Empowerment & Wellbeing
Within our team, we identified that some of our young people, especially girls, struggle with confidence, resilience, and a sense of self. Identifying this need, we began a new after-school club, a girls-only initiative aimed at personal growth, self-care, and developing skills that they could identify they wanted to work on.
Our Multi-Activity Club was created with a relaxed and supportive environment where girls could explore various interests while developing coping skills and building friendships. Once a week the girls would come together for an hour of activities including cooking, art, games, and wellbeing exercises, the club aimed to cater to diverse interests led by the girls' input. Our young people have said, “I like coming to multi-activity because it's fun, I have been able to make new friends”
Our aim for the club is to empower girls through confidence-building activities. We want to promote self-care and wellbeing practices, alongside goal setting and self-improvement. Through our activities we are encouraging resilience and emotional strength. Each session offers a blend of hands-on experiences, interactive discussions, and skill-building exercises including games to encourage teamwork and communication.
For example, cooking classes not only taught practical kitchen skills but also emphasized the importance of healthy eating and self-nourishment. YPF expressed that they felt more confident to be able to cook at home for their family and understand a balanced diet, she said “I learned how to turn on the oven and now I can cook for my family at home and when I am older, my favourite was making the pancakes”
Our art sessions provided a creative outlet for self-expression while focusing on a self-care element. The emphasis on self-care and wellbeing activities encouraged members to prioritize their mental and emotional health, leading to reduced stress levels and improved overall wellbeing. In one of our sessions, we created a self-care dice with 6 ways to improve your mood through self-care.
YPF now has a wider understanding of what self-care is and how they can put time in for themselves, identifying that walks and listening to music help regulate their emotions and calm their mind, “Having the dice is nice as a practical reminder of things I can do for myself”. The image (right) is from a session where YP made motivation boards focusing on positive affirmations.
Additionally, the club incorporated dedicated workshops on topics such as goal setting, and resilience. At the start of the year, we had a goal achievement session: the young people were empowered to set and pursue personal goals, whether academic, personal, or family-originated. With the support of understanding how to set goals YPH was able to set goals to save money, “I have been able to save £100 because of the SMART Goals we set, that gives me independence and I am proud of myself”.
“I love coming to Multi Activity because the team support me”
The girls have been able to express themselves, discuss issues and find support from both their peers and tutors. Due to this clubs success, we are continuing into the summer term, expanding the invite to more young people who would benefit from this tailored support.
