This document has been commissioned by the 14-19 Network for Bridgend.
Member organisations of the Network include:
 Local Authority
 Schools
 Youth Service
 Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations
 Menter Bro Ogwr
 Careers Wales (Mid Glamorgan and Powys)
 Parc Prison
 Children and Young People’s Partnership
 Bridgend College
 University of Glamorgan
 Extending Entitlement Forum.
The Welsh Assembly Government in their 14-19 Learning Pathways Guidance
document (2006) give a clear outline of the terms Formal, Non-Formal and
Informal and stress that all three combine to enhance an individual’s learning
pathway.
Element
Formal
Definition
Organised learning
opportunities leading to
approved qualifications and /
or CQFW credit achievements
Examples
GCSEs, NVQs, BTEc etc
AS/A2 /WBQ Core
Some specific requirements of
the Learning Core.
Non Formal
Organised programmes leading
to non formal accreditation,
can include credit achievement
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award,
ASDAN
Millennium Volunteers / CSV,
First Aid, Food Hygiene
certificates, OCNs, other
aspect of the Learning Core
Informal
Wider experiences normally
without accreditation
Residential experiences,
Hobbies, sport activities,
membership of clubs/societies,
part time employment,
babysitting skills, caring skills.
For more information about this document please contact:
Kath Durbin
Group Manager, Post 14
14-19 Network Manager.
Tel: 01656 642697
E-mail Kathryn.Durbin@bridgend.gov.uk
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction …………………………………………………….. page 1
Will’s story ………………………………………………………… page 2
Escha’s story………………………………………………………….page 4
Rhys’s story……………………………………………………………page 7
Cintz’s story ………………………………………………………… page 9
Jesse’s story ……………………………………………………… page 12
Nikki’s story ……………………………………………………….page 14
Gavin’s story ………………………………………………………page 16
Jemma’s story ………………………………………………….page 19
Lauren’s story …………………………………………………..page 22
Keren’s story …………………………………………………….page 24
Samantha’s story …………………………………………….page 26
Hannah’s story ………………………………………………….page 28
Laura’s story ……………………………………………………. page 31
Catharine’s story …………………………………………… page 33
INTRODUCTION
What do the learning experiences of Samantha, Escha, Rhys and Jemma have in
common? One answer could be that they have all accessed various formal
learning pathways at schools in Bridgend. However, there is another relevant
answer for they have all been influenced by non-formal and informal learning
opportunities provided by a wide range of organisations working alongside their
schools. Organisations such as St John Cymru Wales, Bridge Mentoring, Menter
Bro Ogwr and Changing Tracks have provided support, learning experiences, help
and advice for each of these young people.
This collection of case studies is the second in a series of documents which have
been commissioned by the 14-19 Network. The studies illustrate the effective
partnership which between …. exists in the borough and how it complements the
work of schools and other statutory services. In a number of these case studies
young lives have been completely turned around by sensitive and positive
professional interventions.
Collectively the case studies show that for some young people the non-formal
and informal activities they access outside the school and college settings are
just as important to their individual development as the formal learning they
pursue inside school or college.
The case studies also reflect how well Bridgend is implementing the Welsh
Assembly Government’s policy in respect of the 14-19 Learning Pathways agenda.
‘All learners are entitled not just to a wider choice in their formal learning but
to wider experiences and activities, and to support, so that all young people can
achieve their potential.’ John Griffiths, Deputy Minister for Skills and Education
.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the young people for sharing
their story with us, as well as with the wider audience across Wales. I would also
like to thank the providers who diligently ensure that the young people of
Bridgend receive the support and encouragement they need to fulfil their
potential.
Kath Durbin
Group Manager, Post 14
Chidren’s Directorate
Bridgend County Borough Council.
WILL’S STORY
Will pulls on the gloves and approaches the heavy leather bag hanging in the
middle of the gym. He hits it then quickly moves to adjust himself as the bag
swings before hitting it again. He reaches out his right arm and sends a jabbing
fist towards the moving target. It shudders and swings as the blows rain in.
Will is a Year 11 student studying for his GCSEs but often on a Thursday night
he can be found sweating in a boxing gym. He is taken there by Youth Workers
from KPC Youth Centre in Pyle. The Youth Centre is a place that has been very
important to Will over the last few years for like the punch bag that he trains
on in the gym he has already suffered a number of serious blows in his young
life.
Will lost his mother at the age of 10 and in the years that followed he has had
to cope with his father’s failing health as well as the death of his grandmother.
Being the only child still at home Will had to take on a caring role supporting his
father and this resulted in him missing almost a term of school in year 10.
This would be enough to knock someone out or at the very least put them down
but Will has kept on fighting and one of the reasons he has been able to stay on
his feet is because he has had an excellent team in his corner. His wider family
have of course been there for him, especially his surviving grandmother but Will
has also received important support from others too. Members of staff at Will’s
school have been a great help and he has also really appreciated the support he
has received from Ogwr Dash and The Young Carers Project.
However, it is perhaps KPC that has played the most significant role in Will’s life
in recent years. He has been coming to the Centre for over seven years and
doesn’t really know where he’d be without it. The youth workers here have been
a great source of support to him and been on hand to listen when he’s needed it.
Apart from this they have helped him to access activities like the boxing
training and fishing. The Centre gave him somewhere to go during the day when
he was missing school because of his father’s poor health and the workers here
supported him to complete some courses during that time such as OCNs in
Independent Living and Basic Alcohol Education.
Will has been through some tough times but with the support of the Youth Club
at KPC and the other individuals and agencies around him he has done remarkably
well to be in the position he is in today. His favourite course in school is
Hairdressing and he very much hopes to be able to pursue this as his career
when he leaves at the end of year 11. Maybe he will go to college or perhaps he’ll
work and learn as an apprentice in a salon. Whichever way he does it if he
continues to show the same fighting spirit he has displayed in recent years he is
certain of success
Will takes off his gloves and wipes the sweat from his eyes, the bag he’s been
hitting still swaying from his blows. It’s taken his best shots and although it’s
shaken it still hangs ready for the next fighter to step up. Will has taken some
heavy punches in his young life but due to his resolve and the support of those
around him, he’s still standing but more than that he’s now ready to move on.
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open
to all voluntary and community groups working or based in
Bridgend County Borough. KPC Youth are full members of
BAVO.
Contact: BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
Kenfig Hill, Pyle and Cornelly Youth is a Youth club for
young people aged between 8-25. The centre offers its
members the opportunity to socialise, access information
and training.
Contact: KPC, Pyle, Bridgend. CF33 6AB
Telephone: 01656 749219
Web-site: www.kpcyouth.co.uk
The Bridgend Young Carers Project provides young people who have caring
responsibilities with the opportunity to enjoy a social life with other young
carers, and take part in a range of activities and trips.
Contact: NCH Bridgend Young Carers Project, 3 & 4 Clos-y-Waun, Brackla,
Bridgend, CF31 2QN.
Telephone: 01656 766 067
Email: bridgend.y.c@nch.org.uk
ESCHA’S STORY
Escha and her fiancé Kyle sit in a busy coffee shop. The buzz of conversation is
all around them and they play their part in it as they relax and chat together.
There is one thing however, that marks their conversation as different to all
the rest. Like most others in the café their first language is English but from
time to time they can be heard using another.
For the last year Escha and Kyle have been going to Bridgend College every
Tuesday night for two hours to study GCSE Japanese. It wasn’t easy but they
gained level 2 passes with B and C grades respectively and as Escha aims
eventually to live and work in Japan this result is one important step towards
the fulfilment of her dream. A dream that has helped her find some direction in
her life that not too long ago seemed to be going nowhere.
