Walking out full of hope!
April saw Think2Speak families head off to Edale for our Adventures Away From Home residential experience! Here’s what a parent carer and one of the young people who attended had to say about it….
“My son came out as trans just under a year ago and through my work I already knew about Think2Speak and I made contact initially just so that I could get support as a mum but it soon became apparent my son also needed some support and fortnightly calls with Jo were the starting point. When we heard about the residential, I thought what an amazing experience it would be for us as a family, so on a rainy Friday at the end of the Easter holidays we packed up the car and headed to the Peak District to spend the weekend with other families just like ours.
We were all nervous, me, my son and his step-dad, each with our own anxieties about what the weekend would hold and all of us feeling like we might not fit in. How wrong could I be. From arrival on the Friday through to leaving on the Sunday the weekend was packed with laughter, friendship, tears and fun. We went for a hike in the rain, crawled through rocks, canoed and climbed on stacks of crates. We listened to some really inspiring talks and of course the young people all got time to just be themselves with no judgement.
The biggest thing for us as a family that we got from the weekend was around understanding each other and understanding that it is ok and completely normal to be exactly who you are. As a parent the weekend filled me with hope for the future because ‘Trans is Beautiful’ and being surrounded by families just like ours who welcomed us in was very humbling.
We brought home a young lad who is much more positive about the future because he has seen a future in some of the people who were there. He talks passionately about the weekend and about himself, plus we all made some friends who I hope will feature in our lives for a long time. We don’t know what that future will bring but we know we are on the right path and are not alone in this.
If you are questioning whether Think2Speak can support your family, pick up the phone because you are not alone and who knows, one day you might be the parent walking into your first residential full of worry; but walking out full of hope.” Sarah
“The Edale residential trip was such an amazing time for me, the area was gorgeous, the staff and everyone attending were so lovely and accepting, and I surprised myself with how much I was able to accomplish. As a young disabled person, also struggling with an anxiety disorder, I’m very used to feeling held back, and a lot of the time not fully enjoying myself because of background worries and anxiety. But that changed during this trip, as everyone there, the staff and the others there for the trip were so encouraging and supportive that I could let my anxiety go for a little while, and I genuinely enjoyed myself and the activities to the fullest. Even though we were only able to come through for one day, I had such a wonderful experience. Being able to do the activities made me feel empowered and I’m so glad I didn’t let anything hold me back from such a good time. But none of that would’ve been possible without the support and encouragement from everyone there, as well as all the people that went into organising this trip, so thank you.” Jade
Huge thanks to all the volunteers who made this Residential possible, and funding via UK Youth ‘Adventures away from Home’ programme, YHA Edale and Lincolnshire Community Foundation.