New Horizons helps young people test their potential, deepen their values and widen their horizons through learning experiences (personal and group) across cross cultural, outdoor, social service, arts and sports opportunities.
Amazon and Peruvian Street-Children Expedition
The Second Peru trip took place in June 2008 after almost a year long period of hard work and group fundraising ! The Wood Family Trust provided a substantial donation to the trip for which we were very grateful . 18 Pupils from Kincorth Academy, 2 members of Staff , 4 Volunteers from Blue Horizon and Eddie McKenna and Elmer Rojas of Blue Horizon. A highlight was the return as volunteer leaders of two of the original Peru trip. The Group spent a week in Iquitos in Amazonia seeing at first hand the work of Scripture Union's (Union Biblica) Street Boy's Centre, visiting local schools and living in Puerto Alegria, an Orphanage in the Jungle . The trip had a huge impact on the group of School pupils (aged 16-17) and the cross cultural engagement process and seminars allowed everyone to look in detail at how they coped seeing poverty and homelessness at first hand. Since returning many of the folks who took part continue to be involved in Blue Horizon either as friends and supporters or in some cases as volunteers in aspects of the wider work, such as the bus and the recent fashion show.
Blue Horizon is working to be a Strategic Partner with The Vine Trust (www.vinetrust.org) in providing future trips to Peru and hopes to set up a direct link between a project in Peru with Kincorth Academy. This initiative is already in process; Kincorth Academy, the Vine Trust and Blue Horizon are working together on the next trip to Peru for the summer of 2010.
Personal challange Opportunities eg an Outward bound expedition of Tall Ships expedition, joining a gym, a theatre group, a sports team. Blue Horizon staff supports a young person as they try a new opportunity.
New Life Horizons: A chance to explore the horizon announced 2000 years ago by Jesus of Nazareth and how it is relevant to realizing life potantial today. As part of this process Blue Horizon have recently received training from Richard Passmore of Frontier Youth Trust; looking for new ways to connect with young people.
Leadership Coaching and Volunteering offering practical opportunities for young people to take initiative with youth activity and contribute to their community.
"Dont let your fears stand in the way of your dreams"
Families need a non judgemental and flexible approach to help them in the challenges of raising teenagers in the 21st century. Family Worx is providing the following services:
Positive Parenting Courses, empowering parents in parenting teenagers.
Access to Family Counselling and Coaching Services.
Social support and befriending to vulnerable families.
Volunteer Training and Development for volunteers working in support of families.
Positive Parenting in Kincorth and Cove
The Family Worx Project has delivered parent education for parents of adolescents since its inception in mid 2007, namely "Time out for Teens" developed by Positive Parenting UK along with offering one to one support and follow-up. The monitored results of this include
an average 34% improvement in parents relationship with their young person
an average 50% point improvement in parenting confidence,
an average 35% point improvement in communication skills,
an average 56% points improvement in ability to handle difficult behaviour.
Family Worx has also provided one to one support and family coaching for a number of referral situations.
What some parents say:
“My daughter is impressed; now she wants a course for teens on how to handle your parents”
“This is not only good for my relationship with my teen; it's helping me with my relationship with my husband”
“This is helping us with our younger children as well. Helping us to think of how we should do things differently”
“This course has given me the confidence to decide to do things and follow through on discipline issues”
“I think all parents should hear this; it would help them not to get into problems” “Maybe it is us the parents who need to change before our children can change”
DRUG PROOF YOUR KIDS
Along with our operations in the youth area, Blue Horizon is also involved in drug education with parents in the area. Through our Family Worx project we are delivering parent education and support. We have just piloted a course “Drug Proof Your Kids” (www.dpyk.org.uk) with 10 parents from the Kincorth and Cove communities. This is designed to strengthen parent’s confidence and capacity to influence their children’s choices and to manage the risk situations young people find themselves in. Through Kincorth Academy, local medical clinics and community advertising we have made this widely available and we hope to start a new course after the summer holidays. This work is designed to complement the face to face youth work we are doing through the Street Outreach Bus Project and also sow the seeds of increased awareness and responsibility taking by adults and parents.
Street Outreach Bus
This inovative collaboration with Grampian Police is providing:
A safe and welcoming place where young people can hang out, meet friends and enjoy evenings in their neighbourhoods.
A café and meeting area within the bus, fitted out with audio and visual technology, game stations, and a cafe area.
A team of youth oriented volunteers and workers to facilitate activities and available to discuss issues and problems.
A hub for a range of street based, park or car park youth activities such as street football, hockey, skateboard.
A venue for informal learning enabling young people to explore through different media youth relevant issues, beliefs and choices.
A point of contact with other youth support services.