Escha never really settled into secondary school. Having been bullied in one
school she was moved to another only to be moved back again when the bullying
began once more. This led to a difficult period in her life when she was often
very low and with her education alternating between home tuition and short
periods at school she began to isolate herself from others. Her sadness
increased and brought her to the point where she began to express her
frustration through self harm. These were very difficult days for Escha and her
future seemed bleak.
In search of a solution to the problem Escha’s mother, a qualified basic skills
tutor, began to teach Escha at home mid way through year 9. Around this time
Escha’s social worker referred her to the Bridge Mentoring Scheme which
began to provide her with confidential emotional support. She was assigned a
Mentor who set her personal goals to help her avoid social exclusion. As a result
of her contact with the scheme over the next four years she gained a level 1 and
2 in the Getting Connected Emotional Literacy Programme. As part of this she
was sent to Bethlehem Church Life Centre for work experience where she
gained further OCN non formal qualifications.
The Bridge Mentoring Scheme then referred Escha to the Voluntary Tros
Gynnal Leo Project, an advocacy and conflict resolution service for young people
in Bridgend. Through this project she was brought into contact with the
Changing Tracks Programme run by the Youth Service. Changing Tracks
provided her with personalised support through a mentor who worked with Escha
helping her make important life choices. One of those choices involved managing
her own health and by pursuing an OCN qualification that covered relevant
lifestyle issues she was able to choose a healthier way of life. Added to this,
Changing Tracks gave Escha the opportunity to attend a residential event run by
the Youth Service known as Biblins and this really helped to boost her
confidence and self esteem.
Due to the problems Escha faced she was unable to sit formal GCSEs in school.
However, with the support of the Bridge Mentoring Scheme and Changing
Tracks she gained non formal accreditation in areas which strengthened her
health and well being and in September 2008 she was able to return to formal
education.
To make this step Escha was directed to Studio 34, a recently established
learning centre set up to help young people in a similar position to her. Studio 34
offers a learning programme to those who seem to be standing still after
struggling to gain formal qualifications at school.
During her time at home Escha had developed an interest in Japanese art and
animation and when both the Bridge Mentoring Scheme and Changing Tracks
recommended that she be placed on an interactive media course at Studio 34 it
seemed the ideal opportunity to meet her needs and aspirations.
So in September 2008 she began to work towards a BTEC Diploma in the
Interactive Use of Multi Media. This was just right for her, covering such things
as multi media production, editing, web page creation, sound recording and
animation. It was along side this course that Escha started studying Japanese at
the College and for the first time for a number of years things seemed to be
coming together for her.
As part of her time at Studio 34 Escha visited Eco Dysgu where she received a
pioneering model of education called ‘Learning to Heal – Healing to Learn’
involving a series of workshops which helped her deal with issues from her past.
Having gained much from the workshops at Eco Dysgu and successfully
completing her course at Studio 34 she was then confident enough to enrol on a
First Diploma in Art and Design at Bridgend College which she began in
September 2009. She hopes to follow a further, higher Art and Design
qualification when her present course is completed and also intends to add to
her GCSE in Japanese by going on to follow a level 3 qualification in the language
sometime later.
Escha’s pathway to success has not been an easy one and she has had to work
very hard to overcome a number of obstacles in order to move her life forward.
However, without the support of individuals and agencies that have helped her
along the way her story could have been very different.
Escha and Kyle finish their coffee and prepare to leave the café and as they go
Escha chats to Kyle about what she would like to do in Japan. It is a vision of her
future that to some might seem just a little unrealistic. However, if the
progress she has made in the last few years is anything to go by it is a vision of
her future that just might become reality.
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open
to all voluntary and community groups working or based in
Bridgend County Borough. Bridge Mentoring Plus, Eco Dysgu
and Bethlhem Life Centre are full members of BAVO.
Contact: BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
A one-to one mentoring service for 10-25 year old
disadvantaged young people throughout the Borough of
Bridgend.
www.thebridgemps.org.uk Telephone: 01656 647891
Bridgend Youth Service - Changing Tracks Project
Works with and supports young people aged 13-19 years old who for
varying reasons are NEETs and face barriers to learning.
Contact: Nicola.Lewis@bridgend.gov.uk Telephone: 01656 724057
Tros Gynnal is an independent and
in Dunraven Street Bridgend
confidential Children's Rights Project based
Contact: Email: leo@trosgynnal.org.uk
Telephone: 01656 669 354
A ‘hands on’ education centre which delivers a
pioneering model of education called ‘Learning to Heal
– Healing to Learn’ which combines Creativity,
Environment and Healing into a one day workshop
format.
Contact: EcoDysguEcoLearn@aol.com
Telephone: 01656 728137
A church in the community of Cefn Cribwr Bridgend which aims to
make provision for families, children and youth. They work in
partnership with local and national government and charitable trusts
and foundations to make the people in their community physically,
mentally and spiritually strong.
Contact: BCLC, Cefn Road, Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend CF32 0AA.
Tel. 01656 745655
Web-site: www.bclc-cefn
RHYS’S STORY
Rhys walks across the floor of the hall as three young boys make their way
through the door towards him. He’s not met them before so he welcomes them
and introduces himself.
“Croeso, Rhys ydw i. Sut ydych chi?”
It’s 6.10pm on a Monday night and Rhys has just walked over the mountain from
the Ogmore Valley down into Llangeinor. He has come to the Richard Price
Centre at the heart of this small community to help lead a youth group. The
group is a little different to most other youth groups in the County because it is
run through the medium of Welsh.
Rhys is helping at a youth group run by Mentor Bro Ogwr. This is an organisation
set up to promote Welsh throughout the borough and this group is part of their
work. The language has been with Rhys for much of his life and it is not
surprising to see him using it in this way. However, the way he’s arrived at this
point in his life makes very interesting reading.
Having received much of his primary education through the medium of Welsh
Rhys was moved into the English sector after year 5 and when he began at
secondary level he went to Ogmore Comprehensive School. He did really well in
year 11 gaining eleven GCSEs, mostly with B grades and then took four subjects
at As Level including Welsh and Film Studies but only continued his Welsh
course through to completion. Although he lost his way a little in year 12 and 13
the A Level in Welsh helped build on the early language foundations that had
been laid during his primary years and this has proved to be a significant factor
in his progress and development.
Outside of his formal education, around the age of 14, Rhys began attending his
local branch of Air Cadets at Aberkenfig. Since then he has enjoyed a number
of different experiences including flying with a tutor, shooting and trekking as
well as pursuing a BTEC course in Aviation Studies and BELA leadership training.
During his time there he has risen to the level of Sergeant and now operates as
a member of staff with responsibility for younger cadets.
One of the senior leaders in the group also works with Mentor Bro Ogwr as its
Head Language Officer responsible for promoting the Welsh language amongst
all ages throughout the Borough of Bridgend. On one of the Air Cadet treks she
was interested to hear Rhys using Welsh in his conversation and asked him if he
would be interested in being involved in her work with the language.
As a result he has been active helping in the youth group in Llangeinor and
enjoying using his Welsh more regularly. In his work with Mentor Bro Ogwr he
has been working towards ‘The Award of Excellence’ for 200 hours voluntary
work as part of the Millennium Volunteer Programme through BAVO and the
Youth Service. He has also been able to complete several OCN qualifications
including Fire Safety, Food Hygiene and First Aid.
When he left school Rhys did not really know what he wanted to do but now with
support through the Air Cadets and Mentor Bro Ogwr he has found in youth
work the pathway he would like to follow into the future. He has already been
booked onto an OCN Level 2 course in Youth Work with Mentor Bro Ogwr and
the prospect of employment in the work seems likely in the near future giving
him the opportunity to begin the career he has chosen. His interest in the Welsh
language combined with effective support through the Air Cadets and Mentor
Bro Ogwr has given him just the direction he needed.
