15 and Still KEEN
KEEN, the joint Oxford/Brookes charity, is to celebrate its fifteenth birthday this week. It was founded in 1988 by a New College student, and currently involves over 120 disabled children and young adults around Oxfordshire.
The party will celebrate the achievements of KEEN in providing recreational activities for people with special needs, and will take place at the Asian Cultural Centre in Cowley, from two until five on Saturday; new volunteers are welcome to attend.
The scheme currently involves around 250 students, who work on a one-to-one basis with the participants in weekly sports and drama workshops, as well as regular special events such as day trips and ice-skating.
The scheme is free of charge to both participants and volunteers, and transport is provided. KEEN aim for their participants to gain confidence, pride and a sense of belonging through the activities on offer, and also stress the value of the experience for the volunteers themselves. For further information about KEEN email keen@herald.ox.ac.uk or visit the website.
23rd Jan 2003