UKC

This week's Friday Night Video is about Pip, a 19-year-old with a rare condition called DDX3X. This causes a host of developmental delays, learning and communication difficulties.

Pip was first introduced to climbing when she was just 4 years old, at a specialist outdoor centre in Kendal called Bendrigg Trust. Her passion for climbing has grown over the years becoming a catalyst for positive changes throughout the rest of her life, and the lives of the people around her.

Really lovely. Great little film!

James

Heartwarming, and brings back memories. My autistic son had his first taste of climbing at Bendrigg a decade ago. Now he onsights 6c+.

Great film. How do i get involved in work like this?

We got to go to Bendrigg via a local charity that focuses on activities for handicapped children, so it was a bit of a luck that we ended up climbing.

I guess it depends a bit on where you live and if you want to get involved with children with disabilities in general or if you specifically want to provide them with opportunities to climb. If it's the former, then I'd start looking for children's charities in your local area. If it's the latter, you may want to check with your local gym. They may have groups that come there regularly and need a helping hand. At my local gym, a couple of the instructors do one-on-one sessions with handicapped kids.

I'd also get in touch with the BMC to see what they do in terms of training instructors to work with disabled clients.

Good luck, I hope you find a way to get involved. As you see in the film, climbing is a great way of giving kids confidence in their abilities and it's really rewarding to get a chance to help them.