YMCA aim to show young students ‘I’m Possible’ with new intervention programme

A LOCAL youth charity has received funding from the Tribune Trust to pilot a new intervention scheme for Year 6 pupils across the Humber Region.

YMCA Humber has secured a grant of over £2,500 to partner with Prison Me! No-Way! to deliver I’m Possible workshops that promote mental health and emotional well-being to young people that are preparing for the difficult transition into secondary education.

The programme will be delivered across of series of 12 workshop days at a dozen schools across Hull, East Riding, North and North-East Lincolnshire throughout May and June.

Linda Clark is YMCA Humber’s Youth and Community Manager and she spoke further about the programme.

She said: “We are initially targeting Year 6 primary school children with a focus on feelings, behaviours and how their anxieties and emotions can be recognised and channelled in a positive way, as they prepare for the transition into secondary education.

“We will do this in partnership with the charity, Prison Me! No-Way!

“The emphasis of the workshops will be on poor emotional well-being and how this effects behaviour and choices of the future.

“Workshops last 50 minutes and can accommodate up to 25 pupils.

“We aim to run five workshops in a day, meaning we can reach up to 125 young people.”

The I’m Possible workshops come on the back of another successful pilot that YMCA Humber were involved in during 2016.

YMCA supported seven young people who had been excluded from mainstream primary education, who were transitioning from Year 6 at an alternative education provision into mainstream secondary schools.

Linda continued: “The transition programme produced a cost saving of over £30,000.

“Our outcomes went beyond project expectations with an 86% success rate for young people remaining in mainstream education.”

The list of participating schools is:

• Biggin Hill, Hull – 15 May
• St Anthony’s, Hull – 16 May
• Scunthorpe Primary – 17 May
• Penshurst, Hessle – 22 May
• St Richard’s, Hull – 24 May
• William Barcroft, Cleethorpes – 25 May
• St George’s Primary, Gainsborough – 7 June
• Boothferry Primary, Goole – 9 June
• Snaith Primary, Goole – 12 June
• Grange Primary, Grimsby – 15 June
• Bowmandale, Barton-upon-Humber – 19 June