It has always been important that young people are physically fit, not just to support health and wellbeing, but critically to ensure that they can access opportunities and life experiences that will give them the transferable skills important for future success.
Recently, Bolton Lads & Girls Club initiated their very own Health & Wellbeing Project with the aim of providing young people in Bolton with a holistic, integrated, youth friendly service. The project focuses on key areas that will recognise the particular needs for young people and help them feel more supported.
Listening to young people is vitally important, the Health & Wellbeing project will allow BLGC to make changes where necessary to needs of the Young Person. Following a thorough consultation with young people, they told BLGC that they wanted support in particular areas that concerned their health & wellbeing.
The consultation helped focus on key areas the young people wanted to gain from such a service. With confidentiality and a non-judgemental approach high on the list, the young people wanted to feel like they had a friendly environment that they could call their ‘one-stop-shop’. With so many challenges facing young people in modern day society, it was no surprise to hear that they wanted more appreciation for wanting help and to be thought of as individuals with their own voice and their own views.
The main aim of the Health & Wellbeing Project was to provide an easy access service that was generic but was also topic specific to help the young people. The need to reach out and engage with all young people including vulnerable groups was vital and the need for prevention and early intervention was paramount.
The introduction of Bolton Lads & Girls Clubs very own Health & Wellbeing worker, Jaycee Court, in early October was a pivotal step in addressing the needs outlined above. Jaycee will work with members across the clubs’ centres in the evenings when young people need it, on all aspects of Health and Wellbeing from a 1;1 support point of view with targeted workshops to raise awareness and adapting to the changing needs of young people and the issues affecting them.
To find out more about the Health & Wellbeing Project, please contact Beth Maunder on Beth.Maunder@blgc.co.uk or call us on 01204 540 100
