Derry~Londonderry Heroes Project YMCA

Heroes Trip to Belfast On Friday the 20th of September the YMCA heroes group and the Mencap group went on a trip to Belfast to visit Stormont and W5. As part of our group work sessions we had discussed how laws are made and on the trip we got to see where they are made in Stormont. We took part in a tour of the building and got to see the chambers where the assembly members sit. It was a beautiful day with blue skies all around so we ate our lunch outside at the new play park on the Stormont estate. To end our visit to Belfast we went to W5 and had a fantastic time learning and discovering. 

Heroes at Learning Disability Pride 2019 On Saturday 22nd of June we made our way up to Carrickfergus to attend Learning Disability Pride and take part in the parade. As we arrived in Carrickfergus the sun was shining and there was great excitement in the air as different groups from all over the country came together to celebrate learning disabilities.  We wore Tie Dye t-shirts in the parade which we designed ourselves and no one could have missed us as we were so bright and colourful. The parade route passed the sea front and the castle, and with brilliant blue skies overhead we couldn't have had a better day out!

Fermanagh Heroes Trip On Saturday 16th of February the Heroes group went to Fermanagh to meet up with the Belfast and Fermanagh Heroes groups to explore Enniskillen. The first activity on the agenda for the day was going on a tour of Enniskillen on the Kestrel boat. For some of our group this was their first time on a boat which was exciting! On the boat tour we got to see Enniskillen Castle and we stopped off at Devenish Island and got to explore the monastic ruins. Back on dry land we went to the Westend Community Centre were we got our lunch. The chicken curry, rice and chips were delicious and heated us up after being out on the boat. After lunch we had two activities, Kangoo Jumps and Jumping Clay.  The Kangoo Jumps involved us having to put on bouncy shoes that allowed us to bounce all over the place. We started of doing some basic moves and then learned a routine! The jumping clay was much more relaxed and we got to make a key-ring of Devenish Islan...

Belfast Heroes Trip On Saturday 19th of January our heroes group went to Belfast to meet up with the Belfast and Fermanagh Heroes Groups for a fun day out.   After a long journey up we were greeted by warm smiling faces and got stuck into some icebreaker and team games. Our favourite game was the photo scavenger hunt where we had to take pictures of our group doing funny stuff like posing as super heroes!! After lunch we went on the City sightseeing bus and got to see famous sights like Stormont and the Peace wall which we signed our names on. We stopped off at C.S.Lewis square and took photos in front of Aslan!! All in all it was a great day and we all got loads of new fun memories. 

Trip to the Christmas Markets Our last trip of the year before we took a break for Christmas was to the Christmas markets in town.  On a wintry Thursday our Ardnashee group got to leave school and go into town to see the markets. There was a variety of stalls for us to look at and the best part was Kidz farm as we got to pet the animals. There was a Llama, a giant rabbit and a guinea pig to name a few. As a bonus treat we all went to the Warehouse Café and got hot chocolates, tea and coffee to warm ourselves up. The group had a nice time, sitting with their friends and chatting. After our stop in the café we went on a walk to Foyleside shopping centre to see the choirs singing for Christmas and we stopped by the sensory room to see what it was like. This trip was definitely a highlight of our first term as the young people were confident and comfortable enough to walk around town and have a good time! 

Heroes Trip to Belfast Giants On Sunday 9th of December our group went to the SSE Arena in Belfast to watch an Ice Hockey Match between Belfast Giants and Cardiff Giants! On our way to the match we stopped at Pizza Hut in Glengormley and we all got to get our own pizza. The pizza was so tasty and it filled us up and got us ready for the match. The atmosphere in the SSE Arena was crazy with all the supporters out cheering on their teams. When the teams came out onto the ice there was lots of noise and music and they skated out between two flame throwers. When Belfast Giants scored their first goal everyone threw teddy bears onto the ice in support of a children's charity. During the breaks there was lots going on with many prizes to be one and there was even a subway cannon shooting out subways into the crowd. All in all everyone had a great time at the match and we were all glad to get to our beds that night!