Impact Report 2016

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t r o p e R t 2016 c a p m

Supportive-Open-minded Reliable --Trustworthy Fair Inclusive --Sustainable --Responsive

Every young person should have the opportunity to reach their own potential.

Sadly for more and more young people, this is not the case. It is those on the margins of society that suffer the most and quickly fall to being the furthest behind.

In 2016 we worked with 3437 young people – an increase of 11% from 2015. Many of these young people are marginalised: Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ), unemployed, not in education, suffering poor mental health, are in care (or are care leavers), are asylum seekers, refugees, or are disabled.

We believe in these young people. We want them to have the same opportunities as others. We know that not all young people are the same - they do not learn the same, or come from the same background. They have different struggles, but we know they all have talent, and they have plenty to offer their community and future employers. We want to help them overcome the barriers they face to reach their own potential.

Who we helped in 2016 2964 young people improved their mental and physical health, communication skills and relationships

27% BAME 88 care leavers 74 asylum seekers 53 LGBT

3437 young people

216 young people were part of our complimentary education programmes

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262 young people not in education employment or training

Our young people in 2016 2016 was a busy and challenging year with numbers of young people we are working with increasing and our resources being stretched.

Despite this, we have continued our promise to work with any young person, whatever their background. We believe in early intervention. Through 100 years of experience as a youth organisation, we know that prevention is better than cure.

Our biggest struggle is that the issues young people face are getting more complex.

Austerity measures are hitting marginalised people hard.

The young people we work with are struggling with homelessness, substance abuse, relationship breakdown, maintaining a job or their education. There has been an increase in young people with mental health issues. And so, like any real life problem, the vicious circle continues and helping a young person get back on their feet is getting harder and takes more resources.

In this report we will tell you about how we’ve made a difference to young lives.

We will update you on how we hope to play our part by raising money from our buildings to fund our work. We will tell you what we spend and how we spend it. We will thank our brilliant supporters and we will tell you about some of our wonderful young people.

Alex (not his real name), 21, joined us a year ago, when he came to The Station, our city centre youth hub. He would come to see us and go play the piano in the café - it was so beautiful it would stop people in their tracks. Alex was homeless and suffering from severe mental health issues.

Alex’s Story Alex’s lack of trust in people made him wary. We started by meeting on a regular basis to help him find food banks and overnight accommodation.

We have spent many hours building a relationship with Alex, working towards understanding his unique needs and showing him that we can help. As he built trust in us we were able to help him work towards a long term goal of employment.

We encouraged Alex to attend our music production course, knowing his talent for playing piano. He achieved an Arts Award qualification. As his confidence grew we helped him find volunteering opportunities in Bristol and offered him studio space so he could make music.

Sometimes he was with us from the moment The Station opened until the last youth worker went home.

He put forward his story for our theatre production, A Christmas Turkey, in December 2016. The theatre piece was themed on telling the stories of young people at Christmas. He worked with a script writer to develop a scene showing the reality of homelessness.

A year on Alex has experience and qualifications. He is currently working with Channel 4 on a short film, he was selected after we put him forward.

Alex has finally been able to reach his potential.

Being a part of Creative Youth Network has meant that I’ve grown as a person. I improved my skills, I’m more confident and resilient than I was before.

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Lizzy was referred to us in 2013, when she was 18. She has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (known as M.E.) and only has the energy to do two hours of activities every week, ruling out mainstream education and college courses for her.

When we met Lizzy, she had been housebound for three years, missing out on two years of school, had no friends and had become depressed. She had lost her confidence and felt she had no direction.

Lizzy’s Story Having one-to-one time with us opened her eyes to a new world of possibilities. Lizzy attended some of our Creative Courses.

Having worried about being a wheelchair user she found our venues and courses accessible. She was able to learn from the tutor and other course attendees, which developed her talent.

Later Lizzy enrolled onto a creative mentoring programme and found being able to work alongside professional artists really inspiring. She has even contributed to an exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA).

Being involved with Creative Youth Network has been really exciting. I never thought I’d be able to say I’ve had my artwork exhibited in the RWA but now it’s happened I feel even more motivated and inspired to create.

