Local charity to improve young peoples personal safety and confidence is successfully launched in Milton Keynes

A new charity has been born in Milton Keynes with a simple objective to provide 25,000 young people with a proven FREE life skills course. After a year of planning, the Young People are our Future charity had a successful launch on Sunday 2nd December at Shenley Brook End school.

The YPAOF Team

Young People are our Future is modelled on the Governments Big Society concept and encourages all aspects of the community to work together to benefit local young people.

Project leader Gary Payne explains more: "It is clear that many young people are growing up without the core values that a majority of people take for granted such as knowing the difference between right and wrong and understanding the word respect. YPAOF allows young people to experience a journey, which will see them receive FREE training in a proven life skills development course. This course is designed to increase their personal safety, improve their ability to assess and void bullying incidents, provides them with more confidence, good communication skills and helps them to develop a positive belief system, enabling them to achieve great things. Once a child completes the course they are encouraged to participate in a variety of FREE workshops in sport, dance, music and the arts to enhance their new skills. This is a great way of improving their social interaction skills and provides local clubs and groups with a great opportunity to engage with young people that ordinarily would not have the scope to mix with. Finally, young people over 14 years of age will receive employability skills such as voice projection training, presentation skills, creating a pitch etc." 

The charity has received a lot of support from the local community with volunteers lining up to become one of the 120 life skills coaches being trained by the YPAOF team.

Local schools are starting to appreciate the value of the project, and with 60 schools being offered a FREE Life Skills train the trainer course for their teachers, reaching young people across the city will be more achievable.

Gary went on to explain that he and the YPAOF team feel that the business community have an important part to play in this forward thinking community project. "Businesses across the city have an opportunity to give back to the communities they serve by supporting the charity. Remember this project is FREE so what a great employee incentive as companies can help spread the word by offering access to the project to the families of their employees."

This message is certainly getting out there as Home Retail Group, John Lewis, Jurys Inn and Energie Gyms have already demonstrated their support for the charity.

The first YPAOF project day is being held on Sunday 16th December at the Oakgrove Leisure Centre between 12 - 4pm. Young people will receive the 2 hour life skills seminar followed by free workshops in football, dance and martial arts.

Further information on the project and how to register for FREE places onto the event at Oakgrove can be found at the charities web site. www.youngpeopleareourfuture.org