The Charter of Rights for Children and Young People in Care affirms children and young people’s right to develop their talents and interests, like sport or art.
When there are lots of other important things to sort out or when everyone is busy, remembering to help a young person to either start or maintain their recreational interests can be really tricky.
So for this edition, some of our Youth Advisors have their say about recreation and why it is so important.
It can offer a huge variety of different experiences and can allow young people to develop and follow their passions. For example, following a favourite sporting team may lead to becoming actively involved at school or with the local team.
It is about having fun and it can allow you to express your feelings and emotions. This can mean having some regular ‘quality’ time just for yourself – something of your own, outside of the family.
It can not only help you to remain fit and healthy but it can also help you emotionally by improving your interactions with others, help you to learn strategies to deal with different types of situations and therefore help boost your confidence and self esteem.
It is a big part of most people’s lives and that should be just the same for children and young people in care.
Being involved in new activities can put you outside your comfort zone which can help you to challenge your abilities and to develop your skills.
By having something regular to do just for yourself, can give you something to concentrate on or to look forward to.
Being involved with other young people in your local area can help you to build strong links with your community. These links can give a sense of fitting in and belonging.
Having someone to help you can also help you to remain focussed. A little success can go a long way.
It is about friendships and having the opportunity to make more friends. Having more friends can mean having a wider support network which can be really helpful.