Support from our youth workers and having somewhere welcoming and accessible to interact with young people her own age has been invaluable. Lizzy is now looking to sell her art work online and is involved with other organisations writing about their exhibitions. Lizzy’s confidence has grown and she has found a way to a better future.

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Helping young people with mental and physical health, communication, behaviour and relationships We offer group sessions and one-to-one support aimed at improving mental and physical health, communication, relationships and behaviour. This takes place in our youth clubs across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and in the community.

Mental health issues and anxiety in our young people has increased. As a result, we invested in staff training on working with young people with low to moderate mental health needs. We make sure young people get the help that is right for them, often referring them to our specialist partners for additional support.

A lot of our youth club sessions focused on communication and relationships. We worked closely with the police to reduce antisocial behaviour from young people.

We showed young people how to cook and eat well. We talked about bullying and cyber bullying, which is a real worry for many. We offered social media training to help young people stay safe online.

In 2016 we launched a new group for young men to help combat some inappropriate attitudes to women. And we supported vulnerable young people who have suffered domestic violence, sexual abuse or over controlling partners.

We helped 2964 young people with mental and physical health, communication skills and relationships

584 491 462

improved their relationships

368

improved their communications skills

achieved a healthier lifestyle

318 174

improved their self confidence

increased understanding of rights & choices

reduced their antisocial behaviour

927 improved their knowledge and skills 7

Helping young people not in education, employment or training This part of our work has grown dramatically in 2016. Young people continue to tell us they need help to take the huge step from education to paid employment, especially those young people who have less support networks - often due to family breakdown, homelessness or being in care.

We helped young people find employment, additional training and internships.

We helped young people write CVs, assisted them with interview practice and application forms. We helped source training opportunities and work experience.

We helped employers understand our young people, leading to better working relationships and job success.

For those young people not ready to start applying for jobs or work experience, we offered courses in areas such as gardening, journalism and curating. These courses built soft skills such as team communication, whilst also offering valuable experience.

In 2016 we worked with 262 young people to find them education, employment or training our 30 completed work 126 received help 122 attended courses to experience to find jobs or

improve their skills and experience

trainee placements

39 are now in employment 8

Being taken into care is a traumatic experience, but Rio, 17, remained focused on his desire to learn and his ambitious dream of becoming an accountant.

Living in a children’s home has additional barriers and Rio found himself at 17 with only a few GCSEs, no plan of what to do after leaving school and with no support, as the children’s home couldn’t afford a careers advisor.

Rio’s story When his girlfriend Leah became pregnant, they decided it was time for them to move on and live on their own for the first time.

Rio’s social worker got in touch with us and ever since we’ve been on a journey to make Rio’s dream come true: for him to be an accountant and for his baby to have a stable and secure home.

We helped Rio get accommodation he could afford, where his family would be comfortable. We arranged for him to meet with an accountancy training

provider who advised Rio to get more work experience. We then helped Rio get a work placement at the Mayor’s office and at NatWest.

“Before I started my placement, NatWest sent me a voucher for Next to get my first suit. It showed me I was valued, it was an incredible feeling.”

Rio got the chance to work in every department at NatWest, obtaining the valuable practical experience he needs to make the next step in his career.

He is still working in the mayoral office. We will continue to be here for him, with advice, support and understanding.

Rebecca (youth worker) and I went around to every accountancy firm in a mile radius from my house and handed out CVs. I talked to them about why I wanted to come and do an apprenticeship with them. I could never have done that on my own 9

Helping young people with their education

Nationally 1.3 million women suffer some form of domestic abuse each year. Heidi (not her real name), 22, is one of the young women who had the courage to go to the police. When we met Heidi, she was new to Bristol, having been moved together with her two small children from her previous town, for their own safety.

Prices

Not all young people learn in the same way. For many young people who have complex needs, fitting into a school system is something that they need support to achieve.

We worked with marginalised young people who have been referred to us by teachers as being at risk of dropping out of school. Our early intervention courses used creative workshops to help understand the issues a young person faced; for example, bullying or disruptive behaviours. We provided tools to help overcome these issues.

Heidi had previously attended a special school for pregnant teenagers. She was not given the opportunity to do any GCSEs as the school did not offer them.

