Headstart for young people across Bolton
Over the School Summer Break, Bolton Wanderers in the Community’s Education and Mentoring Team worked with our Headstart participants as they prepared for their transition from Primary to Secondary School.
Over four weeks our team crafted sessions to inspire and support young people across a variety of activities. Sessions included trips to Hollywood Bowl, Poppywood Alpacas and Bolton Library. These excursions weren’t just about having fun—they were carefully chosen to build social skills, encourage teamwork and build confidence.
We are proud to have supported 28 young people through our Summer sessions and even more so that 100% of survey respondents reported feeling better prepared for high school after attending our programme. This statistic shows the impact of the programme and our team on young people.
The true value is best expressed through the words of the participants themselves. One attendee shared, “I have learnt new skills and techniques I can use in future situations that could be stressful,” whilst another participant emphasized the impact staff made, saying, “I loved working with Ollie it has really helped me a lot.”
Friday 23rd August saw the conclusion of our Summer programme with our Celebration event right here at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Inviting participants and staff from Foundation 92 and Rochdale AFC Community Trust allowed participants the opportunity to meet new people and test the skills they have learnt over the summer period. We would like to thank Kooth, a fantastic charity who worked with us on the day to lead a transition workshop focussing on mental health and easing the move from Year 6 to Secondary School.
Of course it wouldn’t be a BWitC event without some stadium tours, calming yoga and mindfulness sessions, and even a special appearance from BWFC First Team player Jack Iredale. Jack joined us on Friday 23rd August, surprising the attendees during their sessions to take part in a Q&A all about how to handle stress and his own experiences with life transitions.
Reflecting on the event one of our participants stated, “We did yoga which was very relaxing. The workshop helped us to have emotions going up to high school.” Another expressed that despite having a mixture of emotions the session left them hopeful, “Because although I am worried about high-school at the same time I feel determined.”
As we celebrate the success of this summer, our work doesn’t end here. Our Headstart programme supports students through 1-2-1 and classroom mentoring sessions through the start of their Secondary School journey. Our team use a flexible approach, to provide interventions at the earliest opportunity; providing education on coping strategies and self-management with the end goal to reduce the number of individuals needing, and therefore the demand on, local CAMHS services which currently have large waiting lists.
If you would like to find out more about our Headstart programme head to our Headstart page.
Or if you would like to support BWitC in continuing our Headstart programme please take part in our Pound to the Ground campaign this weekend where your £1 donation can help us continue to support young people in our Community. Find out more about our Pound to the Ground campaign at Bring a Pound to the Ground Saturday 31st August