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ESSEX

Turning young lives around – Braintree Youth Project

A young girl who had struggled to find her place in society is carving out a career in caring, thanks to a community youth project.

The then 15-year-old suffered from low confidence and weight issues before turning her life around with the help of Braintree Youth Project Charity.

Attending the weekly drop-in sessions, the teenager was given the opportunity to join a gorge walking and hill climbing trip organised by the Youth Development Programme.

The achievement gave her such a boost, four years later she is working as a volunteer for various care organisations.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex (PFCC), Roger Hirst, contributed £6,405 to Braintree Youth Project Charity in the form of a crime and disorder reduction grant from the 2019-2020 Community Safety Development Fund to continue the Youth Development Programme for another 12 months. The funding supported the PFCC’s priority to protect vulnerable people from harm and being groomed into a life of crime.

The funding enables the charity to provide the young people of Braintree – including those at risk of a life of crime as well as those with a stable background – a safe place to be, surrounded by positive role models and with exciting opportunities.

The youth organisation delivers events, activities, drop-ins and focussed sessions aimed at getting young people off the streets and away from crime, drugs and alcohol while improving their wellbeing, developing life skills, increasing confidence, building self-esteem and encouraging healthy living.

Young people are also given the opportunity to go for trips out to escape rooms and activity centres, as well as on residential holidays to places such as Wales.

Centre manager Kirsty Huxter said: “A big part of youth work is building relationships. At our drop-in sessions, we get to know the young people and keep an eye on them. Through that, we can offer them guidance or signpost them if they have more serious issues to deal with. The fact we are there means they might discuss things with us that they haven’t with anyone else. That can be anything from boyfriend and girlfriend upsets to someone having suicidal thoughts. They sometimes just need someone to listen to them.

“We get a variety of young people come to our group; some are very clever and do well at school, are talented and have friends. Others do not have friends and do not talk very much. Some have been kicked out of mainstream school and are being home educated and may not have very good social skills.

“What we are seeing is a big difference in emotional health and confidence among the young people we work with. For all the young people, we can see ways in which we have had an impact on them; that could be that they’ve come here and made new friends or that they have done things they never thought they would be able to.”

The PFCC funding enables the charity to invest in sport equipment and games consoles and take young people for days out and on holidays.

Kirsty said: “We mainly rely on grant funding. It gives us more options and a wider range of things we can do with our young people. Last summer, we held a workshop where young people were able to create their own music video.

“Not all young people are the same; some are physical, some are arty, some are musical – while others do not know what they like. Some have never been a part of a group, like a football club or hockey club. It is really noticeable to me those who have never been a part of anything. We are filling that breach for young people who are never going to be in the position of being able to afford to attend clubs as we are free to attend.

“We are only one factor in a young person’s life, along with their family, their friends, school and anyone else they associate with. If we were not here, it would be taking away a positive factor and we could be the only positive influence they have.”

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PFCC for Essex, Kelvedon Park, London Road, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex, CM8 3HB
01245 291600

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