Colin Simmons has been in his role of Support Worker for South Ward since May 2008, during this time he has worked with 35 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 who are working on voluntary programmes and statutory orders. Colin has worked hard to assist young people to achieve their potential by developing their skills, abilities and self esteem to promote socially responsible behaviour. Throughout his work he has addressed the need to reduce the fear of crime and to enhance the general South Ward environment through young people undertaking reparation and other diversionary activities.
The reparation schemes Colin has been working with have included:
- Weston Youth Centre garden. This project involved young people being consulted and designing plans for the garden. Young people also planted flowers and shrubs. The purpose of this project was multi faceted. It aimed to teach young offenders the skills to maintain their own garden and their wider environment. It also aimed to bring young offenders who did not engage with the youth service into a youth club environment as part of their reparation so increasing the likelihood of them accessing youth cubs.
- The bike project held at the youth centre is a joint venture Colin has created with the youth service and a community member. This project engages young people at risk of offending and teaches cycle maintenance. Six to eight young people attend this project on a weekly basis.
- The vulnerable older people’s gardening project involved undertaking gardening for older and disabled people who were unable to do their own gardening. The project not only taught practical skills but aimed to break down barriers between different groups of people within the community and to encourage social responsibility.
- Mosaic sculpture outside Weston Youth Centre. This project involved young people making a direct positive contribution to their environment at South Ward and also taught young people team work and mosaic skills. This resulted in young people feeling proud of their achievements.
- Dog tag project has involved a young person having the opportunity to create a beautiful piece of art in an environment he would not have been able to access otherwise. This young person had not engaged with education and has low self esteem. This activity required concentration and persistence. This activity has enabled this young person to recognise qualities in himself and for him to receive positive attention from others.
- The Mural at St Johns has been an inter agency piece of work which has taught young people new skills, enabled them to improve their local area and to invest in their neighbourhood. It has also engaged young people working with YOT to find out more about the Youth Service provision.
- Colin has linked with the Special Needs Youth Club at the Weston Youth Centre and overseen a young person from YOT in her reparation to give something back to her community. This work has been positive for the children attending the group and has ignited an interest in the young person from YOT to work with children in the future.
- Delivering CLIC Sargent (Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood) bags in the South Ward area. This project has enabled young people to understand about the need for recycling, and to learn that for each bag returned, the charity receives about £17. It stimulates discussion about the needs of the children benefiting from the CLIC donations and to stimulate empathy thinking about the impact adversity can have on family and communities.
- Secret World charity. Colin has been working with young people collecting food donations for this wildlife charity. This project enables young people to consider the environment, to consider the needs of others and to raise self esteem when young people believe they are contributing to the animal’s welfare. During travelling time Colin uses the time to focus on victim awareness and to promote consequential thinking skills with young people
These projects have enabled young people to go someway to making amends for their offending behaviour, develop new skills and to make a positive difference to their community.