What would you do with £10,000?

This is the question asked by the Ferdinando and Luigi Innocenti Foundation to our Girl’s Club, with an unusually genuine interest in the answer, commitment to hearing young people’s voices and willingness to see it through. 

Over the next few weeks we got to it, shouting out ideas, making lists and canvassing other young people until we could identify the common thread; they wanted to get out of the city and get to know Wales, the country that they live in but feel distanced from, through exploration and adventure in the breathtaking natural landscape that it is known for. 

Every young person has an intrinsic need and the right to connect physically with the natural environment - jump in the sea, lie in the grass, touch the tree - in order to understand their own place in the world. Being filled with wonder while being tested by the natural environment can not only build skills and confidence, but also help to conceptualise their own limitations and potential, leading to a greater understanding of their individual position in this world and their responsibility as citizens.

But the group did not feel that this was an option for them. They gave many reasons including economic challenges, a lack of knowledge and a fear of bugs, but all agreed that the biggest barrier that they wanted to overcome was the restrictive expectation placed on them as young girls. 

It also became apparent that despite most of the girls being raised in Newport, they had very little knowledge of or connection to the country. Many were surprised when we looked at some images of Wales, and some were not aware that Wales is a country separate to the rest of the UK;

So we had a common aim and the girls set out to make a plan. We chose three key words; Wales, Nature, Explore. We met once a week and chatted excitedly every time we crossed paths. They were suggesting activities that took them out of their comfort zones and encouraging each other to be more adventurous, more bold. They had an opportunity to push the boundaries and take the lead, to design a project by themselves - for themselves. And then they told me that they wanted to bring the boys. 

Then came the day of the first trip. The girls had really pushed the boundaries of what they thought they could achieve by beginning with an activity that they felt was truly out of their reach; surfing. They were nervous, doubtful but above all else they were excited. Some had never before swum in the sea. The bus ride was filled with summer music interspersed with doubt and concern about their abilities and what sea creatures they might encounter, closely followed by words of reassurance and playful encouragement from the others. Young people who did not necessarily have longstanding, closeknit friendships prior to this project were showing solidarity and empathy to each other, taking ownership of the intentions of the project that they had designed together and working to support those who needed it. 

 The group learned about beach-safety including the meaning of lifeguard flags as well as how to spot, or ultimately escape a riptide. We spoke about the world renowned beaches which line Wales' west coast, and looked at the map to see how close and accessible they could be. We arrived at Caswell Bay to sounds of wonder and approval from the girls. The dramatic cliffs surrounded a bay of clear blue water and fine sand where people were happily exploring the rocks and rivulets. Despite the worries of five minutes before most of the group (and some of the youth workers) wasted no time getting straight into the water to splash each other before posing for photographs together. 

The time came to try surfing, and some of the group remembered their nerves, but the girls met with their instructors and collected their boards, showing  determination to give it a go and support for each other in the moments it was needed. The session was filled with laughter, squeals, good natured teasing and competition. By the time it was over, every girl who had gone in to the water was exhausted, hungry, and had managed to vastly exceed her own expectations of herself. 

The following months brought a succession of trips designed to explore different natural habitats of Wales while gaining skills and knowledge and having brand new experiences. We managed to include many who were not involved in the planning process as well as ensuring the core group of girls was able to have a go at each different challenge that they had set themselves. Across the board we were hearing that young people had increased their own expectations of themselves, gained a new appreciation for the activities or the places that we had visited and above all, had great fun. 

We visited St Davids in Pembrokeshire, the birthplace of the Welsh patron saint, where the young people experienced camping for the first time. They managed to work in teams to pitch a tent, maintain a campsite, cook outdoors and safely monitor a fire. They also enjoyed toasted marshmallows, campfire chats, visits to a beautiful local beach and the famous unpredictable Welsh weather. We chatted about local history, myths and legends while stargazing and camping next to a maintained iron-age fort.  While we were there the groups experienced coasteering at the breathtaking blue lagoon, where they had the support of an instructor to navigate around a disused quarry filled with glowing blue sea water, and to jump from cliffs of varying heights into a vastly deep plunge pool. 

Closer to home in South Wales, the young people visited a disused colliery surrounded by original historic coal mining buildings, where they were challenged to tackle a three storey high outdoor obstacle course.

