KEEN enters the kitchen: Creative Cooking – Sunday 12 June 2011

Part two of KEEN’s big weekend was our first ever Cooking Session. 28 KEEN athletes and 24 coaches got there hands (and some of them their faces and clothes) dirty whipping up some unique creations.

The venue was the café at the Business Design Centre in Islington. The man responsible was Liam from the Good Eating Company. He not only provided the facilities, but sorted the ingredients, the running of the day, the cleaning up and also provided wonderful teas and coffees for parents staying to watch. His team were nothing short of amazing and a big thank you to them for making it happen.

From the word go the café was a busy hubbub of creations from chocolaty rice krispie cakes to delicious gingerbread men. Lukas was an expert at his icing of gingerbread men, while John showed that eating the chocolate was better than waiting for it to be made into his rice krispees cakes. Whilst this was all going on, athletes were also treated to pancakes and smoothies.

Well done to all the athletes with their cooking and thank you to parents and coaches who supported them. A thanks also to Steve and Lamprini for taking some wonderful photos that should eventually end up as part of the KEEN Cookbook (we’ll be selling it at the end of the year). Once thank you to Liam and his team at the Good Eating Company, a fantastic day – Cameron

See the photos from the gallery…

Competing for KEEN – KEEN Olympics and Q Challenge – Saturday 11 June 2011

The sun smiled on KEEN’s coaches and athletes as they took part in the first KEEN Olympics held in London. 18 “rearing-to-go” athletes and an amazing 47 coaches came to Regents Park to jump, throw and run their way to glory.  The day also doubled as “ChallengeQ” where KEEN’s corporate partner Qedis had many of their employees cycle from Paris, Brighton and Ealing as well as walk the Thames Path all in the name of fundraising for KEEN!

Unofficially Qedis broke the £10,000 mark, which is an amazing achievement. We are most grateful and we look forward to hearing the final total.

It was great to see the athletes taking part in the events, from hurdles, bean bag shot put to speed fishing and moon hopper racing. The highlight was the group football match (complete with giant goals and football) which had some very exciting moments to report from. Lolo deflected and survived a fast travelling shot and Nathan A got straight in despite the ball being bigger than him. Sasha “bibs” team played with courage but they were no match for the awesome combination of Stefan and James. The game ended 4-0, with James scoring a hat trick and winning the fair play cup.

Shortly after the cyclists from Paris (who had started the day before) and Brighton were greeted at the finishing line with great fan fare from all the coaches and athletes. The day concluded with our medal ceremony and the biggest hokey cokey I have ever been in! 

Well done to all the athletes who took part, thank you to the coaches (so many of whom came) and to the staff at The Hub and Regent’s Park. Finally a huge thanks to Qedis: to all those cyclists and walkers who toiled their way to Regents Park, to their organisers Gemma, Sarah, Mark and Simon, the yummy BBQ and of course all those who helped fundraise that amazing total. Well done! – Cameron

KEEN picnic – 6 June 2011
Thames Valley Adventure Playground

Even an overcast day with a few spots of rain couldn’t dampen the excitement of KEEN’s annual picnic. 34 athletes, 28 parents and 38 volunteer coaches came to the oasis which is Thames Valley Adventure Playground.

The buses and the exclusive hire of the venue would not have been possible without the support of Qedis, for whom KEEN is their Charity of the Year. Not only were they able to help fund the trip, but they provided amazing volunteers to come along too.

After the hour long journey, the wait was worth it. The athletes who had come the year before headed for their favourite parts of the playground, but those who hadn’t been before found the excitement of so many choices almost overwhelming.

Nathan D, Parsa and Ed all found the toy cars and trains very exciting. The mini golf course proved hugely popular with athletes and parents and it was busy all day. The music room had some great sounds coming from it with Onyi and Ikenna belting some interesting tunes out. The bike and go-cart track was busy too, Elias, Tony and Julie-Ann were seen racing were about.

Some will call it bravery, others would say madness, but despite the chillier weather KEEN Coordinator Cameron let the athletes take a free shot with the water cannon. James was chief gunner and did a marvellous job of soaking him right through.

