Dreamscheme -'Seaward Way' - History
| Author: rachel cutler | Published: 13th June 2008 20:13 |
Young People are enabled to carry out community based work projects for which they earn points. These can be exchanged for trips and activities of their choice.
The Dreamscheme is nationwide and now international, and the story began in Sheffield with a dream. The first dreamscheme was devised and developed on Sheffield's Flower Estate by Geoff and Kate King between 1995 and 1998. Over three years, around one hundred young people were involved in community projects.
WORK projects included environmental, social, creative and personal development tasks. This WORK allowed young people to earn POINTS that could be spent on TRIPS and activities of their choice.
Young people grew to become part of the solution to the shared problems that urban life on a disadvantaged housing estate presented. The scheme provided a new sense of belonging and enabled the young people to serve their community. It won various awards, contributed to three national conferences and received acclaim from the Rt. Hon. David Blunkett:
"The scheme offers a positive way forward which is not only using the energy of young people in a way that is beneficial to them, but also creates a new sense of purpose for the community who start to believe that improvements can be brought about, behaviour changed and problems overcome."
From 1998 to 2001 The Dreamscheme Network evolved; Kate shaped training courses and helped 50 new groups to prepare to start their own dreamschemes. Social Landlords, community and regeneration groups and faith-based organisations were requesting details of the Dreamscheme Method.
The Seaward Way Dreamscheme started in October 2007. 2 Police Community Support Officers, Rachel Cutler and Luisa Skinner had both heard of Dreamscheme and started to find out more. Dreamscheme - Seaward Way began !
Residents were spoken to and volunteers were found ! The main resident volunteers are Debbie Fitzpatrick and Barbara Seacombe. Without all the volunteers dreamscheme wouldn't exist
