Earlier this month, the Youth and Transition team, along with our wonderful volunteers and helpers hosted an unforgettable weekend for the teens who come to Helen & Douglas House.
As well as the usual games, food and fun at the hospice, the teens alongside youth workers Emma and Dani visited Oxford for a tasty lunch, then to South Park for a dazzling fireworks display, and then spent Sunday listening to inspiring stories from family’s past and present and Ben, a previous youth group attendee who now lives independently in London and works for the BBC.
Here, Youth and Transition Worker Dani tells us all about the action-packed weekend and what it meant to the teens
What an absolutely amazing weekend with the Helen & Douglas House staff, volunteers and most importantly our young people.
When we began planning this year’s youth weekend Emma kept the brief simple: “Let’s give them the best weekend possible.” Thanks to the incredible efforts of everyone involved, that vision became a reality.
We were delighted to deliver a truly memorable residential weekend for the young people supported by the hospice, filled with happiness, laughter and opportunities to simply be kids and have fun. The group arrived on Friday afternoon ready for an action-packed weekend, and the excitement began straight away that evening with a cosy movie and pizza night. Dressed in our pyjamas and enjoying Night at the Museum, the experience was made even sweeter with a full treat cart offering snowcones, candy floss, waffles, and popcorn. A huge hit with everyone!
Saturday started with delicious sausage and bacon sandwiches and then off into Oxford for a day packed with fun and adventure. Our morning at Thirsty Meeples board-games café brought out everyone’s competitive spirit in the best possible way. We learnt some weird and wonderful new games and also enjoyed the good old classics (will Monopoly ever get old?) Afterwards we headed to Dirty Bones for a tasty lunch, before going back to the hospice for a quick breather and a light bite.
Once recharged we headed to South Park to watch the fireworks light up the night sky — a magical moment that was a clear highlight for many with several of the group already asking to return next year!
On Sunday, the fun continued with a Bake Off–style cake-decorating activity and American cookie baking. The creativity on display was fantastic. Everyone really embraced the activity, took their time adding amazing details and produced some really wonderful cakes!
As we waved off the younger members of the group our older cohort and their parents joined us for a Transition stakeholder event. This was an opportunity for family’s past and present to come in and share with us their hopes (and fears) for the future. We had Ben, our guest speaker and previous youth group attendee join us to share his own experience of transition (both good and bad). Ben has moved to London and works for the BBC. He lives happily and independently with the help of a PA, he is truly inspirational. Emma, Laura and I, along with Ben, spent time listening to what the families and young people felt they needed during transition and beyond the age of 19.
Throughout the weekend, the atmosphere was filled with smiles, excitement, and shared joy. These moments of connection and happiness are what make weekends like this so valuable for the young people we support.
A huge thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers – Rachel, Mary, Lexi, Allison, Anvita, Roshan and Zoe, amazing care team staff, our inc redible catering team for keeping us fed for the whole weekend, and the hardworking organisers behind the scenes. Your commitment, enthusiasm, and kindness made this weekend truly special.
We’re already looking forward to the next one!
Feedback from parents
‘Thank you so much, Emma, Dani, and the whole team for all the hard work you put into organising the weekend. It was such a big undertaking, yet everything was thoughtfully planned with care and inclusivity, and ran beautifully… I know he especially loved going into town for lunch, and it was lovely to see him chatting with another boy at pick-up.’
‘My child had a great time last night, she was buzzing! She really liked being in a safe environment doing different activities.’