The PACESETTERS – A youth project that will provide programmes of youth activities for young people that promote social inclusion and participation. These include recreational, educational, creative, physical and social aspects with the aim of engaging young people in a programme of activities in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment. We will work with local partners to develop and extend on our work to increase the potential for tangible outcomes and accreditations.
These activities include sports, gospel music sessions, group work and social education workshops. We aim to build a community gospel choir in Hackney. ( Hackney Community Gospel Choir) Through accreditation we hope to create opportunities for more peer led initiatives, volunteering and the breakdown of geographical barriers between youth groups. All of our activities are derived through consultations with the young people providing them with an active voice for community cohesion and inclusion.
We will also run activities during the school holidays offering off-site trips and activities such as trips to theme parks, themed workshops and some residential activities where we take the young people out of the city to give them a view of a differing environment as many young people do not venture further than their estates.
Offering young people the opportunity of being away from home, exploring new surroundings, coping with new challenges, learning new things and growing in their own self-awareness is key to their emotional, physical, mental and spiritual development. We feel that young people should be able to access fun, challenging and exciting activities that will help them learn new skills, grow in confidence and develop their social leadership skills.
“The PACESETTERS” Youth Project will also act as a useful link between other Out of Schools projects and local youth clubs. We will work with young people aged 11 yrs to14yrs to get used to a youth project setting and enable them to gain confidence and develop their own activities and ideas. The young people can try out taster sessions and activities which are age appropriate in a safe and nurturing environment which are challenging and provide them with opportunities for growth and achievements. These activities will include sports, music production, special project work and taster sessions.
Youth trustees are an invaluable part of the provision enabling young people with opportunities for volunteering and taking ownership of the project. Young people who have been attending the project for a period of time are encouraged to help at the project both in terms of delivering the programme and also serving as ambassadors to raise the profile of the Aspirations Youth Project and young people in general. They are provided with support and guidance in their role to provide them with valuable transferable skills, which they can use on their portfolios/record of achievements or C.V’s.
Getting the message right is the first point of effective communication and so getting the views of young people is essential. We need to be sure we are doing the right things at the right times for the right people. We will serve as a point for young people to promote their views and issues in a way, which is constructive and positive. We will hold youth forums within the project and will also work with other youth agencies and the Local council in order to increase young people’s involvement in consultation and planning.
“The PACESETTERS” Youth project will run an additional project exclusively for young women and a project exclusively for young men. This is a project looking to promote and address issues relating to young women / men. This project will include team bonding, topics on life as a young man / woman in today’s society, job seeking, getting back into education, parenting skills as a young father / mother and how to deal with peer pressures.
We have a commitment to enabling young people through a shared vision based on an understanding of strategic coordination and the establishment of accountability and responsibility in our group. We will create and coordinate youth provisions which will empower, promote inclusion and cohesion and give the young people the confidence and skills to make informed choices for their lives.
Our priorities will include:
- Increasing access and opportunities for NEET young people
- Reducing social inequalities
- Providing opportunities for social action
- Strengthening a multi-disciplinary approach to issues
At the forefront of our thinking in all our activities and events is ‘IS IT FUN?’ Young people are amazing, full of energy, excited about life and open to learning new things and trying new experiences. We aim to make everything we do fun and exciting whilst trying to organise activities, clubs and events that are educational, of good quality, accessible to all and in places where we feel we can also demonstrate the love of God to young people and see them grow into loving, caring and responsible adults.
“THE PACESETTERS” Youth Project” – Sponsored by CAC (Bethel) UK Charity Number 274154
THE PACESETTERS LAUNCH PHOTOS
