What was the challenge?

At just 8 years old, Rosie had already been through a lot. Family life was difficult at times, and she often kept herself to herself. She was very quiet, reluctant to try new things and found it hard to step outside her comfort zone. Heights were especially frightening for her. Even walking along raised paths left her anxious and upset.

What did Brathay do?

On her residential at Brathay, Rosie was gently encouraged to take part in activities that pushed her boundaries. She joined in with a ghyll scramble, a hike into the fells and even the leap of faith. At first she was nervous, but little by little her courage grew.

The turning point came when she chose to jump into the waterfalls during the ghyll scramble. Hayley, her youth worker from Sports Alive North West, said, “I couldn’t believe it, jumping in was such a huge step for her. She’s never done anything like that before.” Later, when faced with the leap of faith, Rosie amazed everyone by volunteering to climb higher than expected.

Even the group hike became a real achievement. She persevered and managed the whole walk without getting upset. At the bottom she said, "I'm really proud of myself!"

What was the impact?

By the end of the residential, Rosie had grown significantly. She discovered that she was capable of far more than she imagined. Her confidence grew, and she left Brathay with a new belief that she could face her fears and succeed

Rosie has loved every single minute. Thank you so much for everything. I’m so glad she tried everything!”

Rosie's Mum

*Names have been changed.