The day ended with a great big hokey-cokey and athletes, families and coaches all went home tired, but definitely happy

A final thank you to the Athletes, Coaches, Parents, Qedis and Thames Valley Adventure Playground who helped make the day one to remember — Cameron.

Wet and Wild: Swimming Session – 27 March 27 2011

There’s nothing quite like the experience of being in water to really take people out of their comfort zones. For the KEEN athletes it was a long awaited opportunity to “immerse” themselves into a KEEN swimming session.

20 KEEN athletes and 26 KEEN coaches, as well as some dedicated parents turned up to get wet on Sunday. The staff at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre were able to let us hire the exclusive use of their learner pool for the afternoon.

With swimming costumes on there was little hesitation as coaches and athletes splashed straight into the pool. In no time at all the pool was abuzz with balls, floating mats and the sounds of excitement being had.

Joe D was intent on demonstrating his duck diving skills, while Sasha, Chanz and James were in fierce competition trying to race each other. Amy, a little nervous, overcame her initial fears and was happily splashing around. It was a real pleasure to see Anmol back at KEEN after such a long absence, as it was to see his Dad, Inder, who kindly helped out in the water. At the end of the session we did the hokey cokey – which is far more challenging to do in the water! Well done to Joe J, Parsa and Pardis for joining in. As a few coaches remarked, they have never seen so many smiling faces at a session.

A thank you to all the parents who helped with the changing of athletes, the coaches for making the effort to come along and Jema and her team at the pool for a fantastic afternoon. - Cameron

: Figure skating fantastic: Ice skating – 30 January 2011

With a newly refurbished ice skating rink, Alexandra Palace was ripe to receive the enthusiastic KEEN athletes. On Sunday 30th January, 28 excited athletes along with the support of their 39 coaches took to the ice.

For Jonathan and Andrew it was their first time skating and to begin with they were a wee-bit apprehensive. With some gentle encouragement they were moving round the rink in no time. It was reported by mum that Jonathan spent most of the next today telling everyone at school that "ice skating is amazing!"

It was also a first time for Darrell to be on the ice, but for him it was a bit more challenging as he made his debut in his wheelchair. Whizzing around on the ice, while being pushed by his coach Luisa was a new experience for him. After a few laps it became a little too much for him, but did so well giving it a go.

Confidence wasn’t an issue for two of our other athletes – Gabby and Elias. They both showed no fear when faced with the practice of skating. Gabby with his support of two coaches managed to attempt keeping upright, while Elias needed very little support, he even had his own skates!

There many other regular athletes who all did very well and seem to be improving every year KEEN does this trip. Well done to all the athletes for giving it go and thank you to the coaches for supporting them. It’s a popular session and we’ve already had a few requests to repeat the trip – Cameron.

See our photos from the gallery…

Music Storytelling:
Music Box visit KEEN London
Sunday 9 January 2011

When new toys are given at Christmas, often they might be initially played with after opening and then discarded to one side in favour of something else. Well, with KEEN’s brand-new instruments which were bought with the Islington South Area Committee generous grant, they were definitely well used last Sunday. A group called “Music Box” consisiting of the musical duo Pete and Sharon came to KEEN to run a music storytelling workshop. 20 Athletes and 33 coaches took part in the session.

To supplement KEEN’s own instruments, they brought a variety of unusual metal and wooden noise-making contraptions. The new sounds and textures intrigued the athletes and within a short time an orchestra of noise ensued. Pete on guitar and Sharon leading the group took the athletes and coaches on a musical journey incorporating rhythms, tempos, songs and movement.

Following the session, once the athletes had gone home, 15 coaches stayed behind and Music Box then ran a training workshop. The coaches learnt about creating rhythms within small groups and then trying to combine them into a large group. They then had to use their creativity to complete a story about the golden bird using words and instrumental sounds.

Lots of fun and laughter was had by both coaches and athletes. Thank you to Pete and Sharon of Music Box for visiting us and for making the day a wonderful experience. Look out for the next musical madness session!

See our gallery for photos…

Hi Coaches

KEEN is having a fundraising event and we need your support...

Roller Disco Charity Fundraiser

Thursday 3rd February, 8pm till late
Roller Disco Vauxhall, Renaissance Rooms
Tickets £6

www.rollerdisco.com

See the poster for more details.

