Dreadnought has had it's home in a converted Methodist Chapel since 1978. In early 2000 the main body of the old Chapel was completely refurbished to provide an amazing sports hall with cushioned flooring and 'magic' paint that was to prevent the Cornish damp from penetrating it's walls. Sadly without Harry Potter or Hermione the magic didn't work and the poor walls of the sports hall are in a sorry state.

We also have a leak in the roof which has damaged the ceiling, the wall and part of the flooring and means that on particularly rainy days (it's Cornwall remember) children and young people are prevented from using the sports hall for health and safety concerns.

The sports hall is a fabulous space enabling young people to come together and learn valuable life skills such as sharing and taking turns, treating each other with respect, playing by the rules and listening to instructions, learning to lose (or win) graciously, boundaries and personal space, patience, taking part and trying something new and above all having some fun.

All of the children and young people who access Dreadnought's service have a specific need identified by a professional or concerned adult in their life. They come to Dreadnought to learn to recognise and understand their feelings and emotions, to build resilience and increase emotional intelligence.

The sports hall is also used a safe space to offload any feelings of frustration or anger. There's nothing like kicking or throwing a ball as hard as you can against a wall or running freely around a large a space to relieve stress. Young people on our one to one programmes often use the sports hall in this way.

So whilst the sports hall is great for fun team games it is also an integral therapeutic space badly in need of some tender loving care.