The VVU works with lots of brilliant projects and interventions right across the county. Projects that support young people in all sorts of ways – giving them a safe space to meet; providing positive adult role models; giving them access to mentors and counselling; helping them access sport, drama, art and other leisure activities.
Projects that support them when life might be difficult, they might have fallen in with the wrong crowd, be struggling at school or having problems at home.
We wanted to showcase these projects, and the support that the VVU, working alongside these projects can offer to parents and young people. Sometimes knowing what support is out there, and that you are not alone in navigating a difficult issue, is the first step to getting back on track.
Supportive films
On our YouTube channel are two short films: “Stranded” and “Who can you talk to?” seen from the perspective of the parent and of the young person. The films all show the way young people can be supported to turn their lives around, or avoid making bad decisions, if they have trusted adults in their lives and supportive youth organisations that they can attend and feel part of.
Our film Lines of Fear below shows how youth workers can make a positive impact on a young person who is struggling, and the importance of conversation and talking to your child
The films were all produced with students from South Essex College who used their own lived experience plus VVU written case studies to create the scripts and storyboards. The students also directed, filmed and acted in their stories, with support from the VVU and local film agency MOBIUS.
The films are currently being used by practitioners in youth settings to demonstrate to young people that no matter what the problem, there is always someone to help. Thanks to all the projects that helped us with the filming, and played such a crucial role in creating this content.
