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Connexions is the Department for Education and Skills (DfES)'s
flagship policy bringing together guidance and support services
for 13 to 19-year-olds, although it is going through a process
of transition and children's trusts are being established
in each local authority area. More
about Connexions
NSF supported projects helping disaffected and disengaged
young people in areas of high deprivation back into education,
training or employment. It began as a three year pilot in
1999 and ran until 2006.
NSF was delivered by three Managing Agents (The Community
Development Foundation with Community Education Development
Centre, which became ContinYou; The National Youth Agency;
and The Learning Alliance) to a network of voluntary and community
organisations that run local projects for young people.
NSF supported 650 projects in its first three years, and many
of these worked with other agencies such as schools and Connexions
Partnerships. The projects contributed to four key government
agendas: education, crime reduction, health and social inclusion.
At least 15,000 young people took part in projects each year
for the first three years. Of these:
- 51.2% had low levels of school achievement
- 29% were from black and minority ethnic groups
- 22.2% were long term school non-attendees or truants
- 21.8% were young offenders or those at risk of offending
Projects built up young people's expectations and motivation,
and equipped them with personal, social and practical skills.
Types of activities and projects included literacy and numeracy
training, information technology, vocational and key skills
development, help with job searching, music and video workshops,
sport, community work, art and drama. Young people were able
to work towards national awards such as NVQs, Community Sports
Leader awards, ASDAN or the Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Of the young people who attended the projects, 61% moved back
into education, training or work. The National Foundation
for Educational Research (NfER) conducted a national evaluation
of NSF and found that there was a clear and continuing demand
for the services its projects provided for young people whose
needs were not being met by mainstream education provision.
Some projects reported a reduction in their areas' youth crime.
Young people are recruited to the projects by various means:
they are told about them by friends or family; they see publicity
or are contacted by project outreach workers; or they are
referred by teachers, education welfare officers, Youth Offending
Team workers or Connexions personal advisers. Young people
who were interviewed said that they were motivated by the
practical, creative and leisure activities offered, appreciated
the informal style of delivery and valued the support provided
by project staff.
- For more on Connexions visit www.connexions.gov.uk
- For information on NSF from the National Youth Agency
visit www.nya.org.uk
- For information from the Community Development Foundation,
visit www.cdf.org.uk
- For information from ContinYou visit www.continyou.org.uk
- For the NfER's final report on its evaluation of NSF,
visit www.nfer.ac.uk.
(S. Golden, T. Spielhofer, D. Sims and L. O'Donnell (2004)
Supporting the Hardest-to-Reach
Young People: the Contribution of the Neighbourhood Support
Fund, London: DfES)
These are taken from the booklet A Guide to Neighbourhood
Support Fund - London, one of seven regional guides.
Albanian
Youth Action, Lambeth
This project supports young Albanian refugees who have arrived
in the country unable to speak English, and prepares them
for school. Albanian-speaking staff help participants with
English, maths and IT so that they can gain confidence before
starting school; they also have the chance to take part in
a variety of activities at weekends to enable them to adjust
to life in Britain, and to build their self esteem and team-working
skills.
Tel: 020 7582 6082 Email: info@albaction.org
Greenwich
Arts Fusion, Greenwich
Children and Young People's Services in East Greenwich (CYPSEG)
developed this project to address some of the problems occurring
between young people and older residents on local estates,
by using art to develop relationships between the two groups.
The young people produced a mural, and completed a photography
project in a home for elderly people and a music project which
was accredited by the Open College Network. One 91-year-old
lady who had previously been intimidated by young people was
so impressed when she watched participants painting murals
that she began a collection for them!
Contact CYPSEG via the community group Forum @ Greenwich.
Tel: 020 8853 5212
Email: office@forumatgreenwich.org
All Change,
Islington
All Change, one of Hilldrop Area Community Association's projects,
is designed to encourage young people into learning through
music. It gives them access to professional artists and technology
in order to learn DJ-ing and MC-ing skills, and provides lessons
in the nature of the music business. Participants improve
their literacy and IT skills through writing lyrics and composing
music using computer software, and are also able to develop
artistically and in self-expression.
Tel: 020 7607 9453
For the Open College Network visit www.nocn.org.uk
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