Waunifor Youth Club

Waunifor Youth Club (WYC) provides a wide range of interesting activities, trips and informal learning experiences for children and young people aged 13 to 20. Its mission is to: “To generate an atmosphere and environment where young people can find themselves within safety and non- judgement, where boundaries are reasoned and applicable and where self -responsibility and self-leadership can emerge”.

Its objectives are:

1. For young people to enjoy the thrill of being together and experiencing new things.
2. To do activities that may not have been experienced before, thereby broadening of life’s possibilities and opening new windows of opportunity.
3. To begin to feel empowered in personal life, work and education.
4. To build self confidence in self and with others.
5. To take responsibility for the welfare of themselves and others as part of developing life skills.
6. To have the fun of learning in informal ways
7. To have good memories from their experiences in the Youth Club.

It is based at Waunifor Centre, a community project, which has received EU support, in South West Wales, approximately 15 miles from the largest town, Carmarthen and 30 minutes from the Cardigan coast. Waunifor Youth Club has hosted a number of national and international events and activities, including in 2014:

• Y –Top “Skills for Living” 10 day programme attended by 88 young people and youth leaders from across Europe and the world, taking place in Wales and London. Young people attended the programme from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, USA and the United Kingdom. The youths enjoyed a variety of activities including a day on 'King Arthur and Merlin' with workshops, passion plays and designing their own shields; visiting and sensing a local nature garden, wellbeing and health workshop, kayaking, magic workshop, thai-stick dancing, ballroom dancing, kayaking, football tournament, carpentry, pottery, table tennis, cooking, music, badminton, mountain boarding, games. The Young people with support from Youth assistants took responsibility for the preparation and clearing up of meals as well as the cleaning of the cottages and communal areas. A full programme of 'open mind' sessions in the evenings included: sustainability and finding the future in you; negotiation skills and reading body language; health and nutrition; sacred geometry; self defence, CV writing skills; free writing; natural laws; questions about life.

• Family Centre Away Days: Family Centre staff and youth leaders have visited Waunifor to work on teambuilding, communication, conflict resolution and leadership skills, with a programme provided by Waunifor staff.

Waunifor Youth Club can partner with your organisation to develop programmes for Youth Exchanges. We can also partner with other UK and European organisations and we are keen to work with international partners. Alternatively you may wish to hire the facility for your own programme.

Waunifor Centre (www.waunifor.com)

Waunifor is an impressive residential facility with on site accommodation for 40 plus people, a large meeting hall, café and catering facility, a range of smaller meeting rooms and beautiful gardens. There is an arts and crafts facility, including a pottery. It sits in the Teifi valley surrounded by marvellous countryside and the coast is a 30 minute drive away.

Around Waunifor there is stunning countryside and the spectacular coastal area of Cardigan Bay where it is possible to participate in many outside and inside activities, which Waunifor can arrange. These include: kayaking, rafting, coasteering, rock climbing, archery, paintballing, 10 pin bowling, sailing, windsurfing, hiking and orienteering. The rural location of Waunifor provides visitors with a break from the temptations of being close by to usual city distractions.

Waunifor Centre has access to a number of leaders who are able to offer a range of activities in a number of areas and these include:

o King Arthur and Merlin myths and legends and the history of Wales
o Sustainability and the Future - creativity and innovation to find new ways in the future
o Well Being and Health - combined with practical cooking and chefing
o Crafts and Practical Skills Development – pottery, arts and crafts
o Sensitivity and Detection Skills at a special sensory farm 6 miles from Waunifor
o Team Building using games, activities and workshops
o Open Mind sessions in the evening on a range of topics such as: negotiation, self leadership, how to think, writing a CV, knowing oneself and many other topics of current interest and importance.

Y – Top Affiliation

Waunifor Youth Club is affiliated to the Young Template of Peace (Y-TOP), which is a non-political and non-religiously affiliated umbrella organization for eight youth organizations and groups in Europe and neighbouring countries. It is a rapidly growing network that hosts young people from now 16 countries in Europe and the world in yearly international non-formal learning events with a vision of peace and world citizenship.

Waunifor Youth Club 2015 projects

The world in which we live is experiencing enormous change, socially, environmentally and economically. Every moment we see break throughs into better ways of living and at the same time great turbulence and tragedy. Waunifor Youth Club is working on 4 projects for 2015 which aim to create opportunities for young people and youth leaders to develop the skills, confidence and networks to live succesfully in times of enormous and rapid change. It is actively seeking partners in the following four areas:

1) Youth Leaders Training: Self Leadership for the Future
2) Youth Exchange: Skills for Living
3) Youth Exchange: Skills for the Future
4) Youth Exchange: Knowing Oneself and Self Development Through Experiential Learning

Waunifor Youth Club has two projects underway already in 2015. It is partnering with 8 organisations in Europe for a youth exchange in the Netherlands called “Now the Doing”. It is also partnering with three youth organisations from Malta, Italy and Denmark for a youth exchange taking place at Waunifor. For both of these projects Erasmus+ grant applications have been made.