If you want to come along then you need to be on the guest list.

So you and anyone else you know can...
Go to Facebook
Type "KEEN Roller Disco Fundraiser" or try the linkhttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157870230931617

BRAND NEW PARTNERS FOR A BRAND NEW YEAR
Qedis signs up KEEN London as Charity of the Year
We are absolutely delighted to announce that Qedis, a dynamic and forward-thinking management consultancy, has named KEEN London as its charity of the year for 2011. The company has a very innovative approach to working with its clients, people and the community - a big part of which is "giving back".

Qedis is full of energetic and eager sportsmen and women who just love to take on a challenge. They've got some amazing and adventurous ideas to raise funds and get involved with KEEN's work - watch this space to find out just what they've got planned for the year.

Paramjit Uppal, Qedis CEO says, We like to 'give back' because it's the right thing to do, especially when it's for a cause that our people are passionate about. We can't wait to get started working with KEEN".

To find out more about Qedis, visit their website.

	: 12 December 2010
Generously sponsored by Islington Council's South Area Committee

A typical Christmas party is one full of food, presents and fun activities, but for the KEEN annual event it included all this and more. The party served as an opportunity for the KEEN athletes to be in the spot light. We were supported this year by a generous grant from the Islington South Area Committee, which helped make the day possible. The theme for 2010 was “KEEN’s Got Talent” and involved our athletes getting up in front of the audience to show off their talents.

We had a fantastic turn out of families and supporters – a staggering 34 athletes, 24 parents and 53 coaches/supporters turned up for the event.   There was plenty to do with face painters on hand, a table full of gingerbread men to decorate, a sensory/music corner, DJ Smiley and his music, a giant bouncy castle and plenty of food and drink to fuel the energy needed for the day. 

However the highlights were of course the performances. Ellamae kicked off the show with her well-rehearsed acapella version of “Silent Night”. We then followed it up with Judith and her coach Emily doing a dance routine to Kylie Minogue. Hamilton then busted out is Michael Jackson moves and voice. Both Onyi and Didi showed their musical abilities singing and rapping, Louis displayed his animal impressions, while Ella demonstrated her supreme talent of singing the exact lyrics to a Hannah Montana song. However it was the comedy duo – Giverny and James - who stole the show. The jokes were timed to perfection and they had the audience rolling in laughter. Well done to everyone who had a go.

The final group effort with all the voices of parents, coaches and kids combined, was our “8 days of KEEN Christmas” Carol. Lots of fun - we hope to do another even better group performance next year. But no Christmas Party is complete without a visit from the man in red – Santa. All the athletes were apparently well-behaved enough to receive a present.

Thank you to all who participated in the event. To all the coaches who were there either the previous day setting up or at the event - your immense support is hugely appreciated by KEEN and its families. Thank you to the parents who joined in and provided plates of food. To the Bridge City Trust who funded the event which included the majority of the food, decorations, hire of equipment and a brand new set of musical instruments which we will no doubt be using in our new music sessions. Finally congratulations to all the athletes who performed so well – you should be really proud!

Already looking forward to next year – Cameron

See our photos on the gallery...

Running for KEEN London: 2010’s Fundraising Events

 : Run to the Beat Half Marathon – 26 September 2010

13.1 miles pounding the pavement, coupled with the fundraising/training preparation is what our amazing charity runners did for KEEN London. This year we had entrants participating in 2 events - The Run to The Beat and Royal Parks Half Marathon.

With a delayed start due to problems on the Jubilee Line it was a somewhat chaotic beginning to the day. Sunshine came and went, slightly chilly at times, but as whole, a nice day for the run. KEEN London had 29 runners competing along a course set with music stages at various points along the way. My personal favourite was running to the “Baywatch” theme tune (though it did make me feel I should run in slow motion). Well done to all the runners – a special mention goes out to Michael Wakefield who did the entire course dressed as a teletubby. 

: Royal Parks Half Marathon – 10 October 2010

A beautifully sun filled day had Hyde Park buzzing with runners and supporters. There were 3 KEEN London runners and 1 walker taking on the course. Well done to all those who competed, special mention to Akvile who ran courageously with a not-quite-recovered chest infection. 

