Being healthy
Youth work contributes to young people's health in various ways, including:
Also of interest...
- Providing young people with accessible information, education and advice on health matters including sex, drugs, and primary care;
- Supporting young people experiencing mental or physical ill-health, or particular difficulties in their lives;
- Helping young people access, improve and evaluate health services;
- Supporting and encouraging young people to be physically active and make healthy choices related to food and nutrition;
- Promoting their right and ability to choose and make decisions about health treatment.
To view any case study in full, please click on the name of the organisation.
Buckinghamshire Community & Youth Engagement Intergenerational Project
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
Buckinghamshire Community and Youth Engagement (BCYE) Intergenerational Project was developed as part of its post-16 citizenship programme. It began in January 2006 as a two year pilot project in the north of the county, using the theme of World War 2 to build positive relationships between young people and older people. It uses a range of activities to enable young people and older people to share experiences and knowledge using the four themes of conflict, consequences, resolution and reconciliation. In addition to group work, field trips and community action projects, the programme included a joint residential to the site of the Normandy invasion and an educational visit to Berlin for the young people. Participants helped produce a DVD resource documenting their experience, for use as a learning and promotional tool to encourage further intergenerational activities.
The Cupboard Project is a health project for young people aged 13-19 within South Leeds. The project offers a range of services aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable young people, by addressing health inequalities, promoting participation in decision making and youth action, and improving services through collaboration and partnership work. Services include 1-2-1 support, group work, drop-ins and development work. The ‘Bling’ (Broader Learning in New Groups) groups are part of a national Young People’s Development Programme (YPDP) aimed at addressing risk taking behaviour among young people aged 13-15. It offers ten key elements of the Cupboard’s work including access to volunteering opportunities such as community based projects, peer education supported through ‘Bling Friday’, consultation activity, involvement in decision making within The Cupboard and input into national and local events.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) is a community based youth action project using sports and youth work to engage young people and support them in developing projects which benefit the community and improve relationships between people from different ethnic and age groups throughout the London Borough of Camden. Set up in 1997, its motto is 'young people creating a better community'. The projects include a community football programme, the Unity Cup anti-racist football tournament, a drug peer research project, a young residents' association, and a range of intergenerational and environmental activities. By bringing different groups together, FYA has restored pride and ownership of the local environment and helped generate a sense of community among residents.
Girls Friendly Society (GSF) Platform
Brief description, including aims and objectives
The national charity Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS Platform) has been supporting young women since 1875. It has four community projects, the first established in Great Yarmouth in 1989. GFS Platform Great Yarmouth aims to address the needs of young women aged 14-25 who are pregnant, have children or are excluded from mainstream society. This is done through several projects, including the mentoring project described here.
In 2004, the project became one of 27 pilot sites for the Department of Health’s (DoH) Young People’s Development Programme (YPDP). This national programme sought to reduce risk-taking behaviours in young people aged 13-15 through a holistic programme of education and targeted support. Mentoring and volunteering were a key component of the GFS Platform project. The DoH funding came to an end in March 2007 but the work continues with funding from other sources. From April 2007, the project also receives funding from a new Department of Health programme Youth Work 4 Health (YW4H).
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Kings Norton New Deal for Communities (NDC) Youth Strategy, operating on the 3 Estates in the Kings Norton area of Birmingham, has been developed under the leadership of Birmingham Youth Service. The strategy aims to ensure that young people’s involvement in local regeneration is ‘built in, not bolted on’, with young people working for change in partnership with mainstream service providers and policy makers. The Youth Strategy Team, supported by three Peer Liaison Officers, is developing a strategy for delivering the five core Every Child Matters outcomes in consultation with local young people. The 3 Estates Youth Forum has been established to provide a mechanism for the coordinated involvement of children and young people in decision making processes, including formal links to the NDC board and the Extended Schools Cluster. Forum members take part in consultation activity and are promoting the use of Hear by Right participation standards to local organisations. To date they have developed a manifesto outlining their priorities, begun contributing to plans for local facilities and services, and taken part in recruitment processes. Once the forward strategy document is produced, they will play a more active role in taking forward recommendations arising from the ECM research.
