Building Skills and Confidence in Young People

We recently sat down and had a chat with Gabriel, our Partnerships and Relationships Manager, and Luis our Youth Work Co-ordinator, to find out more about Wellspring Settlement’s new youth offer and the Swan development.

Since then, two of the young people who have been coming to our development sessions have been with us for a weeks’ work experience, so we grabbed Ahmed and Hassan for a chat as well! Both live locally and are in year 10 at Cotham School, so are looking ahead to their GCSEs next year, and starting to think about what the future might hold for them.

So, Ahmed and Hassan thank you both for coming in. First of all, how was your week with Luis? Be honest…

Ahmed: It was brilliant, fantastic. Wellspring is a good place.

Hassan: Yeah, it was a fantastic week, Luis is great.

What made you want to come and do your work experience here at Wellspring Settlement?

Ahmed: We come to the football sessions in the cage, and the youth development sessions at The Dings youth club, so we know the place through that. I really enjoy the football sessions so I thought this would be a good place to come to.

Hassan: Yeah, I know Luis from the sessions and it seemed like it would be a fun way to do work experience. Loads of other people at school went to offices and places like that, and this seemed like it would be more interesting. I’ve been on some of the trips Luis has done as well as the football session; quad biking, and to the SS Great Britain and the docklands.

What kinds of things did you end up doing during your week here?

Hassan: We did planting with the Alive Activities group and helped out at the food club too. We built some planter beds for them to plant veg in. And we helped out with the Cook Together session that the food club members do on a Friday

Ahmed: Yeah, we helped out around the place doing lots of different things. We cut the grass for the football sessions and helped remark the football pitch, and helped out with the men’s club. We cut the grass in the family centre as well. Loads of stuff.

Sounds like you were busy! What was your favourite bit out of all of that?

Hassan: I’d say the food club, I enjoyed helping the community.

Ahmed: Yeah, the food club for me too. The reactions from the people you’re helping, and you’ve got chill, good people here. It was a good experience, helping people.

What was the biggest surprise about what we do here? Is there anything Luis does as part of his job that you didn’t know about?

Hassan: I didn’t know he would do so much paperwork!

Ahmed: I didn’t really know what to expect! I guess I didn’t know so much different stuff happens here. There’s not a set lane that you work in, you do everything.

What do you think you’ll take away after your time here. Is there anything you’ve learned?

Ahmed: I’ve learnt how to be more organised and how to interact with people.

Hassan: A lot of different things, like timekeeping and following instructions.

Luis: They worked as a team and listened to what was being said. And in future they’ll be able to tell others that they’ve done all those things. You had the opportunity to get involved, see the activities you don’t see when you come here every week. You helped out, we went shopping for the football session, you got a bit upset because they made me pay for two plastic bags. But to me these are the things that happen on a daily basis, it’s a normal life.

But, you know, you see how much we spend just for the football sessions, how much planning, organising, delivering there is. And the good thing is, you can go out there and tell people that it’s not just magic, is it?

All those thigs you did, like marking the pitch, cutting the grass, if you hadn’t done them I would have been doing them, so you got a really good feel for what my real job is like.

And that’s what it’s all about, not only putting on the fun things but giving young people an opportunity to get involved as well. Meet with people of other ages and backgrounds and give them a chance to help out and find out new things. That’s the whole idea behind out youth work here.

Both of you did really well, and I just want to say a huge thank you. Keep on coming to the sessions, and I’ll see you at the opening of the Swan soon!