It’s All About The Experience
In the ever-evolving landscape of education and professional development, the value of experiential learning has taken centre stage. Experiential education, often defined as ‘learning by doing‘, provides people with a powerful and immersive way to gain knowledge, skills and insights.
This month we celebrate the experience and share what our young people, team and volunteers have been doing and what they have contributed to over recent months. From year 12 AVA students who volunteered at Lindengate as part of our Inspiration Programme (pictured above, weeding and trimming hedgerow), to celebrating a year of ever-evolving experiences alongside the NHBC to our current Autumn NCS that has been happening the last couple of weeks in Dearne Valley.
Where unforgettable moments meet comfortable accommodations
Are you responsible for, or part of a team that organises day trips and residentials for schools or groups? Just because summer is over doesn’t mean outdoor education has to end. Mary Bassett visited this month (seen above having a whale of a time on their Year 4 residential).
Whether you’re after an overnight camping trip or a week-long residential trip, our yurts are designed to provide a fantastic, fun-filled Xperience. Enigma and Colussus are based on a traditional Mongolian design with the added benefit of being interconnected. Young people can enjoy the unique and unleash their ‘inner glamper‘.
We currently have two off-peak Xperience offers available to schools and groups that can include a yurt stay.
The Outdoor Experience
We have had a fantastic start to our Autumn NCS (National Citizen Service) residentials. The young people have enjoyed developing their life skills, forging friendships, trying new activities and staying away from home for a full week. The outdoor experience provides numerous benefits away from screens and home comforts. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation “Learning Away Report” evidenced these benefits and indicated that exam grades can also improve by up to a whole grade as a direct result of a short residential stay!
Emily, shares her experiences from her time as an NCS student, onto a member of the NCS team and furthermore, how it helped shape her future.
Ready to Experience the Big Challenge Lunch
Local schools are invited to our Big Challenge Lunch on the 24th January 2024. In a race against the clock, school teams of 8 young people, from around Milton Keynes, will take on wider Buckinghamshire schools. In a bid to raise the Ultimate Challenge Trophy for their school and local council, teams will face 10 challenge stations. Plus, there will be presentations and individual awards up for grabs. We only have 4 school team places left so be quick if you want to join in the fun…
Email us to register your interest.
Want to sponsor our event? – For more details please email Bonnie Clayton.
Things You May Have Missed…
Nicola Pearce and Hayley Horlock from the A4Y Comms Team visited The Virtual Schools Conference at The Gateway in Aylesbury. The event was a great success with over 100 school staff attending from primary, secondary and SEND schools in the county as well as several of the council’s Senior Leadership team.
Presenters included Louise Michelle Bomber, author of “Inside I’m Hurting” and “Know Me to Teach Me”; Karylle Phillips, a care leaver and educator/trainer, as well as input from one of our local adopters; Bucks Council Ed Psych and CAMHS teams; local care experienced young people and one of the schools on our initial Trauma and Attachment pilot scheme.
We kindly thank MyMiltonKeynes as we now have a ‘Tap To Donate’ terminal in their shopfront at Centre:MK encouraging donations for our Breakout (an anti-knife, crime and drug intervention) programme. Plus, we thank Thames Valley Community Fund (previously called the Police Property Act Fund) that is created from the proceeds of sale of goods recovered by the police that cannot be returned to their original owner. In accordance with the Police Property Act Regulations (1997) all awards from the fund must be for charitable purposes. Due diligence checks were made and the list proposed to the Chief Constable who offered his input and approved the final shortlist – we have been lucky enough to receive a grant of £3000.
Celebrating a One Year Partnership
Bonnie Clayton and Hayley Horlock recently attended an event at NHBC and this month sees us celebrate one year of partnership with them. Over this time together, we have nurtured a great corporate relationship and love having them on board. As well as funding our Inspiration and Breakout programmes, we have hosted multiple challenging, yet fun, volunteer days at The Caldecotte Xperience; cheered on a team of fantastic employees running in the Milton Keynes half and full marathon, plus raised monies from The Big Step fundraising walk and summer football tournament. NHBC were also a main sponsor for our 2022 Big Night Out event and are kindly sponsoring The Big Challenge Lunch next year too. Go Team NHBC!
We say a huge thanks to them and all our generous donors, partners and funders. We could not support young people without you.
The Positive Experience of Counselling
October is host to Mental Health Awareness Week. In today’s fast-paced world, the pressures and challenges that young people face are greater than ever before. Here at Action4Youth, we understand that the journey through adolescence and young adulthood can be a rollercoaster ride!
We offer counselling at The Junction, our youth club in High Wycombe. The counselling services are conducted in a safe and confidential environment for young people to share their feelings in a friendly atmosphere without feeling judged.
If you would like further information about counselling at The Junction, please email: gehad.mursi@action4youth.org
Action4Youth Team
We often share some of the faces behind the A4Y team on our social channels #A4YFaces – this issue we thought it would be nice to share someone with you too. We welcome Hannah Hodgson to the A4Y family – Hannah recently started as the Deputy Centre Manager at The Junction, our youth centre.
Ahead of Youth Week in November, Hannah shared “I have always liked the idea of making a difference to somebody’s day, week or even year. Whether that’s through engagement in an activity or sitting with them and having a chat about their day and being that person, they can talk to when they need to.”
We look forward to you getting to know another team member in November.
Interested in joining us? Want to be a part of something incredible? Action4Youth is proud to partner with Nurole the leading board-level search specialist, to find dedicated Trustees. If you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people, here’s your chance to be part of our dynamic team. As a Trustee, you’ll play a crucial role in guiding our mission and shaping the future.
We’re excited to welcome individuals who share our commitment to youth empowerment and positive change. You can find out more and register your initial interest here. For any questions or problems, please contact [email protected].