Lambton Street Fellowship Centre
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
Situated in Sunderland, the Lambton Street Fellowship Centre has provided a broad menu of youth work opportunities for young people since it was established in 1901. In 2002, the project moved to a purpose-built centre where facilities include a computer suite, large sports hall, fully equipped boxing gym, and fitness suite. The centre supports over 2,000 young people a year and specialises in combining youth work with health and sport related activities. Young people have access to a wide range of sports, including football, trampolining, basketball, fishing and combat sports such as boxing, karate, judo, and aikido. Projects include Positive Activities for Young People, a girls’ health and lifestyle project, targeted work with young people with disabilities to enhance their employment prospects, and the U-project, which works with marginalised young people.
In 2006, Lambton Street made a successful application to v and received funding to develop part-time volunteering opportunities for young people.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Multi Agency Project for Young People (MAP) is an area-based regeneration initiative working with young people aged 11-21 as part of New Deal for Communities (NDC) strategy in the ABCD (All Saints and Blakenhall Community Development) area of Wolverhampton. It aims to provide activities and support for young people at risk of educational, employment and personal social exclusion by putting them at the forefront of improving the social environment in which they live as well as improving their own education and career prospects. The ABCD youth forum ‘Positive Youth Action’ group provides opportunities to influence service provision and effect change locally A range of volunteering opportunities is also available including cycle repair and maintenance work. Motiv8 learning programme and opportunities to gain formal accreditation in areas such as Junior Sports Leadership provide young people with the necessary training and support to assist in their personal and social development and become actively involved in the community.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
The Maypole Centre provides planned programmes of support to young people in the Druids Health area within a target age range of 11-25. It seeks to improve personal and social development and assist with entry into education, training, employment through programmes on sexual health, substance misuse, adventure and sports opportunities, alternative education, personal development, mentoring, peer education and arts development. The Centre's 'Innov8' programme provides in-depth support to young people at risk through a one-year development programme funded by the Department of Health. This funding ends in March 2007. The centre is one of few statutory youth service outlets with a contract with Supporting People to deliver housing related floating support to 40 young people at any one time, assisting them to move to independent living.
Medway Sports Leadership Programme
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
Medway Council is a large unitary authority in Kent providing services for a quarter of a million people. It has been running sports leadership and volunteering programmes for young people since 2001, initially as the Medway Active Communities (Rural) project, then as the Medway Active Communities Volunteer programme, and more recently as the Sports Leadership Programme. The programme aims to enable young people aged 16-18 to develop their confidence, motivation and skills through sports leadership and volunteering opportunities. In 2007, the programme was extended to include young people aged 15-18 with moderate learning difficulties.
Brief description including aims and objectives
The Parallel is a young persons' health centre designed by young people for young people. The project offers a range of health and well-being services for young people aged 11 to 19 through a holistic approach involving collaboration with partner organisations. The Parallel aims to work with young people in securing their right to a positive and health lifestyle through their involvement in all stages of planning for the future direction of the centre.
Princes Park BMX Skatepark
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Prince’s Park BMX Skate Park was formally opened in July 2005, following two years’ work by young people, supported by an area youth worker, to secure this facility as part of a community initiative to improve the park. Local young people had already identified the need for a BMX skate park, and formed the BMX Bandits to achieve this. They consulted with other young people, developed funding bids, worked with Environmental Services and worked with designers and artists on the park’s design and construction and additional artwork. Since its opening, the park has been used constantly. It is now the main meeting point for young people and has helped improve relationships between young people and other residents.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Hartlepool based RESPECT (Reaching Every Social and Personal Effect Concerning Teenagers) provides a mentoring and befriending service with professional counselling support for young people aged 11-19. The overall aims of RESPECT are to help young people reduce self-harm, bullying and isolation, increase youth participation and improve holistic well-being. It operates a four tier support service - including counselling and referral to external services - enabling young people to access the appropriate level of support. This case study will focus on the services offered in levels one and two: befriending with group support, and mentoring.
