Volunteering at a Phab Residential Adventure

I first became aware of Phab in 2010, when my Dad decided to run the marathon! I was 8 years old at the time, but Phab has been a part of my life ever since. Over the years I have seen my Dad (and more recently, my brother Luke) take part in many sporting events to raise money for Phab, which lead to the two of them volunteering at Avon Tyrell in 2023. They returned home after their experience last summer, full of the stories of the incredible time that they had, so I decided that this year I would have to join them!

Prior to the week in August, all of the volunteers were invited to Avon Tyrell in June for a weekend of training. This weekend was invaluable to preparing for the week in August, we had the opportunity to learn so much, and also to meet the other volunteers ahead of time. After this training weekend, I felt very well prepared, and knew that I was joining a team that was full of passion for everything that they do!

Before I knew it, it was the middle of August, and it was time for us to travel to Avon Tyrell. Whilst I was excited, I was also feeling nervous for the week ahead, but once we arrived, we were immediately swept up in the excitement of preparing for the participants to arrive. We spent the afternoon transforming the Calander House into a Seaside Paradise (with the help of a lot of bunting!), and getting to know the team that we would be working with over the next week.

Any worries I had evaporated once the participants arrived. The house was quickly filled with laughter and joy, and I was immediately thrown in to a competitive chess game with a 12-year-old boy from my group – he was a very good teacher! The first evening was spent all together down at the campfire, where we all sang and danced to start the week off.

The activities were a natural highlight of the week, doing everything from high ropes to mountain biking to kayaking on the lake. The Avon Tyrell staff were incredible, and made sure every activity was accessible to all participants! Watching the participants enjoying the activities and conquering these challenges made the whole experience incredibly rewarding – and getting to join in was an added bonus!

The range of activities and evening activities were fantastic, it's hard to pick a favourite! But one part of the week that stands out to me was the Awards Evening on the Thursday night, where everyone gathered together to celebrate the achievements that so many had made. I had the honour of presenting the awards to the children in my group, which was an emotional and memorable experience for me. It was a pleasure to share and celebrate the incredible week that Team Ice Cream had had, with the massive smiles on everyone's faces making it all the more worthwhile.

Friday morning came around too quickly, and we had to say good-bye to the participants and other volunteers alike. It's safe to say that it was an emotional morning.

My experience volunteering at Phab was rewarding, and it allowed me to gain and develop some many skills that will be invaluable to me in my teaching career. I cannot wait to volunteer on another Phab Adventure in the future!

Thank you Phab for a sensational week!
 
Abby Turner – Phab Adventure Volunteer