Our projects and services
We provide unique and exciting transition support services blending physical and virtual approaches - and with a key emphasis on person-centred and relational approaches. All of our Projects are tailored to the particular needs of the young people we work with, but there are core strands around relationships, skills and personal development, confidence-building, interpersonal skills and self-esteem.
Every young person is different. What they all need is a person-centred approach which affirms who they are, offers a personally designed set of inputs to help them achieve their personal goals, aspire to their ambitions and attain their fullest potential.
We provide a wraparound service with a drop down menu of inputs and support and which provides the right relational environment and options to help them move forward. Regular team support meetings and termly review meetings keep the support team informed and help keep the young person on track. We use social mapping and our development web tools to monitor and measure progression towards the key objectives and aspirations identified by the young person.
Absolutely key is the recruitment, induction, training and development of our amazing group of volunteer mentors and supporters, drawn from every walk of life including business, education, people who have worn the particular T shirt themselves, therapists and more. Matching those amazing people to our young beneficiaries is a mixture of art, science and inspiration!
For young people with learning disabilities
Currently working across Bedfordshire and N Herts, with hubs in Bedford, Luton and Stevenage, we support 80 young people with special needs and provide around 25,000 hrs of life changing support.
Weekly sessions for friendship and inclusion, plus independence and life skills, supported by 60-80 volunteers and a very special cluster mentoring framework. We aim to replicate this project into at least one adjoining county.
For young people leaving care
We offer services to 60-70 care leavers across Buckinghamshire, and especially in Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and High Wycombe. We are working to extend those services into Birmingham and Bedford.
We make a huge difference to the life chances and futures of this highly vulnerable group of young people who are leaving care often without support.
We provide weekly matched mentoring sessions, virtual tools, support into work and towards independence.. We address loneliness, anxiety, self harm, low self-esteem, and more.
For young people at risk of criminal exploitation or offending
We work across Herts and N London with delivery hubs in Stevenage, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Enfield. We are looking to extend into Leicester and Bedfordshire, including for those leaving alternative education provision. This project has two programmes for different age groups.
PREVENT offers support to 30 young people - 13-17 year olds who need help to escape criminal exploitation, gangs and bullying and to avoid getting a criminal record or a stay in a youth offending institution
RESTART supports 10-12 young people of 18-21 years of age who have committed an offence and want to avoid a life of crime and the revolving door or prison.
For young people with mental health and emotional needs
We are desperately keen to get this project off the ground. The mental health and emotional needs of our young people are a massive issue - and rates of self harm and suicide are rising at an alarming rate.
Relational support, mentoring and therapeutic approaches will be at the heart of this much needed provision. Using existing and adapted models of support we will save lives and transform futures.
We plan to launch our first project in Barnet and Brent early in the New Year, subject to funding. We aim to extend and replicate from there.