Project Escape

The ESCAPE (Encouraging Skills, Challenges, Adventure and Purpose through Education) Project at Fort Widley aims to restore a derelict area of the Fort in order to provide a new creative learning centre that provides innovative and dynamic learning opportunities to children and young people. The Project will provide a study centre for young people including those with learning, behavioural and other learning difficulties, particularly those at risk of exclusion.

The project will offer children and young people a chance to take part in activities including:

• Problem solving
• Local ecology and the local environment
• Music
• Teambuilding
• Initiative tests
• Personal development
• Sporting activities
The project will provide education as well as adventure in an innovative and exciting learning environment and will aim to challenge young people, academically, physically and socially in a safe and inclusive centre.

This refurbishment would result in the creation of a creative learning centre that will include:

• Study rooms (with the availability of Information Learning Technologies)
• Rehearsal and music room
• ICT room
• Messy play and arts classroom

With all these learning opportunities the aim is to foster teamwork and self-reliance through the introduction of new activities and sports. These activities are all aimed at encouraging the increase of self-esteem of the participants as well as increasing participation in activities that are currently not accessed. Activities will access all areas of the school curriculum and will provide a rich and varied context for young people to develop and apply a range of knowledge, understanding and skills. Activities offered will play an important role in the development of interpersonal skills of the learners as well as having a positive effect upon academic and social success. The project will offer local and schools from other areas the opportunity to undertake Key Skills mapped to the relevant programme of study elements within the national curriculum at the centre, however all learning opportunities will be individually tailored to the specific requirements of each group of learners.

Update on the Project May 2009

All rooms have now been scraped down and painted, floor boards mended and electrics are now also in. This has been achieved through a small grant from the PCCS (Portsmouth Council of Community Service) and a lot of hard work from Portsmouth & Southsea, Havant and Cosham Rotary Clubs volunteers as well as from the probation service and other volunteers. The bathrooms and toilets are next to get the make over!