By: Blonde One
There are many many things that keep me giving up my time to run outdoor activities. I have had the honour of working with some amazing people: adults and children. I have seen some truly incredible transformations as a result of teenagers overcoming challenges in the outside world. I have seen progress that absolutely no data can measure and quantify. I can reel off dozens and dozens of experiences that have made me truly thankful to have the opportunity to work with youngsters, but recently I have had something that had the tears flowing freely and made my heart sing. To the person involved I am sure that they would be humble and suggest that it was a small thing but the wider significance of the gesture will stay with me forever.
Here’s what happened:
I was working away teaching year 9 about the brilliant poetry that was written during World War 1 when I heard the door open and close to my office next door. At the end of the lesson, when I went into the office I noticed an envelope on the floor addressed to me. The significant amount of cash contents were accompanied by a note saying that it should be spent on the Outdoor Education department at Trinity. Due to my undercover spy work I was able to recognise the handwriting as that of a student that I had previously taught! The donor was a fine young man who I had had the pleasure of working with on DofE and Ten Tors. He now has a job and has used some of his hard earned money to make this fabulous gesture.
I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am at this continued demonstration of his benevolence and at how privileged I am to have worked with him. He really is someone very special.
Thank you seems totally inadequate, but I really am thankful.
