A Getting Out There Programme for a Youth Inclusion Project (YIP)
A joint venture with Catch 22 involving two day trips and a weekend away
Phase 1: involved a weekend away at Goblin Coombe environmental centre for young people who are at risk of offending, failing to thrive in education or social exclusion. Activities included a night walk on the Mendips, a survival day and evening activities such as fire lighting skills. The aim of the weekend was to provide the young people with an outdoor experience, away from their home environment to build relationships with support staff and with people from different cultures though the same inner city area. The weekend was staffed by a combination of Catch 22 staff, Imayla staff and volunteers including a PCSO from the Trinity Road team. The young people were also required to learn about communal living and overcome challenges in terms of their basic skills levels and being allocated responsibility. The weekend was a great success in terms of personal and social development and support staff and the PCSO were able to witness the value of nature on the development of young people.
Phase 2: was for newly recruited volunteer mentors to get to know the young people that they may mentor and this was achieved through a day trip to pre-historic Waylands Smithy and following a pre-laid trail on and around the Ridgeway, an environment of space and quiet. The trip ended at a clearing in a wood where a small kitchen and fire had been set up and the young people were able to get involved in lighting the fire. Sitting round the fire was a highlight of the day. Participants developed new skills, learnt how to work in a group and take responsibility and engaged with the process in a positive and focused way. This was quite an achievement for many of these young people who had a range of learning and behavioral issues. The journey home was calm and it was clear that a day of exercise, fresh air and countryside had had a positive impact upon all of those present.
Phase 3: a trip along the Avon to Bath Canal Walk was aimed at acquainting the young people with an easy to reach trip they could do themselves. They took a train direct from Lawrence Hill in East Central Bristol to Avoncliff, a small train station in the beautiful Avon Valley, near Bradford on Avon and walked to Bath along the Kennet and Avon Canal. Young people also engaged in a quiz which formed part of the educative function of the day. This including some education around the history of the canal and discussion around what it was used for.
Key outcomes from the whole programme included:
* Enhanced confidence in accessing the countryside
* Sustaining a full day’s exercise
* Building practical skills and self-confidence
* Social and emotional development
* Engaging further with the YIP programme to increase the likelihood of engaging in further therapeutic interventions within the service designed to reduce risk and enhance protective factors
Most of the group of young people who engaged in the programme are still engaged in the YIP and are receiving a range of supportive interventions to improve their outcomes in relation to education, social engagement and offending.