Our Mission Statement:
Our mission is to actively respond to the needs and wishes of young people. This is reflected in what we offer young people living in and near Colwall. Our programme is designed to include leisure time activities and open access services that aid the development of young people’s physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. We also seek to improve life conditions and promote youth social action that builds maturity. Our service is a youth led organisation. We value the thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of all our members.
The Vision
To show love to the young people of our locality by providing a youth service which aims to support young people through the challenges of the pre-teen and teenage stages of growing up. This is a Church managed project – although religion is not actively promoted within the project, the project is operated under and within the overarching family values of the church https://www.colwallcommunitychurch.com/wp-content/uploads/Family-Values-4.pdf.
Our Aims
The project has a goal to be a safe haven, this means that young people living in rural isolation can have a place that they can call home. Youth work is much more than evening youth groups and fun activities, it’s about allowing those young people who feel abandoned by society, by school, by family and restricted by location; the opportunity to feel cared for and included. For some the simple act of knowing they can just walk in and make a hot drink and have a chat, for others it’s about having someone they can ask the difficult questions to without judgment or risk of being shamed. This is a very fluid and ever-changing role in their lives, for those who start accessing the project at age 9, the role of our project is to start a relationship of trust. As they grow and become young adults the project has a very different role, it is to teach them the many skills and life lessons they never see inside a classroom. We teach them about healthy relationships, safe sex, drug misuse, money management, the importance of talking about mental health and most of all about the value of humanity.
Our charitable aims and objectives are to work with young people to improve lives and circumstances to aid development and maturity and promote a sense of community. Supporting young people aged 9-18 years old.
Sustainability
The church’s support is shown practically by in kind support – free use of church buildings, employment, financial and safeguarding oversight, and supervision. The youth team’s salaries are funded by grant applications submitted to grant making bodies. CYP is overseen by our Youth Management Board that consists of parents, grandparents, young people, members of the church, and members of the local community.
History
CYP started in 2016 as an in-house Colwall Community Church Project to support teenagers within the local community. Initially CYP was run by a qualified youth worker supported by a member of the church leadership team and a team of volunteers. The club soon attracted young people with a variety of different needs in the village and surrounding areas. The paid youth worker moved away and for a while the work continued under voluntary leadership. However, by 2019 the numbers had grown beyond what was sustainable by the existing volunteer team, so the church took the decision to apply for external funding from BBC Children in Need. BBC Children in Need are now the main funders of CYP, an all-inclusive youth service. CYP does not seek to promote religion. CYP is now run by our director of youth provision, Alice Hill. Alice is an experienced youth worker, who is supported by a growing team of assistant youth workers, mental health youth workers, and volunteer youth workers. In 2020, CYP formed a partnership with the Counselling, Learning, and Development trust and together are running a mental health and wellbeing support service for young people across Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. Colwall Community Church remains the parent organisation, supporters and volunteers of the project. Without the churchCYP would not be able to meet the diverse needs of children, young people, and families in our local and wider community.
All About Us
Colwall Youth Project supports young people and young adults. Our experienced team of Youth Workers provide an accessible, friendly and safe environment for all young people. This service is delivered through drop-in sessions, 1-2-1 support, mental health and wellbeing support, targeted activities, school holiday activities, educational support, open access sessions, skills4life workshops, positive activities, and continued empowerment.
CYP is a community resource, that reflects the needs of the wider community we support and encourage community involvement through consultation, youth social action, and volunteering.
THANKYOU’S FROM COLWALL YOUTH PROJECT:
We would like to extend our thanks to BBC Children in Need. BBC Children in Need are the main grant funding body of the project and with their support CYP can expand our services and provide continued support to young people, families and the community. BBC Children in Need awarded CoCoChu £105,879 in 2019 to fund CYP for 3 years. This funding was awarded based on CYP’s promise to promote positive change and make a difference to young peoples lives.
