Splash Annual Report - Community First€¦ · Splash forms part of Youth Action Wiltshire the...

Splash Annual Report

April 2018 to March 2019

Splash Annual Report 2018 - 2019

Contents

Foreword P3

Introduction P4

Activities Delivered P7

Splash Beneficiary Statistics P15

Feedback & Evaluation P17

Fundraising P20

Page 2

Splash Annual Report 2018 - 2019 Page 3

Splash Annual Report April 2018 to March 2019Foreword

“Splash has had an extremely successful year, providing free to access positive

activities during the school holidays and increased individualised support for Wiltshire young people aged 9 to 16 years who are ‘facing challenges in their lives’.

We are proud to have developed strong working relationships with

the young people that attend Splash activities, their families and our referral

partners. It is our aim that Splash remains accessible to young people over a sustained

period of time, so that they can engage when they most need our support. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all our volunteers and supporters who have enabled us to work with 347 young people in the last year; You are all fantastic and very much appreciated. As we look forward to the coming year we are excited to embark on our new young victims of crime support programme helping young people to cope and recover from their experience of crime.”

Dawn Whiting Splash Coordinator

“The opportunities that Splash has provided for my son have been amazing. He has a tough time at home and school which means he struggles to maintain friendships. At Splash they accept him for who he is and this positive attitude means he feels liked, welcomed and accepted which is a huge confidence boost for him. Without Splash he would not have been able to experience many of these activities, and I fear he would become very isolated. We are so very grateful to everyone at Splash – you are all amazing”

A Parent

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all our volunteers and supporters who have enabled us to work with 347 young people in the last year

FOREWORD


INTRODUCTION

All activities are designed to be fun, welcoming and inclusive, providing young people with opportunities to develop new skills, form positive friendships and create happy memories which they can draw on in times of need.

Introduction

Splash forms part of Youth Action Wiltshire the ‘Youth Arm’ of Wiltshire

charity Community First (Registered Charity number 288117). Splash provides structured, free to access positive activities during school holidays for young people aged 9-16 years who are vulnerable and at risk of social exclusion

who live in Wiltshire. We prioritize young people facing ‘challenges in

their lives’, for example those with special educational needs or disabilities,

on child protection plans, in care, at risk of anti-social behaviour, young carers, victims/witnesses of crime or from families facing bereavement, breakdown, mental health issues, substance misuse, financial hardship or rural isolation. We aim to raise young people’s self-esteem and confidence, divert from risky and anti-social behaviour, develop an acceptance of others, reduce peer on peer bullying, empower young people to make independent, positive and safe choices and recognise their own capabilities. Our supportive, understanding and encouraging staff and volunteers provide positive adult interaction which motivates and inspires young people to engage and challenge themselves. All activities are designed to be fun, welcoming and inclusive, providing young people with opportunities to develop new skills, form positive friendships and create happy memories which they can draw on in times of need.

It is recognized nationally and locally that engaging young people in positive activities in their leisure time is very positive, increasing personal and social skills, reducing anti-social behaviour and improving relationships in communities.

Who are we?

The Splash team consists of full-time employees Dawn Whiting and Ben Jarvis. Dawn is the Splash Programme and Youth Action Wiltshire Fundraising Coordinator. Dawn plans and manages all aspects of Splash and supports fundraising events and income generation across Youth Action Wiltshire. Ben is the full-time Youth Support Worker who provides 1:1 mentoring, creates and delivers a number of the Splash activity days, provides pastoral care on externally delivered activities and provides administrative


INTRODUCTION

support to ensure Splash runs smoothly. We also have a fantastic team of 3 sessional Youth Support Workers, Simone, Sharon and Steve. Our sessional Youth Support Workers have formed part of Splash for many years and provide additional support during the school holiday periods which enables us to deliver multiple activities simultaneously. All Splash staff undergo mandatory training in risk management, first aid, safeguarding and data protection with individual training plans in place for specialist areas such as; managing challenging behaviour, having a parent in prison, young carer awareness, Autism Spectrum Disorder awareness, Child Sex Exploitation, Female Genital Mutilation and substance misuse and the impact it has on family members. Splash forms part of the youth arm of Community First ‘Youth Action Wiltshire’ and is overseen by Steve Crawley the Head of Youth Action Wiltshire and Lynn Gibson the CEO of Community First. Steve and Lynn provide safeguarding, programme development and grant funding support at a strategic level.