It’s 8.10pm and the youth club has come to an end. Rhys helps to tidy up and put
things away
“Nos da, wela i chi wythnos nesa?”
The three young boys that came to the group for the first time head for the
door and as they go Rhys asks if he’ll see them next week. They are through the
door and gone leaving Rhys’s question unanswered but if the way they seemed to
enjoy the evening is anything to go by this is not the last that Rhys will see of
them in the group.
Rhys prepares to face the road home over the mountain and as he leaves he is
already looking forward to returning the following week, proof that the career
direction he has decided to follow is the right one for him.
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open to all
voluntary and community groups working or based in Bridgend
County Borough. Menter Iaith Bro Ogwr are members of BAVO.
Contact: BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
Menter Iaith Bro Ogwr promotes and supports the use of the Welsh language
by working in partnership with societies, organisations, learners and schools in
the county. The principal aim of the initiative is to raise the profile of the
Welsh language within the county borough of Bridgend.
Contact: Menter Bro Ogwr, Ty’r Ysgol, Pen yr Ysgol, Maesteg, CF34 9YE
Telephone: 01656 732200
Website: www.menterbroogwr.org
For more details contact:
HQ 3 Welsh Wing ATC, The Grange, West Cross, Swansea
Tel. 01792 405912
For E-mail enquiries whq-3welshaa@atc.raf.mod.uk
Visit the Official Air Cadet Organisation Web-Site
CINTZ’S STORY
Cintz looks at the screen as her fingers move across the keyboard sending
words flying onto the page in front of her. Through each letter and line she
returns to a house where she once lived and revisits her childhood.
‘Flashbacks flood my mind. The living room is no longer busy with broken toys,
angry voices and forgotten birthdays; but still and dead. The walls are chipped
and neglected, still painted by the tears that fell from eyes that had witnessed
things that a child should never be exposed to. They stand strong and silent still
watching the torture swallow me whole. There is a chill in the air but I am
unsure as to whether it is a draft or a whirlwind of emotions that surround me.
The floor is still the same, untouched concrete. I lean down to touch it; it’s still
rough and unwelcoming. The room is now as empty as I once felt as a child. It is
cold and dark, and as unshakably lonely as I was.’
Cintz rests her hands and reads back over what she has written with a mixture
of emotions. She relives the sadness, loneliness and fear that so often touched
her life as a child but she is also grateful. She is grateful that despite it all she
is now able to look back from a better place due, at least in part, to the support
of a local scheme set up to help young people just like her.
Cintz had been in foster care between the ages of 11 and 16 and then in a hostel
but at the age of 17 she was introduced to a training scheme run by Yellow
Wales. Yellow is a project based in Bridgend that seeks to get alongside young
people in need and help them work towards independent living which they would
otherwise struggle to achieve alone.
The work first began in 2005 in Maesteg when a hostel was made available for
homeless young people in the borough. In order to motivate them and prepare
them for the world of work Yellow extended its work to Bridgend town centre.
Here Yellow offers advice and support both practically and emotionally as well as
giving opportunities for training and various life enhancing experiences. The
Yellow Coordinator leads the work and is supported by other members of staff
who help with independent living skills, listening skills, and educational outdoor
activities.
Cintz has had to work hard to get herself to where she is today but it would be
difficult to overestimate how much Yellow Wales has helped her over the last
few years.
She has had opportunity to work towards a number of non formal OCN
qualifications including First Aid, Food Hygiene and Peer Mentoring as well as
gaining silver in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Apart from this, Yellow
Wales has given Cintz the opportunity to travel. She has been on a barge trip,
walked up Snowdon and taken part in an exchange with other young people from
Romania, experiences that have all had a positive effect upon her development
as a young woman. In a very real way Yellow Wales has provided Cintz with the
lifeline she so badly needed, helping her cope with the continuing effects of her
past and guiding her towards a successful, independent life.
She is currently following a course in Body Massage and Indian Head Massage at
Bridgend College. She is enjoying the course but as a result of her experiences
in recent years she has decided to pursue a career in youth work. This is where
she feels she can make a difference and she hopes to go to Cardiff University
to follow a course in Youth and Community Studies sometime soon.
However, this career is not something for the future as Chintz is already very
involved in work with young people. She has trained as a Peer Mentor and is
available to support young people facing problems when needed. Added to this
she has recently been appointed to the board of Yellow Wales and such has been
her progress in recent years that she is also in line to be employed as part of
Yellow’s team when funding becomes available.
To say that Cintz did not have the best start in life is undoubtedly true but her
story shows clearly that the worst of beginnings need not lead automatically to
failure and despair. She still struggles with the effects of her past but the
right help combined with her own desire to succeed has lifted her life to where
it is today.
Cintz continues to write at the computer adding words as she taps the key board
on the desk.
‘……….I start up the stairs as I catch a glimpse of a little girl, obviously
distressed, run from my old bedroom across the landing and fade into the
nothing that she feels she is. I recognise her as the ghost of the child I once
was that still haunts my steps to this day…………………………………………………..As I flee
down the stairs they seem to grab at my escaping feet………..Outside I take a
deep breath of reality into my lungs. I am safe. I rescued myself……..’
Rescue herself she did, but not without help. During those ‘unshakably lonely’
days, her path seemed cold and colourless. However, in recent years things have
been changing and her days have been shaded with a brighter colour warming
her path and shaking her loneliness. That colour is Yellow.
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open
to all voluntary and community groups working or based in
Bridgend County Borough. Yellow is a full member of BAVO.
Contact:
BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
Yellow Wales is an accommodation, support and training service for young
people in Bridgend who have become homeless and want to receive help to
get into training and work. Yellow Wales gives homeless young people the
opportunity to reach their potential despite their difficult and challenging
circumstances.
Contact:
Yellow Wales. Flat 4, Hartshorn House, Maesteg, CF34 9EE
Telephone: 07785143482
Web-site www.yellowwales.org.uk
JESSE’S STORY
Jesse sits with a reporter from a well known national newspaper. The County of
Bridgend is facing a particular need amongst its young people and Jesse is being
interviewed because of the work he is doing with the Samaritans to help meet
that need.
‘I feel really privileged to be given this opportunity and hopefully the role that I
have been assigned will make increasing changes in the Bridgend community and
surrounding areas, encouraging more young people to contact the Samaritans.’
At the time of this interview Jesse was a student at Porthcawl Comprehensive
School studying Chemistry, Maths and Biology at A Level. His aim was to go on to
university to study medicine and it was with this in mind that he looked for
related voluntary work to combine with his A Levels that could provide him with
valuable experience for his chosen pathway.
He began working at Sandville, a self-help centre for people struggling with
illness, and it was through contact with someone here that he became more
aware of the Samaritans. He decided to apply to become part of the team in his
area but in doing so was disappointed to find out that working directly with
people in need as a ‘listening volunteer’ with the Samaritans was only open to
people over the age of 18.
However, as a result of a number of enquiries from young people about the work
in Bridgend the Director of the Bridgend branch of the Samaritans decided to
create a new role in the work. The role of Youth Ambassador would allow
someone under the age of 18 to take an active part in the work by promoting it
amongst the young people of the County.
In 2008 Jesse was appointed as the first Youth Ambassador anywhere in the UK
and has been active taking the message of the Samaritans to young people
throughout Bridgend ever since.