“Nine months ago when I first came to Creative Youth Network, I knew I really wanted to get back into education, but I couldn’t see how it would be possible” Being a single parent who is not in employment, Heidi could not afford child care, this meant she could not access mainstream education. So we got in touch with a local apprenticeship training provider. They agreed that she could do her English and Maths qualifications in a flexible way, so she could still take care of her children.

Heidi wants to work with children in the future, so we helped her get work experience with a local crèche. Heidi has finished her qualifications and has

a supportive community that helps her and her babies.

“Going out there and meeting new people in my area meant the world for me. I met other parents who are facing the same difficulties as I am and they’ve helped me a lot. We organise small events and gatherings, they’ve given me tips on how I can best take care of my children and now I have people who I can trust in my life.”

We are now working together towards the next big challenge, getting Heidi a job which is flexible and fits her needs.

In 2016, 216 young people were part of our complementary education programmes We helped young people who struggled with the traditional education system find alternative education programmes.

Young people had the opportunity to get an Arts Award qualification, which is equivalent to a GCSE or A-level.

We offered open access art workshops to supplement education, helping to nurture talent in friendly creative space that is designed for young people.

We also have a creative programme which gives practical skills based learning through events such as theatre productions and youth led music projects.

at risk of our theatre, 116 attended 193 created arts courses dance and music 23 dropping out

and 37 achieved an Arts Award (GCSE equivalent)

productions

I don’t think I could have found the strength to do this on my own without help from Creative Youth Network 10

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of school took part in an alternative education course to help them re-integrate

Helping young care leavers In 2016 we worked closely with Bristol City Council to develop a comprehensive programme to support care leavers.

There are particular barriers to young people leaving care, often related to lack of support networks such as family and friends. Many care leavers lack the soft skills employers seek, and in a tough job market this means care leavers are left behind.

We provided one-to-one support for any care leaver. We employed specialists to help young people navigate the complex welfare system. We helped with paperwork. We offered guidance in the soft skills needed for care leavers to be recruited and make a success of an employment. This included advice on how to appear self-confident, how to find accommodation, how to stay safe when they are vulnerable and how to manage anger and disputes in the workplace.

We worked with 88 careleavers in 2016 42 are now in education, employment or training

Annemarie, 20, was working part time in a supermarket, but wanted to change careers. She knew she was unhappy in her current job, but felt lost as to how to change her situation. She was referred to us by her social worker because she is a recent care leaver.

Annemarie’s Story-We worked closely with Annemarie over a few months. We started to explore her interests and she told us her aspiration of working with children in care, like herself. She wanted to look after others going through the same experience and maybe be a foster carer.

“I wouldn’t have known what to do if I didn’t have Heidi (youth worker) around helping me. I didn’t know about all of the opportunities out there and she’s guided me in the right direction. I related with her from the beginning, and she’s very patient, bubbly and trustworthy.”

Creative Youth Network have helped me find a career and a future.

We spent time helping Annemarie to structure her CV and we helped her attend a jobs fair. We found an apprenticeship that was perfect for Annemarie, working with Bristol City Council Care Team, being a Care Leaver Ambassador for children in care.

Annemarie applied and, after a tough interview, she was successful.

Annemarie now has hands on experience working with children who are leaving care. At the time of writing she had been in position a month and

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felt like it was the start of a bright future. She gets to work with children and is gaining valuable experience in paid employment.

One day Annemarie would like to be a foster carer herself.

We know when that day comes she’ll be great at it.

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Helping young asylum seekers

Aasif (not his real name) came to us in September 2015; he had recently arrived in the UK leaving his home country of Afghanistan. Aasif was placed in foster care with a family and needed help integrating into the UK. He told us how isolated he felt in a new culture, unable to speak English. It was very different to his home town where he had left friends and family.

Aasif’s Story

Young asylum seekers and refugees talk to us about the loss of a childhood. They have experienced severe trauma fleeing their home country. Many are still learning English but are expected to fall into our school system and understand our culture.

The isolation they feel is immeasurable.

In 2016 we started a ‘Welcome’ group.