Splash is grateful to have the support of a team of valuable, dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers kindly give up their time to attend presentations, provide administration support and help with our fundraising events as well as providing additional support to young people attending our activities. Our volunteers are a great asset and enable us to provide high adult to young people ratios on activity days, thus providing additional support,

encouragement and role models to Splash participants. We offer a

free, varied training programme for our volunteers matching their roles, with Safeguarding being a mandatory element. Our Volunteers are fantastic and inspiring and are very much a valued part of our team. Without

the support of our volunteers Splash would not be able to reach

and support the number of young people that it does.


Activity delivered Number of activity days

Our Bright Future –Wildlife 28

Conservation 2

Cookery 4

Fishing 2

Water Sports 4

Multisport including swimming 7

Music 1

Mountain Biking 2

Outdoor Team Challenge 1

Magdalen Farm Residential 3

Computer Coding 4

Animation 2

High Ropes 3

Sailing Residentials 13

Fun 1st Aid 1

Animal Care 2

Pony Club 2

Overnight Survival Campout 1

Photo Club 1

Total number of Activity Days Delivered 1st April 2018-31st March 201: 83

INTRODUCTION

Activity Breakdown

* Percentage of activities that included free transport

1st April 2018 - 31st March 2019

Days of activities 83

Contact sessions 1,006

Number of young people engaged 347

Average engagement hours per young person 24

Number of young people accessing 1:1 support 33

Free minibus transport provided 99%*


Activities Delivered2018-2019

Our Bright Future (OBF)-Wildlife

Now in the 3rd year of the 5 year national Our Bright Futures programme, Splash continues to successfully work in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) to deliver environmentally themed days. OBF sessions are delivered at WWT sites

across the county which provide open, tranquil spaces which offer a stress-free

environment for young people to learn new skills. Our activity days are given a variety of themes in order to appeal to the young people and each included a mixture from the following activities; shelter building, campfire building, trekking, tracking, orienteering, wildlife education and countryside etiquette. Activities are flexible to cater for all level of needs, understanding and behaviours. All activities encourage and develop team working, personal safety, positive play and inclusion.

ACTIVITIES DELIVERED

Conservation

Created to specifically improve a public green space, these sessions involved litter picking, recycling, building bug hotels and creating hibernariums.

The importance of looking after

our green spaces within our communities both for humans and for the wildlife that live there, was the focus of the day.


Cookery

We continue to work with The Farm Cookery School to deliver basic

cookery skill experiences which incorporate the understanding of balanced nutritional meals using easily accessible and affordable ingredients. For some young people this is their

first experience of cooking and eating together as a group. Many

go home motivated and enthusiastic to share their newly acquired cookery know

how with family members.


Fishing

Fishing is surprisingly popular with Splash participants. The tranquil, relaxed outdoor environment enables

young people to engage well, with the activity itself giving them personal space when required. Using a local fishing lake, the group celebrate, praise and acknowledge each other’s catches throughout the day. The young people love having their photos

taken with their catches, and their pride and sense of achievement is wonderful to see.

Water Sports

Taking the most popular elements from previous water sports sessions, this year

we delivered Stand, Sit and Kneel sessions which focus on fun in the water whilst trying to Stand, Sit and Kneel on Paddle Boards and travel from one point to another

successfully. This activity is targeted at Splash participants aged 11+ and offers a

progression path for young people as they engage with Splash over the longer term.


Multisport

Our indoor multi sports days are always extremely popular with Splash participants. These low-level sports sessions are

designed to incorporate a number of fun games that promote team building, basic ball and bat techniques, supporting one another, praise and celebration. These sessions were fantastic for those that were not already regularly engaging in sports or weren’t particularly active. By ensuring the sessions were fun and by offering encouragement and praise the young people grew in confidence and began to realise

that sport is enjoyable, beneficial and a great way to make friends. During 2018 we were pleased to be able to include a water activity element to this session, which enabled young people to experience the inflatable obstacle course when sessions were held at St Marys Sports Centre. This added a new, exciting cool element

to this long running popular Splash activity day.


