Speaker Meeting, 6.15 for 6.30pm

An inspiring update from Young Swindon and Wiltshire.  

At this meeting we were pleased to welcome two speakers from YSW, the youth charity formerly known as SMASH. 

In the picture: Club President Colin with Ami Ford, Community Fundraiser (on the right) and Amy Cox, Director of Youth Work.

Amy Cox, has more than ten years’ experience of working with young people in Swindon in a variety of roles and settings. Her commitment to supporting those who are hardest to reach was evident throughout the talk and left a strong impression on members.

Ami Ford, has nearly twenty years’ experience of working with children and young people in a wide range of settings. She spoke with real passion about raising aspirations and helping young people grow into confident and independent adults.

They gave an engaging and encouraging account of the organisation’s work to support young people across Swindon and Wiltshire, helping them build confidence, develop skills and explore positive pathways into the future.  It engages with young people through youth groups, mentoring, wellbeing support and confidence-building programmes. 

The charity works with in partnership with parish councils across the area. These groups encourage young people to try new activities, build friendships and strengthen their connection with their communities. Activities range from creative projects such as T-shirt making and spray art to sports, water games and circus skills.

One particularly impressive aspect of their work is their street-based mentoring scheme, known as Detached Youth Work, which reaches out to young people who would never come to a youth club.  Mentors meet them in their own communities, on their own ground. What began as a once-a-week initiative in North Swindon has proved highly successful and is now being expanded to other locations across Swindon through regular pop-ups and outreach sessions.

The mentors encourage young people to respect their local environment, feel part of their community, understand both their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and make better use of the services and opportunities available to them.

Young people who may benefit from this street-based mentoring are encouraged to look out for the team’s distinctive bright blue tops and hoodies when they are out in the community.

The programme is being developed across Swindon and Wiltshire in partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon as part of the Safer Streets initiative. 

Another venture is the charity’s Solid Ground Coffee van, a practical training hub that helps young people affected by serious violence or involved with youth justice to gain confidence, learn employability skills and re-engage positively with the wider community. Based just outside at Swindon’s Civic Offices, the project gives participants valuable experience in hospitality, customer service and teamwork in a real working environment. 

Club members greatly appreciated the presentation and the insight it gave into the vital work being done for young people in our area. Young Swindon and Wiltshire is clearly making a real difference, offering practical support, encouragement and opportunity to those who need it most.

Website: Young Swindon and Wiltshire