In his work as Youth Ambassador Jesse has sought to raise awareness of the
work of the Samaritans by meeting young people at organised events and giving
talks to youth groups and in schools across the County. He has been encouraged
at the response of some of the young people who have attended workshops he
has been involved with. He sometimes uses a neutral, fictional character called
Bob and invites young people to talk about problems that Bob might be facing. It
has been an effective way of giving opportunities to discuss issues that maybe
causing difficulties in the lives of the young people Jesse meets without them
having to talk directly about themselves.
Through his contact with young people in Bridgend Jesse feels he has learned
how to listen properly and as he has listened he has been struck by the amount
of problems faced by young people around him today. Problems that through
Jesse and others like him the Samaritans in Bridgend are now seeking to meet
more effectively. As the Director of the Samaritans in Bridgend says,
‘Having younger people volunteering for us will allow us to forge stronger links
with people of a similar age in our community, a group that sometimes have
difficulty in seeing how we (Samaritans) are relevant to them.’
Having successfully completed his A Levels Jesse began his first year of study
at university in September 2009 but even though his life is moving on his work
with the Samaritans will not be forgotten. He still aims to keep up his
involvement during the holiday periods and may even involve himself in support
work in the student community where he has settled to study.
There is no doubt that his informal involvement in the work of the Samaritans
has been of benefit to many young people as well as extending his own
experience and broadening his outlook as an individual. As a result he has grown
and developed as a person and feels better prepared to face the demands of the
career he is about to begin.
The reporter winds up the interview by asking Jesse if he thinks the role of the
Youth Ambassador has a future for young people like him in other parts of the
UK.
‘It would be great,’ he says, ‘if the role of Youth Ambassador was created in
more branches of the charity to give young people the chance to get involved
with the Samaritans at an earlier age.’
Jesse has been given that chance and has taken it wholeheartedly by
representing the Samaritans amongst young people in Bridgend and as he has
given of his time and energy to spread the message of the Samaritans he has
received so much in return.
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open
to all voluntary and community groups working or based in
Bridgend County Borough. Samaritans and Sandville are
both members of BAVO.
Contact: BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
Samaritans are available 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional
support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
There are volunteering opportunities for 16-25 year olds in Bridgend, for
example listening and non listening for the over 18 year olds, non listening,
Youth Ambassador programme, fundraising etc for the under 18.
Contact: Samaritans 01656 662333 Web site: www.samaritans.org E-mail: jo@samaritans.org
Sandville Court – Self Help Centre, Ton Kenfig, Bridgend, CF33 4PU
Telephone; 01656 743344
NIKKI’S STORY
Nikki stands with a group of young people all nervously waiting the appearance of
the Duke of Edinburgh. She and her father have travelled to London and have
come to St James’s Palace so that she can meet the Duke and be presented with
the gold award that bears his name. Over the last few years Nikki has moved
through the awards from bronze to silver and now finally she has achieved the
gold. The gold award is not easy to secure and those attempting it need to be
committed and determined if they are to succeed but that suites Nikki because
commitment and determination are qualities she has in abundance.
Nikki was a student at Maesteg Comprehensive School where she completed two
A Levels in Performing Arts and Drama respectively as well as gaining an As in
both Film Studies and Art and Design. Nikki’s ambition has always been to
pursue a career in the entertainment industry as a singer but this is not
something that lies in the distant future for her singing career has been under
way for quite a few years already.
She began attending Stage Coach at the age of four and since then her schedule
has been packed with rehearsals, auditions and performances. Being a member
of the Bridgend Youth Theatre has also brought Nikki a number of
opportunities to perform on stage and screen via the It’s my shout training
scheme.
However, one of the most important influences on her development as an
individual began at the age of eleven when she started attending Noddfa Youth
Club in Caerau. The Club which opens every Tuesday and Thursday nights offers
the usual social activities and games downstairs whilst upstairs is often full of
young people gathered for dance class.
Nikki’s parents were both very much involved in helping their daughter reach her
goals until early in 2005 when Nikki’s mother sadly died. Since then Niki’s father
has worked tirelessly to help her move forward but he is not only focussing his
support on her. He has widened his efforts to include other young people from
the community as well and having completed some Youth Work qualifications he
is now regularly found at Noddfa contributing to the work of the Club.
Through the Youth Service Nikki has competed in the Bridgend Singer of the
Year and won it three times. She has performed in dance shows and even sung at
the Houses of Parliament. To add to all this, it is the Youth Service that has
helped her achieve bronze, silver and gold through the Duke of Edinburgh
Award Scheme.
Since completing her A Levels Nikki has begun a degree course at Swansea
University in Performing Arts and Theatre Studies but this doesn’t mean her
involvement at Noddfa has come to an end. Although she has an increasingly busy
schedule, filled with her studies and singing, Nikki regularly helps with the young
people who come to dance each week putting something back into the community
that has been such a help to her.
What does the future hold for Nikki? She hopes to complete her degree course
in a few years time and, maybe at some point, do the same youth worker
qualifications her father has gained. What about her singing? Well, Nikki is
aiming high and why not? The support she has behind her, mixed with her talent,
determination and experience give her an excellent chance of meeting her goals
and adding to what she has already achieved. Whatever happens, at the very
least, she is a wonderful example of the positive influence a local Youth Club can
have on the life of a young person and as such she is an inspiration for other
young people to get involved too.
Nikki shakes the hand of the Duke of Edinburgh as she receives her award. He
chats to her for a moment and then listens as she tells him of what she had to
do to achieve gold. An outdoor expedition on the Brecon Beacons and helping at a
residential youth event were just two aspects of what she did and the Duke
seems interested and impressed as she shares it with him. Nikki’s father looks
on proud of her achievement knowing as he watches the presentation that
Nikki’s mother would have been very proud of her too.
Live life…live Arts & Culture
Bridgend Youth Theatre has over 500 members from 5 to 25 years old. Workshops take
place in The Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl and the Berwyn Centre in Nantymoel. The young
people have not been “selected” through auditions and interviews: we
only ask that they fully commit themselves to working together, ensuring
that the experience is both enriching and rewarding.
It’s my shout was originally established in Bridgend to provide practical
experiences in film, television and media for young people in Wales who
would not normally be able to access such opportunities, providing hands-on training
alongside film professionals.
Contact: The Grand Pavilion, The Esplanade, Porthcawl. CF36 3YW Telephone: 01656 815995
Bridgend Youth Service Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a voluntary, non-c0mpetitive programme of
practical, cultural and adventurous activities designed to support the personal and
social development of young people aged 14-25 years regardless of gender,
background or ability. Currently the Bridgend Youth
Service offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award in eleven secondary schools, seventeen
youth centres, and two drop-in centres and in the voluntary sector.
Contact: Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator, Bridgend County Borough Council Youth
Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road, Tondu, CF32 9BT
Telephone: 01656 724057 Web-site: www.dofe.org
Bridgend Youth Service Youth Clubs – Noddfa Caerau.
Area Covered: Caerau, Maesteg Target Group: 11-25 years old
Opening Times: - Tuesday - 7.00-9.00pm, Thursday - 7.00-9.00pm
Contact: Noddfa Chapel, Caerau Road. Maesteg, CF34 OPE
Tel: 01656 738866/730106
GAVIN’S STORY
Gavin stretches his arm as far as he can and just about reaches a narrow ledge
poking out from the face of the climbing wall. He grabs it with his fingers and
pulls himself up another metre nearer the top. It’s hard work and he feels as if
almost every muscle is aching under the strain the climb is putting on his body.
He is quite a way up the wall and going well but as he moves his arm again his
foot slips and he falls.
Gavin hangs suspended by the safety rope that has been attached to him until
slowly he is lowered to the floor. He rests a little allowing his muscles time to
recover from the climb and then starts again determined to reach the top
without falling.
