Supporting vulnerable young people in Croydon

The Croydon Schools Engagement programme started in September 2022 and will run for a minimum of three years. The programme is supporting vulnerable young people in Croydon who are at risk of exclusion, expulsion, social isolation or already in alternative education. Each young person supported will be referred onto a bespoke programme of Skills, Employment, Development and Health & Wellbeing in conjunction with our partner charity, Legacy Youth Zone.

To complement the above support, young people will be mentored throughout the programme, to help them thrive & have positive futures.

A skilled Engagement Officer and dedicated youth workers will work with young people to develop skills, confidence and ambition to further build on their skill base, and help them access volunteering or mentoring opportunities, become a mentor themselves, secure employment and so forth.

Kelly who is managing the project has a huge breadth of experience in Youth Work. Her former role was running the Enterprise and Employment programme at Legacy Youth Zone. 

“I thrive on helping young people see the potential they have not even seen in themselves. I’ve particularly loved working with one-to-one mentoring to help reignite the purpose that they have lost. I have seen first-hand how the programme I have helped to design has made a difference in their lives. This includes sessions that focus on growth mindset, resilience thinking, and self-development. Whilst the goal of Empowered (her previous role) is to focus a young person on employability, with this role I will collaborate with the school’s ethos and apply it to the young person in question. I believe it’s to listen carefully to the wants and needs of young people and where they see themselves in the future – but I also understand that ‘it takes a village ‘to support a young person, so the partnership model is critical to ensure this holistic approach is effective.
 
I always aim for meaningful interactions with young people.  I ensure that they will always be met with positive energy, empathy and compassion, and a bubbly personality to make sure that their experiences here are enjoyable and impactful”. 

The programme will run for a minimum of three years and is aiming to support over 700 young people in Croydon.

If you would like to find out more about the programme, please get in touch with the team via [email protected] or 020 8660 1461.