Help Learning Disabled Adults Gain Independence

What a busy couple of months it has been since our last update!

On 11th October, 72 riders, 40 volunteers and more than 120 people took part in our PIP Mountain Bike Challenge. Hosted by Lovibonds brewery in Henley on Thames and catered for by Bosleypatch Farms, this dedicated and enthusiastic group raised more than £26,000 through sponsorship, generosity, baking, and good will. PIP is incredibly grateful for everyone’s support, making this event our biggest fundraiser ever.

The summer and autumn leisure programs have been great fun and involved a trip to Brighton to enjoy the sunshine, 5 weeks of Capoeira lessons culminating in our very own PIP Carnival, a fantastic sports day run by volunteers from Rockspring PIM, an exciting PIP trip away in October and a Halloween themed week packed full of fun events for students who stayed at our centre in W9.

PIP's trip to sunny Brighton!

During PIP’s summer leisure program the PIP students are encouraged to have an input in the planned activities; a popular choice is always a day trip to Brighton. According to Sandy Whelan a PIP Development Worker “This year’s Brighton trip was a fabulous day out full of sea and sunshine.”

Fundraising in focus: PIP Pub Quiz

In partnership with Oliver Wyman, PIP hosted a Pub Quiz at the Elgin Pub in Maida Vale in September.  Many thanks to the Elgin for their great service and food.  Everyone's generosity and spirit supported us to raise an amazing £2,850.

PIP Carnival

“Both students and staff enjoyed a fantastic day using outfits designed by the students to celebrate our PIP carnival” states Lauren McKenzie a PIP Development Worker. Students performed their carnival dance routine that they had been practicing in capoeira sessions over 5 weeks of the summer leisure programme.

Rockspring Volunteers

Volunteers from Rockspring PIM joined us at PIP on 7th August to run a sports day for our students. Alongside team games such as sack and egg and spoon races, the volunteers supported us to play a PIP Students vs. Staff football match- something our students have been asking to do for a long time! The staff lost spectacularly! Thank you to Rockspring volunteers for a wonderful day!

PIP Trip Away

From 27th to 31st October, 4 PIP staff and 11 students went on holiday to the QE2 Activity Centre in Bursledon, Hampshire. Students took part in a series of activities such as archery, indoor climbing, a challenging ropes course, orienteering and much more. This encouraged students to try something new and to get active.

After full days of activities, students and staff worked together to create tasty and healthy meals to eat together. Improving the health and wellbeing of our students is one of PIP’s key outcomes, so we are really happy that this year’s PIP holiday was so healthy and active! PIP Service Coordinator Katherine Gale said, ‘Our annual holiday is a chance for our students to take the independent living skills they learn at W9 and SW1 and put these into practice. It is important that we challenge our students and push them out of their comfort zone at times, and we certainly did this during our holiday this year! It is a pleasure to watch everybody continue to learn, develop, and have loads of fun!’

PIP would like to say an enormous thank you to the staff and activity instructors at the QE2 Centre who worked so hard to make our stay so wonderful. We would also like to thank Rockspring PIM, who put together a team to run the recent Royal Parks Half Marathon and raised more than £4000 to cover the costs of this years PIP Holiday! You are all fantastic.