“Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love”. These are the words of psychiatrist and leading expert on trauma-informed care Bruce Perry. We wholeheartedly agree but how do we foster strong, supportive, mutually enriching relationships that don’t feel forced, transactional or imposed?

Like any good relationship two particularly important aspects are shared experiences and FUN! In fact, for many young people conversation is much easier, and less intimidating, when taking part in a joint activity or event.

With this in mind, our mentoring and youth work sessions are highly varied and creative incorporating a number of different (and often free or relatively inexpensive) options in and around Cambridge. Below are 10 suggestions that you may want to try with a young person in your life this summer:

1. Dinky Doors (https://www.dinkydoors.co.uk/): As the name suggests these are a series of tiny and beautifully crafted doors situated all around Cambridge. A map of these doors is available to on their website as a hard-copy or electronic version and, once in hand off you go! Our mentors and mentees have often stretched this out across a few sessions taking in ice-cream and/or coffee (depending on the weather) along the way.

2. Electric greens – mini-golf (https://www.thetivoli.co.uk/electric-greens): Ok, we’re not by the sea side but there is mini/crazy golf in Cambridge. In fact in the Tivoli there are actually two crazy golf courses (along with shuffleboard and some other activities) and you an also take in drinks and food at the same time. It’s worth being aware that it’s only over 18s after 7pm but it’s well worth a visit.

3. Free Cambridge museums: I’m sure most people are aware that there are a range of free museums in Cambridge (including the Fitzwilliam museum) but how about some of the less well known. Popular visits amongst our team have been the Museum of Zoology (https://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk/visit-us) where you can take in the horrifying spectacle of a spider-crab (as well as having a drink at the Whale Café) and the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute (https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/) on Lensfield Road.

4. See some animals: Other than to see your regular household pets a few cows and maybe the odd horse this will require you to head out of Cambridge. Shepreth (https://sheprethwildlifepark.co.uk/) is obviously particularly well known for housing tigers and red pandas and is easily accessible by Public Tranport. For those with a care, Hammerton Zoo Park is certainly an option (https://www.hamertonzoopark.com/) but how about our own personal favourite for some of our hosts Johnsons of Old Hurst (https://www.johnsonsofoldhurst.co.uk/) that includes a zoo, farm shop and restaurant!

5. Guided bus to St Ives: So we know this doesn’t sound like something that will top the bill for many young people but sometimes it’s good to get our of the hustle and bustle of the city and, in addition, can be a great way to help develop confidence in travelling by public transport. The guided bus (https://www.thebusway.info/routes-times.shtml) runs from stops throughout Cambridge and is only £2 per journey (or even less for those under 25 with a tiger card: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/onepoundbusfare/). Once in St Ives we’d recommend a amble beside the river and a stop off at the Ivo Lounge and Tom’s Cakes. You can also find out some interesting facts in this home of the Norris Museum (https://www.norrismuseum.org.uk/) including where the phrase Ps&Qs came from (answers on a postcard).

6. Cafés with activities: What about café’s that do more than coffee and a pastry (or overpriced panini?) and actually give you something to focus on. Two options that deserve a mention are The Box Room Boardgame Café (https://theboxroombgc.co.uk/) where you can rent our boardgames for £2-3 per hour (depending on if you’re buying food or not) and The Edge Café that run a series of workshops including arts and crats, ‘Recovery Writing, and ‘all things yarny’ ( https://www.theedgecafecambridge.org/index.php/recovery-hub/groups-workshops)

7. Karaoke (https://www.tenpin.co.uk/our-locations/cambridge/karaoke/): So you knew that Cambridge Leisure Park had bowling lanes and a cinema but what about Karaoke? Admittedly this probably isn’t the ideal venue for a one-on-one unless you’re really into your Karaoke but can be good fun for a group where people already know each other and aren’t too self-conscious.

8. Gardens and parks: Obviously Cambridge has plenty of wide open spaces and taking a stroll around one of these, sitting for a picnic, or even taking a game like frisbee or Molkky (Finnish and a lot of fun) can be a great idea when the weather is good. Although the Botanical Gardens remains a hit with many of our mentors and mentees for less well-know and more ‘town’ than gown Coldhams Common, Milton Country Park, Coleridge Rec and Romsey Rec are great options or for a pleasant stroll that’s little known (with plenty of diversions available) go from Granchester Meadows (https://maps.app.goo.gl/uBWBK4SEHqi8j7cX6) in Newnham towards town ending up at the Mill Pond Pub and the mathematical bridge

9. Cream/afternoon tea (with a difference): So this may not be the most frugal option, but as a treat or celebration, there are a number of locations in or close to Cambridge that offer uniquely themed cream tea options. For example, Kibou offers a Japanese Cream Tea option (https://kibou.co.uk/news/kibou-cambridge-afternoon-tea) and Carriages serve afternoon tea from restored railway carriages (https://www.carriagesofcambridge.co.uk/). For a more traditional option you can obviously visit the Orchard Tea Garden in Granchester (https://www.theorchardteagarden.co.uk/).

10. Get on the river: The most common way to do this in Cambridge is to hire a punt and this is certainly a popular outing with our young people. We would recommend going from the Mill Pond towards Granchester and taking a picnic to enjoy in Granchester Meadows. However, there are a number of other options you may want to try. For example, you can also hire Canadian Canoes from Scudamores (https://www.scudamores.com/grantchester-canoe-hire), there are stand-up paddle board options from SUP (https://supcambridge.com/) or, if you’re prepared to head out of the city, you can hire an entire boat in Ely (https://www.fishandduck.co.uk/boat-hire/), St Neots (https://www.allaboardboathire.co.uk/) or St Ives (https://waterspirits.co.uk/hire-boats)