It is held at our city centre youth club, The Station. The aim of the group is to reduce isolation and help the young people manage the traumatic experience of fleeing a war zone and seeking asylum. We help young asylum seekers make friends. We share our culture and incorporating a meal within the session has helped the group flourish. We also offer art therapy to 11-14 year olds to help process this huge change in their lives.

Over the year Aasif received one-to-one time with a youth worker, as well as joining our young refugees group - a place where he could meet other people who had come to the UK seeking asylum.

However, we started to have concrens that Aasif was struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We helped him seek medical attention. His foster care placement was not suitable and we helped him move to supported accommodation. During this time we made sure Aasif was attending our sessions for asylum seekers and continued with one-to-one meetings to ensure he was supported.

I really like coming to Station. I have lots of friends and this makes me happy.

He is a fantastic positive role model for new young asylum seekers coming to us for support.

As time progressed Aasif joined in more of our activities and a few months later he is much happier.

We have helped him make friends, learn English, understand our culture, have a healthier lifestyle (he can cook now!), get medical attention and get help with accommodation.

In 2016 we worked 74 young asylum seekers 13 of which receive intensive art therapy

45%

are better aware of their rights in the UK and the choices available to them

improved their 50% have self confidence

11% taken a healthier 45% have lifestyle (this might be

improved their 58% have communication

have avoided antisocial behaviour

Aasif is now working with us to talk to the wider Bristol young community about asylum seekers, to reduce negative stereotypes.

improved their 59% have relationships

eating better foods to cutting down substance misuse/drinking)

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Advocating for young people

Our income and spending

A large part of what we do is to fight for the rights of young people.

We want to be open and transparent with our costs. We know it’s important to anyone who supports us.

We work with local councils, parish councils and government to influence policy change for young people.

In 2016 we raised £1,908,392

In 2016 we spent £1,867,361

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This might be calling for increased investment in early intervention, or sharing our learning with the wider youth sector, or simply to give young people a voice.

1943 people attended artistic performances or exhibitions created by young people, raising awareness of their issues and experiences

Making ourselves sustainable

£821,175 from hiring out our spaces £620,165 from contracts with local authorities £433,761 from grants and donations from our supporters £33,291 from bank interest and VAT repayment

Income Grants and Donations £433,761

£1,068,664 spent on services for young people £42,136 spent on fundraising and publicity £382,109 on support costs. This includes costs that we incur as a charity that are necessary to make us compliant with the law, such as our governance and finance and HR departments. £17,770 on governance £356,682 on maintaining our buildings Governance £17,770

Other £29,201 Maintenance £356,682

Our work with young people £1,068,664

The income we earn through renting out space in our buildings is the focus of our goal towards becoming self-sufficient. In the last financial year, we raised At our 5 sites across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, our tenants share our vision of helping young people. This means that when young people visit us, they have access to a range of organisations they can work with to further increase their potential.

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Support Costs £382,109

Contracts with local authority £620,165

Fundraising and Publicity £42,136

Tenant and hire income £821,175

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Spending

Thank you Every year we reach out to our supporters and local authorities asking them to help our young people. We cannot express to those who support us just how grateful we are. Emily, one of our young people wanted us to pass on the below:

Thank you for offering me the opportunity to make my life better. No one has ever believed in me before as you have.

The people who make our work possible are: 1625 Independent People Arts Council England Big Lottery Fund Bristol City Council Burges Salmon Cowslip Green Fund Dame Violet Wills Charitable Trust Dan Hickey Fund Eversea Community First Fund Garfield Weston Foundation Gwyneth Forrester Trust Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Margaret Guido’s Charitable Trust Merlin Housing Society Myplace Network Ltd

Pep & Co Bristol Store Pepkor UK Plimsoll Productions Police Commissioners Community Action Fund Quartet Community Foundation Renishaw RIO – Real Ideas Organisation Royal West of England Academy Santander SITA Trust South Gloucestershire Council Sovereign Housing Association Spielman Charitable Trust

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St James Partnership Stoke Gifford Parish Council The Basil Brown Charitable Trust The Big Music Project The Bridge Foundation The Dulverton Trust The Ernest Cook Trust The Henry Smith Charity The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust The Nisbet Trust This Is Global Weston College

www.creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk info@creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk 0117 947 7948 creativeyouthnet @Creative_Youth

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