Thursdays
DISCOVER what KEEN Thursday sessions are all about with Zoë Johnston's article!
The Thursday sessions are run at Hob Moor Oaks, a local SEND primary school. They have a small after-school PE club, that runs from the end of school at 3.20 pm until 4.20 pm. Volunteers get a funded taxi from the uni's Market Square at 3 pm and are usually back before 5 pm depending on traffic.
At the moment there is a small group between 4-6 kids with the PE teacher leading the club and we facilitate participation, adapting the games and giving 1 on 1 attention when needed. There is a core group of the same children each week so you are able to get to know them individually and work with their behaviour and communication needs.
The kids are different from the Sunday sessions but the structure of the club is pretty similar. The sports that we focus on vary each week but generally they start with warm-ups, then ball games (last week we played modified table tennis), before a cool-down. It’s always fun and active! In the past, volunteers have led some of the activities and the school have said they would be interested in that again if we can both attract more children and a couple more KEEN members to get involved.
Personally, it works easier for me to volunteer on weekdays so I am really glad that I can continue with KEEN. I would love for other students interested in KEEN and schools to experience the sessions too. New volunteers are always welcome, please just fill in the Doodle poll or email us before so we can organise the transport. You just need to bring your DBS for the school to see at your first session and it helps to have gone to a KEEN Sunday session before.