Music

This year we repeated our Rhythmania activity where young people used

different length and width plastic tubes called Boom Whackers, to create and replicate rhythms. Once familiar with the Boom Whackers and the different noises and tones

that could be made the group worked together to create a musical

masterpiece. This session was noisy, fun, active, different and engaging and is one we hope to maintain in future Splash programmes.

Mountain Biking

Delivered at multiple sites, these sessions were targeted at our older participants. Benefiting from bike maintenance and bike safety advice before navigating through trails and paths the groups also learned biking skills and tricks safely which added a further fun element to these sessions. These sessions are educational and fun and promote young people getting active and enjoying time outdoors.


Outdoor Team Challenge

As part of the sailing preparation programme our sailing crews undertook a team challenge day involving climbing, kayaking and shooting challenges. This session was designed to facilitate team building prior to embarking on the 5 day voyage. Working together intensely for 5 days on a yatcht requires young people to trust, understand and bond with each other to ensure all tasks are completely successfully and to enable the voyage to be a success.

Sailing

Continuing our partnerships with Tall Ship Voyages and Hugo Halkes Charitable Trust this year we delivered another two 5-day sailing residential’s. 2 crews set sail around the Solent undertaking all the necessary tasks to make the voyages successful.

From planning, budgeting and preparing meals to keeping the yacht clean and tidy,

undertaking all tasks associated with sailing including mapping, navigating, steering and putting

up the sails. This amazing experience had a hugely positive impact on all those that took part. Lasting friendships were formed, confidence increased, and aspirations were lifted. This experience was truly life changing and character building for those that took part.

Magdalen Farm Residential

Again, forming part of the OBF 5 year programme a group of 12 Splash young people visited Magdalen Farm, which is a

working care farm in Chard. The group took part in a variety of activities and tasks throughout the 3 day/2-night stay. The group were delegated the responsibilities of feeding and looking after the animals, collecting eggs and preparing the groups meals. They also embarked on a conservation project whilst they were there. This year the group built some high-rise planters for future less abled visitors to the farm and

helped to build some polytunnels which will be used to germinate homegrown plants that will eventually be used to provide ingredients for the meals prepared at the farm. Throughout the stay this year’s group learned safe tool handing and food preparation techniques and they also undertook and achieved the ASDAN Animal Care

Award as well as learning from the whole experience of staying away from home.




Computer Coding

Following the success of its launch in 2017/18 Splash continued to deliver our “Generation Code” microbit coding sessions. These sessions were opened up to the whole Splash age range and involved learning and developing new IT and coding skills to programme a Micro Bit. Working in pairs the groups could try their hand at making music, footage or competing in online coding challenges. This session also provided the perfect opportunity for us to include informal education around online safety, social media and the potential deceptions and dangers of meeting people online.

Animation

This ever-popular session enabled small groups of young people to work together to discuss, agree, design and create a story that they would bring to life using their own artwork, Lego and their own bodies. The groups took it in turns to film their animations using stop start filming equipment. The final compilation of the animations created was uploaded to the internet so that participants could refer back to their hard work whenever they wanted to. This session promotes

inclusion, active listening, flexibility, understanding, sharing and working together. One of the impressive finished films can be

viewed using the following link https://vimeo.com/298472748

High Ropes

Providing opportunities for our young people to challenge themselves and work outside of their comfort zone really helps them to become empowered, believe they can achieve things that they initially feel are beyond their reach and facilitates the development of trust in others. Our High Ropes groups are always encouraged to celebrate, praise and show empathy to others throughout the day with the recognition that achievement means different things for different people.



Fun First Aid

Educational and fun our Splash Fun First Aid sessions teach an awareness of basic first aid techniques. The techniques learned during this session can be valuable for any participant whether an incident occurs in the future at home, school or in the community. The groups learned how to apply bandages correctly, treat minor burns and injuries effectively and how to identify if the emergency services need to be

called. Fake blood, impromptu accident scenarios and plenty of opportunity to wrap each other up in bandages makes this

session, fun, engaging and memorable.

