Discovery awaits with Symbol-Friendly^® PGL’s SEND Inclusive Adventure programme

PGL’s goal is to create inclusive adventures for all young people, ensuring every child feels supported, confident and empowered to take part. Having worked with children all my life across a range of diverse environments, I was tasked to look for opportunities to realise this goal. I discovered Widgit at an expo and it all clicked into place. When I followed this up with schools, I found out that over 60% of them were already using Widgit and singing their praises. Hearing this from the teachers themselves was the real catalyst for making Symbol-Friendly happen, and Widgit help us to support our operational teams to be more inclusive for our guests.

It starts before they even arrive. Traditionally, our itineraries are just words on a page that teachers have to explain. Now, we can show a child a visual of a ‘giant swing,’ for example. Widgit has specially designed symbols to represent our specific activities, which is huge for reducing pre-travel anxiety.

On a broader level, I would say symbols help reduce the anxiety. Even for children without SEND/ASN, the first time in a new catering hall can be scary. Using symbols for the little things, like when choosing food from our menus, helps children feel at ease and know what to expect. It makes the whole journey more inclusive for every young person.

A typical day with PGL is exciting and always packed! Following breakfast, we begin in the morning with activities such as raft building, and then in the afternoon, activities such as trapeze or archery. We provide templates with symbols for our instructors to carry on lanyards. If a guest is non-verbal or struggling, the instructor can use symbol cards in the moment to help them navigate the session.

The PGL-specific symbols are vital when it comes to specific activities. For instance, a child who does not know what ‘dragon boating’ is might think they will be facing a real dragon! Seeing the symbol clarifies the activity immediately. It removes the ‘unknown’ and lets them focus on having fun.

Most definitely. We are looking at our marketing, pre-arrival communications, and even our centre maps. We want those maps to be symbol-friendly so schools can see exactly where every activity takes place before they even arrive.

We are also hearing from customers during our trials that they want symbolised labels on toilet doors and bathrooms in the rooms. We are in a discovery phase, learning from the children and teachers about what helps them most on the ground, so watch this space!

I have two! From the ones you created for us, ‘Ambush’ and ‘Archery’.

From the PGL set, I love ‘Trapeze.’ But from the standard Widgit symbol set, I love the emotion symbols. They give children a voice to show how they are feeling inside when it might not be obvious on the outside. It ensures they feel heard.