The launch of the café, which is for 8 – 13 year olds, follows a successful pilot project at the end of the 2011.

Jem Todd, who is leading the youth café for Thrive, said:

“During the pilot project we did a survey to find out what the young people would be doing if they weren’t here with us. 90% said they would be either playing computer games or talking with friends on Facebook. This café offers a much better alternative – positive activities that develop the character and skills of these young people in an environment where they are building community.”

The café will run on Monday afternoons from 4 – 6pm at the Barton Community Centre.

I’m braving the elements in the Thrive Adventure Challenge to raise vital funds for Thrive’s mentoring programme.

We’ll will run 10km on forest tracks, mountain bike 25km and kayak 1000m. Oh and there may be a few assault course obstacles on the way.

Please consider sponsoring me – just £25 provides a month’s mentoring to a vulnerable young person in Barton.

Bring it on!

To support Jem and read more click www.justgiving.com/JeremyTheTodd

Thank You!

The girls trialing their fruit cocktails for the Allotment Dinner

Girls Allotment group tasting their homemade apple crumble

The Allotment ready for harvesting

Young person preparing soup at the Girls Allotment Group

Young people's artwork for the Allotment Dinner

Boys Allotment Group making apple and blackberry jam

Young people and volunteers munching on some apples at the Allotment Group

It was great to show Catherine our community house and to introduce her to some of the young people we work with.

She met with an 18 year old girl who we’ve been working with for over a year who is currently feeling very disempowered because of her situation.

Part of the Thrive Team’s work is to advocate for our young people and to speak up for them when the feel their voices aren’t being heard. We also want to empower them to speak up for themselves and to help them see that doing this can make a difference.

This young person was able to chat openly to a politican for the first time as Catherine listened to her views and her complaints.  Hopefully this experience will help her see that speaking to those who are key decision makers in our country can bring change on the ground. We have a lot more work to do on this one!

Thanks for coming to visit Catherine, and for taking an interest in our young people!

For the full story click here

Come and join us on Saturday 24th September for an evening of live music from Lucia Muko, inspiring stories and a superb auction.

Places are limited. To book contact Elizabete on 01865 788 350 or Elizabete.santos@innovista.org

My training strategy of resting my body rather than exercising it for the gruelling hike may have backfired, but we raised over £2,000. This money will support the team of ten volunteer mentors as they help young people achieve important life goals.

Speaking of goals, ours was to start out early Saturday morning from our lodge at the foot of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, walk a marathon through the beautiful mountain range before us, and return before teatime. Since our end goal was also our starting point, I was tempted to stay put – but many supporters had been generous in their desire to help young people (and give us stiff knees in the process).

Four of us took up the challenge of the 26 miler, the other dozen of our group opting for a ten mile hike. Corn Du was conquered, map reading skills were conquered, and most importantly, the boys managed to beat the girls back to the lodge (their later start time a minor point).

In the evening we heard a fantastic presentation from the Thrive team – and heard stories of the exciting things happening on the estate. The allotment project, working in partnership with local schools with those identified as the community’s most vulnerable children, is a fantastic idea, and one worthy of support.

The team’s commitment to this estate for the long term, offers hope for these young people growing up. I’m thrilled to support the work of Thrive; challenged and inspired by what I see happening around me in an estate which is among the 5% most deprived areas in England for young people’s education and skills.

Thanks to all those who supported us in our sponsored walk.

Robin

Robin is a Thrive supporter who is currently living in one of their houses in the Barton estate. Hear how he’s experienced the work of Thrive as they live in the community, offering a safe place for young people, and seeking to bring hope and lasting change.

My first Sunday in Barton was spent having lunch with Judy, Cerian and a family from the estate.  It was great to meet some of my new neighbours, as well as to enjoy a good roast dinner.  What stood out to me most was the moment where the little four year old girl was warned against misbehaving – “if you keep playing up, you can’t go to Sunday@5” (the community church on the estate).

Hold up, what? If she misbehaves, she won’t be allowed to go to church? Usually it’s the other way around; if you keep misbehaving, I’m going to make you come to church. Immediately, I saw that things were happening here in Barton.

I’ve been living with two members of the Thrive Team for a couple of months now – and I’m loving seeing how this house is meeting needs in the middle of the Barton estate. One of my first nights in the house I answered the door to a young teenager, about fourteen, who asked me to pass on a message that he had heard they were mentoring young people and he would really like a mentor.

It’s just an ordinary white door, but for some reason, people keep knocking it.

A young couple in their early teens knock; they’re having issues in their relationship and want someone to mediate between them. A mum knocks; she’s had an argument with her partner and wants somewhere to stay with her daughter. The Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked once too, but all they wanted was a good yarn.

It’s just an ordinary house in an ordinary estate, hosting ordinary people. But there’s something extraordinary about the way young people feel welcome. Something just quite special about arriving home after work to see a young lad playing the Xbox in the front room with his mentor. Something really uplifting to see half a dozen girls coming every Thursday to cook and talk through issues and conflicts; though I am a little disappointed at the lack of leftovers.

It’s great to see firsthand what happens in one house where Thrive Team members live. And I know that I’m only seeing a small snippet of it. I feel really privileged to see what’s going on at such close quarters. Really amazed at how much credibility these guys have on this estate already and how many relationships they have formed and are deepening. Sometimes I wish they realised just how incredible the four of them are, how much of a difference they are making in people’s lives.

And in the midst of it all, what challenges me most, and inspires me to talk to some of these young people, and get trained as a mentor, is that these are just ordinary people, living in an ordinary house on an ordinary estate.

Robin

Name: Holly

Age: 27

Occupation: Nurse

What attracted you to the C.O.A.C.H. programme?

I had heard some of what Judy and the rest of the Thrive team were doing in Barton and really liked the concept of living in the area in which you are working.  So when I heard about the information evening on the C.O.A.C H. programme I decided to go along to find out some more. I was really impressed by what I heard.  The C.O.A.C.H. programme offers such a good opportunity to reach out to young people who are at risk of exclusion, offending, or family breakdown.

I knew straight away that I wanted to be involved (not just because they bribed us with cupcakes!) – I took the application form and signed up!

What was the process from signing up to meeting your young person?

After the initial information evening there was training which was held over three evenings and was very interactive, with lots of group work and role play (which I usually hate but was actually very useful!)  After all the training and a not so scary interview, I was feeling excited and a little nervous about meeting my assigned young person. I’ll be meeting with her each week over the next year to give her the support she needs.

How is it going so far?

The initial meet up and first few sessions have gone really well and now I’m really looking forward to a year of McDonald’s milkshakes, ice skating, go-karting and making a new friend!

Holly is working with a 13 year old girl who has been out of school for the past couple of years and so one of their goals is supporting her back into education. In her young person’s words, “Holly is amazing!”

For many of the young people on Barton having a volunteer coach, someone they can trust and who can offer practical support, will be a life changing experience.