The young people invariably pushed their boundaries, had great fun and despite initial concerns and fears, they came away determined to tackle the greater challenge of a zip-line in the future.

We hiked up Sugarloaf mountain, a beauty spot not too far from Newport where we met wild horses and rested at the peak to take pictures. Following this we explored the South Wales coastline on a speed boat, with young people who had never been on a boat ride before and were extremely trepidatious about doing so. They saw the capital city and the coast of their own city from a new perspective with the support of a knowledgeable guide, while pointing out things they had never seen before and buzzing with excitement and exhilaration. 

Finally we came to the crowning glory of the girl’s plans, our trip to North Wales. This was the non-negotiable of all of the initial ideas; the girls wanted above all else to visit the world renowned rugged beauty of Eryri National Park, the pictures of which had solidified their intentions to build stronger connections with the country that they live in. The group were extremely nervous and excited but also organised, determined and ready to go.  We got together the evening before to pack our bags and make sure everybody had warm clothes and socks., enough to last out a snow storm in April. We talked about logistics and ran through the three day itinerary one more time. We had searched and searched for the right place to stay, decided against camping due to the stories of spring snow and so we finally settled on a bunkhouse in Dolgellau. This was cost effective, back to basics, but provided a warm, dry place to sleep and easy access to some of Wales’ most breathtaking wild spaces. 

On the long drive the landscape subtly began to change. We left the busy roads and began to wind through countryside interspersed with beautiful little market towns and very many sheep fields, consistently surrounded by distant mountains. Then came the waterfalls and more sheep, now occasionally wandering on the side of the road and following this came the glorious sunshine, the only weather eventuality that we had not expected. 

We arrived at the bunkhouse and the group, immediately after choosing a bunk and dropping their bags, set off to make friends with the resident horses who they named after different biscuits according to their colouring.  Once we had introduced ourselves to the local animals including a curious robin and a surprised spider which needed to be rehomed, the girls packed a bag and we set off to hike along a local gorge. The group directed the walk with maps and a compass, which was a first for all of the young people. They stopped to take in dramatic sights and to throw stones in the water and learned about edible and non edible plants. We arrived back at the bunkhouse tired, muddy and satisfied. The group split into teams to take care of the necessary tasks such as cooking, cleaning and making lunches for the following day, then we settled in for a night toasting marshmallows and stargazing around the firepit. 

This pattern continued throughout the trip. The girls knew the plan and took the lead in implementing it. They went up Yr Wyddfa mountain where they marvelled at standing in the clouds while looking down on tranquil lakes and rushing waterfalls. They went down into an underground cave system where they bounced on a trampoline, chased each other and laughed more than i had ever seen them laugh before. In between we saw countless sheep and lambs, birds of prey and many natural marvels. We had fun pronouncing Welsh place names as we drove through the places where Welsh myth and history are said to have taken place; the story of Gelert as we drove through Beddgelert was a favourite. 

On the last day we had some flexible time. The girls wanted to visit a local beach, so we headed to Barmouth where they ran in the sand dunes and wrote their names in the sand, but the mood had changed. They were happy to be headed home to see their loved ones, but they could feel the time approaching when they would have to return to the city and their normal lives. The girls told us how they had had the best sleep that they had ever had, had eaten more than usual and really strongly wanted to stay. They talked about plans to learn to drive and intentions to move to North Wales in the future. Then they fell asleep. 

Throughout this process the young people have expressed doubt. Doubt that we would be granted the funding, doubt that their ideas would be possible and doubt that they were the best candidates to plan such a big project, but above all, the doubt that they were able to participate in any of the activities that they had planned for themselves. What they gained after every trip was proof that their doubts were unfounded; they had stood up on a surfboard, they had jumped from the high cliff, they had looked at the world from the highest mountain in Wales and they had contributed significantly to the planning and execution of all of it. They had proven themselves wrong and learned to silence their self doubt. 

They built their skill and knowledge set, boosted their confidence and gifted a lot of fun and wonder to their peers. They strengthened connections to the country they live in and to each other through the process while also creating a new relationship with themselves; challenging the expectations put on them by society and ultimately raising the expectations they have of themselves, their abilities, their aspirations and their self worth. 

That is what we did with £10,000. 

Written by
Ellyse Davies - Youth and Community Worker