As they made their way through the course, we had several of the KEEN athletes and their many coaches watching on from the idyllic Lido Café park. We had moon hopper racing, football and general fun on the playground. A big thank you to the kids and their coaches who came to support. Also thank you to the wonderful staff at the Lido Café.

We are still counting the exact total, but it looks like we have achieved our target of £10,000!!!! A massive congratulations and thank you to all those who contributed in the two events – this money will help to keep KEEN London’s activities free for disabled kids to attend! Keep a look out for the GOLD CHALLENGE which will be the next annual fundraising event - Cameron

See photos of the day...

Going to new heights: Rock climbing session - 28 November 2010

Looking the part in helmets and harnesses, 14 brave KEEN London athletes took on the climbing walls at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre.  We had 27 wonderful KEEN coaches and 4 excellent Climb London instructors encouraging them up the rock faces.

Louis and Adam V boldly went up the walls first to show everyone how it was done. Adam V - the quiet and capable - managed to work his way and down the walls several times with lizard-like ability.  Louis was more like a howler monkey leaping his way up, but far from quietly. His coaches did a fantastic job of encouraging him up the last few inches despite is very vocal protests of wanting to come down.

Joe D was not only very taken with climbing (he said he loved it more than cricket!), he did an excellent job of helping to belay his fellow athletes up and down the wall. Ella, with her tremendous strength managed to get up part of the way, as too did Parsa. Onyi and Ikenna persisted making it to the top several times, while Didi gave a couple of goes too. A few athletes, not so sure of the wall – Manolis and Aaron attempted to climb and made a fantastic effort.  

However it was the stand-out-star of the day Pardis with her climbing feats. In the session she managed a staggering total of going up and down 12 times!!! She conquered her fears and truly showed what an amazing climber she is. Look out for her name when she summits Mt Everest.

Thank you again to the wonderful team at Climb London and our dedicated KEEN Coaches for making this an outstanding experience for our athletes - Cameron

See the photos from the gallery...

  KEEN 'Art n Crafts' - 14th November 2010

At KEEN this Sunday freelance illustrator and art workshop facilitator Harriet Rowe ran a fantastic 'Art n Crafts' session, allowing the Athletes at KEEN to express themselves in a very fun (and messy) way! Harriet used a wide range of art supplies, including neon poster paints, glitter, felt, finger paints and foam stamps, to give the Athletes a chance to work with whatever they enjoyed the most.

She also faciliated some 'drawing to music' and 'body tracing' art exercises: Athletes stood against long rolls of paper taped to the wall while their Coache(s) drew around their body, then the Athletes were able to colour in/decorate their body shape on the paper and take home a life-sized replica of themselves!†The amazing arty activites were enjoyed by both Athletes and Coaches alike....even the Coach who came in wearing a white top and left wearing a multi-coloured one!

Harriet, who is currently also studying for Level 2 Certificate in Art Therapy Skills, says: "I really enjoy volunteering for KEEN, as it is very rewarding to see the Athletes getting so much pleasure from my art activities. I feel that art gives the Athletes a chance to express themselves in such a free and fun way. I am already thinking up new ideas for my next art and crafts workshop at KEEN!"

To see pictures of KEEN's mini-artists please click here.

Frightening Fun: KEEN Halloween Sunday – 31st October

As the doors opened for KEEN on a suitably dreary dark morning the oddest looking characters appeared. Cackling witches, frightening skeletons, spelling-binding wizards, axe welding maniacs, dainty fairies, a cowboy, the Joker and Darth Vader himself all turned out for KEEN London's Halloween Sunday.

29 creepily costumed Athletes and 46 Coaches took part in a Sunday filled with horror, surprises and of course fun. There was an “eye and spoon” race, What's the time Mr Ogre?, a ghost hunt, Halloween arts and crafts, spiderweb spinning, a dance off to Michael Jackson's thriller and the messy, but fun - mummy making race!

“Fang you” to everyone who came, and especially those who made the effort in costumes. It really was an awesome day. Take a look at our photos!

