Day 113 - Skipton Extended Learning For All (SELFA)

With Clare from SELFA and young people from Embsay School who joined me for my BRIT walk

Today (Day 113) I walked in Skipton.

Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Skipton was anciently distinguished by Skipton Castle, first constructed in 1090 as a wooden motte-and-bailey by Robert de Romille, a Norman baron. It is beautiful market town.

The day was coordinated by Clare from SELFA,  http://selfa.org.uk/ a fantastic local children’s charity whose aim is to provide a range of activities for vulnerable, disadvantaged and disabled children who live in the Skipton and Craven area of North Yorkshire.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about SELFA as without it, children would miss out on a range of new experiences that increase self-esteem, confidence, raise aspirations and a lasting effect on social skills and future interests.

For the last 5 years, SELFA have been offering a range of fun and inspiring out of school workshops and projects for children who would find it difficult to access other activities due to physical, financial or geographical constraints.

SELFA has established itself in the community and works in partnerships with schools, authorities and families to help all local children thrive within their community. SELFA works with well over a dozen local schools and also provides holiday activities.  As a help to parents and families within the Skipton and Craven area of North Yorkshire, these are just some of the schools SELFA works with and the links to these school’s websites to make things easier to find;

Aireville School http://www.airevilleschool.co.uk/

Ermysted’s Grammar School http://www.ermysteds.n-yorks.sch.uk/homepage.htm

Carleton Endowed School http://www.carleton-endowed.n-yorks.sch.uk/welcome/

Embsay Primary School http://www.embsay.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Gargrave C.E.(V.C.) Primary School http://gargraveceprimaryschool.co.uk/default.aspx

Kirkby-in-Malhamdale United VA Primary School http://www.kirkby-in-malhamdale.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Christ Church C.E. (V.C.) Primary School http://www.christchurchschoolskipton.ik.org/

Greatwood Community Primary and Nursery School http://www.greatwood.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Water Street School  http://www.waterstreet.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Thornton-in-Craven C.P. School http://www.thornton-in-craven.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Brougham Street Nursery http://www.broughamstreet.n-yorks.sch.uk/about-us/

Otley Street Community Nursery http://www.otleystreet.n-yorks.sch.uk/

SELFA was started as a local charity as there were cuts to local funding to provide support to young people and children. SELFA is a very small charity that continues to operate with small grants and help from the community. If you live in the North Yorkshire area and want to support them, they are always looking for help with a range of activities from helping support disabled children on their holiday activities to general admin support.

If you wanted to make a donation, this is the link; http://selfa.org.uk/HelpUs.htm

I always like to understand where a donation will go and with SELFA;

·         £10 could provide snacks for 25 disadvantaged children at holiday club

·         £25 could pay for a day of holiday activities for a disabled child

·         £175 could pay for a school residential for a family facing financial hardship

·         £250 could help fund a day of workshops for up to 20 disabled children

It was a pleasure for me to walk with young people from Skipton and to learn more about SELFA; a great local charity.

Difficult to say NO when asked so politely

I finished the day with 1168 miles to go.

With best wishes,

Phil