August may have been the summer holidays, but there has been no shortage of activity across Storyy Group. Throughout the month, our teams have continued to create opportunities for young people to stay active, build positive relationships, develop new skills and enjoy experiences that may otherwise have been out of reach.
Across Storyy Education, our summer programmes have combined sports, trades, cooking, volunteering and outdoor adventures with the consistency and trusted relationships that sit at the heart of our approach. While the activities have certainly created plenty of memorable moments, some of the biggest achievements have happened behind the scenes, from young people attending consistently for the first time to achieving qualifications, managing challenges and finding the confidence to try something new.
Within Storyy Homes, August has brought its own milestones as young people prepare for education and employment, welcome new residents and take important steps towards greater independence. It has been another month that demonstrates how progress looks different for every young person and why creating the right environment around them matters.
Here are some of the highlights from August’s chapter…
Alternative Provision
A Summer of New Experiences
Throughout the summer holidays, Storyy Education has continued to deliver programmes across our communities, providing young people with somewhere positive, supportive and engaging to spend their time.
Across our five programmes, young people have been climbing, cooking, boxing, building, volunteering, playing sports and getting out on the water. However, the real success of the summer has been seeing what these experiences have helped young people achieve.
For some, that has meant earning an AQA qualification. For others, it has been attending consistently, building a relationship with a trusted adult, remaining regulated when something became challenging or simply finding somewhere they felt comfortable enough to get involved.
Thames Valley Police Project
Our Thames Valley Police Project provided young people with a varied programme of positive activities designed around their individual interests and needs.
From football, boxing and games to footgolf, trades and Clip ‘n Climb, there were plenty of opportunities to discover new interests while building relationships with staff and peers.
Throughout the programme, we saw some fantastic examples of young people communicating positively, encouraging one another and showing resilience when activities became challenging. These moments are an important part of why programmes like this matter, giving young people opportunities to develop confidence and experience positive relationships in environments where they feel supported.
Wokingham HAF Programme
There was plenty happening throughout our Wokingham HAF Programme, with performing arts, boxing, volunteering, trades, arts and crafts and games all forming part of the summer offer.
Boxing proved particularly popular, with young people regularly sharing how much they were enjoying the sessions. Liam did a brilliant job of adapting the experience so everyone felt included and could participate at a level that worked for them.
Trades was another highlight, giving young people the opportunity to build their own birdhouses. The session brought practical learning into the summer programme and allowed young people to develop new skills while experiencing the satisfaction and sense of achievement that comes from creating something themselves.
Flexibility also remained an important part of the programme. When a planned activity wasn’t right for an individual, our teams adapted and found an alternative way for them to engage. It meant the focus remained on the young person rather than simply completing an activity, helping maintain positive relationships and ensuring everyone could be involved in a way that worked for them.
Reading HAF Programme
At Reading Climbing Hangar, our Reading HAF Programme created a welcoming environment where young people could enjoy their summer while continuing to benefit from structure, social interaction and positive relationships.
Climbing sessions incorporated games and challenges such as Hide the Bean Bag and an A to Z traversing challenge on tiptoes, encouraging young people to work on balance, coordination and climbing skills while keeping the experience fun and engaging.
Young people were also able to choose their own climbing challenges, giving them greater ownership of their sessions and opportunities to develop independence and confidence.
As with all of our HAF delivery, there was no expectation for every young person to participate in exactly the same way. Instead, the focus remained on creating an environment where individual interests and needs could be supported so young people felt included, valued and able to enjoy their experience.
Reading Diversion Programme
Cooking, trades, sports and rock climbing all featured within our Reading Diversion Programme, alongside a special mid-summer reward trip to GolfPlex.
One particularly positive story came from a young person experiencing holiday provision for the first time. They achieved 100% attendance throughout the summer, demonstrating fantastic engagement and consistency across the programme.
Students also achieved their Cooking AQA awards, combining an enjoyable and practical experience with meaningful learning and recognised achievement.
It is a great example of what diversionary programmes can offer. The activity may be what initially encourages a young person through the door, but the relationships, confidence, consistency and achievements developed along the way can have an impact that lasts much longer.
Woodley Diversion Programme
Adventure was definitely on the agenda for our Woodley Diversion Programme!
