A NEW youth group aimed at giving bullied or socially excluded children a place to meet up and make friends launches this weekend in Uttoxeter.
The group called The Inside Outers has been set up by two special needs teaching assistants at Thomas Alleyne’s High School in the town, Tina Smith and Sharon Lacey.
The pair recruited the support of Thomas Alleyne’s head teacher Suzanne O’Farrell before spending the last five months raising the funding and setting up all of the legalities and procedures for the club.
Funding has been forthcoming from various groups and local businesses, including £1,000 from the National Lottery: Awards for All scheme, £1,000 from MJ Barrett and from Alton Towers.
The club, for students from Thomas Alleyne’s and Ryecroft, Oldfields and Windsor Park Middle Schools, caters for 14 children aged between 11 and 14 and launches on Saturday with a trip to Alton Towers who have donated the tickets.
“It is 14 students because we didn’t want to run before we could walk”, Tina Smith told the Advertiser and she said the group was for children who would not feel comfortable in ‘normal’ youth groups or other activities.
She said: “The group is aimed at local children who are socially excluded both at home from their peers due to various reasons from bullying to low selfesteem.
They have to meet a certain criteria and need to be referred to the group via their school.
“They would not feel comfortable in ‘normal’ youth groups or other activities. The aim is to build self-confidence and self-esteem using fun, friendship and team work in a relaxed, safe environment.
“We hope to get out and about and experience activities that they would not perhaps otherwise have the opportunity to.” The group was originally formed when Mrs Smith was working with disabled student Ben Shaw at Thomas Alleyne’s whose mum and younger sister are also disabled.
She said: “He was becoming frustrated and suffering some bullying and didn’t feel comfortable going to the local groups for his peers.
“We decided to have a look on the net for groups he could get involved with and could find nothing that met his needs. We decided to set one up.” Future activities for the group include orienteering at the National Memorial Arboretum, rounders at Carsington Water and bowling at the Cinebowl.
The children will also be able to earn certificates and awards along the way with Passport2Success, a programme for youth groups aimed at team building.
The club will be based at Thomas Alleyne’s, which is supporting with fund-raising and use of their minibus, and the club is completely free for members with the club held once a month on Saturday’s.
Further information on the group or to make donations email smithe@tahs.org.uk or lacey@tahs.org.uk.
