The Poppy’s big adventure

From Legion Summer 2009

Of all the welfare work the Legion does, one of the most appreciated
is the Poppy Adventure Breaks for children.

They work out well for everyone.
The youngsters get a fantastic holiday – a paid-for week of quad biking, canoeing, swimming, archery, mountain biking and discos, and much more.
The parents, meanwhile, enjoy what is usually a long-overdue respite from the demands of their teenage offspring and the satisfaction that their children are having a holiday that they might not otherwise have had.

The scheme’s success is illustrated by the letters of thanks that the Legion receives. For example: “Poppy Adventure Breaks are brilliant. My son’s self-confidence has grown. He seems to stand taller. It has been a wonderful experience, so good, in fact, that he would like to do it again right now.”

Another commented: “Thank you for the kids’ break, it gave us all a well-needed chance to experience different things and it was a great opportunity for the kids, especially as they didn’t stop buzzing for at least two days after returning home.”

Possibly the most heart-warming letter came from a single-parent mother whose son is her carer, as she is disabled and uses a wheelchair. She wrote to say: “Rory thoroughly enjoyed his time away. I would like to thank all for this opportunity. With him being my only carer, he has a lot on his shoulders and breaks like this offer him a time to chill out, to do things that boys should be doing. It also gives him a sense of himself and male role models.

“There is nothing better for me than to see him have a break and to have thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s given him time out to enjoy life and to not worry about me for a few days.”

Of course, as the last letter implies, there does have to be a genuine need to be eligible for the breaks. The scheme exists to assist service, or ex-service, families living in isolation. Among the criteria children need to meet in order to qualify for the breaks are: coming from a one-parent household; being part of a family with a parent serving on overseas operations; or coming from a family that has not been able to afford a holiday or break away from home in three years. Children also need to be aged 12-17.

The breaks are a response to the 2005 welfare survey that identified
a need for something to give isolated children the opportunity to build
and develop confidence. Additionally, it was estimated that there are some 80,000 lone-parent households in the ex-service community.
The holidays are run by Kids Klub Activity Holidays, a reputable company that has been providing adventure breaks for more than 20 years. It has created a seven-night package for Legion beneficiaries, which includes seven nights’ full-board accommodation, pocket money and transport to and from the centres.

Take up the challenge
The centres – which have been piloted over the past 18 months – are located in Nottinghamshire, Berkshire and Dorset. Ian Philip, Operations Manager for Poppy Adventure Breaks, says that the schemes take place during the Easter and summer holidays. He particularly wants to encourage the dependants of the men and women who may currently be on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, “but youngsters from all service or ex-service related backgrounds are welcome to take advantage of this offer,”  he says. “It is even more revelant this year, given that we’re all feeling the pinch financially.”
Children who have already sampled the delights of a Poppy Adventure Break have been thrilled, says Ian. “Many have never had the opportunity to go on an adventure break like this before – it is already a great success.”

In fact, the only stumbling block so far has been identifying people to go on the breaks. As Ian notes: “We have a lot of difficulty finding people. We don’t want it to be the same kids each time, so we need to drum up a bit of business. Somehow, we have to identify more families in need.” 

Ian recalls the last time he accompanied a trip:
“I went to see them picked up at Worksop and there were a
lot of shy, retiring young folk who were a bit nervous about what they were letting themselves in for.

“That was on the Saturday. I went to the centre again on the following Wednesday and the kids were jumping around, completely out of themselves.”

Of course, as Ian cautions: “Kids will be kids – they do fall out, there are tantrums, there is homesickness. But the Kids Klub staff are trained to deal with this. The instructors are mainly in their 20s and they treat the children as equals – as adults – and with respect and maturity.”
The plan is that this offering will continue to grow. From 300 children this summer, the forecast is to send 500 children on holiday next year and 700 the year after that. “This has to work,” says Ian. “The kids are out there – if you think about all the mothers and fathers out there in Afghanistan and Iraq, their kids are eligible – and that’s just the serving community.

“The ex-service community is probably even more in need. They’ve left the forces, they may be in hard times, may have lost jobs, not have adjusted and can’t afford holidays – and they’re even harder to find. But the kids are out there. And we’re here for them.”

More Info
More information about the Poppy Adventure Breaks service can be obtained by calling Legionline on 08457 725 725.