RESPECT became a constituted voluntary organisation in 2004 and offers a range of services in addition to mentoring and befriending. These include accredited training schemes, issue based workshops, and an all year round drop in service.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (STH) involves approximately 2000 volunteers, including 300 volunteers under 24, in the Trust's five hospitals across Sheffield. Volunteers undertake a wide range of roles within wards, departments, outpatients, welcome desks, snack bars, trolleys and transport, to complement and support the work of the Trust's paid staff. The voluntary services department includes a young people's coordinator, and a young people's project has recently been set up to recruit and support young volunteers aged 16 to 24. The project is targeting young people from socially excluded groups, to enable them to gain experience in the health sector, improve their chances of future employment, and develop their general and life skills. It will also focus on giving young volunteers a voice, so that their views and experiences can help shape STH's services.
StreetGames
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
StreetGames is a national charity providing sports programmes for young people living in disadvantaged communities who are not current participants or members of sports clubs. Young people can access sport and dance opportunities where, when and how they want. Training is often done in basic but convenient facilities such as local parks and community spaces. Volunteers of all ages are involved in StreetGames, with a volunteer programme specifically for young people – the Co-Operative StreetGames Youth Volunteering Programme - currently being developed.
The programme aims to:
- provide a route into sustained and regular sport;
- develop local leadership, citizenship and coaching skills within communities;
- spread skills and knowledge so sports workers learn how to involve young people;
- support renewal agencies in communicating with young people about their sporting needs and other lifestyle issues.
StreetGames operates through an expanding network of projects (currently 24) across England. This case study focuses on Reading StreetGames which has a proven track record of working with young volunteers.
Sports Volunteering North West Young People's programme
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
Sports Volunteering North West (SVNW), an independent regional body representing volunteers and the voluntary sector in sport and physical activity in the North West established the Young People’s Programme in 2002. Using sport as a vehicle to develop leadership skills in young people, the programme combines and coordinates the Millennium Volunteers and Step into Sport volunteer programmes. It provides signposting and supported pathways into volunteering placements and potential employment in sport for young people across the region.
Stepney Bank Stables
Brief description, including aims and objectives:
The Stepney Bank Equestrian and Activity Centre is a community horse project set in Newcastle’s inner city. With a state of the art riding arena and stable yard, the centre is also a British Horse Society accredited riding school and a Pony Club Centre with around 60 members. The project was originally established in 1992 by the City Farm Byker, becoming an independent organisation in 1999 and a registered charity shortly afterwards.
The project works with young people from some of the most socially disadvantaged wards in the North East, most of whom become involved to meet a variety of personal, social or educational needs. Stepney Bank aims to use horses and equestrian activities as a tool for motivating, educating and passing on key social skills to young volunteers
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Walkways aims to provide a relevant, vibrant, free and confidential support service that will contribute to the well being of all young people, aged 11-25 years old in the borough of Walsall through detached youth work, drug and alcohol work and youth counselling.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Youth2Youth (Y2Y) is a confidential national helpline run by young people for young people. It recruits young volunteers aged between 16 and 21 from the local community of Ealing, West London, and surrounding boroughs, and trains them to help young people aged 11 to 19 who feel they need emotional support. The helpline can be contacted by telephone, email or online chat. Experienced volunteers may become team leaders, providing support for other volunteers and liaising with the Board of trustees. Volunteers may also get involved in a range of other activities in line with Y2Y’s aims and objectives which provide further opportunities for personal development.
Brief description, including aims and objectives
Youth on Health (YOH!) is part of the Leeds Education Healthy Schools Initiative and supports the citizenship curriculum. It aims to provide a city wide forum on health run by and for young people recruited from primary and secondary schools working with Leeds Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Leeds Healthy Schools Standard (LHSS), giving them opportunities to identify health related issues within their schools and bring about positive change to improve their health. Pupils represent their school and are supported through YOH! to become ambassadors for change and making a difference.
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