A group of special needs children in Wales saved their pennies for two years to afford a camping trip to Bermuda. In mid May their dream was finally realised when 15 students and 16 adults from the special needs Ysugol Hendre School in Bryncoch, Neath, South Wales set up camp at Windreach Recreational Village in Warwick.

It was the first time that a group from abroad has ever used the Windreach camping facilities.

“Many of the students are disadvantaged,” said Philippa Nash, a domestic science teacher at Ysugol Hendre who spearheaded plans for the trip to Bermuda.

“A lot of them come from very poor homes. They have been playing about $20 every week for two years to pay for their airfare. We fundraised for the rest. It cost about $80,000 to bring them over.”

Eleven out of the 15 students, ages 11 to 15, had never been on an airplane before coming to Bermuda.

“We took them out on Saturday night to a restaurant,” said Mrs. Nash. “I asked one of them yesterday, ‘have you ever been out for a meal before?' He said only at Christmas.

“His family have never taken him out. He has never done anything.”

For some of the students the trip to Bermuda was a welcome respite from their personal problems.

“One of our student said their parents were being evicted when we were flying out,” said Mrs. Nash. “She has no idea where she is going to live when she returns. She can't send a postcard because she doesn't know what her new address is. It makes you realise how lucky you are.”

Seeds for the trip were first planted when a Bermuda businessman, Norman Long, visited the school in Wales and saw a photo display of another trip the students took to Toronto. He wondered if Bermuda would be a good place for them to visit.

“He set it all up,” said Mrs. Nash. “He knew the people in Bermuda who could help us.”

A volunteer at the school, Wayne Browning, also helped with the trip. Through Mr. Browning, project organisers were introduced to Huw Lewis, the Commandant of the Bermuda Police Reserves.

“I got a phone call out of the blue, last summer, to ask if I wanted to come to dinner at the yacht club in our home town,” said Mrs. Nash. “At the dinner there were police over from America, and this chap Huw Lewis.”

Mr. Lewis has lived in Bermuda since 1969, but was originally from South Wales.

“He originated from virtually where we live,” said Mrs. Nash. “Every time he has been home since we have taken him out for a meal. He has been absolutely fantastic to us.”

Part of the reason for the visit to Bermuda, was to help the students gain work experience that is a curriculum requirement in Britain.

“Many of the special needs children who go to mainstream schools have to do it as well,” said Mrs. Nash. “Years ago they didn't. A lot of local businessmen are taking the ordinary kids and not our special needs kids. There are no places left, so you are criticised if you don't do it, but where on earth do you get work experience for them? So we started looking overseas to see if we could combine a trip with the work experience.”

While in Bermuda the students got their work experience by doing various chores around Windreach such as painting railings, mucking out stalls, gardening, cooking and doing laundry. Four students spent the day with the Bermuda Police Reserves, and it was the highlight of their trip. “Huw Lewis arranged for four children to go on placements for a whole day,” said volunteer Mr. Browning. “The students thoroughly enjoyed it. They visited Magistrates' Court and the Hamilton Police Station where they went on patrol. They went in a Police car and sat on a Police motorcycle. The children went into the birdcage and directed the traffic. No accidents were caused. We went out on the Police motor launch and went around the harbour area. They thoroughly enjoyed that.”

But the trip wasn't all work. The students also went on sightseeing expeditions around the Island. “They have been to Crystal Caves and had rides in horse & carriages,” said Mrs. Nash. “It has been absolutely marvellous. Without Tammalita Astwood at Windreach and Huw Lewis I don't think it ever would have happened. I would love to come here again, but raising the money is the problem. It is an awful of a lot of money to raise.”

Lance Furbert, executive director at Windreach said that having the students from Wales has worked out well for the facility. “Windreach has been looking at the possibility of having overseas groups camping here,” he said. “We looked at this as a pilot project. In fact, it has gone very well. The Bermuda Regiment kindly lent us several tents.

“That is part of what we are about here. We are not exclusively for special needs people, but we are set up in such a way to be accessible to special needs people.”

Mr. Furbert said Windreach was at first concerned by the number of people that would be camping, but it turned out to not be a problem, after all.

“It has made us think that this is something we can do,” he said. “We have also been talking to some leaders with this group and some in the United States about having some special needs kids from Bermuda going from here up there.”