At the age of 15 Chris was arrested in a nightclub in Derby in possession of Ecstasy tablets. As part of his rehabilitation/treatment Chris not only received support from his YOS worker but also was referred into the Enthusiasm YIP, of which Chris had already had positive contact through school holiday activities. He was assigned a Mentor who ultimately challenged and addressed issues in his life, as well as giving him support.
This led to Chris turning his back on a negative lifestyle and committing himself into making a positive difference in his community and resulted in him becoming a key volunteer within Enthusiasm. When he was 18 he applied and was appointed as an Apprentice Youth Worker where he was able to draw from his own personal experience as well as be a positive role model to the young people he worked with.
Chris now oversees the strategic direction of YIP teams within Derby; he is an integral part of the management structure and is often asked to speak at conferences.
Anna has been mentored by one of Enthusiasm’s youth workers under the Youth Inclusion Project (YIP):
“I’ve been on the YIP for about 6 months. Before I came on the project I was always skipping school, and my behaviour was really bad. I also used to run away from home a lot, take drugs and put myself into dangerous situations. I didn’t want to be mentored by anyone at first, as I didn’t want to listen to people. I got myself into a lot of trouble so I decided to give Enthusiasm a go.
Theresa has helped me a lot. She got me back into BIP (Behavioural Improvement Programme) and I attend all my days when I’m supposed to be there. I feel much more happier since working with Theresa and I feel that I’ve changed a lot in my life. I now have a better relationship with my family, especially my mum. I now feel that I am settled in life and Enthusiasm have played a part in that.
I feel that if Theresa hadn’t started mentoring me, then I would probably be still running away from home and still getting into dangerous situations and taking drugs”.
