XXXX first started to attend our youth club at the age of 12. When he first started attending he was a quiet, timid young person who needed a confidence boost. He continued to attend with his younger siblings and we started to see a positive change in him over the years. The youth workers worked with him on a one to one basis to build up his confidence. He made many friends while coming to Pod and got along very well with the workers. This was demonstrated by using smart targets with XXXX. We continued our work to help him meet the targets, this was done through organising different activities such as team building, communication and leadership. Over the years XXXX has had the opportunity to attend sailing and other trips, take part in competitions, litter picking, BMXing etc. 

XXXX’s confidence built up and he became more sociable, started to show skills as a leader, has achieved good GCSE and A level results and has now started to pursue a passion in sports at University. He has also found himself a job as a personal trainer at PureGym where he is doing what he loves. XXXX frequently volunteers at Our Community CIC as he knows the young people in the area very well and gets on well with them. This voluntary work has also helped build his leadership and communication skills which he is now using in his day job and at university.

xxxx was not keen on attending school, therefore was regularly missing school and playing truant.  The school spoke to his mother on many occasions and when they invited her in for a discussion on many occasions, she failed to turn up. Therefore, the whole thing was going around in circles and not getting anywhere.

One of the mentors working at the school spoke to xxxx and in the discussion asked xxxx what sort of activities he enjoyed doing out of school. Xxx mentioned he enjoyed going to The POD and playing with friends and having a good time.

The school then made contact with Our Community CIC and arranged a meeting to discuss possibilities at the school. Our Community CIC have a good relationship with the local youth service, as there detached team work at The POD in the evenings. Therefore we invited the youth service along to this meeting.

After the meeting, we decided to support the school to in turn support xxxx, as we felt the school was letting down this young man. Firstly, the youth service did a house visit to find that the mother of xxxx lost her husband 8 months prior, and then found her eldest son had severe cancer and was trying to look after the elder son and pay the bills at the same time. She was suffering from depression and needed help herself. Due to the circumstances xxxx was not getting any help from his mother, if he went home we would be told off for nothing, so spent time at The POD and hanging about outside.

We also found that his mother made a mistake when selecting schools and as she only put two schools, he did not get these choices and was put in a random school.

At this school he has to be at the bus stop for 6.30am to catch two buses to get to the school, which is difficult for any year 7 student. He also does not have any friends or people he knows who attend the school, which is why he had been truanting and not going.

With support from the youth service, we did a common assessment framework check and got relevant organisations involved to help the mother, the sick elder son and xxxx. Though the process is still ongoing, the mother has carers who are coming in to give her much needed respite. She is also undergoing counselling and getting emotional support. Xxxx has been supported with an allowance and currently goes to school on a 12 seater minibus which takes children from this area to the school. He is now on a waiting list; hopefully he will get a place at a local school soon.

XXXX first started to attend Our Community (Youth Club) at the age of 10. When he first started attending the Pod, he was quiet, timid young person who needed a confidence boost. He continued to attend with his younger siblings and we started to see a positive change in him over the years. The youth workers worked with him on a one to one basis to build up his confidence. He made many friends while coming to Pod and got along very well with the workers. This was demonstrated by using smart targets with XXXX. We continued our work to help him meet the targets, this was done through organising different activities such as team building, communication and leadership. Over the years XXXX has had the opportunity to attend sailing and other trips, take part in competitions, litter picking, BMXing etc. 

XXXX’s confidence built up and he became more sociable, started to show skills as a leader, has achieved good GCSE and A level results and has now started to pursue a passion in sports at University. He has also found himself a job as a personal trainer at PureGym where he is doing what he loves. XXXX frequently volunteers at Our Community CIC as he knows the young people in the area very well and gets on well with them. This voluntary work has also helped build his leadership and communication skills which he is now using in his day job and at university.

Young people X and Y have been attending our youth club for over 3 years. Their communication skills were very limited.

X was from abroad and therefore English was not his first language. By attending the Pod, he has become more social, started to communicate better with other YP and the workers. X’s English has improved in leaps and bounds since he has started to make new friends and interact more with other young people in the community.

Y was not very confident in interacting with other young people in the local area. By attending the youth club his confidence has increased in leaps and bounds. He has many friends now in the local area and his confidence has also boosted in school.

Without the Pod, X and Y would have found it harder to meet and interact with other young people in the local area while building their confidence at the same time. The youth club sessions provided the exact friendly environment they needed to increase their communication.

Case Study – 4

Below is an observation from our youth workers;

At the first Sailing meeting, xxxx came in and sat down, not looking eye to eye when talking about things and not feeling comfortable in discussing the activities he would like to do.

Then reported on the same young person 4 weeks later,

xxxx has gradually formed part of this group, has shown a lot of confidence and keen on getting involved in card activities and talking within the group.

At the sailing trip, xxxx is happily working with the group to put up sails, participate in team work excercises and working with others with the chores (i.e. washing, making foods and cleaning up).

This shows us the progress, of a YP with a little bit of support now more confident and able to get involved in activities.