Supporting refugees - South Downs Youth Discovery Project
The South Downs Youth Discovery Project supports 16-19 year-olds who have come to the UK alone and are in the care of the local authority.
Organised by the Rural Refugee Network (RRN), the charity with expertise in supporting refugee families to settle in East Hampshire and Havant, the South Downs Youth Discovery Project aims to help participants experience and understand the local environment and to feel more confident, empowered and settled.
The project has involved monthly activity days and a three-day residential at the Sustainability Centre, East Meon, Hampshire. This case study focuses on the Discovery day hosted by Bedales School in November 2023 and was based on a similar and successful event the previous year.
Aims
Several Discovery days have been organised as part of the programme. Specifically, the Bedales Discovery day was designed to provide opportunities for attendees to:
Connect with existing friends and meet new people, including Bedales students
Enjoy some physical sporting activity (indoor badminton and table-tennis)
Explore the countryside and animals on the Bedales estate
Learn and experience country craft cooking skills based on a Christmas theme
Background
Bedales has a track record of working with the RRN on volunteering, fundraising and the sourcing of full bursary beneficiaries. In 2021/22, Bedales held a refugee-focussed community day with the RRN which resulted in fundraising more than £50,000 for the charity.
The programme for the Bedales Discovery Day involved:
Am: Transport to Bedales (in Bedales minibus)
10:30am - 12pm: Country craft Christmas cooking in the Bedales Outdoor Work Bakehouse (mince pies) to include meeting the Bedales animals (ponies/pigs/sheep)
12 – 1pm: Lunch
1-2pm: Badminton and table-tennis
2.30pm: Depart in Bedales minibus
Resources
Bedales initially supported the project by providing transport with a school minibus and driver for the Discovery days. The school then became the host for one of the Discovery days itself, organising sports activities, and a workshop with the school’s Outdoor Work department to learn country craft skills.
The Discovery Day at Bedales involved six Bedales staff plus the catering team. Two members of the RRN team also attended.
Impact
At the end of the first year of the Discovery Project, the RRN carried out an evaluation of the project. In the study, the young people’s focus group highlighted the benefit they feel in positive relationships with people running and volunteering on the project and with each other, from sharing experiences and learning together in a safe, inclusive atmosphere and from being out in nature.
Some of the young people said:
“Connect with friends” “Belong: being in this group”
“Making pizza with friends”
“It’s very amazing place very green and beautiful and I love nature that’s why I am relaxed in the green place”
The young people said they would like:
For the project to continue
“More residentials”
More opportunities to explore the countryside and find out about new places and experiences they are not aware of: “I don’t mind what, but I want to do new things”
Sport and physical skills
Visits to historical and cultural site
In the RRN evaluation, every respondent group praised the supportive, inclusive approach, a project ethos built up through constant attention to detail and a sense of caring, learning and discovery.
Following the success of the pilot the RRN aims to expand the project to include more young people, varied monthly day trips and annual residential to venues beyond the South Downs National Park as well as a weekly session at a fixed venue in Portsmouth. The RRN envision a safe place offering social and cultural support in addition to practical employment and further educational or English support. This would be a sanctuary where the young people can also just meet with friends, share meals, stories, create art, music or play games.
Kath Lawrence, RRN Trustee said:
“The Rural Refugee Network’s partnership with Bedales has provided valuable logistical support that enabled the project to explore the South Downs National Park. Saturday’s visit to Bedales was such a fabulous day. The opportunity for the young people to get the know Bedales’ students playing sport and lunching together was very valuable. The young people enjoyed interacting with Bedales’ farm animals and cooking festive bakes. We are looking forward to further activities together.”
Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales, commented:
“It was very rewarding for us to provide new experiences and make a difference to the lives of young people whose circumstances mean they are alone in the UK without their families. We really value this partnership work with the RRN, and were delighted to provide an opportunity for these young people to try out new activities around the Bedales estate, working alongside and getting to know our students and staff.”
Pupil Involvement
Many Bedales students have worked on RRN initiatives. This Discovery Day involved specifically six Sixth Form student volunteers, who met in advance to discuss the programme and the specific needs of the participants.
Frequency
The Discovery days have been monthly, with each day involving different locations around the South Downs National Park.
