We regularly see between 30 – 40 young people at these sessions,  working in a Trauma Informed way to get to know all of these young people really well. We strive to make everyone feel important and wanted, in a world where maybe they do not feel this elsewhere.

Safeguarding Policy

Young Person Behaviour Policy

Code of Conduct

Equal Opportunities Policy

Online Safety Policy

Complaints Policy

In the town, young people and parents know that we are a safe space to come to, so we see new members regularly. Young people trust that we will keep them safe and not accept poor behaviour or bullying – we recently re-wrote our code of conduct with their input, so that they really took ownership of the expectations. All young people attending the groups have access to our Hygiene Bank, where they can pick up items that they need for free every single week. From these groups we are able to signpost to our other services for further support when it’s needed, we also link with the families and let them know what services we have on offer and invite

During the school holidays we also offer a range of activities for young people over the age of 8. These sessions are generally from 10am – 2pm and tend to be themed, ie. Big Craft Day, Science Day, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Slumberland, Mini Olympics. More information about these can be found on our social media pages.

All young people attending these sessions must be registered with us and must be over 8 years old.

99% of young people surveyed in January 2024 rated our services Good or Outstanding

Young Person Committee

Everything we do is informed by our young people, so our committee is the backbone of the project. Our young people are encouraged to play a part in all aspects of the project and take ownership of the way things are run, so being on the committee allows a voice to influence decisions. There are many ways of showing support to suit the many personalities and interests –

• You like organising? Then you might like to help with our Open Access sessions.
• You like being behind the scenes? Then you might like to attend meetings and put forward ideas.
• You like maths? You might like to help with the till during Tuck times.

There is a job for everyone who wants to be a part of this. Most importantly we listen to what our young people say and try to enable their ideas, incorporating a ‘you say, we did…’ discussion at each meeting. For more info please get in touch with george@swanyouthproject.org

More than a Bike

Our ‘More than a Bike’ and SPACE project (Supporting Positive Activities and Community Engagement) targets young people who may be at risk of being caught up in anti-social behaviour locally. Each person attends our project and is taught the basics of maintaining their bike and of road safety. During this time, they build up a positive relationship with a youth worker and have a wide range of conversations about their personal situations and challenges they face. Once linked, we keep engaging in a variety of ways to offer positive activities and support.

As part of this, we link closely with the local police, who attend our project regularly to break down barriers and spend time with the young people. We complete outreach alongside the police officers to engage with young people out and about in our community.

Holiday Activities

We deliver engaging and interesting holiday activities and trips across the year, which are often funded through the Big Norfolk Holiday Fun scheme. Our young people let us know what kinds of sessions they would like and we do our best to provide this for them.

We offer a mixture of themed sessions at our Downham Market centre and trips out and about.  Previous sessions have included: Silent Discos, Textile Days, Trips to the Zoo and the beach.

Sessions generally run from 10am – 2pm and lunch is provided

For more information please contact lucy@swanyouthproject.org

To check the BNHF website for activities: Big norfolk Holiday Fun