Since the last update in October we have had a busy few months with the TurnAround Project
All of the young people taking part in the project are now in education or due to start in the New Year. This is a huge achievement as when we first started the programme this was not the case and those that were attending school or college were on severely restricted timetables. One of the young people is also working part time as well as attending college and one is volunteering one day a week at our community allotment project in addition to attending college. This is very exciting and is rewarding for us as a team to see the group making massive amount of positive change in their lives.
As a group we have enjoyed a social visit to the cinema to watch the new James Bond film which overall we thought was brilliant! The objectives of the social evenings are to have fun and create belonging in the group as well as allowing them to experience something that they may not normally get to do. One of the young people said
“I like doing stuff together and I see the group as my friends. They understand me and support me when things are going wrong. It is nice to go out together and do something quite normal like going to see a film. My other friends wouldn’t do this with me and it is nice to do something where I can relax and not worry about getting into trouble”.
Another event was a workshop on anger management which some of the Wilderness Foundation staff and some of the mentors also attended to support the young people. This was a very interesting and engaging workshop which looked at the causes, consequences and ways in which we can control anger. We have also had a Christmas workshop where we made Christmas table decorations from vegetation such as ivy and holly and then went out for a meal to celebrate the end of the year together.
In addition to these events we have also enjoyed a weekend residential to Suffolk. This was a great trip and we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to stay at a lovely residential centre called Ringsfield Hall and complete some conservation work for them as part of our stay. On the Saturday we worked with the education officer on site and helped her to coppice some willow. We then used some of the willow to make Christmas wreaths and the rest of the willow is going to be sorted by another volunteer team so that Ringsfield Hall can use it in the best way possible. On the Sunday we visited Minsmere RSPB Nature reserve and completed a beach litter pick. It was an extremely windy day and very cold but despite this we managed to collect a lot of litter and make a positive impact on the reserve. Jimmy commented
“I feel really good about being able to give something back and to get rid of some litter as it could have harmed the birds”.
Within the weekend we were also able to complete some really important reflective work and help the group to focus on new targets to keep them moving forwards.
Looking to the new year, one of the main focuses will be the second wilderness trail which will take place in the February half term. Before this we will have a number of workshops and social events which will allow us to prepare for the trip and encourage the group to get as much from the experience as possible. This current cohort of TurnAround will then graduate in March although some of the group will access mentoring and workshops as needed.
We are currently accepting referrals throughout the year so if you work with or know a young person who would benefit from taking part in the programme please get in touch. There is information and a referral form on the TurnAround area of the website or feel free to contact me on the following details:
Rosie Carpenter
TurnAround Project Co-ordinator
Email: rosie@wildernessfoundation.org.uk
Phone: 0300 123 3073