These differences include:
Difference 1 – They will be happier in themselves, and better equipped to cope with the challenges of growing up both emotionally, psychologically and in their school and college life.
Difference 2 – To promote good aspirations for their lives, in the short and long term. Through having access to an environment where they can talk about their dreams with acceptance and support, and build self-esteem, they will be better placed to think about the future.
Difference 3 – To encourage young people to learn and relate better to others. Helping them to manage their emotions and their relationships will put them in a better place to return to education, to cope better at school, at home and socially.
You can find out more about our BBC Children in Need funded project on our Instagram! @colwallyouthproject_
January 2020 – Thank you to Morrisons Malvern who donated a food parcel to CYP. This has helped us to promote healthy eating amongst our young people and has enabled us to run cooking skills sessions.
March 2020 – Thank you to Asda of Silver Street, Worcester, who have donated £300 as part of their ‘Green token Scheme’ to CYP. This funding has helped to promote positive activities in our open access sessions.
June 2020 – A huge thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund: Awards for All who have awarded £10,000 to CYP. This funding will be used to employ two assistant youth workers and provide youth work training.
June 2020 – Thank you to BBC Children in Need: Grant Booster who have awarded CYP £3,000. This funding will be used for additional staffing hours and to fund two laptops for our Assistant Youth Workers.
July 2020 – Thank you to Woodward Charitable Trust who have awarded £1,000 to CYP. This funding has enabled us to run our six-week summer activities programme that has enabled young people to participate in positive activities during the school holidays.
July 2020 – A huge thank you to Eveson Charitable Trust who have awarded £10,000 to CYP. This Funding will be used to provide additional hours to our two assistant youth workers, and to fund technology for our youth group.
November 2020 – Thank you to the hygiene bank! The hygiene bank has been supporting the project by providing regular donations of basic hygiene products that we can offer to our young people to support them staying clean and healthy. This support allows us to help those most in need. During the pandemic our young people have seen a huge change in their lives and being able to offer them the simple decency of being clean has had a massive impact on their lives.
December 2020 – Thank you to West Midlands Rail! West Midlands Trains have been kind enough to offer us free train passes for our young people. This allows those living in Malvern and Ledbury to access our support without cost. Without the support of organisations like West Midlands Trains we would not be able to offer our services to those young people most in need.
March 2021 – Thank you to National Lottery Community Fund! We are delighted to announce that the National Lottery Community Fund have awarded Colwall Youth Project (CYP) – Colwall Community Church the sum of £227,668.00 for a 3 year “YOUTH IN THE LEAD” project. This fund was successful with three sections:
– The continuation and additional hours for two Youth Workers, additional project staffing support, and further core expenses/project costs.
– A temporary new home for the youth project that will be placed on the Silver Street site in Colwall.
– A detailed feasibility study for the Silver Street site to develop a plan for a permanent youth hub, designed by young people.
June 2021 – We have formed a partnership with Falmouth University to support our young people in exploring their future opportunities. The university organised a free residential for 15 of our young people to travel down to Cornwall and take part in workshops at the university. This was for many of our young people the first time they had the chance to see the sea and feel the sand between their toes; and for even more this was the first time they felt welcomed and supported in an educational environment. We cannot thank Falmouth University enough, this week long trip has truly changed the lives and prospects of our young people. We look forward to continuing this partnership to support more young people accross our area.
Can you help? As a charitable project, Colwall Youth Project seeks to raise funds to continue and expand its youth services. We welcome support from individuals, organisations, and companies (For example: donations, fundraising, volunteering and gifts-in-kind). If you can help, please contact Alice (Director of Youth Provision).
Meet the Team:
Alice Hill.
– Director of Youth Provision.
– alice@thecyp.co.uk
– 07925 275769
Work Background: Alice has eight years’ experience in youth work. Alice has vast experience in many youth services and organisations. Alice’s experiences stem from previous positions as a youth worker, lead youth SEND youth worker, substance misuse youth worker, as an advocate for young people, homelessness intervention worker, crisis intervention worker and within the youth offending service.
