Downpatrick Teenager Abseil's For Arthritis Care

A curriculum that integrates personal effectiveness into valid accreditation is used so that the young people experience ‘real life’ scenarios and appropriate opportunities, and achieve literacy, numeracy, and IT qualifications as GCSE’s. This approach also allows them to achieve further accreditation in vocational and specific areas of interest. [caption id="attachment_30122" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="AEP Senior Youth Worker Conor Galbraith with Sean Paul Fitzpatrick from Downpatrick after their abseil down the Europa Hotel building in Belfast in support of Arthritis Care."][/caption] Sean Paul hopes that the Abseil will contribute to his Alternative Education Programme (AEP), “This is not the normal sort of thing I would think of doing but as part of the AEP I set myself the challenge of raising £100 sponsorship to take part and helping a charity that helps many other young people with arthritis” Taking part in the Abseil alongside Sean Paul was the Senior Youth Worker from AEP, Conor Galbraith. Conor said, “I wanted to take part to give Sean Paul some support. Taking part in the Abseil has been of benefit for Sean Paul simply due to the fact that he had to take it upon himself to get enough sponsorship then find suitable transport to the event. Sean Paul rarely shows excitement but the smile on his face and the sense of achievement he had when we got to the bottom of the Europa Hotel was fantastic”. Marcus Cooper, Fundraising Manager with Arthritis Care said, “We are very grateful to Sean Paul and Conor for taking part in the Abseil. Sean Paul raised a wonderful total of £101 and Conor raised £140. Young people can be blamed for many things in society these days but it is wonderful to see a teenager like Sean Paul making the effort to help himself and others by taking on the challenge of the Europa Abseil for Arthritis Care. “If anyone else would like to take part in a future Abseil for Arthritis Care please contact me on 028 9078 2940 or email MarcusC@arthritiscare.org.uk ”. Arthritis can strike at any age and is the largest single cause of physical disability in the UK.  In Northern Ireland over 289,000 people are affected including over 600 children under the age of 16. Arthritis Care Northern Ireland helps those living with the constant pain of arthritis by providing; *  An award winning helpline and information service to give people support at the frightening and isolating moment of diagnosis and throughout their lives *  Free pain management courses that give people the skills and techniques to combat their pain *  A family and youth work service that runs activity and personal development weekends for teenagers as well as family support and days out for younger children with arthritis and their parents *  A network of 21 branches that provide social support and services *  Campaigns for fair access for those in Northern Ireland to new drug treatments that can change people’s lives]]>