Aviva Community Fund has provided £6,904 of match funding
Dogs helping young people to build a better future
Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
Aim
Improving young people's mental health through engaging with dogs. Building resilience, skills, and preparing them for a better future.
At Paws for Progress we are committed to helping dogs and people improve each other's lives.
With your support, in 2021 we will provide a series of inspiring personal development programmes for young people in the community, with a twist – all of their learning will be focused around dogs! This will help young people who struggle in traditional education settings to be inspired and to succeed.
"You think you're helping them, but they're helping you too.”
"You have taught me how much a dog can change your life. You have changed mine."
“Thank you for all your help with the tasks I have gained certificates for and everything you have taught me… Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
“Paws for Progress, they help dogs and they help you too. Working with Paws for Progress has taught me so much, not only about dogs but about myself and what I’m capable of.”
Paws for Progress students, HMP & YOI Polmont.
Who will benefit?
Covid-19 has hit young people hard, with innovative and fun opportunities for support needed to improve mental health and provide inspiration.
#NeverMoreNeeded #NoOneLeftBehind
Through this project we will help teens and young people (up to 25 years) who are facing a range of challenges in their young lives. This includes those who are finding it hard to engage in education, have poor prospects for work, struggle to manage their emotions and behaviour, and / or are identified as at risk of offending.
“Paws for Progress has helped me immensely, since I started working with the dogs my confidence, my self-esteem, my mental health and my thought processes have improved for the better… I am proud of how far I have come."
We will offer at least 18 free places on the programme to young people, with the benefits extending to their families, the community, and beyond!
What will Paws for Progress provide?
With your help, we will provide 3 cycles of this new programme in Spring - Summer 2021 for at least 18 young people, delivering 36 sessions that combine a mixture of interactive activities with the dogs and personal development.
Participants will learn about dog training and care with our team of friendly dogs, whilst also learning more about themselves, improving their mental health, finding a positive identity and building new skills.
They will be able to achieve an ASDAN qualification in Animal Care, build their CV, get involved in volunteering opportunities to help others, whilst growing in confidence and making friends - both human, and canine!
Why Us? Why now?
Paws for Progress is best known for providing the UK's first prison based rescue dog training programme. We currently run a range of well- established dog training and care programmes for 16 – 21 year olds, and adults, in a prison setting, and we have also successfully developed play focused dog assisted educational services for children ages 4 – 18.
This year has been hugely challenging for our beneficiaries, and we have successfully adapted to be able to support them through an incredibly isolating period of time.
We are now looking ahead to 2021, beginning with the launch of this new project where we will expand to help teens and young people in the community!
The content will be custom developed for this new programme, with the focus being on personal development and involving wider activities and learning experiences beyond dog training – but still with a dog focus and interactive sessions with the dogs to engage and motivate participants!
This project successfully funded on 16th December 2020