Favourite colour: Alice’s favourite colour is BLUE (And this is very well known)
Favourite animal: Alice loves all animals, but if she had to pick a favourite it would be horses or tortoises
What biscuit would you be and why? Alice would be a jammy dodger because she is soft and sweet at heart.
Hobbies: Alice loves sports and is a huge football fan. Alice loves reading, running, taking long dog walks, and spending lots of time with her family.
Favourite sport: Alice likes all sports, but her favourite is by far…. FOOTBALL!!
Why do you love working with young people? Alice loves working with young people as she firmly believes that every young person should have a positive role model in their lives, and a safe space to express themselves, learn and grow.
Aron Williams
– Youth Worker & Project Manager
– aron@thecyp.co.uk
– 07932 423792
Work background: Aron has worked in youth work for 5 years, spending the majority working in Special Education and Disability Support. Working mostly in respite care Aron has seen everything and nothing could faze him. Having trained in photojournalism at Falmouth University Aron always uses these skills in daily life, Aron finds that the skills he learned at university in uncovering truth and seeing hidden beauty in everyday life allow him to give young people the best he can possibly offer.
Favourite colour: Arons Favourite colour is bright pink.
Favourite animal: Arons Favourite animals are elephants.
What biscuit would you be and why? If Aron were a biscuit, he would be a Jaffa Cake, as Aron always likes to find the loophole in any question.
Favourite Sport: Arons favourite sport is Rugby.
Hobbies: Arons main Hobbies are Photography and going on long road trips.
Why do you love being a youth worker? Aron Loves being a youth worker as he loves to see young people reach their potential. For him youth work is not about the here and now, it’s about supporting young people to have the best possible future.
Kerry Hughes
– Volunteer Youth Worker
Work background: Kerry has worked in all sorts of jobs from pubs, to clothing shops, highs schools to the Council.
Favourite colour: Kerry’s favourite colour is pink.
Favourite animal: Kerry’s favourite animals are Cats or Rabbits.
What biscuit would you be and why? If Kerry were a biscuit, she would be a ginger nut; there slightly fiery, nutty and no two are ever the same.
Favourite sport: Kerry loves to play netball, but her favorite sport to watch is boxing.
Hobbies: Kerry loves arts and crafts, fitness, running, baking, reading books and meditation.
Why do you love working with young people? I love working with young people, because I believe young people often get written off, but I think that this is the age where the most impact can happen, where change can be seen and where a young person can map out the path for their future.
Rita Evans
– Volunteer Youth Worker
Work background: Rita has a vast background in Learning and Development plus varied experience in the voluntary sector particularly in community-based groups.
Favourite colour: Rita’s favourite colour is Green.
Favourite animal: Rita’s favourite animals are Dog’s. Rita has a lovely German Shepard named CoCo!
What biscuit would you be and why? If Rita was a biscuit she would be a Rich Tea biscuit because she likes to dunk them in hot drinks!
Favourite sport: Rita’s favourite sport is swimming.
Hobbies: Rita loves rock painting, genealogy, baking, and gardening.
Why do you love working with young people? Young people keep Rita smiling, Rita finds her role interesting and rewarding when I am able to make a difference.
Megan Moss
– Volunteer
Work Background – Meg has got experience in voluntary work placements in Primary schools, high schools, colleges, and care homes whilst studying a mental health degree which led her to work as a mental health youth worker.
Favorite colour: Turquoise
Favorite animal: Dog – I have two, one called Fred and the other called harry.
What biscuit would you be and why? If Meg were a biscuit, she would be millionaire short bread because she has a sweet exterior a gooey heart and a firm foundation
Favorite sport: is going to the Gym
Hobbies: baking, looking after animals, being with friends and visiting different places.. especially the seaside!
Our charitable aims and objectives are to work with young people to improve lives and circumstances to aid development and maturity and promote a sense of community. Supporting young people aged 9-18 years old.
