Activ8 have had a very busy start to the term! There has been no letting up after the excesses of Christmas and the boys have hit the ground running – literally, in many of the fitness sessions.

The active part of our week starts with our Duke of Edinburgh’s lessons and Mr Taylor has certainly challenged the team this month, marching us up a mountain in Mossley in the first week back which certainly blew the cobwebs off after the break and then, on the windiest day ever, up to the wind farm windmills to prepare the team for any excessive weather they may face while on their expeditions later in the year..

The spirit of the group, both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, really comes to the fore in these sessions, with the lads having to support each other to complete the challenges laid in front of them.The teamwork on show is always a joy to see..

Our Wednesday afternoons have changed a little for the first few weeks of 2017, as we have swapped our regular rugby league sessions for some ‘non-equipment’ fitness. This is due to our partnership with Limehurst Lions and with the weather and conditions being changeable we didn’t want to ruin the playing surface at Hollinwood Cricket Club for the clubs who play there regularly. The sessions themselves focus on bodyweight exercises such as squats, press-ups, burpees and sit ups in various themed workouts, many based on films and TV shows, this week’s being ‘The Hunger Games’. The lads certainly showed their hunger and worked hard, many of them working over and above the levels set out..

The group are still making use of the excellent gym facilities at OCL. You can see the results paying off with everyone – here you can see Daniel working extremely hard..

The boys enjoy some friendly competition in the gym, motivating each other to work to their best and the results are really showing with the lads’ fitness levels now back to where they were before the break.

This week saw our first visit to the Manchester City One City Disability football competition at the new venue of Trafford Soccer Centre. We were joined by some of the Key Stage 4 boys from Hollinwood Academy and a fantastic day was had by all of the group. The Key Stage 4 boys were prolific and were on top form, the Key Stage 5 boys showed great spirit and togetherness and, while not getting the results they wished for, their effort and application certainly weren’t lacking..

The focus of our Thursday sessions with Mrs Tootill has changed from trampolining to badminton. The boys have worked on their forehand and backhand serves and completing rallies in the first few weeks. The lads have also had training in setting up the equipment and taking care of the racquets and shuttles. Again, their competitive spirit has shone through with the lads taking great pleasure each time a point is won..

An excellent start to the new year – keep it up, everyone!