Animal Care

This year Splash teamed up with a local community farm, who hosted activity days enabling young people to undertake many animal care tasks including grooming and feeding the animals. Sessions such as these are very therapeutic for many Splash participants and for some provide the opportunity to get up close and personal with farm animals for the 1st time.

Pony Club

After consulting with Splash participants

about what activities they would like to see in our programmes during 2018/19 we introduced Pony Club. This activity was extremely popular

and is one that we aim to repeat.

Participants were given the opportunity to

groom, feed and tack up their horses before taking part in a group trek, which was the highlight of the day. The location, environment and interaction with the ponies provided many elements to enable young people to feel relaxed, calm and at ease, which in turn provided the right atmosphere to enable friendships to develop.



Splash Survival

This 24 hour campout under canvas is an ever popular Splash session. The group began the activity by setting up their

camp for the night and lighting the campfire. After some fun familiarisation games the group moved on to learning some basic survival techniques before embarking on a night trail around the woods. These sessions offer so much to the

participants from a 1st experience of camping in the woods, 1st night walk, 1st campfire cooking experience; all of which challenge the young people to work out of their comfort zone, but when they have done so successfully the positive impact on their confidence and self-esteem is clear for all to see.

Photo Club

Working with a local photographer this session promotes the use of young people’s own equipment whether that is a camera or a camera phone. Learning how to get the best out of the equipment available to them the group benefited from advice on positioning, lighting and angling. Delivered at a local community farm this session also included plenty of photo opportunities with the farm animals and provided a relaxed, calming environment where the group could feel at ease and welcome.

The Splash team are always looking for ways to develop, improve and expand our activity programmes for young people ‘facing challenges in their lives’. The team have continued to work hard to develop new partnerships and maintain existing relationships with trusted long-term delivery partners. The team always ask young people for their feedback on the activities in order to help shape our future programmes and the activities available.

Splash activity programmes include activities which are delivered by our staff team, and those delivered by our partners. During 2018/19 Splash worked with Wiltshire Outdoor Learning Team (WOLT), Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT), The Farm Cookery School, The Photo Club, Jamie McDine, Skillset Learning, Head for Heights, Oxenwood Outdoor Education Centre, Hugo Halkes Charitable Trust, Tall Ships, GUL, River Bourne Farm and Magdalen Farm


to deliver our programme. As always, we truly value the strong, resilient long-term partnerships we have with these organisations and recognise the amazing impact they have on Splash.

In addition, Splash would only be as successful as it is with the support of a number of partners that facilitate our activities such as Wiltshire College, Aspire Defence, Wellington Academy, St Marys School Calne, Pewsey Vale School, Witherington Farm Fisheries, Caen Hill Farm, Riverbourne Farm, Santander Trowbridge and ASDA Trowbridge. All of our partners are key to the success of Splash, the impact that we have and the opportunities we can provide for young people ‘facing challenges in their lives’.


“L has not stopped talking about her day, she keeps saying how much she loved it. Not seen her this happy in a while. Thank you so much” A Parent

“I made a friend today”

Splash Participant

“I look forward to coming out

with Splash because everyone’s

nice and they like me”

A Splash participant


SPLASH BENEFICIARY STATISTICS

Splash Beneficiary Statistics

Trowbridge 45

Salisbury 41

Chippenham 36

Amesbury Area 31

Warminster 28

Devizes 27

Calne 25

Melksham 22

Westbury 14

Tidworth 14

Corsham 11

Royal Wootton Bassett 11

Malmesbury 10

Marlborough 8

Swindon 5

Pewsey 5

Lyneham 3

Mere 2

Bradford on Avon 1

Female (151)

44%Male (196)

