.

She has assisted H2O in the provision of our Wacky, Wet and Dry event held at Kilbowie outdoor centre, and in February coordinated all OHS input to the Faith Perspectives conference at SAMS research centre in Dunstaffnage.

Our best wishes go with Lyndsay as she embarks on studies in childcare.

Lyndsay thanks guests and her peers at the FM conference held at SAMS

The BBQ season is most definitely upon us, and Xplore have opened the season with a visit to Tralee Bay by Benderloch for a bit of games time, a bit of chat time and burgers to die for. 

BBQ time sees the group finishing off for the summer break with several of the group off to summer camps at Soul Survivor in Stafford, SSC at Struan and eXp in Dunoon. So, all and all, although going their separate ways, the group members have a busy summer ahead.

Belgium, France and Canada - All in one day!

Yes, all in one day. Ewen Munro recently joined up with the Oban High School visit to the WW1 battlefields. Day two of the 3-day experience was particularly mind-blowing as we left Kemmel, our Belgian base to travel to the Somme in France, where we came upon Newfoundland Park in Canada, gifted to the Canadian nation by France after the first world war.
The overall experience was based on real life stories, songs and images from the Ypres and Somme regions, and involved visits to original trenches at Sanctuary Wood, the biggest WW1 monument at Thiepval, the largest Commonwealth cemetery at Tyne Cot and the daily time of remembrance at The Menin Gate in Ypres.
Forty young people and four staff took part in the life-changing trip, ably guided by Nicola from Mertcat Tours in Edinburgh, safely transported by Jeff from Bibby's of Ingleton and well documented by a certain youth worker and his camera,

Visitors to Glencruitten Hostel, local and not so local!

It's summer time and at Glencruitten Hostel it's also time to welcome the neighbours. This summer the visitors were both from the Glencruitten neighbourhood and the European neighbourhood.
Our bi-annual event coincided with a visit from Danish students, on a mini tour of Scotland. A fun time was had by all, young folk from the islands, young folk from Scandanavia, young and not-so-young from Glencruitten. A wee bit dancing, the almost traditional games time and lots of delicious BBQ and buffet food made for a great event with loads of smiles!