March 19th, 2020

REACHING OUT TO VIRTUALLY CONNECT SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT PROFESSIONALS NOT WORKING, TO INSPIRE TEENS

REACHING OUT TO VIRTUALLY CONNECT SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT PROFESSIONALS NOT WORKING, TO INSPIRE TEENS AGE 13-16 OFF SCHOOL

What do you get when Coronavirus COVID-19 tries its best to spoil our fun? You get humans thinking above, beyond and being even more creative! And that's exactly what we are doing ...
• Sports is cancelled. Musicals are cancelled. Entertainment in the main is cancelled.
• And schools are now closed.
• The answer is obvious to the founder of Talent Within You.
• We are in the process of reaching out to professional actors, sportsmen, musicians and other inspiring professionals to donate an hour of their time while they are not working, to give inspirational talks via Zoom to Talent Within You members. Can you help us reach out to them?
• So far we have Eva Holt who has agreed to talk. Eva is a past professional British Champion in beach volleyball. She inspired our teens last year and we also painting the volleyball court wall.
• We need the press, schools and clubs to help us reach out to teens and share this exciting news
• We might extend the age range to reach out to more off school
Talent Within You is based in Worthing, West Sussex and has transformed the lives of teenagers. We help teens discover their strengths and then unleash them by finding opportunities. McLaren Automotive and Glendale Theatre Arts came on board last year to provide inspirational talks, exciting tours around their Technology Centre and work experience and scholarships. Rob Andrew MBE, Andy Thom (retired police diver), Oli Cooke (British Museum horologist) Lauren Jones, Professional Wheelchair Tennis Player Team GB, Dr Stephen Millam (Horticulturist) also inspired our members.

Vicky Vaughan, founder said: "I attended an online conference last weekend where 1000 ladies connected on a global scale. The vibe was amazing as many ladies were self isolating and the conference made them feel connected in a time of chaos. This virtual connection got me thinking. With sports and most entertainment being cancelled, even EastEnders, would these professionals be willing to donate just one hour of their time to inspire teens when they are off? This is also a social experiment to see how authentic #bekind culture really is, across the financial divides, in a time of chaos".

Talent Within You (TWY) raised happiness on average by 35% after each workshop. There were 7 in total in 2019 and we used this as a platform to attract funding to reach out to more teens. We believe that our virtual idea can help us reach out to teens on a national scale, if we can attract more speakers too.

Here is what one teacher said about one of his students who attended Talent Within You. "C has always been a challenge, especially at lower school. He was regularly in trouble, mainly to disguise his low self-esteem and ability in core subjects. He joined me in Yr10 with a slightly better outlook on life and this improved as he realised that people were taking an interest in him. As he has completed different projects his opinion of himself has grown, as well as his confidence. So when he was put forward for your programme he was pleased initially and then feared the unknown. However, He stuck it out and completed the programme as you know. As he was doing so, his attitude changed towards his school work and he made progress, especially in his GCSE. His placement in McLaren gave him an insight into the world he could be in if he worked hard and with that got a Saturday job to develop his potential career in mechanics. Even now, he reflects on his experiences with yourself and McLaren, allowing me the opportunity to build on that to help him prepare for his GCSE’s. I doubt Charlie would be in this position had he not participated in your programme."
Parent view ... "Hello Vicky, I was so pleased that Emma came to all of your Talent Within You workshops. These workshops helped Emma push herself and test her limits as an individual. It allowed her to find new skills, learn new things and, of course, have fun! The workshops have had a very diverse mix of inspirational speakers, volunteers and venues which all added to the experience of the program and the enjoyment of the young people. They also had the addition of the chance for a work experience placement at the end of the workshop series, which added an extra challenge and motivation. Emma was lucky enough to get one of these places at McLaren Automotive in Woking, which she found an exciting and inspiring experience in a very unique and professional environment. This has supported her with her own Young Enterprise company – giving her skills to run a successful business. Talent Within You is a program built on funding, from individuals, but is something much valued and needed in today’s society. More funding can allow the program to reach out to more young people, offer them the same incredible experiences and opportunities to help them grow. It truly is a worthwhile program, something Emma has extremely enjoyed for it gives young people opportunities beyond the classroom, helping them explore themselves as individuals.
Good luck, Roy Phillips"
Member view: "Hi Vicky, Talent Within You, as the name suggests, is an amazing organisation; built on nurturing and growing young people’s talents through giving them opportunities to explore, be creative, learn new things and push their boundaries. I think it gives young people an amazing outlet to discover who they are as individuals, think about the world around them. The speakers and activities at each session both excite and inspire you, giving you new things to think about through exploring the careers and experiences of others. I think this is a very unique program and something directly targeting the younger generation. Especially due to the teenage rise in technology usage, something that gives you opportunities to explore life away from social media etc is, in my opinion, vital in a young person’s development. Being part of Talent Within You has been a fantastic experience, I have met new people, tried new things but most importantly pushed my own limits - gone out of my comfort zone. It has been something that has really helped me grow in confidence and has inspired and aided the choices I make. Furthermore, I was also given, through the course, an incredible opportunity to do work experience at McLaren; something I will never forget. The course itself has been something I started off nervous about going to, but ended up absolutely loving! I have definitely learnt a lot, each session has always been really engaging, different and interesting. But it’s not just the opportunities the course gives you that makes it amazing - it’s the kindness and passion of the volunteers who run the program who truly make it special. I think Talent Within You is something everyone should have the opportunity to experience because it is something both fun and motivating - it offers a different way of learning, giving you life skills important in one’s self development. It truly is something special. Thanks again, Emma"

If you know any speakers or sponsors or would like to help by volunteering, please contact Vicky Vaughan, Founder at vicky@talentwithinyou.org.uk. Or phone Vicky on 07909 693172.

Thank you.

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Tags: schools, Worthing

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