Gavin is attempting to scale a climbing wall as part of his BTEC National Diploma
in Outdoor Education at Bridgend College and as he climbs, his struggle to reach
the top serves as a very apt illustration of how he has arrived at this point in his
life.
Facing problems at home can have a huge effect on the well being and
development of a young person and Gavin was no exception. Issues that arose at
home as he was growing up meant that he had to spend part of his childhood in
care. This undoubtedly had a knock on effect with his schooling. It hampered
his progress and he didn’t really engage with the school curriculum as well as he
could have.
However, at the age of 14 Gavin came into contact with a Youth Service
initiative called Positive Futures. At first he was involved playing football two
evenings a week as well as basket ball on a Saturday. In addition to this he went
along to holiday activities run by Positive Futures including more football and
basketball as well as various trips and workshops.
Gavin left school at 16 without GCSEs but immediately referred himself to the
day time provision that Positive Futures was providing. He threw himself into
the programme and quickly became known as a young man who indentified really
well with other young people. He began to work quietly but effectively proving
very helpful in such things as organising others and getting them ready for
arranged activities.
During this time he pursued a number of non-formal qualifications in things such
as First Aid, Substance Misuse and Peer Mentoring as well as going on an Army
recruitment day. He developed an interest in sports qualifications and completed
the formal Welsh Rugby Union Level 1 coaching course.
He quickly became a trusted senior member of the team and having benefited
from the work of youth leaders as a young person he was now in a position to
work with young people himself. He helped on a residential event for disabled
young people in Manchester when he was 18 and has worked twelve hour shifts
over ten days at two Biblins residential camps run by the Youth Service. As well
as this he was involved on a youth exchange to Ireland and has been on a six day
sailing trip around the South Coast of England. Together with these things
Positive Futures also introduced Gavin to his local youth club where he has been
a senior volunteer for two years and is now used in a supervisory position one or
two nights a week. Through his enthusiastic involvement Gavin has become known
not only to Positive Futures but also to Changing Tracks, Get Active and the
Just@sk team as well.
Even though Gavin does not have any GCSEs the non-formal experience and
informal qualifications he’s gained through Positive Futures has opened the way
for him to be accepted on the BTEC National Diploma Outdoor Education course
at Bridgend College. He hopes this will develop his abilities further and lead him
to a career as a Community Sports Coach so that he can help young people find
their way forward as he was helped to find his.
As a young teenager in care there was a time when Gavin’s future seemed to look
very negative but now that has changed. He still has to deal with the issues that
disrupted his childhood but through his commitment to the work of Positive
Futures, with their support, his own future is now far more positive than it once
was.
Gavin pulls himself up the final section of the climbing wall. He is near the top
and knows that one final effort will get him there if he is careful with his feet.
The rope will stop him falling if he loses his footing as he did before but he
doesn’t want to slip again. He moves his foot then reaches an arm, hauling
himself up and over to complete the climb. The spirit needed to get him up the
wall is the same spirit he has shown to get himself into College and it’s the same
spirit that will keep him climbing until he gets to where he wants to be.
Bridgend County Borough Youth Service.
Positive Futures is a national sports and adventure activities social inclusion project for young
people in Bridgend County. Positive Futures is a relationship based, social inclusion initiative with
activities focused in the communities of Caerau, Cornelly and Wildmill. Positive Futures uses sport
and adventure activities to engage and develop some of the most at risk young people within
Bridgend County, offering diversionary activities as an alternative and potentially to reduce antisocial behaviour, crime and substance misuse.
Contact: Bridgend County Borough Youth Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road,
Tondu, Bridgend CF32 9BT
Telephone: 01656 724057
Biblins
Biblins youth camp is located in the Forest of Dean, Wye Valley Gorge. In the three day stay they
will enjoy various outdoor pursuits that will be available to them such as adventure walking, off
road biking, kayaking, raft building, canoeing, sporting events, climbing and team building.
Environmental issues & outdoor survival skills workshops are run in conjunction with the outdoor
pursuits also.
The youth service believes that all young people should have the opportunity to take part in new
experiences that are available and accessible to all.
Contact: Bridgend County Borough Youth Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road,
Tondu, Bridgend CF32 9BT
Telephone: 01656 724057
Changing Tracks
It aims to work with and support young people aged 13-19 years old
who for varying reasons are not in Education, Employment or Training
and face barriers to learning. There are a wide range of opportunities
for young people to access and become involved in; linked to individual
needs and interests. Young people will have raised awareness of their entitlements and supported
to make informed choices regarding their future plans.
Contact: Bridgend County Borough Youth Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road,
Tondu, Bridgend CF32 9BT
Telephone: 01656 724057
Get Active
This project offers a range of challenging experiences to young
people at risk of social exclusion. This increased participation in
physical activities will support academic and personal achievement.
Young people are encouraged to take part in activities that promote
progression and will receive accredited qualifications where possible
Contact: Bridgend County Borough Youth Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road,
Tondu, Bridgend CF32 9BT
Telephone: 01656 724057
Just @sk
A shop based in the A centre of Bridgend which holds relevant,
reliable and up to date information for young people to access. Facilities
available include free internet access, web-space and email account
access to video conferencing facilities, PC's and laptops as well as a
counsellor.
Contact: 6/6a Wyndham Street, Bridgend, CF31 1EF
Telephone: 01656 651585
JEMMA’S STORY
Jemma sits and listens to a 14 year old girl as she tells her of the struggles she
is facing at home and in school and how this is affecting her life. The troubled
teenager needed someone her own age to talk to who could understand what she
was going through and how she was feeling. With this in mind a youth worker at
the Centre asked Jemma to help.
Jemma is part of a team of young people who have volunteered as peer signposters. She went on a residential weekend to Pembroke where she and some
others undertook initial OCN training and now under the supervision of qualified
youth workers Jemma uses her own personal experience to get alongside young
people in need. For those who have worked with Jemma in recent years this is a
very encouraging development as it wasn’t long ago that Jemma was a young
person in great need of help herself.
Jemma seemed to settle into secondary school reasonably well and years 7 and 8
passed without any real problems. However, in year 9 there was a marked decline
in her attitude and behaviour and her attendance began to fall to such a level
that at times she was hardly in school at all. Her confidence and self esteem
were low as was her respect for rules and authority at home and in school, often
resulting in outbursts of temper when challenged.
Jemma’s Head of Year referred her to Changing Tracks which as its name
suggests began attempting to replace the path she was following with one that
would lead her towards a far more positive outcome.
Jemma was linked with a learning coach from Changing Tracks who sought at
once to improve her confidence and self esteem. To achieve this she took
Jemma along to the Recreation Centre in Bridgend and introduced her to the
gym as well as some other activities based at the Centre, as a result of which
she gained a level 6 Trampoline Award. She was also given the opportunity to
attend local events run by the Youth Service allowing her to take in a range of
positive out of school activities.
Since beginning with Changing Tracks Jemma has attended the Just@sk
Information Shop on a regular basis and has rarely missed an arranged meeting
or activity. She has benefited from activities such as Bushcraft and a Drugs and
Alcohol Workshop as well as excursions such a visit to Cardiff to enjoy a tour of
the Millennium Stadium and a residential stay in the Biblins Youth Camp.
Jemma was supported to successfully complete an OCN in ‘Managing Your Own
Health’ as well as gaining a Record of Achievement Certificate. In addition to
this, as she was regularly attending the Information Shop she was asked if she
would like to apply to be involved in a new initiative called the Bridgend Funding
Group. She was successful in her application and is now part of a panel with
several other young people influencing the allocation of funds amongst youth
organisations in Bridgend.
