A climbing wall has been revived and relaunched by Enfield Council, offering a fun sporting activity and potential for accredited training for young people.
Enfield Council’s Youth Development Service (YDS) has reinstated the wall at Unity Hub in Craig Park and staff have been trained by experts to deliver the free climbing wall sessions twice a week for up to 12 young people per session.
The next target is to become an accredited centre to deliver the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (levels 1 to 5) to young people. This will further empower young people to develop their skills and abilities both as individuals and as part of a team and to open opportunities to a career as a climbing wall instructor.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member Cllr Rick Jewell visited the climbing wall along with Associate Cabinet Member Cllr Ergin Erbil (12 June). They could see first-hand the benefits of the climbing centre to Enfield’s young people.
Cllr Jewell said: “Enfield Council’s YDS team has done a magnificent job in bringing back this activity for young people. You can see how this will positively impact their well-being and fitness and also help to build their confidence and self-esteem. A positive activity such as wall climbing also helps to develop social interactions and team problem solving skills. Ultimately this will benefit these young people to meet their full potential socially and in a wider context in education, training and employment. I look forward to seeing the next phase of the centre’s development, where it can start to offer structured climbing assessments.”
Previously, the climbing wall was administered by an external provider but it has now been brought in-house. YDS staff members were given training over a three-month period to ensure they are fully competent and can deliver a safe, high-quality service. By upskilling staff, Enfield Council will be able to have more autonomy over the frequency of the sessions and therefore more young people will have opportunities to climb.
Although climbing is physically and mentally demanding, the wall is open to those from all backgrounds and disability is not a barrier to participation. Those interested in getting involved should register and book at Enfield TapTub - the Council’s youth activities portal - where you can also find information about other Enfield Council youth centres, programmes and the upcoming Summer University.