SNAP Youth: Enriching activities for young people

As part of their It’s About Me programme, SNAP Youth created a programme with a huge range of activities to appeal to all ages and develop a wide range of skills during the holiday period.

To enhance their programme and further widen their skillset, staff at SNAP Youth attended a training workshop hosted by StreetGames, which provided staff with the knowledge and equipment to deliver ‘Cook and Eat’ sessions at their holiday club.

The ‘Cook and Eat’ sessions teach children and young people the basic skills of cooking safely, how to prepare various fruits and vegetables, cooking using a tabletop hob and the importance of keeping your workspace clean, identifying ingredients and food groups, following a recipe, and eating a nutritious and balanced meal.

In addition to the food sessions, SNAP Youth used the It’s About Me club funding to create new experiences, taking a group of young people to the Theatre. The trip exposed the young people to new perspectives and a wider understanding of the world outside of their local community, whilst connecting with the Arts.

“The Holiday Activity and Food Programme initiative has been fundamental in supporting SNAP Youth to help young people overcome practical barriers, such as transportation costs and access to the arts.” SNAP Youth

It’s About Me holiday club providers are encouraged to use holiday periods as an opportunity for children and young people to develop skills outside of a traditional school setting. During the holiday period, SNAP Youth tasked their participants with planning a trip from South Normanton to Alfreton, locating specific landmarks, gaining information from community members, purchasing provisions and cracking codes along the way.

“Those top tips helped me, and I was able to enjoy talking to older people. It was really interesting, they told stories about history” Participant

The It’s About Me programme, aims to give children and young people the opportunity to try new activities and develop new skills ready for their return to school, however, these activities often have a lasting impact, as was the case at SNAP Youth’s weekly kickboxing programme. SNAP Youth offered Kickboxing as an activity in their Summer programme.

Two of the young people who attended progressed in the sport so significantly that they gained sponsored places at a local Kickboxing club in South Normanton. The sponsorship provides them with a paid-for uniform and a year of training and badge grading.