After she began with Changing Tracks Jemma’s behaviour and school attendance
improved dramatically and at the end of year 11 she left with 4 GCSEs. Since
leaving school she has gone on to college to start a CACHE childcare course and
hopes to find work in a school working with children when she finishes.
Outside school and Changing Tracks she is helping at Aberkenfig Boys and Girls
Club as well as lending a hand with a disabled football team in Bryntirion. The
memory of a bad tempered young girl skipping school is a distant one. It is being
displaced now by new more positive memories such as one described in the words
of a Youth Worker looking back at a recent exchange visit to Ireland.
‘Jemma motivated, kept the group going and supported
all of the young people during their stay.’
Jemma had lacked direction and motivation but with the help of others she is
now beginning to discover her true potential and find her way forward.
Jemma sits and talks to the young girl who, just like she had been a few years
before, is struggling with her behaviour and school attendance. Having listened
sympathetically to what the girl has said, Jemma now begins to tell her story
and in telling it she reminds herself just how far she has come. Changing Tracks
has certainly helped her to change her track and as a result she is being used to
help other young people change their track too.
Bridgend County Borough Youth Service – Changing Tracks
It aims to work with and support young people aged 13-19 years old who for varying
reasons are not in Education, Employment or Training and face barriers to learning.
There are a wide range of opportunities for young people to access and become
involved in; linked to individual needs and interests. Young people will have raised
awareness of their entitlements and supported to make informed choices
regarding their future plans.
Contact: Bridgend County Borough Youth Service, 1st Floor, The Old Church School, Maesteg Road,
Tondu, Bridgend CF32 9BT Telephone: 01656 724057
Bridgend County Borough Youth Service – Just @sk
A shop based in the centre of Bridgend which holds relevant, reliable
and up to date information for young people to access. Facilities available
include free internet access, web-space and email account access to
video conferencing facilities, PC's and laptops as well as a counsellor.
Contact: 6/6a Wyndham Street, Bridgend, CF31 1EF
Telephone: 01656 651585
Bridgend County Borough Youth service – Youth clubs
Bryntirion
Aberkenfig Boys and Girls Club
Clubs For Young People Wales is the new name of The Boys' and Girls' Clubs
of Wales. Clubs For Young People Wales is a registered charity, which offers
help and support to youth clubs/groups/sports clubs. This is done by offering
constructive youth projects, numerous sporting opportunities, training and much more.
Contact: Ynysawdre Comprehensive Youth Wing
Telephone: 07951319203
Web-site www.cypwales.org.uk
BAVO is a membership organisation with membership open
to all voluntary and community groups working or based in
Bridgend County Borough. Aberkenfig Boys and Girls Club
are full members of BAVO.
Contact: BAVO, 112-113 Commercial Street, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Telephone: 01656 810400
Web site: www.bavo.org.uk
Bridgend County Borough Recreation centre
Bridgend Recreation Centre boasts the area’s largest leisure pool complete with
hydro-slide, wave machine and a state-of-the-art Hydro gym. There is also an
extensive range of fitness classes, sports hall, courts and numerous clubs to join.
Contact: Bridgend Recreation Centre, Angel Street, Bridgend CF31 4AH
Telephone: 01656 657491
LAUREN’S STORY
Lauren smiles as she directs a customer to the children’s section in the clothing
department. It’s 9.10am and it’s getting busier as shoppers collect trolleys and
start filling the store. Lauren has just begun her shift but her day is already
more than three hours in. Just as every other day when she is working her alarm
had sounded at 6.00am that morning. Then after getting herself ready to leave
she took a train to Bridgend and then a bus from the centre of town to
Sainsbury’s Supermarket in time to start work at 9.00am.
As usual she faces a hectic day and will be on her feet for most of it dealing
with deliveries, replenishing shelves and helping customers who need assistance.
It is a demanding role but one that Lauren enjoys as she carries out her duties
in a way that has made her popular with colleagues and customers alike. Lauren is
a member of the staff team at Sainsbury’s Bridgend. However, unknown to
almost every customer she will assist during her day, she is a special member of
that team, for Lauren is an excellent example of education and business working
together in partnership.
Lauren came to Bridgend College a few years ago as a resident at Weston House
to benefit from 24 hour care and curriculum provision for young people aged 1625. The main aims of Western House ‘are to promote independence, further
social and educational opportunities and equip the young person with the
appropriate skills necessary for adulthood.’
Lauren has additional learning needs and in seeking to cope with the effects of
ADHD and Dyspraxia on her daily life she has found the provision at Weston
House to have been a real help to her progress and development. She spent her
first two years there following a catering course and after successfully
completing it she went on to the ‘Certificate in Preparation for Employment’
qualification. It was while doing this Certifcate that her relationship with
Sainsbury’s began.
Lauren came to Sainsbury’s on a work experience placement towards the end of
her course and was put through the store’s induction programme that comprised
of a number of non-formal, in-house courses such as Health and Safety, Safe
Working Practices and Manual Handling.
As a result of this placement Sainsbury’s were so impressed with her work that
they offered her a part time job for the summer that she could take up when
she finished in College. As a representative from the Personnel Department at
Sainsbury’s said,
‘It was with great pleasure that we invited Lauren to join us here at Sainsbury’s,
Bridgend. Lauren impressed us with her drive, enthusiasm and her ability to
socialise with her colleagues and our General Merchandise department are
delighted that Lauren is returning to join them in July once her College
commitments have been completed.’
The opportunity for informal learning that Lauren received through work
experience has been crucial to her progress and development. Since taking up
this summer job she has been asked to stay on and is now working 9.00am till
6.00pm twice a week.
‘Sainsbury’s gave me the opportunity of work experience leading to a part time
summer job. All my colleagues at Sainsbury’s have been very supportive and
understanding of my needs……………….This job has given me independence as I
have to use public transport. This has enabled me to learn to cope.’
Through this initial non formal learning opportunity with Sainsbury’s Lauren has
found the ideal place to express her warm and friendly personality as well as
develop her many qualities to make a positive difference to life and work in the
store. As a member of staff her learning will continue too with a range of in
store courses available for her to follow as she progresses.
For Lauren, access to informal learning through her placement with Sainsbury’s
has meant access to work, independence and a future, which otherwise she
might not have found. Success has come through her hard work and commitment
but she is grateful for the opportunity that she has been given that has made
her success possible.
It’s 6.00pm and Lauren’s shift has just come to an end. It’s been a busy day and
after saying goodbye to her colleagues Lauren leaves the store and heads for
the bus stop. It will be over an hour before she arrives home but even so she is
happy. Sitting on the bus as it leaves for town she thinks back to the day she
came to Weston House for the first time. She would never have thought that
three years later she would be in Sainsbury’s, and be there not as a shopper but
as a valued member of staff.
Sainsbury’s offer a four step training programme within their stores. Lauren has successfully
completed step 1 and 2.
Step 1 Induction training
Mandatory for all colleagues. Takes place during your first 2 days.
Is a basic introduction to Sainsbury's - explains the way we work (our values), how to deliver great
service and includes all the legal and compliance subjects such as health and safety and food
safety.
Step 2 foundation Training
Mandatory for all colleagues to be at this skill level. Takes place during the first 12 weeks
Introduces the employee to their role and includes all the basics they need to know how to work
productively and safely in their department
Contact: Sainsbury’s The Derwen, Bridgend, CF32 9ST
Telephone; 01656 648951
KEREN’S STORY
Keren walks along the pavement holding onto the pushchair in which her son
sleeps. Soon her young child will have a brother or sister to join him at home for
Keren is expecting her second child to add to her growing family. She is on her
way to the shops and anyone passing her would think there was nothing out of
the ordinary about this domestic scene. However, behind this ordinary picture
lies an extraordinary story of effective help and support that has made the
picture possible.