56%

Young People Gender Breakdown 2018 - 2019

Family Member/Guardian/Friend 186

Social Worker/Family Support worker/ Medical Professional 89

School 58

Police 11

Voluntary Sector Organisation 3

Young People’s Towns 2018 - 2019

Referral Sources 2018 - 2019


SPLASH BENEFICIARY STATISTICS

Reason for Referral (Category) Referrals

Emotional Difficulties 180

Family under Stress 168

Single Parent Family 121

Free School meals 97

Statement of SEN/ Learning Difficulties 94

Financially Disadvantaged 94

Young Carer 81

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 81

Anti-Social/negative behaviour/behaviour difficulties 69

Victim of bullying/ crime/ abuse 64

ADHD 61

Aspergers 41

In Care 38

Child Protection Plan / Issues 37

Rural Isolation 37

Non/Poor/Reluctant School Attendance 30

Military Family (serving or veteran) 29

Area of Deprivation 23

Parent/Young Person Substance Misuse 13

Homeless/ Temporary Accommodation 8

Parent in Prison 7

Engaged in YOT 4

Epilepsy 2

Asylum Seeker/ Traveller/Refugee/Minority Group 1

Note: Young people can be (and often are) referred under multiple categories.

Young People Referral Categories 2018-2019


Feedback & Evaluation

Splash activity days are different to mainstream open access activities, as we work on average with 12 young people per activity. We provide high supervision ratios which enables the participants to benefit from close positive adult interaction, providing them with the attention and support they require. Our activity days are designed to facilitate the development of positive friendships, increase skill development, increase participants confidence and self-esteem and facilitate the inclusion and acceptance of others, thus reducing peer on peer bullying. Our high supervision levels enable us to manage behaviours, identify issues quickly and manage them appropriately in order to achieve a positive outcome for everyone. Splash offers fun activities where

participants are valued, included and empowered.

Feedback from our latest 6 monthly parent/referrer snap survey recorded the following impressive increases for participants that had attended Splash activities in the previous 6-month

periods:

Measure %*

Self-esteem - feeling of pride and self-worth 100%

Self-confidence - belief in themselves and their abilities 100%

Social skills - communication & interaction with yourself & others 100%

Happiness 100%

Attitude & behaviour - towards yourself & others 98%

Knowledge - level of learning 98%

Home Life 96%

Taking part in exercise 96%

Time playing outside 96%

Attendance in School 76%

* Average of young people displaying an increase

FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION



As well as group activities Splash provides 1:1 individualised support for those young people with the highest need

Splash activity days are different to mainstream open access. As well as group activities Splash provides 1:1 individualised support for those young people with the highest need. This 1:1 support is in the form of coaching and mentoring and can be used to increase confidence to a level where the young person feels able to engage in a group session, address anxiety or behaviours which cause barriers to engagement and to build trusting relationships with Splash staff. Action plans are created with the young person and together the Splash Youth Support Worker and the young person meet to work through these. Splash 1:1 individualised support and action plans have this year enabled young people to fully understand Splash before attending group activity sessions, facilitated the reintroduction of young people into school life, provided individual support for those with the highest needs and aided the development of positive adult relationships. This service remains highly valued amongst professionals, referral partners and young people, with 33 young people benefiting from 1:1 individualised support during 2018-19.

Accreditation

95 young people were awarded 115 accredited awards during 2018-19. Accreditations

achieved included ASDAN Splash, Leadership and

Animal Care Awards and RYA Junior Yachtsman certificates. For some young people these awards are the first certificate or sense of achievement awarded to them. All accreditations awarded can be used in the participants record of achievement when applying to college, sixth form, university or employment.

Progression

During 2018-19 5 Splash beneficiaries progressed onto our Youth Action Wiltshire Young Leaders Programme. This programme involves a variety of training opportunities which aid personal and skill development. Once the training has been completed the Young Leaders continue to attend Splash activities but in the role of Peer Mentor, offering support and positive role models to current Splash participants. Our Young Leaders are able to understand and relate to many of our Splash participants which adds another level of support to those with the most need. Our Young Leaders were a real inspiration with numerous Splash participants voicing their desire to progress to become Young Leaders themselves. We look forward to increasing the capacity our Young Leader training programme in the coming year, so that more young people can benefit from this progression opportunity.



Equality of opportunity

The Splash team continues to strive to remove barriers to engagement. We provide free minibus pickups to activities, provide free nutritional meals at 60% of our activities and provide individualised support to engagement. Our minibus pickups cover the whole county and we spread our activities as wide as possible, in a bid to remain accessible to young people across Wiltshire. It is vital that we provide services that can be accessed locally, but also further afield. Some young people benefit from working outside of their local area, mixing with new peers and engaging in new positive experiences. Providing choice and making those choices accessible is crucial to our service and the impact we have on our participants.


