Young Leaders Programme
|
"The Partnership between Embercombe and Young Devon has been an unqualified success. Over the past 4 years we have referred many young people to Embercombe. Many of these young people have struggled in their lives and would never have been seen as individuals with leadership potential. The feedback from them has always been positive – but more importantly the lasting effect of their participation has been significant for many of them." |
The Embercombe Young Leaders Programme offers young disadvantaged and often homeless people aged 16 – 21 a life-changing opportunity to take time out to reflect on their lives and the choices they are making. It is a programme designed to help young people develop self-leadership and to identify their unique abilities and strengths and become the best they can be. By engaging in a wide range of challenging activities that encourage them to go beyond their comfort zone, they gain greater confidence and self-esteem so that they can make decisions about their future from a strong grounded perspective. As a result we have achieved a high success rate in supporting young people re-enter education and employment.
In broad terms, our aim is to offer a helping hand at a very important time of transition from adolescence into adulthood and the programme can be seen as a modern rite of passage.
It is also a great deal of fun!
|
"I have watched these young people turn from troubled and sometimes aggressive into caring and considerate, a move which has astonished me, given the relatively short time we have worked with them on the programme." Bob Bigland, Senior Support Worker, Young Devon |
We recognise the value of peer support and challenge so we place a great emphasis on building trust and good communication through teamwork. Most of the activities carried out on the 9 residentials over a 10 month period (30 days in total) are carried out in the outdoors and are intended to help young people connect with themselves more deeply through their relationship with nature. Interwoven into all the activities are opportunities for developing important life skills, increasing self-awareness and motivation through individual and group coaching and, after a day’s work, spending time sitting around the fire sharing our past experiences and our aspirations for the future.
As part of our mission to encourage sustainable living, the young people take part in the day-to-day activities at Embercombe.
|
"Before this programme I would never have known what I would have done in my life. It has given me the freedom to express my feelings and make me aware that I have other options or paths I can take to change myself and how I feel. And I have had a lot of fun along the way! Megan 2008 |
They help grow, tend and harvest the food which they then help to prepare and cook. Emphasis is placed on providing healthy and nutritious food. They also cut and split wood for heating the wood burners in the yurts where they stay on the residentials.
At the core of the programme is their involvement and ownership of a building project on the land and the helping of others through a local community project. Through these projects we aim to encourage a greater sense of social responsibility, to help develop self-management and organisation, learn practical skills and how to solve problems and cope under pressure as well as learning to work with others. In essence, we aim to bring out the leadership qualities in the participants.
- Teambuilding games
- Gardening – from seed to plate
- Greenwood working – making simple tools & furniture
- Pit forging
- Charcoal making
- Log splitting
- Tree planting
- Fire making
- Shelter building
- Conservation project
- Community project
- Dartmoor rambling
- Timber building project
- Apple pressing
- Outdoor pursuits such as kayaking, climbing, high ropes, abseiling and caving
- Night walking
- Sailing a 100 foot Dutch sailing barge ,
- Vision quest –a rite of passage from adolescence to adulthood
- Film making
- Exploring creativity through art
- Devised theatre project
"I liked the fact that I realised that there are many things in my life that I need to sort out. Eg school GCSEs, responsibilities in my home and to fulfil my targets and get further in my music.
I have learnt that I need to take responsibility for a lot of my actions and that my actions can affect others other than myself
I am going to work on the things that I have learnt. eg set myself targets so that I can move further on in my life."
Malaika 2005
"I have learnt a lot on this journey, not only about others but also about myself. I have learnt to be a much better listener as well as the importance of taking time to think before reacting. Amongst ourselves we have also learnt a lot of spiritual truths and our debates have really challenged everyone. Though I did not completely agree with every ones view point I at least learnt of a differentt way of thinking. This voyage has highlighted the importance of taking time out to reflect and to access my SMART goals."
Pelumi 2005
"The programme has given me a lot of time to reflect on myself and my everyday life back at home. Emotions that I have not addressed within myself were able to come to the surface and now I can go on to deal with them.
It was lovely to have space and peacefulness and this is what gave me the space to reflect. Everything felt therapeutic from the cooking to the sailing partly because we were always surrounded by beautiful scenery, probably the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen in my life.
Thank you for giving me this experience. I will cherish it for the rest of my life. "
Natalie 2006
"This voyage helped me understand how I can overcome shyness, and help improve how I interact with a group
With what I have learnt I’ll incorporate it into my everyday life.
The benefits from what I’ve learnt is it’ll help me go on with my life easier and handle situation better than I would."
Alex 2007
"Every time I came here to Embercombe I always doubted if I would enjoy it and that I would be better off at home but every time I met up with everyone the doubt changed and all problems, worries, etc went away. At the end of a hard working day at Embercombe when you have that dinner, you feel as you deserved it and you feel just wiped which gives you a strange rush that gives you a cheeky smile and an amazing night’s sleep."
Dan 2009
"The Embercombe young leaders programme has been a focus point for a real pivot point in my life. I have been a part of the EYLP for 2 years now and over those 2 years I have noticed changes in my self-esteem, social skills, outlook on life, drug and alcohol usage and general wellbeing. I believe the programme has given me the push in the right direction and the sense of empowerment to actually take control of my life, not spend every day so high or drunk to ever notice the world around me, and start coping with my past instead of using it as an excuse to why I cannot do anything.
I would recommend this course to anyone and everyone. Before i came on this course I didn’t see the benefits to it but afterwards there’s so much I can see that I have gained I cannot begin to list."
Liam 2009