At the age of 18 Keren had a 16 month old son with another child on the way.
However, her son had been put on the child protection register and she was only
allowed to see him under supervision. The situation was complicated further by
the fact that Keren’s partner was struggling with a drug problem.
Three priority referrals from different agencies directed Keren towards the
Youth Service Moving Forward Project but she was lacking in motivation and
did not want to work with any services, often expressing her frustration in
outbursts of anger. However, after a representative of Moving Forward met
with Keren and the agencies that had referred her it was agreed that she would
begin to attend the Project with her son three times a week.
After an assessment a personal programme was developed to meet Keren’s needs
and help her progress most effectively. This included things such as parenting,
confidence building activities, healthy eating and food and nutrition. Also, given
that she was pregnant again, Project staff were able to offer support in her
regular contact with ante natal services.
As a result of this ongoing input from Project staff significant changes began to
become apparent in Keren’s life. There was a major change in Keren’s priorities
and she began to alter her social circle, making new friends and moving away
from old acquaintances that previously had not had a positive affect upon her.
She renewed contact with her family and began to build a better support
network around her, becoming more accepting of support from other services.
Also, with help from the Project, her partner agreed to undergo a drug
rehabilitation programme and this further improved the situation.
As time went on Keren’s anger issues began to lessen and she was able to work
positively with all the agencies involved in her case. In light of the progress that
was being made Keren and her partner were re-assessed and as a result her son
was returned to her care. The initial concerns that had led to the removal of her
son were no longer present but to make this new development possible a package
of support was put in place focusing on Keren’s continued attendance at the
Project which she was more than happy to agree to.
She is now an active member of the Project participating in all the activities
available through the project as well as working towards some OCN
qualifications and developing skills that will make her ready for work.
From someone who lacked motivation, refused help and struggled with anger
problems Keren is now described by staff involved in the Project as ‘a positive
and productive member of her community.’ She is planning her future life with
her young family by setting achievable goals that will help to continue to move
her further forward from where she was, nearer to where she would like to be.
Keren looks down at her son to check he is still sleeping as she pushes him along
the pavement. She has arranged to meet a friend for coffee before she goes
shopping and turns into the café where her friend is waiting and parks the
pushchair next to the table before sitting down. Just a short time ago this trip
would have been out of the question but now such things have become part of
Keren’s normal week. She leans back in her chair grateful for the rest after
pushing her son from home to town. Her walk is at an end and even though she is
sitting down, her presence in the café with her son at her side shows that really
Keren is still moving forward.
Bridgend Youth Service – Moving Forward
The Moving Forward project gives vulnerable young people the opportunity to reach their full
potential and regain their self-respect in the knowledge that someone cares for them. Young
women aged 14-25 who are pregnant or are young parents can join the project through referrals
from the youth service, outside agencies (Social Services, Aftercare team, youth offending team)
and Careers Wales or get in touch with the Youth Service directly on 01656 724057.
Contact: Youth Service, 1st Floor,The Old Church School, Maesteg Road, Tondu, Bridgend. CF32 9B
SAMANTHA’S STORY
Samantha gets herself ready to begin the morning session at the nursery where
she works and is looking forward to another busy day. Soon the children start to
arrive and the pace of Samantha’s duties increases as she seeks to give them
the attention they need.
Samantha left school at 16 with ten level 2 and two level 1 passes at GCSE going
onto Bridgend College to study BTEC Child Development. During this course she
did a work experience placement in School House Nursery behind the Princess
of Wales Hospital. This then led to a summer job and instead of going back to
College for the second year Samantha decided to stay on at the nursery full
time.
As Samantha sits and plays with the children under her care she seems no
different to any other member of staff. However, if she is asked how she
spends her time outside of work and what she has planned for the future it
becomes clear that there is more to her than a superficial look can reveal.
Samantha began attending St John Cymru Wales at the age of ten. She had
been looking for something different to do outside of school but when she
walked into her first meeting she had little idea how much this organisation
would add to her life.
She has made many new friends within the St John community extending beyond
her local branch in Pencoed to other groups across South Wales. Her group
meets every Monday night in a local primary school where she began as a cadet
over seven years ago. Now at almost 18 she is part of the adult section and as
she looks back on her time with the group she is not only grateful for
opportunities to widen her social circle but for all the skills, knowledge and
experiences she has gained.
Within this she has achieved a number of valuable qualifications. She has
completed courses such as First Aid at Work, Manual Handling, Child and
Vulnerable Adult Protection as well as gaining the St John Grand Prior Award.
To gain this award Samantha had to successfully cover twenty four subjects.
These subjects are all relevant to the work of St John and Samantha had to
choose form an extensive list those that she wanted to pursue. Completing eight
gave her the bronze award, a further eight the silver and then with another
eight she secured the gold, the whole twenty four then combining to make up
the Grand Prior.
She very much enjoys working with children but it is her work with St John that
has had a profound impact on her long term choice of a career. She intends to
continue in the nursery for the time being, where she is to become the official
first aider in the workplace but then she plans to move onto something else. Her
experiences with St John have created a real desire in her to go into nursing.
She hopes to begin a foundation course for this in a few years time that will
prepare her for the degree but there is a very real sense in which she has been
laying that foundation already through her work with St John in the group at
Pencoed.
During her time here she has grown significantly as an individual and in 2008 she
became Cadet of the Year for Bridgend County going on in 2009 to sit as a judge
in the same competition. Her family have been so impressed by the work of St
John they have seen since Samantha has been involved that they have all joined
her and her parents and sister are all now part of the same group. Over the last
seven years St John has been like a family for her, now part of it actually is!
One of the boys in the nursery has just fallen on his knee, grazing the skin and
causing it to bleed. Samantha is at hand to clam him and take him aside to make
sure his wound is cleaned and dealt with properly. Soon he is back playing with
his friends, his fall forgotten, unaware of how fortunate he is to have someone
with Samantha’s background and experience on hand to care for him.
St John Cymru Wales relies totally on the dedication and commitment
of hardworking volunteers. 4,500 members come from all over Wales,
from every walk of life, and learn a huge range of skills, from how to
treat a bee sting to a heart attack. The rewards are fantastic—as well
as learning how to save a life, members make friends, and have a tremendous sense of giving
something back to the community. Anyone can join St John Wales, whatever their age—we have a
range of exciting activities available to suit everyone.
Contact: St John Cymru Wales, Priory House, Beignon Close, Ocean Way, Cardiff CF24 5PB
Telephone: Youth Development Officer on 029 2044 9723
HANNAH’S STORY
Hannah works on her poster. A local supermarket is holding an event to promote
local charities in the area and Hannah has been asked to prepare a poster to
represent a charity that seeks to help suffers of Muscular Dystrophy. She has
gone to a local library to research the type of things that need to be included in
her design and she is determined to do a good job.
Her determination springs not only from her desire to help the charity but it is
also motivated by a sense of gratitude. This poster will be an important part of a
display telling people about the work of the charity but to Hannah it stands for
something more.
Just a short time before her life had been in freefall, spiralling, out of control
but now as she sits in the library working on her design the poster represents a
second chance. A second chance at life that, with the support and help of her
parents and others around her, she is taking with both hands.
Hannah settled in Maesteg Comprehensive School relatively well. However, mid
way through year 9 her behaviour began to deteriorate and not long after
beginning year 10 she was moved. The move took her to Ysgol Bryn Castell where
she received one to one tuition with the Basic Skills Support Worker from the
Youth Offending Service.
