Oundle School’s ‘Have a Go Day’ (HAGD) has been running for over thirty years and has established itself as a favourite date in the calendars of special needs clubs and schools. On the 27 September, over 200 visitors to the school, hosted by over 150 pupils, took part in various activities including swimming, badminton, basketball, archery, football, indoor rowing, crazy golf, face painting, boccia, yoga, music and art activities as well as enjoying traction engine rides around the school’s grounds.
Liz Dillarstone, Head of Community Action at Oundle School, commented: “HAGD is a really encouraging environment in which visitors with special needs can try their hand at new sports and activities in a safe and familiar environment. We hope that they came away with smiles on their faces, having had the chance to do things that most of us take for granted on a daily basis. Our pupils are privileged to host them.”
Some visitors make a beeline for their favourite activity as soon as they arrive; the archery is always extremely popular and well supported. Others like to try their hand at rounders or cricket and football is always popular.
Visitors can try their hand at new sports and games
Pupil Annie Clayton (16) commented: “I was helping out at the art table for HAGD. We were decorating baseball caps with fabric, paint, gems and sequins, and everyone, including the helpers, loved it. I met a lady who was really lovely and was decorating a hat not for herself but for her friend, and we spent our time chatting, laughing, and hunting for the letters to spell out his name’. It was great fun, and the effort we put into helping certainly paid off as everyone left grinning proudly from under their awesome new caps.”
Pupil Ollie Frisby added: “At HAGD I was helping with refreshments and having walked around and seen everyone’s faces, I can say for certain that everyone loves HAGD, including the pupils.”
Pupils enjoy a spot of face painting
Pupil Hattie Pymont concluded: “Acting as a guide allowed me to really get involved and interact with India. I was lucky enough to know India prior to this HAGD and she has been a regular attendee of HAGD for many years now, so she came knowing exactly what she wanted to do: swimming and then face painting. I really enjoyed watching her and cheering her on as she jumped in as well as helping to paint her face, which she loved!”
