I do quite a lot of coaching with Slough Council and a couple of years ago I passed a course to drive their mini-buses to make transporting my students easier. This has been very convenient for both myself and my customers and has enabled me to get to know the students better.

The other day I was asked if I could help out when a friend of mine tore his achillies tendon and was unable to drive the youngsters on their annual trip to Wales. They were going to Rhos y Gwaliau near lake Bala. This is an outdoor pursuit centre catering especially for school children, they stay for a week and are taken out each day to do things like kyaking, gorge walking etc. I know most of these young people from the fishing courses I run, have an idea of some of their backgrounds and I could tell this was going to be a very special week for them.

I drove them to Wales on Sunday afternoon and watched their excitement as they moved into their accomodation, they then were issued with wet weather clothing and we had to take them for a walk up the mountain in the pouring rain to try it out. To see their joy at being outdoors in such a beautiful place was worth the long drive. I said goodbye to them on Monday morning but they were too excited about their pending trip to Black Rock Sands to take much notice, and drove back to Surrey. I’m due to pick them up again on Friday morning to bring them home and I anticipate seeing some very changed children. I wish there had been some way I could have stayed to share the experience with them.

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