Newsletter: April – June 2020
As lockdown forced schools and parks to shut all across the nation, the team at Goal Line Youth Trust worked through the pandemic to ensure that their doors remained open for those deemed most in need in the Portadown area.
With no shops, no parks, no restaurants, and no leaving the house, lockdown was a difficult time for everybody as families tried to stay entertained in the house day after day. Goal Line worked alongside the Southern Health and Social Care Trust Children with Disabilities team to provide crisis support sessions for 10 young people aged 4-17, who struggled to cope with the effects of lockdown. A lack of structure and routine had driven some young people to breaking point, having detrimental effects on their mental health and forcing families to crisis point. Goal Line provided a controlled safe environment for these young people to come as respite from quarantine in the house. One child described their session as a chance to ‘get out and be normal’, which I’m sure we can all relate to.
“These sessions have been a real lifeline to our family”
In order to provide a safe space for the young people, a top to bottom deep clean of the centre was conducted, and social distancing measures put in place. The staff donned their protective gloves and masks as they welcomed the young people into the socially distanced centre for their individual sessions. The equipment and the centre were cleaned and disinfected at the end of every session as to avoid cross contamination. Thanks to the support of funders Goal Line was able to purchase the necessary PPE and cleaning equipment for operating under lockdown restrictions.
The young people were encouraged to stay active throughout the ten weeks and with the help of the pleasant spring weather they were able to experience a range of sports at Goal Line including archery and badminton. The children were assigned the challenge of redecorating the coffee bar, they used their creativity and imagination to create a four elements wall display. The centre also boasts a multi-sensory room which was put to great use during this time, the young people with more complex needs were able to enjoy relaxing in the quiet space while enjoying the sensory-processing equipment such as the bubble tube and ultra violet fibre optics. Toys and equipment suitable for children with disabilities were purchased for the young people during these sessions thanks to support and funding also.
“He came home relaxed and content”
These sessions provided a break not only for the young people but for their families too, who would frequently use that time to shop, or have a well needed rest. Most parents said that their child’s behaviour and emotional skills were affected positively by the sessions and showed their gratitude to the staff at Goal Line, one social media post reading ‘ my family can’t thank you enough for this service’.
Each of the young people received a ‘happy memory’ scrap book, put together by the Goal Line staff, filled with photographs showcasing the activities which they took part in and serving as a reminder of how they spent their time during lockdown at Goal Line.
Article written by Craig Chambers.