: KEEN World Cup – 27 June 2010

As football fever grips the nation - and England are still in with a chance - the excitement spreads to KEEN London, where our World Cup competition may overshadow even its counterpart in South Africa.

KEEN London athletes representing teams from England, USA, France, Germany, Spain and Ghana competed in a variety of football-themed challenges, racking up points for their country as they demonstrated skills in dribbling, passing, and shooting goals - and for the exuberance of their post-goal celebrations. What's more, the athletes got their chance to combine all those skills for a match, where the competition was tough: despite the very hot weather, Giverny and James giving the strongest of a number of enthusiastic performances.

For those whose strongest skills lie away from the pitch, points were also available for dancing to a variety of football-themed songs, and for artistic merit in colouring in the competing nations' flags.

Encouragement and cheering are always important at KEEN, and a number of our athletes, including Nathan (and indeed several of their coaches!) especially enjoyed using tinsel pom-poms, balloons and the sheer weight of their enthusiasm to maintain an atmosphere of heigtened excitement throughout the day - and not a vuvuzela in sight!

Given the immense heat - and all the excitement and exercise - the half time refreshments of squash were very welcome. Coaches and athletes all appreciated the chance to sit down for a few moments of rest before getting stuck back in.

The World Cup can have only one winner, but that is not true at KEEN: the spirit of international good will was so great that nobody even thought to compare the teams' scores - and, all athletes went home with a small prize to celebrate their achievement.

See photos from the gallery…

: KEEN picnic – 6 June 2010

There are places in the world that can often be endowed with the words “special”, “unique” and “inspiring”. Some places fall short of these descriptions, but the Thames Valley Adventure Playground justly deserves such accolades. Set in an idyllic location, the playground is purpose built for people with disabilities – a fact making it unique.  

This year’s annual picnic was held here and the members of KEEN London were able to judge for themselves what an extraordinary place it is. The day could not have happened without the generous sponsorship of the News International Staff Association Charities Committee.

It took two bus loads to deliver our 31 athletes, 27 parents and 40 volunteer coaches to the playground nestled away near Maidenhead. The weather was pleasant, the atmosphere both fun and relaxing, the only complaint — as one volunteer expressed it — was “there’s almost too much to do here!”

With such an expansive space filled with an array of things to do, it took sometime for the athletes to fully explore the area. The soft play room proved an instant winner for many with its ball pool and slides. Aaron and Elias were quick to find the swings and in no time were trying to reach new heights. The water castle was a popular place to cool off in. Anmol and John being big fans of all things water, were in their element. Elsewhere the sand pit kept Mo and Parsa thoroughly engaged.

Inside many athletes made full use of the costumes – we had Hadi the Policeman (doing a great job of arresting Maria Lisa), Felix the Sailor and Pardis the blond-bombshell-princess. Outside Shine and Sasha discovered the bike and go-cart area, while Onyi was showing off her sporting prowess on the mini-golf course. At the other end of the playground Adam and Hannah were hooked on the exhilarating zip wire ride.

Meanwhile inside the music room,  there was an event of considerable magnitude. What is sure to be a landmark point in history – three talented KEEN athletes, came together to create “The Magical Knights”. Comprising of Ikenna on drums, Giverny on the tambourine and the irrepressible front man James on guitar and lead vocals, they created a sound like no other. If you’re a record company reading this I would be quick to sign them up.

Finally for those whose taste was more subdued, the Sensory Room and the annex perched on the lake edge allowed for quiet time to relax in.

See photos from the gallery…

: Pony riding – 16 May 2010

The rain Gods smiled on us today, holding back the downpour until late afternoon. That meant 22 athletes and 39 coaches were able to stay dry and fully appreciate the wonderful activities Kentish Town City Farm has to offer.

The farm, located in a dense urban area, is a wonderful place for people to visit. They have a range of farm animals – pigs, sheep, ducks, goats, a turkey, a cow and of course ponies. Their riding school, which is run by trained volunteers, is a very popular activity. A big thank you to the staff and volunteers at the farm, whose help in supporting the athletes to ride, was greatly appreciated.

