Harvey's trip to London with IZ Energy
This news story was written by Jonathan Aiken, Director at Cre8.
‘It was an amazing experience. It was exciting and inspiring and it completely cemented what it is I want to do. The people were welcoming and I’d definitely go back.’
Harvey's experience
These are Harvey’s words after a work experience placement with E.ON’s subcontractor IZ Energy.
The week long experience was kindly arranged through E.ON and Peaks & Plain Housing Trust. ‘If Harvey was based closer to London…we would have snapped him up ourselves’, from the Director of IZ Energy; high praise indeed and a credit to Harvey. Harvey’s mum said: ‘It was amazing for Harvey, just the right thing; but without Cre8 we would not be here’
Young people are awesome and we never know where their journey will take them. Harvey started with us when he was 9 years old. At the time he was challenging at school and very dis-regulated. He needed someone to give him time, do something with him, and talk. The primary school found Cre8 and the rest is history...sort of.
Harvey joined our Learning Plus Programme and came once a week. He did all sorts with the youth workers: cooking, bikes, taking apart a laptop, craft, fixing a game control...anything and everything. This was a time for Harvey to build confidence and feel significant.
He briefly left Learning Plus when he transitioned into secondary school. ‘This was a traumatic experience’, his mum describes. ‘He crashed and burned’. This was a difficult time and Harvey started back at Cre8 Learning Plus; just doing the simple things with youth workers – time to build confidence, time to talk, time to just be.
Harvey went through a specialist school before settling down at a local secondary school but still coming to Cre8 once per week. Harvey did lots at Cre8 but mainly talked and cooked. Youth Workers were able to give Harvey and Mum support as he negotiated life as an adolescent; building confidence in a slow and steady way.
Harvey developed an interest in being an electrician and studying at college; but how could we keep the much-valued Cre8 support going?
After doing his GCSEs and entering college, we employed Harvey on our Social Enterprise, Cre8 Facilities. Harvey washed vans for Peaks & Plains Housing Trust on a Monday and then Milk Floats for Creamline Dairies on a Wednesday. Mum says he never stops talking about it and just loves coming to Cre8.
It’s not just about washing vans, but the support, encouragement, and role modelling that young people like Harvey need.
Well done, Harvey
Harvey is now thriving in his second year at college. Timings don’t allow him to work at Cre8 but now he can become a volunteer and complete the circle. He will now be able to pass this on to others and keep it going for someone else.
This is the truly unique and powerful work that Cre8 does; and it’s just not one person or one programme; it’s not just 12 weeks or one year. It takes lots of people and organisations coming together, doing their small bit consistently over many years to make a big difference for young people like Harvey. Thank you to all.
Finally, well done Harvey. We look forward to seeing your journey progress and you being able to help others as a volunteer.
