Teenage Parents Project

The project is open five days a week and has been running for 14 years. Staff has trebled over the last three years, and there are now about 150 young parents who pay 50p per session to attend. The youngest parent so far was 14 years old.

Some of the courses and activities that the project offer lead to qualifications for young people attending, which enhances their job prospects as well as improving their social skills and self-esteem. There are more than 20 young parents trained as ‘peer educators’ to go into local schools and explain the realities of being a teenage parent. They tell their peers that it is not about pushing a beautiful baby around the estate in a buggy, getting lots of money from the government and a short cut to council flat.

Manager Deana Stone explains why teenage parents need help and support. “Their biggest problem is isolation. It’s all about building support networks and the young people supporting each other. We aim to extend this peer education work into women’s prisons in Bristol.”

Hannah has a son and has taken a number of courses since she became involved in the project four and a half years ago. She is now a qualified crèche worker and play leader and has paid work putting her training into practice. “I’ve learned lots of other things too,” Hannah said. “I used to be so nervous but coming here has built up my confidence. The same for my son, coming here and going to the crèche meant that it was easier for him when he went to nursery school.”

The project is not all about young mothers though. The Big Lottery Fund grant was partly to develop work with young fathers like Darren, who has two young children and has been involved in the project for about a year. Darren is now a mentor and uses his experience to give advice and support to new young fathers coming into the project and has been into prison to talk to young fathers there.

“The workers here have helped me a lot. I’m dyslexic and have had problems with housing and lots of other things and they have led me the right way and got me back on track.

“I don’t know where I or my children would be without the help of this project and the workers here. Coming here has turned my life around.”

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