21/08/2026
What a summer it’s been in Ryelands. 💛
Over the past few weeks, our Chief Officer, Yak, Community Action Network Officer Rachel and the Ryelands Residents Group group have each week been helping to provide positive activities and, just as importantly, a safe and welcoming space for local children and young people.
And they've come away from the experience with just as much as they've given...
This summer brought together an incredible mix of young people from different communities, backgrounds and experiences. On paper, there may have been plenty that made them different. In reality, it didn’t take long for them to discover just how much they had in common.
They laughed, learned about one another, made new friends, looked out for each other and created a space where everyone could feel that they belonged.
There was plenty of old-school fun too phones down and games of Bulldog, Tracking, Kirby and Tin Can Lurky! There was cooking and learning about what our bodies need, creativity and art, and lots of opportunities for young people to express how they see the world around them.
And amongst all the fun came some brilliant conversations - funny, challenging, thoughtful and, at times, genuinely insightful.
Those conversations have been an important reminder of why spending time with communities matters. Listening directly to young people, hearing what matters to them, what they need from the adults and services around them, and what we could perhaps do better is something that will be carried back into work across communities, health and social care.
As Yak put it...
“Sometimes giving your time to young people and the community isn’t about what you can give them, it’s about what they give back to you.”
He’s also apparently done the equivalent of about 100 squats and is absolutely goosed. 😅
A brilliant summer, and some pretty special young people. ❤️