FUNDRAISING

Fundraising

The Splash and Youth Action Wiltshire Coordinator continues to secure funding for activities through grant applications to charitable trusts, volunteer community groups, private funders and through a programme of Youth Action Wiltshire fundraising events. Along with our fantastic committee of volunteers Youth Action Wiltshire delivered a programme of fundraising events during 2018-19 which included the annual Golf Day, a YAW 70th anniversary celebration dinner, 70th Anniversary Beethoven Concert and the Carols by Candlelight annual carol service. To mark the 70th Anniversary of Youth Action Wiltshire HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, patron of Community First attended the Carol Service in Malmesbury Abbey and met and thanked volunteers, staff and beneficiaries of YAW.

In addition to the events organised by the YAW committee youth Action Wiltshire were also beneficiaries of a number of externally organised events including The May Mile and The Mary Howard Christmas Fair.

Accounts

Financial Summary for the financial year ended 31 March 2019:

Splash Brought/Forward Restricted Funding 1st of April 2018

£ 63,779.00

Income 2018/2019:

Fundraising (inc Donations) £7,602.42

Grants and Charitable Trusts £98,348.50

Misc. Income £15.78

Total Income £105,966.70

Total Expenditure £113,472.71

Splash Brought/Forward Restricted Funding 1st of April 2019

£56,272.99


FEEDBACK & EVALUATION

This summary uses information taken from the full Annual Report and Accounts for Community First for the financial year ended 31 March 2019, prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” 2005 and with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

This information may not contain sufficient detail to enable a full understanding of the financial affairs of Splash Wiltshire. For further information the full Community First Annual Report and Accounts and the Independent Examiner’s Report can be obtained from the Company Secretary. The full Annual Report and Accounts will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the Community First AGM on Wednesday 9th October 2019 and will be submitted to the Charity Commission and the Registrar of Companies once approved.

Thanks

As always, the Splash team could not have the impact that we have on Wiltshire’s young people without the support of a whole network of individuals and organisations. Thank you to the following for their support during 2018-19, we all very much appreciate your time, energy and commitment:

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Wiltshire Outdoor Learning Team Tall Ships AdventuresHugo Halkes Charitable Trust Jamie McDine Head for HeightsSkillset Learning Oxenwood Outdoor Education Centre ASDA TrowbridgeThe Magdalen Environmental Trust Chippenham Borough Lands Charity Chippenham Lions Bradford on Avon Lions GreenSquare Housing Association Edington Parish Council Easterton Parish Council Aylesford Village CommunityPewsey Vale Netball Club Wiltshire Council Henry Hoare Trowbridge Town Trust Sanctuary Housing Association Tesco

UK YouthTidworth Town Council Julius Silman Charitable Trust Andrew Sells Lansdowne Lodge of unity Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Our Bright Futures Potterne Charities Zurich The Blagrave Trust Pewsey Vale School St Marys School Wiltshire College Wellington Academy Witherington Farm Fisheries Santander Trowbridge Aspire Defence Childrens Chance The National Lottery Woodward Charitable Trust D’yole Carte The Finlay Foundation Danone Nutricia


FEEDBACK & EVALUATION

The YAW committee The Community First Board of Trustees

Our Friends of Splash:

S FletcherR HepplewhiteH McleanD HuttJ Hobart

Our Volunteers, YAW Ambassadors and YAW Young Leaders:

NickyJadeCraigKarenChristian

Matt John PhillipJoshJaret

TiaWesleyBronwynLukeSam

ChrisKaidenGraceNikki

COMMUNITY FIRSTUnit C2

Beacon Business CentreHopton Park

DevizesSN10 2EY

T: 01380 722 475

E: [email protected]

W: www.communityfirst.org.uk/yaw/splash

W: www.communityfirst.org.uk/yaw

@YouthActionWiltshire

Registered Charity No: 288117 VAT Registration No: 639 3860 06

Company Limited by Guarantee Reg. No: 1757334 EnglandRegistered with the Financial Conduct Authority No: FRN 311971

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES, BRIGHTER FUTURES

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