Lana, our Managing Director, went to visit our group of guardianship students at Kingswood, Grosvenor Hall today to see how they are all getting along. The weather has been terrible since they arrived, with Storm Dennis over the weekend restricting many outdoor activities. Today the sun was shining and Lana was met with smiling faces as she arrived in the Learning Zone where they were spending the morning relaxing and revising.
We should make it clear that these students should have been going home to be with their parents for the half term. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus, Covid-19, travel restrictions have meant that this is just not possible. They miss their parents but have bravely accepted that they can't go back and see them for the holiday and are really making the most of the alternative we, as guardians, have offered them. The activity team at Kingswood (pictured talking to the group) are really aware that the students must be disappointed not to be going home and are doing all they can to accommodate their wishes. They are adapting the programme as they go along to suit our students' needs. We thank Kingswood for all they are doing and I am sure the students will want to thank them too.
The students were all going out to the local designer shopping outlet in the afternoon. Some have asked to go to the cinema so that is also on the agenda before the week is out. Tomorrow they are all off to London for a river cruise and shopping. Friday will be spent in Canterbury and, for the rest of the time, the students will be on-site, doing some exciting activities like trying the zip wire.
As Lana left the centre, to go and investigate the designer shopping outlet herself, for research purposes, the students were getting ready for their hot lunch which is served in the large Diner on site.
"I was so pleased to find such a positive outlook coming from the students I met today. They all admitted they would rather be back home with their parents but that they were finding the Kingswood programme relaxing and interesting. They were all happy with everything and, apart from a couple of minor issues I managed to sort out with the team, they are all having a thoroughly enjoyable time at Grosvenor Hall. My thanks go out to Ian Overhead and the rest of the Kingswood team for being so welcoming and accommodating and making it work so well." Lana Foster, Managing Director, Bright World