XCEL PROJECT
Our mission is to provide recreational facilities
and activities for young people in Eskdale
Leadership
Leadership is an important part of the Xcel Project. The majority of our volunteers are under the age of 25 and we also want to give young people who have engaged in the project previously the chance to stay involved.
It is also important that young people are recognised for their achievements. The Xcel Project has a lot of young volunteers and we will continue to involve them in the Saltire Awards. This means they will be recognised by way of a certificate for the volunteer hours that they put in. It is worked out in terms of 10, 25, 50 hours etc.
We have been involved in the MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) programme in partnership with Langholm Academy. This was a new programme as far as Eskdale is concerned and is described as:
‘The MVP Programme isn’t a programme that teaches boys and girls not to bully or abuse, it is a leadership programme and provides an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills amongst young people. The programme seeks to inspire individual leadership from people faced with challenging situations. After discussing a particular issue the bystander is offered with a range of safe and realistic options they could use to prevent an escalation in behaviours. Many bystanders choose to intervene at the point of physical abuse. The MVP Programme seeks to have bystanders get involved earlier. It’s safe and prevents further harm to a victim or to the bystander.'
In 2021 we will be launching the Community Leadership Award in partnership with a number of local organisations. The award is aimed at young people aged 14-24. The young people will be required to volunteer for a minimum of two and a half hours with each organisation and commit to at least 10 hours of volunteering.
The young people will then complete a final session focusing on volunteering and leadership before receiving their award. Their volunteering hours can also be used for their Saltire Award.
The idea is that the young people will become more involved with the different organisations as well as helping them to develop their interests and identify their skills.
ACTIVITIES
Our activities form the basis of everything we do. We offer opportunities for young people of all ages to engage with the project, have fun, learn and develop themselves. We are always looking at new ideas for projects and activities.
LEADERSHIP
Leadership is an important part of the Xcel Project. The majority of our volunteers are under the age of 25 and we also want to give young people who have engaged in the project previously the chance to stay involved.
EMPLOYABILITY
We want to challenge young people to look at what they are going to do when they leave school or exit further education. We will encourage them to think about their future and provide them with the information and skills they need.