Organisation: Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wales

Project: Club Handbook / Leader E-Learning Modules

Contact: Grant Poiner

The organisation developed a Club Handbook to help support volunteers who were volunteering at Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wales member clubs. The Club Handbook needed to be clear, concise and be easily understood.

To accompany the Club Handbook was the design of two E-Learning modules. These were titled: (a) How to set up a BGC Wales affiliated club and (b) Supporting young people in a Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wales affiliated youth club.

This project involved all stakeholders within the organisation. Young people were key to this and were represented via the Youth Forum. At Forum meetings the young people were keen to provide their views of how the Club Handbook should look and what areas were needed to be included.

Even though the Club Handbook was developed using numerous youth work methods, the resource encompasses a variety of youth work methods that are made available for leaders and aspiring volunteers to learn about prior to working with young people or undertaking further youth work training.

As an Organisation we recognise that volunteers start working with young people before they have completed the Level 2 Award in Youth Work Principles and as such both the Club Handbook and the E-Learning modules help them with providing key information to help them support young people.

Both the Club Handbook and E-Learning modules are resources that will continue to be updated annually so that they remain current. As a team at BGC Wales we learned a lot through this process, and we were keen to take on the views of the membership. This included young people, Club Volunteers, Staff members and Trustees.

The resources which were developed have a benefit on clubs and their ability to better support young people through Youth Work programmes.

By improving the structures within Clubs and the standard of volunteering we will provide a better experience for young people so they can fully understand the rights they are afforded within a Boys’ and Girls’ Club. The resources explain what Youth Work is and how young people’s involvement is integral to the process and that their voice is encouraged. These are just some of the ways in that this project is benefiting young people and will continue to benefit young people in the future.

The whole organisation has benefited from its role in this project. Volunteers who supported the production of the resources have learned about other areas that can support their development. As a national organisation, our member clubs have been supportive of the resources and have valued the support and efforts of the staff members.

All these three themes were addressed within the project. All these are key areas for running a BGC Wales Youth Club.

This project will evolve and the resources will be updated on an annual basis to ensure that they still meet changing Government or policy guidelines. So far there are two E-Learning modules but there are plans for additional resources.

For more information visit:

https://bgcwales.teachable.com/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14jtpoHlpgfgwMLEzFyGk_2sI9PWapy5F/view?usp=sharing

https://www.facebook.com/BoysAndGirlsClubsOfWales/