In August 2019 free@last, a youth group from the Nechells area of Birmingham, were able to bring 15 children to FSC Preston Montford in Shropshire after receiving support from FSC Kids Fund.
Many of the children, who are aged between 7 and 10, live in child poverty and have not had the opportunity to leave Birmingham before, so they loved the chance to see and explore a countryside setting. During their three day stay the group enjoyed a range of outdoor activities including pond dipping, mammal trapping and shelter building, offering the children new experiences outside of their inner city surroundings.
‘’I like this place, can we come back another time.’’
“The Kids Fund grant made the course affordable for our families, who would not have been able to afford the cost of the residential otherwise.
Without this the young people of Nechells would not have had a chance to see and experience, for a short time, life outside of Birmingham.”
free@last plan to continue offering outdoor learning activities and new experiences for the children who attend the youth group.