Jack Petchey Foundation Partnership

It is Sir Jack Petchey’s birthday today and in celebration we thought it would be a wonderful time to reflect on the amazing support Sir Jack and his foundation and have provided to Centre 404’s young people over the years, and what a successful partnership this has been and continues to be for our community.

For example, we have been part of the Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme since 2007 and have been able to honour and recognise the achievements of so many of our services users and staff, which means so much to them and to us. We are so grateful that this scheme exists and to be a part of it!

Also over the last year, we were part of the Jack Petchey’s Giving Something Back Grant and successfully increased the number of young people volunteering with us over 2020/2021 to 44, up from 17 the year before!

Our Volunteer Coordinator Josie at the launch event in 2019

These young volunteers contributed an amazing 1845 hours from January 2020 to February 2021, and were involved in all sorts important roles giving something back to their community, such as Telephone Befriending, Travel Buddying, Children & Young People Activities Assistant, Virtual Activities (such as Music Therapy, Cooking and Arts & Crafts) and even a Social Action Project delivered solely by our service user volunteers.

This project as pictured below included our young people creating small gifts, craft kits and personalised cards to send out to family carers identified as particularly vulnerable or isolated during the last long winter lockdown.

Our Travel Buddies were also particularly important during the reopening of youth groups in September 2020.

“Without the Travel Buddies, due to social distancing rules on minibuses, many of our club members would have been unable to attend when we reopened.” Said Josie Korda, Jack Petchey Coordinator at Centre 404. “The pairs have been hugely successful and travel buddies have been increasing their confidence and independence with travel as well.”

One such travel buddy was Liam, aged 16, and who won both the Jack Petchey Star Volunteer and the Centre 404 Volunteer of the Quarter in February 2021, for being so passionate and patient when working with his peers. Click the image below to check the full Instagram post and video of Liam.

These young volunteers really have been superstars, and as our Volunteer Coordinator reflected: “they are reliable, sensitive and care about the world and the community around them. Young people deserve to be given opportunities to thrive and when they are given these opportunities they show up and they shine!”

Follow the link here to check out our feature on the JPF blog: https://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/open-grants/giving-something-back-grants-boost-youth-volunteering/ 

#HappyBirthdaySirJack :o)