Young people experienced everything from Clip ‘n Climb and Disc Golf at Dinton to a City Escape Hunt, games at Finch and paddleboarding and Katakanuing at Wokingham Waterside.
Getting out into the community provided opportunities for young people to problem-solve, stay active and build positive relationships with trusted adults while experiencing something different.
Whether scaling a climbing wall or heading out onto the water, young people were encouraged to step outside their comfort zones in an environment where they knew support was there when they needed it.
More Than a Summer Programme
Looking back across all five programmes, what stands out isn’t simply how much was delivered. It is the individual progress behind every experience.
A qualification achieved. Turning up consistently for the first time. Giving an unfamiliar activity a go. Managing a difficult moment. Encouraging somebody else. Building trust with an adult. Finding somewhere safe and positive to belong during the holidays.
These moments may look different for every young person, but they all represent progress.
A huge thank you goes to our Storyy Education teams, Thames Valley Police, activity leads and partners whose flexibility, creativity and commitment have made these opportunities possible. Most importantly, well done to every young person who joined us this summer. Whether you climbed, cooked, boxed, built, volunteered, played, paddled or simply gave something new a go, there has been so much to celebrate.
Supported Accommodation
A Month of Growing Independence
August has been another busy and positive month across our three Storyy Homes, which are currently home to 15 young people.
Nine are preparing to begin their courses in September, while six are actively seeking employment and receiving support as they work towards their next steps.
With September approaching, it is an exciting period of transition. Our teams have continued to provide the consistency and encouragement young people need while also creating opportunities for them to take greater ownership of their everyday lives.
Making the Most of Summer
There has been fantastic engagement across our homes throughout August, with arts and crafts, board games, movie nights, football, penalty competitions, basketball and badminton all bringing young people and staff together.
Communal cooking has continued to be particularly valuable, creating a relaxed way for young people to spend time together while also developing practical skills they can carry forward into independent living.
Some of our young people were also treated to a go-karting experience funded by Absolutely Together. It quickly became a popular outing, particularly when the young people decided their main goal was to run their support worker off the track! Thankfully, everyone survived the competition and came away having had a brilliant time.
Welcoming New Young People
One of our homes welcomed three new young people during August, and it has been fantastic to see how well they have settled into their new environment.
Existing residents have played an important role in helping them feel welcome, getting to know them and encouraging them to become involved in life within the home.
Moving somewhere new can be a significant transition, which makes creating that early sense of belonging particularly important. Seeing relationships begin to develop naturally within the home has been a really positive part of the month.
Taking the Next Step Towards Independence
Another of our homes reached an important milestone this month by introducing periods of independent hours.
During these periods, young people manage the home without staff physically present while knowing telephone support remains available if they need it. It provides an opportunity to experience greater responsibility while retaining the safety and reassurance of support in the background.
The response has been incredibly encouraging. Young people have taken pride in looking after their home, working together and even using their independent time to clean and maintain their shared environment.
Perhaps most importantly, they were proud to tell staff just how responsibly everyone had managed. It is a fantastic example of growing confidence, teamwork and the practical independence that will support them as they continue moving forward.
Celebrating GCSE Success
August also brought GCSE results and another achievement worth celebrating.
One young person received a Grade 4 in Mathematics, and his fellow residents decided to make sure the occasion didn’t pass unnoticed. They secretly bought him a cake before surprising him at his bedroom door to congratulate him.
Beyond the result itself, it was a lovely example of the friendships and community that can develop within our homes. Seeing young people recognise and celebrate each other’s achievements made an already special milestone even more meaningful.
Another Chapter to Celebrate
August has shown just how much can happen during the summer months when young people continue to have access to the right opportunities and support.
Across Storyy Education, young people have experienced new activities, achieved qualifications, developed trusted relationships and challenged themselves in ways that worked for them. Across Storyy Homes, we have seen new friendships forming, educational achievements being celebrated and young people taking meaningful steps towards education, employment and greater independence.
As September begins and another academic year gets underway, we are excited to see where these next steps lead.
To learn more about Storyy Group and the support we provide, get in touch with our team.
hello@storyy.group
01344 987 877
www.storyy.group
