KEY+ Group: Travellers! No Rest!
‘Travellers! No Rest!’ is a group of six young adults who met on a Saturday to plan their KEY+ project but they also attend other groups together.
The aim of their project was to support a local pub and restaurant (The Travellers Rest) who do a lot of charity fundraising in the local community including supporting The Cheesy Waffles Project by giving a safe and welcoming space to meet for activities and events. The group were encouraged to give back to them and the local community!
The group told The Key that they had been “supported by The Travellers Rest restaurant for a few years with free buffets and use of their gazebo and restaurant so thought it would be nice to do something for them.”
The group gave back by clearing a piece of land that belongs to the pub/restaurant to make it a safe space for families, children and young people to use. They looked at different equipment that could go into this space and wanted to purchase a piece of play equipment to go into the garden area. The aim of the play equipment would be to make the garden a welcoming and usable place for members of The Cheesy Waffle Project and children and young people in the local community.
The group learnt important skills and information about health and safety and how to complete a risk assessment. They also met new people, participated in gardening and maintenance, liaised with people in authority, communication and worked as a team.
The Key asked the group what they most enjoyed about their project and they replied: “having the opportunity to do something else” and “tidying up the garden and helping to make it a safer and welcoming space.” They also said that KEY+ “made [them] think about the community and how we can all help each other” and “it’s made us understand how to work as a team.”
Overall, the group felt “really proud” of themselves and felt like they can do more community work. They were proud of the fact that they got to help other people and have responsibility for a huge, impactful project.
They then told The Key that they would recommend the programme to other young people, saying “give it a go” and “it’s worth it to get the experience of leading your own ideas.” It was a “good opportunity” for the group.
The facilitator of the project, Erika, noted how the group benefited from the project as it “brought young people with different learning abilities, disabilities and skill sets together. It made them understand how to learn from each other, help and support each other."
Their KEY+ Facilitator also gave advice to other facilitators: “listen to the young people and what they want to do, no matter what their ability, it is achievable.”
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The Key