Former Young Offenders All Geared Up
| Published: 28th August 2008 15:47 |
Former young offenders are being given the skills to get their working lives into gear as part of Somerset County Council's Geared Up project.
Somerset County Council's Youth Offending Team (YOT) has established the project, which invites young offenders to develop their social and mechanical skills repairing mountain bikes. Geared Up encourages team working, and provides participants with valuable skills which can lead to employment.
The young people involved in Somerset County Council's Geared Up project attend weekly workshops in Bridgwater, and work in pairs to repair and rebuild second hand bikes. The sessions teach patience and co-operation as well as the practicalities of bike-building.
Geared Up participant Luke joined the project after being excluded from school and getting in trouble with the police. He used the skills taught in Geared Up to find employment, and now volunteers to assist others on the project.
Councillor Pauline Clarke, Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Strategic Services for Children and Young People, said: "Somerset County Council is proud to champion the Geared Up project, which enables former young offenders to gain valuable skills and change their lives for the better. The Council is committed to developing a high quality of life for the people of Somerset, and this project ensures a brighter future for both the young people involved and the community as a whole."
Emer McNicholl, Operational Manager for Somerset County Council's Youth Offending Team, added: "Young people have greatly benefited from Somerset County Council's Geared Up project, and their achievements have inspired them to make positive changes in their own lives. It is great to see former young offenders like Luke putting their troubled pasts behind them and helping others to do the same."
What do you think?
You will need to sign in to post a comment to this article. if you do not have an AboutMyArea account, you can join now for free.
