SR Local

Streetreach Local

To launch StreetReach Local – we are giving away branded tshirts, hat and drawstring bags to the first 10 groups who register!

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At StreetReach we care passionately about young people having the opportunity to learn how change happens in communities and what their part is in making it happen; so we created StreetReach Local to equip group leaders with everything needed to run your own StreetReach. From the vision right through to practical resources, you can download all the information needed to plan and facilitate an engaging program for young people who are keen to create change locally.

Vision

The essence of StreetReach is to see young people feel empowered to create positive change in their communities; to know that their passion and ability is valued and to know they are making a practical difference. StreetReach Local is a four week program with a focus on Active Citizenship, Social Action and Creating Change. In just 4 weeks of purposeful working together, we can envision and empower small groups of young people to identify, plan and deliver a meaningful contribution to their own communities.

Program Overview

The 4 x 2 hour sessions offer a facilitated time of exploration and discussion where participants:

Have a say in what they think should happen in their town
Discover the resources to help make it happen
Plan, organise and deliver a local social action project
And most importantly, have adults who believe in their potential now, not just for the future

Sessions 1 – 3 focus on discussion based group work, exploring a specific topic via interactive activities and planning a social action project.

Session 4 is a half day or evening when the group carry out their Social Action Project. This is usually celebrated at the end of the day by a takeaway meal and the presentation of Participation Packs; these are typically a certificate of participation and some branded group merch (t-shirt, pen etc.)

Preparation Tips

While StreetReach Local can provide you with a great template and complete sessions, it will run more efficiently if some preparation is carried out in advance. Here are our top tips to running a successful StreetReach Local:

Scout some social action opportunities in advance. This can be useful if the group aren’t confident or are new to thinking about community change but do remember the ideal is that the group will come up with their own ideas, safely steered by adult leaders.
It can be helpful to make connections with local community leaders or council members who are active in the community. This is great for sourcing social action ideas and making long term relationships with other like minded people who can support your group’s work.
Agree a budget in advance. This is really important! In the excitement and passion of the moment, young people will come up with some amazing ideas but they often come with a hefty price tag so it’s useful to fix a budget and lead the group with this amount in mind. Community care packages and hampers are quite popular suggestions but typically come in at approximately £10 per package so it’s worth keeping this in mind.
It can be helpful to apply for local council or other community funding to help with this type of expense but this will need applied for at least 3 months in advance of your StreetReach Local. Other groups have sourced donations from supermarkets and businesses but typically, given the time frame and motivation needed, this is more successful with older groups.
Prepare admin in advance: insurance, risk assessments, parental consent forms etc. Make a folder off these documents to keep along with your session plans. If you’re able to work digitally then all the better for the environment!

Quick Links

partners

YMCA Ireland

Summer Madness

Education Authority

StreetReach is a collaboration between YMCA Ireland, Summer Madness and the Education Authority for the Carrickfergus, Larne and surrounding coastal areas.