Eight sets of fathers and sons are being sought for an innovative free adventure programme.
The initiative, the brainchild of the HSE West’s health promotion services, is targeting children aged 10 to 16 years and their dads.
The “Father and Son” workshops will be carried out by Michael Henderson from Wolf Tracks. He has been conducting adventure programmes and survival skills training since returning to Ireland after spending time living with native Americans in South Dakota, USA.
The workshops which will be run over two Saturdays, June 27 and July 4, at Ballybane Community Centre from 10am to 4pm each day, will focus on fathers and sons spending time together. They will learn woodland crafts and wilderness survival techniques such as knife handling skills, basic camp-fire set up, fire lighting techniques, shelter building and primitive tool making.
The project is a follow-on from the popular programme “Raising Boys for Fathers” which has been run over the past number of years by the health authority’s health promotion services. This aimed to help fathers in their role as parents and to build a strong relationship with their sons.
Paul Gillen of the HSE West’s health promotion services, says a good father and son relationship is critical to helping boys grow into well rounded and mature young men.
“Time spent together doing things will strengthen that relationship and ultimately help fathers recognise the importance of their sons and their relationship with them.”
Places for the “Father and Son” adventure programme are limited. For further information and to secure a place for you and your son call Paul Gillen at (091 ) 548323.
