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Doing work for good causes can have its highs and lows, and none more so than
for a marathon ‘Bounceathon’ that recently took place at the Guildford Spectrum.

Organised by Flair Gymnastics and sponsored by Riverford Organics, children
of all ages and Flair coaches participated in a 24-hour trampoline session to
help raise awareness of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) programme at
the Spectrum and also Giving Africa, a charity focused on developing education
by building schools in Africa.

The challenge in June 2011 was to keep a trampoline bed continuously occupied for 24 hours.
Volunteers jumped, back flipped and double front flipped in a bid to raise money
for both good causes. In fact, around 141,000 bounces were recorded as more
than 150 kids and coaches bounced their way through the day and night. Such was the success of the event that Flair plans to host further Bounceathons to
involve more children to take the number of bounces to 250,000 and raise further funds.

“We hosted the event to celebrate the success of the Special Education Needs
classes that are run at the Spectrum as well as the amazing work of Giving
Africa,” says Richard Dwyer of Flair Gymnastics. “The classes we run at the
Spectrum help the personal growth and development individuals with special
needs. They have been a tremendous success and have become even more
popular over the past year, providing a progression route for mainstream
classes.”

Some of the benefits the classes offer the children include greater co-ordination,
flexibility, strength, body awareness and spatial awareness. The programme
allows children to achieve their full potential whilst learning new and exciting
moves in a safe and structured environment.

To run its classes, Flair employs both an SEN coordinator and programme
director who together create and adapt the programme, working in partnership
with Flair coaches.

Richard adds: “Giving Africa is raising funds to improve the quality of and access
to education and vocational facilities to benefit the most impoverished children
and communities. Money raised from the Bounceathon will have a direct impact
on a project in Gourcy, a town in the north of Burkina Faso. The project will
design, improve and expand the school infrastructure, facilities and curriculum
of Bethel secondary school; creating a child friendly learning environment for
1,100 children.”

You can still get donate to Giving Africa

CLICK HERE

Thank you for your support