Free 1624 programme helping young people to make positive change proves a big success

A programme aimed at the  growing number of young people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole classed as NEET – Not in Education, Employment or Training – is proving a big success.

BCHA’s 1624 is open to BCP residents aged 16-24 and provides intensive bespoke weekly coaching aimed at improving wellbeing, life and communication skills.

It includes free life skills sessions incorporating cooking, budgeting, communication skills, wellbeing and employability support to help young people reduce anxiety, create an impressive CV and be comfortable and confident in interviews.

One to one coaching and small group workshops are available in Bournemouth, Poole and Boscombe and public transport expenses are paid.

Funds are also available for interview clothes and short courses.

Paige Hutchings, Project Adviser, pictured left, told Bournemouth One: “There’s lots of different things that we do.

“We work around wellbeing, improving their social skills, their communication skills, as well as employability, how to look for and apply for work, courses and learning.

“We’re very holistic.

“The learner will come in, we will ask them what they would like, what they need.

“We don’t necessarily say to them ‘you need to, or have to, do this, this and this’.

“We work with them to maybe figure out what they’d like to do, because lots of them come to us with no idea.

“We do lots of different things to help them figure out what way to go.”

Learner Robyn Chester, 19, pictured right, said: “To have someone else believe in you honestly makes all of the difference.

“The course of 1624, and the other BCHA courses, have helped me so much, especially the wellbeing course and being able to understand why I’m feeling this way and what can help me.

“It’s incredible, 1624.

“That one-to-one support, it’s incredible.”

To find out more about 1624 click here