ThE END OF ANOTHER YEAR...

This article marks the end of my eighth year in Chagford working for On The Edge and the beginning of the ninth. As I look back on what has happened over the last 12 months, I am left smiling at a huge number of things. Over this time, we have abseiled down the church to raise the final amount needed to develop the skate park and have seen that built and enjoyed by so many young people. We have also had the excitement of moving The Mess premises to somewhere bigger whilst maintaining its central location in Chagford, something which we were in great need of. As well as this, we had a very successful Easter camp in Cornwall which we hope to do again in the near future as it was so popular with all who came.

I could talk about many smaller things too that have happened over this year which have helped to make a difference to young people individually, from short, helpful conversations to just giving them a place to go to relax, see friends or even just rant and be listened to. Yes, it's important to run big events and trips and be seen by the community, but also, youth work is about being there to support and encourage young people on a day to day basis with whatever is going on. Big or small.
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As well as my words summing up some of this year, I thought I would give the young people a chance to tell you directly what their most memorable moments of the year have been with On The Edge and The Mess:
 
"I really liked The Mess camp because I still remember the knot we were taught by the Bush Survival Instructors"
 
"Since I've been at The Mess I've learnt two really good new games, they're so fun! Also, I get to catch up with some of my Okehampton College friends that I don't see at school."
 
"I enjoyed abseiling down the church tower to raise some money for the skate park!"
 
"I loved swinging off a cliff at Adrenalin Quarry. I tried to smile, but I couldn't!"
 
"I loved coming to The Mess. I have learnt some fun new games and loved doing the Giant Zip Line at Adrenalin Quarry"

reflection of our work with young people...

With all of the thinking about the 10 year birthday celebration I have been reflecting on the project and my time working in Chagford. Recently I have been seeing and understanding how beneficial On The Edge is to a core number of young people. We have many young people attend each group on a weekly basis and interact with the project, however, these are more often for the ‘fun’ sessions and coming to relax at The Mess. This is great and I really encourage this for all the age groups – and for most, that is where it stops because a need has been met. The real benefit I see is when young people start using The Mess as a place to come for support and guidance. In the last two terms, I have spoken to more young people on a 1-1 basis than I have in the last 5 years. These conversations have been varied but of huge importance for those coming to me for support. We have talked about things that they are worried or scared about, relationships, future planning (life after college), times when they just don’t know what to do or where to turn. I have provided a listening ear, time and space for them at a time when they’ve really needed it.

The reason I am sharing this is because often people misunderstand what youth work is all about, what it involves and why we do it. What most of the public see each week is a group of young people in a youth centre having fun – which in itself should be celebrated – young people actually being allowed to be young people! But often what people miss, or can’t see as easily is the behind the scenes work with individuals, a 10 minute chat or catch up, a hot drink and a place to calm down and time to talk with someone they trust, who they know won’t judge them and who can guide them and help them to work through the situations they find themselves in.

The view from the outside paints one particular picture.
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The one I have from the inside paints another - That youth work is valuable and precious to those close to it and that Chagford and the youth of the communities are very fortunate to have had a youth project running locally for 10 years!

What is On the edge all about...

Some people have recently asked us what our name 'On The Edge' actually means. For some, it will immediately link to the youth work in Chagford and the surrounding parish, but others are questioning “why don’t you change the name?!”

On The Edge has been running for around 10 years and for those who it has impacted and those we have worked with, it’s name means something.
We are reluctant to change it, however, below are a number of different articles I have written focusing on the various aspects of OTE and how they relate to the work we do. These articles are designed to resonate with different people and you may find that you are drawn to a certain aspect of the work I do. Throughout the different articles I will be expanding these aspects and what they mean to me and the effect they have on my work in the parish. These include On The Edge of...Faith, Society, Fun, Dartmoor, Your Seat and Adulthood. All these areas are part of OTE’s mission in this community.

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On The edge (of faith...)

This article is part of a series which aims to breakdown what On The Edge means and how we work with young people in our communities.

