The City’s Recreation and Parks Department recently hosted a successful Camp Cape Town at Voortrekker Park Resort in Strand. The popular camp created opportunities for youth to participate in the City’s Recreational Leadership Development Programme (RLDP).
In its 10th edition, the annual camp provided an opportunity for 40 young people who have demonstrated good character and initiative while attending the City’s Afterschool programme to qualify for the three-year Recreational Leadership Development Programme.
During the camp each participant’s leadership capabilities were assessed. The candidates will be invited to enter into the three-year programme.
The camp started with a series of fun recreational activities on Friday 31 May. The jam-packed Saturday was filled with an early morning beach walk, then kayaking and a drowning prevention education session, a scavenger hunt with showcase presentations in the afternoon and an interactive board games session on Saturday night.
With an early rise on Sunday morning, participants enjoyed an early-morning guided nature walk at the Helderberg Nature Reserve, where they experienced the beauty of fauna and flora while learning the importance of biodiversity in nature conservation, not to mention that they managed at least 10 000 steps.
Despite the cooler weather, participants rated the kayaking activity as a firm favourite.
Candidates who qualify for the RLDP will have to finish different modules to complete the three-year programme. These modules include:
•Year 1: Personal growth and development
•Year 2: Recreational programme development and implementation
•Year 3: Community engagement
“The camp provided a stepping stone and valuable learning experience for young people to develop leadership skills that will put them in good stead for their future careers,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross. “Participants also learnt about the importance of following a healthy lifestyle and conserving the environment in an urban context.
“We all have a responsibility to create opportunities for young people to experience nature and to have access to information that will help them to follow a balanced lifestyle and to make the right choices. I hope that all those participants who made the grade to participate in the three-year programme will successfully complete the course. We wish them the best of luck and may they be ambassadors by setting an example for other young people.”
