The Reap Youth Development Programme, was designed to provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds a forum to socialise in a safe homely environment. We run a weekly youth club session, GCSE tuition classes, youth summer scheme and youth retreats. This year August 2016, we were funded through crowd funding on Spacehive to take a group of young people on a Youth week retreat to Macaroni woods, for many of the young people this was the longest they were away from home and for some the first time visiting the countryside. The young people enjoyed the relaxation and therapeutic feel of the woods, and had a great time feeding the animals, cooking together, having night time camp fire talks and spending quality time with their friends. Please see our video capturing the fun we all had. .

What we'll deliver:

• Food
• Travel
• Youth workers
• Accommodation
• Activities

Why it's a great idea:

Sadly, the Lewisham Borough has one of the highest statistics of youth knife crime, which has resulted in many young people losing their lives and as a result making the youth in the area, feel insure and unsafe to play outside within their community. The Reap Youth Development Programme, is a preventative programme to negative and self-destructive behaviour. There are many intervention organisations that are doing amazing work for young people, that have ended up on a destructive path. Our aim is to work with the thousands of young people who are staying positively focused despite coming from a disadvantage background and witnessing such negative behaviour. We want to accommodate and celebrate these young people and acknowledge their achievements as we feel that these young people get overlooked, by the youth needing intervention. Our aim is to keep these lights shining, alive, happy with a great sense of self-esteem, self-being and self-worth.

Steps to get it done:

• Book coach to secure dates to drop and pick up
• Check and book local activities available during our time away
• Confirm the youth workers are free to attend
• Contact Macaroni woods to secure the accommodation booking
• Order the food from the local Tesco to deliver when we arrive