WARRINGTON YOUTH FOR CHRIST 

The Academy

The project will deliver a detached and outreach youth work programme for young people in disadvantaged wards within Warrington. WYFC have developed relationships with young people in these areas ....more

The project will deliver a detached and outreach youth work programme for young people in disadvantaged wards within Warrington. WYFC have developed relationships with young people in these areas through being based in local high schools. This programme will build on these relationships and networks, as well as building new ones, and provide a programme of activities, sports and 1-1 support. The grant funding will pay for a team of 5 part time WYFC workers to set up and deliver this programme. After initial reconnaissance workers will co-design a 2 month programme of activities with the young people they have built relationships with. As well as group activities and discussion times on topics and themes such as mental health, drugs and alcohol etc. youth workers will also provide 1-1 support and informal mentoring to young people, helping them to explore and discuss issues and challenges that are affecting them. WYFC will also use their links and relationships with other local agencies to arrange for specialist input during these sessions. Following periods of outreach and detached youth work a more structured and long term drop in programme would then be established. The project will improve the physical and emotional health of young people through reducing isolation and loneliness. Many of these young people have been isolated during COVID 19 which has had a major impact on their mental health and their inactivity has impacted on their physical health. Physical activity is particularly important for young people who are vulnerable to obesity and also those with a range of disorders such as Autism and ADHD, which are particularly prevalent in disadvantaged communities. Through engaging young people in co-designing these services as well as relationship building through informal 1-1 mentoring young people’s self-esteem and confidence for the future will be increased. 

Warrington Youth for Christ provides emotional health and wellbeing support for vulnerable young people in Warrington. Workers are based and embedded within local high schools in some of the most ....more

Warrington Youth for Christ provides emotional health and wellbeing support for vulnerable young people in Warrington. Workers are based and embedded within local high schools in some of the most deprived wards in Warrington, providing a range of 1-1 and group support programmes based in schools as well as outreach and detached youth work programmes in the evenings. As a response to the Covid 19 pandemic WYFC provided online mentoring support to vulnerable young people identified by the local schools since lock down began in March 2020. Feedback from the schools and the young people was that this programme was a key element in helping young people through the difficult and challenging time they experienced during the pandemic. The current project is in recognition of the impact that social isolation and lack of social contact has had on young people, and the importance of renewing face to face contact with trusted adults. This project will continue these valued mentoring relationships as well as develop new ones, and will seek to provide them face to face in Covid safe environments. The grant funding will be used to pay for skilled and experienced youth workers who will provide 1-1 mentoring outside of school time. The project will reduce the impact Covid 19 has had on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people. Through the mentoring sessions the young people will develop coping strategies to enable them to recognise and deal with their anxieties and fears and develop greater resilience and self-confidence.

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."