The highlight of the day was of course the pony riding. A large number of the athletes conquered their initial fears to really enjoy the experience of riding around on a pony. Shine, Mo, Louis, Judith, Sam, Joe, Nathan, Sarah, Sasha, James and Ella with the support of their dedicated coaches managed each to have a turn. Giverny, another athlete feeling the same fear, was surprised how brave she could be.

For Gabriel O-M, ponies are one his two favourite animals (the other being cats, followed closely by pigs). He seemed very comfortable being lead around on the ponies, and if he had the choice, I’m sure he would have stayed on for longer!

Manolis, Gabriel B-R, Shanice and Aaron, while not quite able to have a ride, took the opportunity to interact with the ponies.

Beyond the riding school, the athletes got a chance to get up close and personal with many of the other farm animals. The lone turkey, as James called it “evil”, took a liking to few of the coaches (especially Kartik’s red shorts). The chickens and ducks were a firm favourite with Parsa. Shanice, not so fond of riding, was encouraged to pat the cow, pigs and even the goats. Speaking of goats, Pardis was very fond of these animals, so much so, if her parents had let her, I’m sure she would have taken one home.

A fantastic day, marked by some great achievements of the athletes and also an amazing turn out of volunteer coaches! Thanks to everyone for making a wonderful experience – Cameron

Get your televisions ready... KEEN London will be on screen 19 March 2010. Thanks to:

 AND

They will be showing a segment starring two of our superstar athletes Aaron and Giverny. Airing:

There will also hopefully be two short teasers on breakfast and Lunchtime Bulletins the following day.

The Sport Relief programme is 7pm-12am BBC 1 this Friday following the news (watch the clip on the BBC website). I urge you to support it as they have been an integral part of KEEN's expansion – Cameron

: Run to the Beat Half Marathon — Sunday 26 September 2010

For those who missed out on a place in the Royal Parks Half Marathon, fear not. To accommodate the strong interest of people wishing to compete and fundraise for KEEN London, we have decided to have entries in the Run to the Beat Half Marathon on Sunday 26 September. Find out how you can get involved...

: The Parks Half Marathon — Sunday 10 October 2010

KEEN London's annual fundraising event this year is the Royal Parks Half Marathon. With lots of time to prepare, this is the perfect event for you to get in-shape for the beach or that BBQ summer we will hopefully have. Or it might even be that challenge you've been secretly yearning for to show the world what you're made of. 

All places have unfortunately sold old! If you missed out please see above how to be involved in our other event, Run to the Beat Half Marathon.

We may have a limited number of charity places available at a later date, but you will need to fundraise a minimum of £350 to be eligible for one of these. Find out how you can get involved...

Second session

For some time now KEEN London has been bursting at the seams, with huge demand for our services but no capacity to take on more athletes from our long waiting list. Early this year, thanks to generous sponsorship from Sports Relief and others, we will be running a second session in the afternoon.

Taking a different country each week, we will hold a themed session, with sporting and craft activities, exercise and music, all related to the week's chosen country. Each athlete will keep a scrap-book, to record their experiences from the session, ending the term with their very own atlas of the countries visited. This will allow us to provide activities that challenge some of our more capable athletes, as well as taking on new athletes in both the new and existing sessions — all of course wih KEEN's unique one-to-one coaching supporting each athlete and tailoring the session precisely to their needs.

The new sessions have been designed for athletes who like to use their imagination and creative skills, and work together in groups. The sessions involve a mixture of arts and crafts, role play, singing and dancing. There will be long running themes that are developed from week to week. For example, the first theme will be "an around the world trip" and so each week the group will "visit" a different country! Once we have found the country on the map and flown there on our magic carpet, we might get a taste of the culture by learning local songs or dances, or do a bit of site seeing and then make a souvenir of the trip. All this will happen between 2.15 and 3.45 on a Sunday afternoon, so it's lucky that magic carpets fly so fast!

So far we have trips planned to France and New Zealand — at KEEN, the world's our oyster!

If you think this sounds like something your child would enjoy, please get in contact to register your interest.

: a visit to the Science Museum

Water, wacky machines, switches, glass elevators and flies in 3D – the Science Museum had it all. On Sunday 14 March, 24 athletes and 47 coaches, not to mention several mothers giving up their mother’s day, got a chance to explore the museum.

