The pirate’s life for Belmore

Shiver me timbers, the Belmore Community Centre clients gave their best pirate impressions as they visited the Australian National Maritime Museum and climbed aboard the HMB Endeavour replica. The crew had a great time learning about the history of the voyages and enjoyed roaming the exhibitions.

Every day is a new adventure with Afford Community Centres, where you will have the opportunity to explore the community and learn more about the world around you.

“The clients thought the ships were amazing and they started calling them pirate ships straight away. At the centre, they keep asking when can we go back to the pirate ships. They had a great time,” said Lifestyle Assistant, Natalie Peters.

Visiting the historic ship was an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the summer weather on Darling Harbour and get amongst the community. The clients enjoyed working on their communication and social skills as they interacted with the museum guides.

“It was great seeing the clients speak for themselves and ask lots of questions to the volunteers. I always try to encourage them to get engaged but they were so fascinated by the boats that they did it independently,” continued Natalie.

The museum guides pointed out the captain’s quarters and the crew’s area while sharing general knowledge about the boat’s structure. Captain Cook sailed on the HMB Endeavour on his epic 1768-71 world voyage. The vessel has been crafted to imitate how Cook and his men lived on board and it is one of the world’s most accurate maritime replicas.

After seeing how much they enjoyed it, Natalie looks forward to taking more clients to see the ships and museum.

“Our client Puila who is in a wheelchair, absolutely loved the day. When he got there, his eyes lit up. He was sitting up tall, was very alert and he couldn’t wipe the big smile off his face,” said Natalie.

If you are ready to start building your life skills and making new memories, learn more about Afford Community Centres.