As some of you know, our office in Poundbury, Dorset, includes a community room and café in the heart of a wonderful park. The café is both revenue generating and provides opportunity. We work with multiple organisations to provide training and work placements for young adults – including Employ my Ability and Munsty’s ( special needs), Whitehead Ross ( NEET), Kingston Maurward College ( ready for work) and the NHS ( mental health recovery). We have 4 young people each week plus two older volunteers.
You can view a lovely short film of wonderful Sara (pictured above) and how her work at PiP has fostered her independence and how she now catches two buses, on her own to reach us each week via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rkqLQFW01o
In addition, the community space allows us to deliver diversionary activities as outlined in the community report that the impact report links to – so we have family fun days, teenage hang out days, school holiday clubs (including a hot meal) and a parent and children art club. We provided a Christmas lunch to local families nominated by their schools ( with 20 children and a named present for each from Father Christmas) – so many different things!
What we know is young people who feel valued and belong to a community and/or foster a strong link with one family member are far less likely to offend, truant or engage in early alcohol and drug use – so our full circle approach! We can only have the community engagement at local level, but the testimonials we have from the local schools through to the town council, local councillors etc are testament to the value we provide locally. Do come and visit us if you are ever in the area – PiP café and community hub, The Great Field, St John Way, Dorchester Dorset DT1 2FG www.pipspoundbury.com
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