Looking back, Hannah now describes this period as the time when she ‘went off
the rails’. She started drinking and reached such a low point emotionally that
she was twice admitted to hospital after overdosing on ‘over the counter’
medication. During this time the Restorative Justice Schools’ Co-ordinator
linked to the Youth Offending Service began to get alongside her, working with
Bryn Castell and Maesteg Comprehensive School to provide her with a triangle
of support to help her through this difficult time.
It soon became clear that Hannah’s behaviour was directly linked to a series of
traumatic events she had experienced outside school as a child. Not being able
to deal with what she had been through, she began to lose control until the
situation came to a head when Hannah committed a minor offence in the local
community. This could have been a major set back to her progress but the way
she responded to the help and support she was then offered transformed this
new low point into a major turning point in her young life.
Hannah was made subject to a three months Referral Order Contract which was
designed to do two things. It would give her the opportunity to repay the
community for her offence in a positive and meaningful way as well as helping
her to move on to a brighter more effective future herself.
As part of this process Hannah helped to organise and run the Youth Offending
Service ‘Crime and Punishment’ day which raised a significant amount of money
for charity. In doing this she worked with other young people, showing a great
deal of energy and commitment, as she played a large part in making the day a
success. As well as this, it was also part of the Referral Order Contract that
she was given the opportunity to design a poster for Muscular Dystrophy.
Hannah’s relationship with the Schools’ Co-ordinator and Basic Skills Tutor
continued to grow and she made considerable, positive progress in her overall
development as an individual.
Eventually she was placed back into Maesteg Comprehensive School where she is
now in year 12 following an XL course and Work Skills at level 2. As well as this,
she has developed sufficiently to also be given the opportunity to act as a
mentor in Bridgend College where she helps with year 10 pupils as well as taking
a catering course there herself.
Alongside this, through the Schools’ Co-ordinator, she is due to take a nonformal OCN level 3 course funded by the 14-19 Network covering mediation
skills. This will enable her to help other young people who are going through
similar situations to those which she has faced in recent years.
Just a short time ago Hannah felt she had no future at all but now she is
planning a career in the RAF as an engineer. As she applies herself in school and
college to move closer to that goal she knows she owes much to the support she
has received from the Restorative Justice in Schools’ Coordinator and the Youth
Offending Service.
‘Without them I couldn’t have turned my life around.’
Hannah’s parents and those from the Youth Offending Service who have worked
with her are very proud of what she is achieving and rightly so. She stands out
as an example to other young people of how a life ‘off the rails’ can be put back
on track.
Hannah looks at the poster she has created on the computer screen. It has
taken some time to get it to look the way she wants but now as she sits back and
examines her work she is pleased with the result. Then, as she continues to look
at the screen in front of her she sees something else. Mixed with the image of
the poster she sees herself, her own reflection in the glass looking back. As she
looks into her own eyes she knows that her life could have been very different.
She is grateful to have avoided the type of future that just a short time before
had seemed certain to be hers.
She is grateful for a second chance.
Bridgend Young Offending Team is made up of representatives from Social
Services, Education, the Police, Probation, Health and voluntary agencies and sits within the Chief
Executive's Department of Bridgend County Borough Council.
By bringing together representatives from each service, the Youth Offending Team aims to offer
a holistic approach to tackling the causes of offending.
Contact: Youth Offending Service, Suite 2,
Tremains Business Park,
Tremains Road,
Bridgend Cf31 1TZ
Telephone: 01656 657243
LAURA’S STORY
Laura sits at home flicking through her photograph album with her younger
brother. There are lots of photographs of family and friends, some stuck firm
but others loose and as she turns the pages she talks of the memories that each
image represents. A picture falls to the floor and Laura’s brother picks it up and
studies it. It is a photograph of a younger Laura sitting next to her mother in
the lounge. There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about it and her brother
passes it to her seemingly uninterested. However, as Laura takes it from him
she is reminded of the girl she was when her mother first fell ill.
In the photograph Laura was eleven years old and it had been taken around the
time her mother had been told she was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. As
Laura looks at herself in the photograph she sees a young smiling face but
recalls how that smile hid a mixture of emotions. She remembers worrying for
her mother and feeling uncertain about what the future might bring. As she
continues to look at the image in her hand she is also reminded that it was at
this stage in her life that she began to take on a new role at home.
Laura is a young carer. That means she provides unpaid care to support someone
who needs help to manage on their own. In Laura’s case that someone is her
mother who due to Multiple Sclerosis needs some extra help in her daily life.
Laura’s father is the main carer but his work is full time and sometimes takes
him away from home so Laura’s help is invaluable.
Being a young carer has meant taking on new responsibilities. However, once she
was identified as a carer it also meant she was eligible to receive support to help
her cope with those responsibilities and that support has come in the form of
Action for Children, Bridgend Young Carers Project.
Laura began with the Project as an eleven year old but now at 17 she is one of
the older young people in the Young Carers group. They meet on Monday
evenings, alternating venues every other week in Bridgend between the Solid
Rock Youth Centre and Brackla Meadows Family Centre. The group has been a
real help to Laura over recent years giving her opportunity to meet other young
people who understand the issues and difficulties that she faces. As well as
other young carers, staff members linked with the project are always present
and on hand to listen, advise and help as needed. They have a meal together at
the centre every time they meet and there is also plenty of time to chat, play
games and relax.
The main aims of the project are to give the young people a break from their
roles at home as well as making them better equipped to cope with caring. To
these ends the group has undertaken various activities such as cooking skills and
first aid as well as art work sessions exploring the issues that young carers
face. In addition to this the group go out for meals together and enjoy the
cinema and paint balling as well as going to such places as Oakwood Park and the
ice skating rink in Cardiff. Laura has also been camping several times through
the project with one of these occasions being in Brecon for the Young Carers
Festival where she enjoyed opportunities to meet young carers from all over the
country.
Laura has found the Young Carers Project to of great help as she has sought to
carry out her caring role at home as well as maintain her progress at school.
‘I wouldn’t be able to cope without Young Carers.’
Over the years since she first started attending the group her confidence has
grown greatly. So much so that when the media have asked the Project for a
young carer to interview, Laura has been happy to respond. She has spoken on
radio and television about her experiences as a carer and her involvement with
the Young Carers Project, effectively promoting the work that has been so
important to her.
When asked what she would like to do in the future Laura has no hesitation to
reply that she would like to work with children. Having gained 10 GCSEs in year
11 she has gone into year 12 to pursue the CACHE Childcare course. Her ultimate
aim is to be a child minder and there is no doubt that she will be an excellent
one. There is no doubt because she is an excellent one already. Just around the
time her mother was told she had MS Laura’s brother came along. He is now
seven and as he has grown up he has had to come to terms with his mother’s
illness just as Laura did when she was younger and she has been there to help
him. Over that seven years Laura has developed into a committed young carer
and in doing so she has become a role model. As she cares for her mother she is
giving her young brother an excellent example to learn from and an example he
would do well to follow.
Laura puts the album aside as her young brother drags her to the floor to play
with his Lego bricks. The photograph of that uncertain eleven year old child now
lies tucked into the closed album on the sofa while the confident young woman
that the child has become kneels on the carpet and plays with her brother. As
she builds with him on the floor she feels happy to be helping her parents build a
stable and loving home where he can grow up. However, she knows that without
the support of the Young Carers Project she would not have been able to help as
she has done.
The Bridgend Young Carers Project provides young people who have caring
responsibilities with the opportunity to enjoy a social life with other young
carers, and take part in a range of activities and trips.
Contact: NCH Bridgend Young Carers Project, 3 & 4 Clos-y-Waun, Brackla,
Bridgend, CF31 2QN.
Telephone: 01656 766 067
Email: bridgend.y.c@nch.org.uk