JUST JOSHING PROJECT

WHAT IS THE JUST JOSHING PROJECT?

The ‘Just Joshing Detached project’ is an outreach initiative which is ‘detached’ from a building and meets young people where they are at. Using professional youth workers and volunteers, the detached project goes out into the community to meet young people, to establish contact and develop relationships with those aged between 12-19. We meet up with them on the streets, recreational play areas and parks around Tonbridge and the surrounding area. Some young people do not engage well in education or employment and can have little

or no supportive social structure or beneficial activity.

 

                                                              We use these unique opportunities to spend time to listen, help assess

their needs and  support  young people and where necessary take  control oftheir lives  and future.  We also

appreciate that these young people can or have suffered from bereavement, homelessness, neglect, mental

health issues or loneliness. We find our informal getting alongside early intervention and listening approach

works well in building meaningful relationships and connections in the community. Helping to fill in the gaps

often left by traditional educational and youth work systems. Signposting and walking with them wherever we

can in helping them make informed and challenged lifestyle choices.

 

We also conducted surveys with young people with startling results. We have gleaned an amazing insight into the needs and behaviours of young people, which have helped assist in initiating embryonic strategies and projects. It is not just the survey that has been amazing but the interaction, and building of meaningful relationships through conversation that has had the most impact in terms of understanding, in helping the project gain significant development in combating some of the most difficult issues facing young people today. In the New Year we are putting young people’s stories/testimonies on our website to give people a flavour of the issues that young people face.

 

Tragically, the one thing young people keep saying is that they feel that there is no one to talk

to.  This is where  the development of  our mentoring project  comes into its own;  helping to

match young people with appropriate adults,  just to have someone for them to talk to. If you

feel this is something you would like to get involved with, please email us at:

 joshuanetworktrust@hotmail.co.uk.   Hopefully this will help towards preventing some of the

tragic stories young people have been sharing with us about them, their friends and families in

thier community.