Previous work with the charity AMAZE had seen train travel training and a short trip to Eastbourne. The group coordinator was keen to encourage more young people to participate in the programme to build confidence, life skills and address some anxieties around train travel.
For some of the group worries about travelling by train had previously been a barrier to choosing this method of travel. A variety of challenged were tackled in the training to try to boost confidence. Young people talked about their and other peoples behaviour on the train and how to stay safe.
It was a challenge for some to attended the train trip and we worked hard to support where worries arose.
The group coordinator was keen to challenge the young people at AMAZE so we arranged a longer trip to London Blackfriars and then on to the Tate Modern gallery.
For those young people who had not been to the previous workshop training the workshop was repeated highlighting how to plan your journey, stay safe on railways and personal safety tips. The following week we met together to take the trip to London. Young people helped to support each other to give confidence when arriving at the station and then boarding the train.
As a group we looked at various aspects of the station and how we would keep safe and what to do if we experienced a problem such as a lost ticket and being unsure how to find our train. We looked at trusted adults who we may approach and our expected behaviour on the train.
Arriving at Blackfriars worked well since it is a relatively quiet station and a short walk to the museum. The group supported each other well and agreed they felt more confident for future trips.
