Helping Highland children: it's Reality Work

Since early information evenings back in 2009, Reality Adventure Works has now become an established presence in the Highlands with an office and a two-person project team. Could you become involved?

Reality in the Highlands is a part of Reality Adventure Works - a Christian organisation which supports children and young people who have limited friendships and communication difficulties which hinder their personal development. Such young people often may not have many opportunities to reach their full social, physical, emotional, or spiritual potential.

Reality aims to support and help through informal education, young people who are disadvantaged in these areas. At small residential activity weekend breaks and through positive 1:1 relationships with project staff and trained volunteers, the organisation aims to provide great times of fun, promote self-confidence and social skills .

Graeme Hamilton
GraemeHamilton

Following a pioneering presence in the Strathspey area, information evenings were held in Inverness in January and February 2011.

From that point Reality has gone on to recruit two Highland-based project workers and established an office-base in the area.
Ruth McBean is a project development worker alongside her colleague Graeme Hamilton who works directly with the young people who are referred to the organisation.

Richard Morrison and Ruth McBean in the Reality office

Reality hosted an 'Opening Doors Evening' in June last year at their base in North Kessock Mission Hall and have since gone on to build a team of volunteers who are trained and supported to be involved in the work of supporting the young people client group and their families.

Volunteers' training session

Richard Morrison is the Project Director and is now delivering a series of training courses for the volunteers who have come forward to be involved. The current sessions are scheduled for Thursday evenings at 7.30pm until 9.30pm; and are held at the Mission Hall at North Kessock (9 Feb; 8 Mar; 3 May 2012).

Activity breaks are planned on an ongoing basis.
The Reality in the Highlands website tells us:

Weekend breaks are arranged by demand. We will place the young person you nominate on a waiting list until we have enough people to offer a suitable break (such as young people of the same age and /or supervision requirements). Once we have arranged a break, we will inform you of the dates, location and all other information. If we feel the young person may warrant special supervision in certain cases we will arrange to have a one-on-one Adventure Break, but this will be discussed if required.

Reality Prayer Meeting

Regular prayer meetings have been established to support the work. The next prayer meeting is planned for

Tuesday, 31 January, 2012
at
7.00pm
in
North Kessock Mission Hall

An open invitation is extended to this gathering.It may be that you could assist Reality in their work as a trained volunteer and/or join in the regular prayer meetings.

Meanwhile if you just want to know more about the work in general you can listen here to a short recorded interview with Richard and Ruth.

You can also watch a slightly longer video interview in which Richard gives further detail about the development of the work in the Highand area.

Visit the Reality in the Highlands website for further information about the work or you can contact Ruth and Graeme in the Reality office:

North Kessock Mission Hall
Tel. 01463 731075
E-mail: new.info@rawscotland.org.uk

Richard Morrison speaking about the Reality work across the Highlands

Christians Together, 24/01/2012