Reaching New Heights with Active Connections
At Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, we believe in fostering unity, collaboration, and camaraderie among our team members. And what better way to strengthen these bonds than hanging off the side of a cliff together? Just kidding… this month’s ‘All Hands Day’ was no ordinary event; with the help of Active Connections, we took our team to new heights, both literally and metaphorically.
The SEI Team posing in their rock-climbing gear at the top of Killiney Hill.
Conquering Heights! Conquering Fears!
On Thursday morning, the team took the DART to Killiney Hill, where we kicked off our exciting adventure, fueled by excitement and apprehension. The day started with an introduction to our brilliant instructors, Anna and Jane, and a quick icebreaker before Anna and Jane shared with us the ethos of Active Connections, the importance of identifying your own personal boundaries, and detailing what to expect from the day!
Suited up in our harnesses and helmets, we each took turns, one by one, stepping up to take on the giant rock face. It was amazing to witness the diverse strategies employed by each team member, from the cautious climbers to the daredevils who seemed to defy gravity with their graceful moves.
Éabha and Glen climbing to new heights!
Despite our initial apprehension, the camaraderie and encouragement from our teammates helped to curb any lingering fears. We cheered each other on, exchanged high-fives, and offered moral support as we each tackled the cliff face.
After our adventurous morning, the team then headed into Dalkey for a well-deserved lunch, soaking up the sun and relishing the sense of achievement and fulfilment.
The work of Active Connections
Created in April 2011, Active Connections CLG is a not-for-profit company working with young people with behavioral difficulties. Active Connections is leading the charge of introducing adventure therapy-based programmes in Ireland. They support children and young people, with diverse emotional, mental and physical needs, through a series of therapeutic services.
SEI Alumni and CEO of Active Connection, Ray Burke, founded Active Connections to transform lives through adventure. In 2014, Ray participated in SEI’s Elevator programme, receiving €20,000 and bespoke support to help him develop Active Connections. Ray also featured in the SEI Future Village, in the Gathering event last year.
Fast forward almost ten years, the SEI team spent a sunny day out with two Active Connections instructors in one of their first corporate offerings.
Our field instructor Anna tell us about the work and impact of Active Connections
Team development programmes with
social impact
Active Connections approach to team development is unique. They build each experience around the needs of each team. If rock climbing isn’t your cup of tea, they also facilitate hill walking, canoeing/kayaking, camping/overnighting and forest wellbeing workshops. For ourselves, we wanted to help build our team’s confidence and teamwork, so rock climbing fit the bill exactly!
What’s more is that sourcing your team building through Active Connections directs 100% of the profits back into their programmes, with an average corporate session supporting six therapeutic sessions for a young person in need or five places on one of Active Connection’s Ember camps. The Embers camps are a unique outdoor experience camp for young people living with an additional challenge like a physical disability, an intellectual disability or a neurodiverse diagnosis like autism.
Find out about Active Connections by visiting their website and enquire about a day out for your team.
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