Louise Travers is a busy woman. She manages the Stoke-on-Trent office for NACRO (the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders), leading the MOVES Project Team. NACRO has three further MOVES Project Centres across Staffordshire, in Burton-on-Trent, Stafford and Tamworth; one office in Wellington in Shropshire, and is expanding into other areas of the country, including Merseyside and Wales.Louise explains, "The five MOVES Projects in Staffordshire work with young people aged 14 to 19 who are disaffected and socially excluded. Our Project Workers help them to identify their skills and interests, and prepare them for mainstream further education, training and employment. The Youth Achievement Awards are a central feature of this work, as they provide a young, person-friendly structure, and are flexible enough to meet everyone's needs, and MOVES Projects are an integral part of NACRO's work to reduce crime and promote social inclution.

"In-house training is available for each young person, and qualifications including Youth Achievement Awards and OCR National Skills Profile at various levels. " While Louise was working for Stoke-on-Trent Youth Service she become a Moderator for Youth Achievement Awards, and took her skills and enthusiasm for the Awards with her to NACRO. "MOVES Project encourages young people to identify their own needs and develop an action plan in collaboration with their key worker. MOVES is client centred and focuses on the individual needs and requirements of the young person," Louise adds. It is because MOVES Project and Touth Achievement Awards share a similar vision that NACRO in Staffordshire has found the Awards their ideal partner for accreditation. Seventeen young people from the MOVES Projects in Stoke-on-Trent received their Bronze Youth Achievement Awards at a ceremony on 23 June 2000, where local Member of Parliament, Lin Golding MP, and Christopher Ward, NACRO Area Manager, presented the Award certificates. More than 100 parents, friends and invited guests attended the presentation to celebrate the hard work and achievement of the young people, many of whom had overcome considerable personal and social difficulties.

The Advisory Team want examples of good practice in the use of the Youth Achievement Awards around the country . At the Accreditation meetings discussions often take place with those attending from the regions. However, it would be useful for others to share these experiences as it would help support and give confidence to those youth/project workers that the programme does work. Indeed, it would also help to show the young people that others in similar settings have gained a tremendous amount by being involved. So, if you have had a project that has worked well - tell us aqbout it. It may even gain publicity in this Newsletter, which will recognise your good work, as well as the achievements of the young people, involved.

Spectrum Peer Education Project

Just recently Youth action Northern Ireland has included the Spectrum Project, a Community Relations Peer Education programme, into the Youth Achievement Awards, enabling young people to gain accreditation for participation in such important work.
The Spectrum project will be targeting 60 young men and women aged 16 to 25 from the Waterside area of Derry. Where there is a need to encourage community relations and community leadership, especially among young people.
For further information about this exciting project, contact Martin Smith via the Youth Action Northern Ireland office:
Marcus Sprott
Youth Action N.I.
Hampton
Glenmachan Park
Belfast BT15 1AB

Tel: 028-9032-6710
Fax: 9076-8799.

Stop Press!...

The first portfolios were recently produced by young men in HMP Moorland in the North East of England. Several of the young men are keen to continue to complete higher levels of the Awards. At least one other Young Offenders Institution is actively considering introducing the Awards into its programme.
A number of new training modules are currently being planned to help provide more through support to workers and agencies using Youth Achievement Awards.

Cornwall's a WILD PLACE

Twenty-one young mothers were presented with Youth Achievement Awards in Cornwall, at a special ceremony at County Hall, Truro on 11 July 2000, organised by the WILD Young Parents Project.
WILD was one of the organisations which piloted Youth Achievement Awards in 1996, since when the Awards have become a core element of their work. So, the presentation, by Louise Midgeley from Carlton TV, of 19 Bronze, 10 Silver and one Gold Award in front of over 100 family members, friends and well-wishers was a great success. The ceremony culminated in the presentation of the WILD Woman of the Year Award to Leanne Taylor, in recognition of her extraordinary achievements.