Dear Supporters,

So March and Easter have come and gone……. Here is an update of what we have been up to in the month of March.

Prospex Detached

This month the contact team took some time out to visit Youthwise, a detached project in South Birmingham. We spent time with the team during the day and then went out with them in the evening on a detached session.

We were all really impressed with the project and their passion and it gave us chance to reflect on our own practice and methodology. There are not many chances to stop and evaluate your own work in this way when you are in the thick of it all, so this experience was so valuable.

We are hoping to see Youthwise visit us in the not too distant future and to develop this relationship.

One detached session had to be cancelled due to staffing in March.

Prospex Life

The Holloway School, Prospex Life Program is now well under way. Seven Young People started on 6^th March, on a 6 week programme.

The course finishes with a weekend residential in Surrey. This is where all the core values learnt over the previous weeks are brought together. This is our first residential run solely by Prospex (and not a third party). With this in mind we are in urgent need of the following:

12 x 2-man tents

12 x 4-season sleeping bags

12 roll mats

8 x 16 yrs old waterproof tops and trousers

4 x adult waterproof tops and trousers

6 medium buoyancy aids

6 large buoyancy aids

12 x splash jackets (for on water)

12 x canoeing helmets

6 x primus stoves

12 x bowls

12 x plates

12 x mugs

12 x knives

12 x forks

12 x spoons

4 x cooking knives

Can you help in anyway towards the above list - either by buying, loaning or giving new or second hand? If so please contact James at james@prospex.org or on 020 7607 7626. Your help and support will truly be appreciated.

Each Prospex Life course costs £7,426. This represents excellent value at just £928.25 per Young Person. If you know an organisation or even an individual person that would be happy to sponsor a course or a Young Person, please contact Beef (Richard Frankland) for further information on how to make this happen.

Prospex Works

Jay has now completed his work placement at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Michele, the chef responsible for his training, was extremely pleased with the outcome of this first work placement for the hotel.

It is our intention to follow this up with a second Young Person in early April.

Funding is exceptionally tight in this work stream at present. Our next injection of cash is not expected until August 2008.

If anyone can assist in funding a work placement for a Young Person then please contact Maxine. It costs £450 per 6 week placement. Can you help support a Young Person?

Prospex Families

No further news is available regarding our application to Children in Need.

If granted this will allow us to recruit a full-time family coordinator for 3 years and give the much needed support within our community. 

Prospex Xtra

Baby Think It Over started on the 3^rd March. This course looks at the whole area of sex education and the realities of being a teenage parent. The course runs for 6 weekly sessions (every Monday evening) for ten Young People and includes taking a computerised baby home for a weekend.

Also on 13^th March our Outward Bound Course for six of our 13-14 year olds kicked off. This involves 6 weekly sessions (one day a week) and then a residential with Outward Bound in Aberdovey, Wales. This will run like a Prospex Life course.

Our ambition this year is to run continual short term projects throughout the year so we can really engage with this younger generation. As with all our projects funding is crucial.

Our 2006/2007 Annual Report is now available online.

“Who Am I”

This month “who am I” features Beef………..

I am now forty one years old, married, with two beautiful daughters, and live in Morden, Surrey. I started my working life as a carpenter and joiner in Kent working as a tradesman and Site Manager for ten years.

I have worked as a Youth Worker, both volunteer and professional, for the last 25 years (13 years professionally). I then moved on to be the Youth Pastor of Morden Baptist church from 1994 until May 2005 where I worked within the church, the community and in local schools.

I have also led overseas trips where Young People work to help local people by using their skills, and have led social impact weekends in the UK. I have been involved in some way or another with Prospex since it started and now work for them four days a week heading up the Detached Work, Contact Work and Short Term Projects.

On my other weekday I can be found teaching music in a Morden Primary School, with an emphasis on percussion and samba. I can also be found leading youth weekends, retreat days, team building events, speaking engagements and running a web site offering resources for youth workers called spikyheaded

I have a passion to see Young People reach their full potential in whatever area that might be. I also have a passion for curries!

Visit our newly revamped website. Also tell your friends and family to visit and sign up to our Monthly Newsletter.

The Prospex Team & Young People.

Prospex Drop-In Centre 

Opening Hours - April 2008