OTE was set up 8 years ago with a vision of delivering youth work to the young people within this parish. It was a project initially funded and supported by the different church communities before gaining increased interest from the local area as a whole. Because OTE was set up by the churches, our work will always be founded on Christian teaching and values. This is important and it is the reason why our past and current youth workers have been Christians.

Although faith is an important aspect of our work, we consider OTE to be a gift to the community and to the young people within it. This is why a lot of our work is secular and not including overt spiritual input. We realise that there is a time and place to share faith and because of this we run focused sessions which specifically tackle topics and issues around faith and spirituality. We do however feel that having a Christian youth worker helps to promote our faith within the groups that are run. Acting Christ-like and living in a way that positively shows God can be more attractive to those unfamiliar with church and faith. Therefore, we will happily engage with young people who ask questions about these topics, but don’t necessarily actively seek to be the ones starting the conversations. In the past we have found that young people are much more willing to discuss faith when it is on their terms and when they feel the time is right.

Another element of OTE which will be looked at in more depth later in this series is the importance of relationships. These are vital if we are to begin tackling difficult topics with the young people and the exploration of faith is no different. This is why we believe that secular sessions hold a great amount of value to the continuation of the work we do. These sessions are where relationships are built, not just between young people and the youth worker and volunteers, but between the young people and their peers.

With all the groups we run, we aim to create a positive environment where young people can freely get involved and be part of a thriving community. We want young people to come and have fun and feel safe whilst growing together through new experiences and play. Getting to know these young people better may in time enable us to tackle a number of relevant big topics of which faith and spirituality is just one. We understand not everyone will be interested in these topics and respect each young person’s individual views and values. OTE do however, want to offer more opportunities for young people to tackle the big questions in life and to have their views and values challenged but we are empathetic to the time and place.

on the edge (of dartmoor...)

It may be clear that with OTE being based in Chagford it is in fact on the edge of Dartmoor. However, it is not just location that makes this element relevant. Dartmoor is an amazing, vibrant place full of wildlife and woodland. It is a great place for holidays and quick weekend get aways and for those who like to trek the hills in search of something special. As well as this, we need to remember that this countryside is home to hundreds of young people. Some live in the local towns and villages, and others live further a field...quite literally! These young people don’t just get the picturesque views and snow filled valleys that others often dream about, but put up with everything else that comes with it 365 days of the year... poor transport, power cuts, wind and rain, flooding, social isolation and more.

This is their home and it is important to remember that. Because of this OTE saw a need for youth work in this parish and put their vision into action; a vision which focused around community. Not just community as a whole, including all ages, but one which creates and nurtures this amongst the young people we now meet. Community in these rural towns and villages are very visible and probably due partly to the fact they are so small. This is fantastic and provides great opportunities for everyone to get involved in lots of different things.
One aspect we aim to focus on is how young people fit into the wider community and what part they play. It is important for us all to show that we value young people and promote them in all we do. We work with some amazing young people and we are truly blessed. It is an honour to work with them to achieve goals within the community and see them grow as individuals.

The majority of young people OTE work with attend Okehampton College, which has the second largest catchment area in the whole country. What we have to understand is that a large amount of the young people’s peers are not from where they live. Yes, they may go to the same school, be in the same lessons, and share part of the bus journey home, but that may be all it is. It is true that school to some extent will provide a community of sorts, however, it is set within a formal, quite often rigid structure.

One of OTEs biggest aims is to provide opportunities for young people in the parish to begin to develop their own meaning of community with their peers who live around them. This is so important. The space created has so much potential for sharing, challenging and growing each young person as an individual. This approach becomes even more beneficial when working with those young people who attend different schools, for example in Exeter. For them, it may be that none of their school peer group lives within 20 miles of them. This is tough and doesn’t allow them as many opportunities to build on their friendships outside of a school setting.

The Christian faith believes that we are called to be in community with each other. To share, challenge and ultimately grow into who God calls us to be. Without community and interaction with like minded people, growth can be stunted. Dartmoor, although beautiful, can create issues for young people, which as adults we cannot fully appreciate. Our job is to listen and guide these young people and continually provide time and space to share and grow together as a community in their own right.