“I’m not too sure why I came to FOCUS. But I’m really glad I did.”
“I found out about FOCUS from my mum, who saw a post about their Summer Scheme on Facebook. Before FOCUS, I didn’t like going out, and didn’t have many friends because I was bullied at school. I’m not too sure why I came to FOCUS – I think my mum just persuaded me. But I’m really glad I did.
“At first, I remember being very scared! On the first day I really didn’t want to be there because I was so nervous. I remember the staff welcoming me and being friendly and kind. By the second day, I’d gotten to know the volunteers and other young people in my team, which helped me feel more comfortable. After the Summer Scheme I really wanted to carry on with FOCUS; I really enjoyed it. I’d also made some new friends, and I really wanted to come back and see them.
“I started attending the Inspire sessions, which the staff on the Summer Summer Scheme had told my mum and I about. I hoped Inspire would help me gain my confidence back, and improve my social skills.
“What I have enjoyed the most about FOCUS are the Community projects that we get to do – like Halloween, Christmas and other family fun days – planning and running activities. It’s something I would have never really experienced before coming to FOCUS. It was scary at first, but I felt really comfortable after trying it and I’m glad I got to do those things.
“It’s so difficult to say what has been the best about the Inspire Project. One thing would be the games we do. I’ve even run warmup games in sessions with the help of other young people or volunteers. I’ve had lots of fun and learnt a lot with them. I even showed ‘Scramble’ to my drama teacher at school, and now we play that there too! One thing that I have loved was The Inspire Residential trip. Although staying away from home was a new experience for me, being with my friends made it amazing.
“I think my time with FOCUS has been amazing. First I gained more confidence, then I gained friends. FOCUS also helped me make friends at school, once I felt confident to be myself around people. I started spending more time outside with friends instead of being cooped up in my home. I’ve learnt to trust more people and open up to people.”
“Without a doubt I would recommend the FOCUS to other young people. I’d tell them about how amazing the projects are, and how they will be able to meet so many different people.”