Exodus
Barnsley based charity Exodus provides diversionary education and activity clubs for children and young people to help turn them away from destructive lifestyles and choices.
Established in 2001, the charity was set up to fulfil an urgent need for more resources and support for disadvantaged families and individuals in Barnsley with a focus on turning young people away from criminal and anti-social behaviour.
A small grant of £1,500 from the Neil & Julie MacDonald Grassroots Endowment Fund for South Yorkshire and the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Fund has allowed the group to run regular weekend camps for families, teaching family values and running family orientated activities.
We take around 30 children out on each trip and the main focus of the camps is to teach the children about families and how to be a part of a family. One activity we do is to all eat at the table together to encourage a family environment. We also run cooking classes, go cycling, pond dipping, rafting and more besides
Martin Sawdon, Development Manager
The funding has allowed Exodus to take 110 children and young people altogether on the weekend camps, with four new junior volunteers joining them on the latest camping trip and around 20 new members also attending.
One of the children attended the clubs until she was 15 and didn’t want to leave the group and so came back as a volunteer. She has experienced a hard life; she had an unstable home life and was put in to care. Having Exodus as a constant and stable part of her life has helped her to make the right choices and she had gone on to do well.
Another one of our volunteers, who has trouble with his confidence and making friendships, has found a sense of family and purpose though his involvement in the weekend camps. He has discovered he has many skills and visibly glows when we express our appreciation for the very valuable contribution he makes
Martin continued
Exodus delivers its clubs and activities through community partnerships and is working to develop more so it can deliver its services through more centres and become able to undertake more outreach work.
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