Enthusiasm employs various different methods of youth work to achieve its objectives including mentoring, youth clubs, residential, learning , workshops, sports, dance and the arts are but a few. A key vehicle in delivering these activities is the Youth Inclusion Project (YIP) and Entry to Employment (E2E).
The principal aim of a YIP is to prevent youth crime in the neighbourhood in which it is based, by preventing and reducing the involvement in offending or anti-social behaviour of a targeted core group of young people aged 11-16 years.
We do this by providing a range of interventions and activities designed to reduce those factors most associated with youth crime, and to enhance those ‘protective’ factors that reduce its likelihood. Importantly, interventions and activities will be delivered in a clear and visible programme of work, and impact will be evaluated within a comprehensive performance management framework.
Ensure that at least 75% of the identified core group are engaged with 2 meaningful engagements per week.
Reduce arrest rates among the core group by 70% (compared with the twelve months before their engagement).
Ensure that 90% of the engaged core group are in suitable full-time education, training or employment.
5% reduction in first time entrants into the Youth Justice System
Reduction in the fear of crime within targeted neighbourhoods.
To add greater substance to the intensive targeted youth work, Enthusiasm has employed a broad approach to general youth work within the community to young people aged 11 – 19 years, therefore not only working with the most hard to reach but also engaging with a much broader and wider audience across its geographical area. We do this through a funnel process that we identify has four levels:
Level 1 includes a wide range of non-intense activities, including schools work in order to promote positive messages to young people; community fun days to encourage cohesion and one off events to provide a safe a positive environment for young people e.g. concerts.
Level 2 includes delivering a wide variety of youth clubs providing young people from the community “somewhere to go”, thus creating a diversionary activity from crime as well as opening opportunities for young people to socialise and have fun. Enthusiasm links in with secondary schools to provide extended school activities including drop-ins, and also deliver sporting activities.
Level 3 primarily focuses on working with small groups of up to 12 young people, delivering a vast array of interventions from employment skills, health education, independent living; crime prevention, music, graffiti workshops etc. We also run residentials which take groups of young people and as well out of their comfort zones and exposes them to a series of outdoor and team building challenges.
Level 4 as well as incorporating
the key principles of the YIP and working with those who
are deemed most at risk, level 4 will also provide mentoring
for volunteers which links with our academy to encourage
young people inter community development and youth work.
This level also provides signposting for agencies such as
Connexions and where necessary, provides counselling.
Our central message relates directly to the reduction of offending behaviour, to hold this up we have a holistic approach, which incorporates the Every Child Matters Framework., including:
Promoting personal, recreational and social development
Encouraging and informing young people of healthy lifestyles from diet to addiction
Engaging young people to have a voice and be involved in cohesive decision making
Encouraging and supporting young peoples’ education
Preparing young people for employment
Helping and teaching young people to develop positive relationships
Building up young people to develop confidence and successfully deal with change
Encouraging awareness of their/the environment
Encourage social justice
To inspire young people to be positive members of their community through volunteering
Enthusiasm delivers several educational and learning programmes covering areas such as behaviour, employment, healthy living as well as more informal learning such as music, sports, outdoor activities and the arts.
The programmes give young people a chance to develop new skills and gain qualifications that will enable them to more positively forward into either further education or employment. Within this programme, we aim to raise young people’s levels of confidence and self esteem by developing their personal and social skills.
The Message 
