AN ADVENTURE AT ABOYNE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF The Prince's Trust It's up to you—we will give you the tools, if you will do the job THE PRINCE'S TRUST, established in 1976 at the wish of the Prince of Wales, has thrown down a challenge—and made a promise—to young people under 25: if you have the initiative to go out and look for adventure and excitement; if you are prepared to turn your restless energy into achievement; if you are prepared to help yourselves and you have the imagination to want to help other people; if you have the courage to pursue your own projects; and if the provision of some tools or equipment will make realisation of your ideas just possible—we will try to help you.

So where does the RNLI come in ? In the early days of the Trust, the Institution was asked whether it could make a practical contribution by offering opportunities for such young people to become involved in operational work at sea. While its lifesaving commitment did not make such a scheme possible, the Institution could not but sympathise with the aims of the Trust and wished to give full support. After all, the Trust was seeking to encourage, in more deprived areas, the growth of just those qualities which the RNLI would expect to find in young people coming forward to volunteer as crew members, shore helpers or fund raisers.

So Captain Nigel Dixon, the Director, suggested to Tom Nutman, divisional inspector of lifeboats (Scotland, north) and a man known to have a great, but realistic, sympathy for the young, that he might like to see if there was anything he could do to forward the pilot scheme in his area, Grampian.

Thus Tom Nutman became one of the early nucleus committee in Grampian, joining W. M. 'Bill' Adams, the chairman who is a chief superintendent of police, the Rev. Campbell Adamson and Archie Robb, a social worker; other members were co-opted as necessary.

The basic idea is that the committee should wait for young people to come forward with their ideas, and then adjudicate as to whether they qualify for a one-off grant. The problem was, however, how would the people they were trying to reach know they were there ? So, to start the ball rolling, the committee devised their own project.

A group made up of ten disabled and ten badly deprived city children was invited to spend a weekend at Aboyne Community Centre, there to be faced with the challenge of boating, riding, swimming and even wall climbing. Such good results were achieved that two more weekends, with different groups, were arranged in 1976 and three in 1977, and also, in the second year, a week's camp based on an old schoolhouse at Coull. Ten leaders—policemen and women, teachers, outdoor activities instructors, social workers—gave their time to help, and committee members spent what time they could with them.

Great things came out of this experiment.

Not only were these youngsters introduced to demanding activities— and for a partially paralysed boy or girl to get on a horse or wall climb takes some courage—but lasting achievements emerged of even more importance.

Each group of ten had something to give to the other. The disabled had warmth and affection to spare; the deprived, quite naturally, took the disabled under their wing. There was no formal discipline, but the young made their own rules as they went along, and saw that everyone stuck to them.

From the youngest member to the chief superintendent, everyone was known by his or her Christian name, and some of the 'hard cases' found themselves talking with adults on equal terms, probably for the first time. A family atmosphere grew, with its fun and its shared jokes and its special occasions. You meet a Land Rover full of 'the kids': beaming faces appear at every window—''Hello, Tonf, they cry, to a man. The last day of the week's camp was the birthday of one little epileptic; it was 'the kids' themselves who made sure that she had a party, present and cake. One disabled boy usually at a great disadvantage, came into his own in the swimming bath, and was helping to teach the others. It is in no way one-sided and the helpers feel they are gaining as much as they give.

''Tremendous', is Bill Adams' simple summing up.

So pleased was the Prince of Wales with what he had heard of the Aboyne adventure that, on Sunday morning, September 25, he visited the centre to see for himself what was being done. It was no formal inspection; Prince Charles's deep interest and concern was soon apparent as he talked with almost every one of the young people and the helpers—including the children of Tarland village who lead the horses. Down at the loch came a spontaneous invitation from the young people for the Prince to join them in their boat, and, paddle in hand, he was soon involved in a race home against a raft 'the kids' had made themselves.

It is good to see the visions of our young becoming reality . . .

RNLI symbol sweaters Great interest has been shown in these navy sweaters with knitted RNLI flag symbols.

Polo neck, crew or V neck, they are being made for men (sizes 36 to 44) and women (sizes 32 to 42) in botany wool, price til.50, or Courtelle, price £8. Price inincludes packing and postage in UK.

Cheques payable to RNLI Kensington branch. From Mrs M. W. Healon, 41A Warwick Gardens, London W14 8PL..