They are the Debdale Breast Cancer Dragonboating team, every Saturday morning they meet at the Debdale outdoor centre and paddle on the reservoir. Founded in 2012 under the Paddlers for Life banner, they enjoy weekly exercise where we don't need to talk or dwell on cancer, but look at what life has to offer and give each other emotional support. It's about having fun and reaching out for the normal after treatment. They often enjoy tea and coffee afterwards and get on well as a community.
Their activity is not only limited to dragon boating, as they often go on walks, sailing, kayaking and other social events. They are just one of over 200 dragonboat teams dedicated to supporting breast cancer survivors, as the exercise required for dragonboating is safe and therapeutic for those undergoing treatment

The project will involve designing and constructing a nature friendly garden and seating area, as part of this, everyone will be involved in the design process using techniques such as hand sketching, collage, model making and more, culminating into a presentation to be delivered to the client before beginning construction. The construction on site will involve work with landscaping and planting, as well as building seating and painting a mural.
The key skills that will be developed are:
Adobe Suite skills
Architectural sketching, collage and modelling
Woodworking
Landscaping and Gardening
Teamwork

Day 1 of MSA Live Dragonscapes begins!
With our project officially kicking off we started the day with a presentation of the site, clients and overview of the project, before setting off with concept sketching and discussions. Working as a group, we had plenty of ideas on ways to use the limited materials and budget available to us to upcycle and create a great garden area and mural. We finished the day by discussing our favourite ideas for how to use the site, ready to begin visualisation and masterplanning tomorrow!

Day 5 of Dragonscapes had us create and send a presentation to the client and managers of the Debdale outdoor centre to receive their agreement and any alterations to the design before we begin construction on Week 2. The proposal covers all the work we have done in the previous week, from concept to masterplan. Following approval and alterations, we will begin construction of the seating and garden area on site to create a starting point for the dragoneers to build on in future.