Our Latest Insights
Here you can read the latest on news, events, stories, and blog posts.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Aspirations and Future Planning / June 2nd, 2025
The Teenage Boys Mental Wellbeing and Aspirations Programme with Harton Academy
In February, we began another one of our wellbeing and aspirations programmes, this time at Harton Academy with year 10 boys. We delivered a series of workshops and activities, before taking the students on a trip to JUMP and go-karting.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / May 30th, 2025
A Visit from the Centre for Social Justice
On Tuesday 13th May, our Harton Academy boys’ wellbeing and aspirations group had a wonderful visit from Dan Lilley, senior researcher at The Centre for Social Justice.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Aspirations and Future Planning / March 27th, 2025
Boldon Colliery 'Bridging the Gap' Youth Employability Programme
The Boldon Colliery 'Bridging the Gap' Youth Employability Programme, supported by the Wellesley Trust through the Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Community Foundation, aimed to boost the aspirations, employability, and self-esteem of Year 10 students at Boldon School. Over 12 weeks, students took part in workshops on topics like healthy living, CV writing, and emotional wellbeing, developing key skills in communication, confidence, and debt management. They also visited Bay Plastics and took part in a team-building Go-Karting activit
Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / February 10th, 2025
Global Opportunities for Young People to Extend your Life Experiences
There are many opportunities to extend your life experiences outside of education or work, including travelling or working abroad. These opportunities are perfect for young people to learn new skills, meet new people and gain once in a lifetime experiences. For people who leave school and are unsure about what they want to do next, these experiences can be useful to figure out what you are interested in and gain volunteer or work experience which is a wonderful asset to your CV.
Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / January 30th, 2025
Careers Event at North Durham Academy, Stanley.
On Thursday 23rd January 2025, we hosted a Careers Event at North Durham Academy, sponsored by Karbon Homes, which was a huge success! We had 30 visitors kindly give up their time to speak to the students about their careers, job roles, companies and their journeys to get to their current positions. The students then had the opportunity to ask questions to the visitors to find out more about their choices at 16, what qualifications are required for their job and any challenges or barriers they have faced in their career.
Aspirations and Future Planning / January 27th, 2025
A Guide of the Grants and Funds Available for Young People in Education
Many young people in the north east may be eligible for grants and funds to support them through their education, from places such as Point North, Nat West or Atom Bank. There is a variety of support available for a range of ages and students at different stages of their educational journey, so check out this guide to see if anything is suitable for you!
Aspirations and Future Planning / January 15th, 2025
Supporting our Young People into University - Our Guide
One key talking point when visiting Newcastle University on our recent trips, was discussing the range of routes and support available to students from varying backgrounds, to ensure that they can still access the opportunities that more privileged students can access. This ranges from reduced grade offers, to financial support whilst at university, to a support network of similar students before they begin university; we have collated this helpful guide of some of these access schemes available in the North East.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Aspirations and Future Planning / January 8th, 2025
The Teenage Girls Mental Wellbeing and Aspirations Programme with Wellfield School
Recently, we completed this programme with a group of year 9 girls from Wellfield School. Some topics that we covered across the sessions included unhelpful thinking, friendships, self-esteem and body image. To culminate the end of the programme, we took the students on a trip to visit Newcastle University, an escape room and a restaurant.
Aspirations and Future Planning / January 6th, 2025
Business Roundtable Event - Time to put the North East on the Business Map
As a long-standing member of Do Business Network (DBN), I was delighted to be asked to attend the business roundtable discussion with Liz Twist MP for Blaydon and Consett, and Gareth Thomas MP, Minister in the Department for Business and Trade on Monday 9th December at Derwentside College.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / December 10th, 2024
The Importance of Vocational Visits to Aid Employability in Young People
At Building Self-Belief, one of the many programmes is the ‘Bridging the Gap’ Youth Employability Programme. Recently, this programme was conducted with year 10 boys from Boldon School. The first few workshops centred around improving wellbeing, and then the boys prepared for their vocational visit by working on goal setting, CV making and considering what makes a good employee.
Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / Know Your Neighbourhood Project / December 6th, 2024
From Consett to Chan Yu
The premise of Know our Neighbourhood is to get people volunteering, not just to provide the activities themselves. We were delighted when Joe Farnsworth signed up a s a volunteer, Joe had recently graduated with a Cyber Security degree from the University of Newcastle and was looking for opportunities to extend his skills.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / Aspirations and Future Planning / Know Your Neighbourhood Project / November 11th, 2024
Aimee's Exciting Start to a New Academic Year
After a busy start to the new academic year, our Newcastle University Intern, Aimee Wager, shares some of the incredible work that the charity has been getting involved in over the past seven weeks. She reflects on all of the wonderful opportunities she has been given since beginning her placement in September.
Aspirations and Future Planning / Know Your Neighbourhood Project / October 17th, 2024
'Inclusion - How to Include without Excluding' A talk for the Digital Leaders online Conference
A talk by Christine Thomas with thoughts about how to empower individuals, particularly those with SEND, and within the context of her experiences as a teacher and manager of English in secondary schools.
Aspirations and Future Planning / July 1st, 2024
Consett "Bridging the Gap Youth Employability Programme."
The Consett "Bridging the Gap Youth Employability Programme" was kindly supported by Newcastle Building Society via the Tyne and Wear Community Foundation, and The Albert Hunt Trust. As part of this the students consulted the young people of the Consett Area as part of the preparation of the Consett Area Neighbourhood Plan..
Aspirations and Future Planning / Know Your Neighbourhood Project / Benfieldside Community Garden / May 20th, 2024
Katie Baggott - Volunteer Podcast
Durham Community Action and Building Self Belief reflect on the impact Good to Grow Week has made in County Durham and chat about the power of volunteering to increase community gardening in the local area of Benfieldside in Consett.
Youth Social Action / Aspirations and Future Planning / Know Your Neighbourhood Project / April 24th, 2024
Iron Men of Consett
Building Self- Belief are currently delivering and Employability Programme at Consett Academy. As part of the sessions, we discuss the importance of volunteering and how impressive this is to employers – especially when young people are channelling their energy into a good cause.