Target reached!
Any extra funding we receive will allow us to provide further opportunities for disp...
Big Leaf Foundation Summer School 2021
Chobham, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To raise £2,500 to run a summer school for displaced young people in Surrey.
Building on the success of last summer, we want to run more language and skills sessions for displaced young people to minimise isolation, improve English and help them prepare for the new academic year.
Who are we?
Big Leaf Foundation (BLF) is a small charity working with displaced young people aged 16-25 living in Surrey. Our vision is of a community where displaced young people are valued, supported and given the ability to create better outcomes for themselves. Our aim is to provide a nurturing programme of activities, projects and events that focus on combating social isolation and improving wellbeing for the young people we support.
What’s our goal?
For displaced young people arriving in a new country, the experience is often overwhelming and difficult to navigate. Away from family, friends and everything familiar these young people are vulnerable to loneliness, isolation and anxiety. Big Leaf Foundation is a product of first-hand experiences with displaced people; our founders saw an opportunity to change the situation of these young people by cultivating a feeling of inclusion and belonging within a network of their peers and the wider community.
What is this Crowdfunder all about?
We’ve heard time and again from displaced young people and their foster carers and key workers that the long summer holiday can be an extremely challenging time. Without the provision of school or college, young people are more isolated, loneliness is more prevalent, and opportunities to speak English are fewer. We want to run language and skills sessions for displaced young people to minimise isolation, ensure they stay engaged in education, and help them prepare for the next academic year.
Didn’t we do this last year?
Yes! Thanks to donors like you, we ran our first ever summer school last year, creating a temporary outdoor space for learning in the centre of Guildford with an inflatable classroom provided by the wonderful people at The Human Hive. And it was brilliant, as one of our attendees, M, told us;
“It was great, I loved it all.”
Last years’ summer school really demonstrated how important it was for young people to have access to learning and support over the summer and it was clear to us that we needed to do it again.
“The team have given B enormous help to further develop and improve his English, general knowledge, and overall confidence. I simply cannot thank them enough.”
- UASC Foster Carer
As the country begins to open up, and we are less restricted by Covid-19, we’re excited to run a summer school that is filled with hands-on learning, collaboration, day trips, and activities.
What do we want to do?
For the first week, we’ll work with GASP Motor Project, to run a five-day summer school comprised of both sit-down English language lessons and hands-on mechanics workshops where we can apply the English learned.
GASP Motor Project is an expert in providing alternative learning for young people that builds on communication skills, teamwork, resilience and self-esteem. It aims to re-engage young people with learning and provide a foundation for onward progression into education, training, and employment. This hands-on approach to learning is incredibly effective for our young people, particularly when it comes to English language skills.
“GASP is delighted to be working in partnership with the Big Leaf Foundation, to support displaced young people in Surrey. Disadvantage takes so many forms, and is often hidden, but working with Big Leaf we want to inspire these young people to use their existing assets and develop their strengths and abilities.
GASP uses motor mechanics as a mechanism to help re-engage young people, in structured accredited learning through a positive intervention which improves behaviours, builds resilience and supports ‘progression pathway’ training, apprenticeships and/or employment. We promote talents and support young people to improve their soft-skills, personal habits and traits, which shapes how they work individually and with others. These include integrity, team-working, effective communication (verbal and non-verbal) and critical thinking – all essential life skills.”
- Alexandra Thompson - GASP Motor Project CEO
During the second week, we’ll be partnering with The Refugee Council, Surrey University, Surrey Police, and Access Adventures to provide workshops, projects, and activities that help develop English language skills, cultural literacy and support young people adapting to life in the UK.
“To us… this is the best sort of language classroom in the world; the unpredictability of difference can be a joy and results and achievements can leave you happily surprised. The problem we see time and time again in formal education environments is not that they expect too much of these young people, but that they expect too little.”
- Kayte, Big Leaf Programme Manager
In the last year, we supported 70 young people from 13 different countries, launched ten new projects, and provided 28 young people with individual casework support.
“I always appreciate what you doing for refugees helping us to learn the language, to engage with people and to settle our life in the future. Thank you so much.”
- Previous Big Leaf-er.
How is the money being spent?
The funds raised will provide necessary educational materials for the Summer School (pens, notebooks, folders, books for the participants, etc.) as well as transport costs to/from the workshops that are not covered by other means. Donations will also allow the students to experience an educational walking tour through London together.
How can I support this?
To support us, please donate directly through this Crowdfunder page. Any donation, small or large, benefits displaced young people through our work and is greatly appreciated. If we hit our target, any additional funding will go towards expanding the provision we can offer displaced young people.
What else can I do?
To find out more about how to volunteer to help Big Leaf Foundation on this or other future projects, please make contact with one of the team via the details on the website.
bigleaffoundation.org.uk
Thank you for your support,
Big Leaf Foundation
This project successfully funded on 12th August 2021