The Rainbow Project and Stewards Academy collaborated to send 12 brilliant young people to Wales on an adventure trip of a lifetime. Our students faced new experiences and they were challenged to overcome their own personal fears, for example, being afraid of the dark or heights. There was no rest upon arrival as the students were put to the test and their first challenge was to scale a mountain. This was something that many of the pupils hadn’t expected after a long day of travelling in the minibus, but it turned into being one of the many highlights of the trip, with picturesque views and the students growing more confident after realising their own achievements. Social time in the evenings was an opportunity for all the students to bond together and was spent playing games, such as card games and races. On our second day, the pupils participated in Caving and were tested with their abilities to explore the hidden wonders of Wales. Many pupils hadn’t expected to enjoy this activity, with some being anxious about the tight spaces but listening to their evening chatter, it was clear that many pupils felt that this experience was a ‘once in a lifetime’ moment. All the students wore exhausted smiles as they happily tried to predict the activities of the next day. On our third day, the pupils went canoeing in the nearby lake and some of our more courageous lads even enjoyed a chilly dip in the water. It was a wholesome moment to see that many of the students were coming out of their shells and becoming bolder by each passing day. By day four, an established routine had been made and the pupils were up and ready by 8am (yes – teenagers woke up before midday!) Our morning ritual consisted of making beds, setting up the dining room tables, having breakfast and cleaning up after ourselves. This was often followed by a competitive game or two of Uno and being informed of our daily activities. Our fourth day consisted of water gorging – another first for many pupils – and once again, Stewards Academy were challenged to face icy waters and we even had to climb up a waterfall! I cannot express how proud I was to see how the group had developed into a well-established team that would support each other and consistently demonstrated that they cared for their fellow adventurers. To truly enjoy nature’s beauty, our little team had to push ourselves to exceed our own expectations and overcome the exhaustion to scale the rocks against the current. It was extremely humbling to see how the pupils frequently ‘checked in’ with the ‘old one’ (yes – that’s me) at the back and would try to demonstrate how to climb the rocks safely. On our final day, the students were extremely fatigued, but each student was still smiling and eager to partake in our final activity – laser tag. Divided for the first time into two smaller, separate teams – the stakes had increased – and the pupils were ready to face each other in the ‘final showdown.’ Leaping through long grass, ducking under trees, and rolling around in thick mud was all a demonstration of their commitment to taking down their opponents. As the many tired faces climbed into the minibus for their journey home, it was clear that the group had changed from being individuals going on a school trip to friends who had enjoyed the holiday of a lifetime together. I would like to personally thank each of the students for allowing me to share this experience with them. We are also grateful to Riley for accompanying us and to Jason at the Rainbow project for arranging this brilliant trip. - Miss Dorling