“Fly Me to the Moon 3D” an IMAX film about 3 flies who stow away on the first flight to the moon, was a new experience for many of our athletes. Anmol, while not a fan of the glasses, enjoyed the music. Sam spent his time trying to catch the flies coming out the screen and Pace — a big science fan — found it really interesting.

Elsewhere our athletes got a chance to interact with the two hands-on galleries. In “The Garden” a multi-sensory playground, Aaron, Jake and Shine got stuck into with the water play activities. Felix loved the bubble show and Nathan found the area a great source of freedom, getting involved all parts of it.

Way up on the third floor was the “Launch-pad” full of science and technology activities. Sasha was obsessed with the grain pit, and in fact she has found her calling in life working the machine. John-Jo was the expert showing his coach around and how things worked, while Gabriel and James enjoyed exploring the different exhibits.

Some of other athletes also found excitement in other parts of the museum. Parsa, with his love of trains, inspected any exhibit to do with this, often wanting to see what was under and on top them. Elias enjoyed watching the glass lift and Hamilton found the tactile experience of the red plastic drapes engaging.

A fantastic day was had by all, so good that for some athletes such as Darrell, they didn’t want it to end – Cameron.

: ice skating

It was a cold morning outside and as you expect, cold inside the rink as well. Despite the frosty start, KEEN London’s ice skating trip ended up being great fun.  On Sunday 7 February we had 30 Athletes and 40 coaches supporting them along with a few parents, many of whom made it on the ice as well.

It was Rebecca’s first time on the ice and while her first few laps were spent clinging to the edge, she was very soon speeding away unaided, so fast that she sometimes left her coach Charlotte for dead. We had to call another coach Barbara, who has professional ice skating experience, to try and keep up. 

In contrast Elias, not so confident on ice, did extremely well. With the support of his coaches Ujjwal and Damola he managed to do a few laps, albeit sometimes the wrong way, around the ice

It was fantastic to see the Tylers – John-Jo, Tony and Julie-Ann – being able to come along for their first session in a while. Tony and John-Jo appeared very adept on the ice, while little 4-year old Julia-Ann had a great time.

The coaches did a great job of encouraging the athletes to push their limits. Gabriel, Joe and at times Hamilton, managed to get off the wall when they were aided by coach either side to give them extra balance.

On the flip side, it was James encouraging the coaches to push their limits. A very competitive skater, James spent the majority of his time challenging the coaches to race – which he consistently won!

However my favourite success story was John’s first time trying to skate. John finds new environments incredibly challenging and as result is very hesitant. But with patience and plenty of encouragement he came into the building, put on the skates, walked in the skates and finally tried placing his feet on the ice. For anyone who knows John this a fantastic achievement!

See photos from the gallery...

: The KEEN Christmas party

Like all good Christmas events, the KEEN London Christmas party had all the right ingredients to make it a success – a disco, decorations, fun activities, delicious food and of course Santa himself.  A big amount credit goes to our sponsors of this year’s event the Sainsbury’s HR department.

This year we had a total of 31 Athletes and 31 Coaches and many parents that came along to join in the festivities. Some of the athletes definitely came prepared for it – well done to Rebecca and Shine – the winners of the best dressed competition.

It was extra special for one person – Kate Baker – who after many years of commitment to KEEN has stood down as chairperson to concentrate on her work as a doctor. Thank you for all your hard work and effort Kate.

We had a sumptuous array of food that was purchased with Sainsbury’s donation, but also each family kindly brought a plate to say thank you to coaches and their work over the last year.

There was a fantastic range of activities to do – gingerbread men decorating, disco dancing, face painting, a bubble machine, instant snow, arts ‘n’ crafts, a story telling fairy and the popular favourite - balloon animals!

But the highlight of anything Christmas was the appearance of Santa and his sack full of presents. Every Athlete according to Santa had been good and deserved a gift.

A big thank you goes out to Sainsbury’s our sponsor, DJ Smiley providing the music, Ben Backhouse our photographer, Lucy and Joanne our face painters and Neil the balloon animal maker. Obviously a final thanks goes to all the coaches, parents and finally the athletes for making it a brilliant event!

See photos from the gallery...