Ross Mitchell - Catalyst chair
Ross Mitchell - Catalyst chair
Offering support to young people
Navigating adolescence, school life, and sometimes home life, can be a difficult time for young people – and the last two years have only exacerbated the situation with periods of isolation and the suspension of normal social activities. Learning how to interact with people and build relationships, is the key to so many aspects of life, and so it’s very important to have a setting where young people can feel relaxed, be themselves and connect with others.
Tavistock Catalyst is a charity dedicated to helping young people in the local community, run by a group of trustees chaired by Ross Mitchell. It offers a range of social events, discussion sessions, support groups, and a mentoring scheme, designed to help young people ‘grow in self-confidence, self-esteem and reach their full potential’. The charity employs a full-time youth worker; 25-year-old Jack Hodge took on the role seven months ago, having spent four years with Catalyst as a trainee youth worker and mentor. He is ably assisted by student trainee Lily Doyle, and this dynamic team are passionate about creating opportunities to help young people. Jack was himself supported by Catalyst and Tavistock College, when he moved to Tavistock as a teenager after his parents split up, and is very aware of the importance of his work. Lily intended to work with the charity for a year before studying biomedical sciences, but has been so inspired by Catalyst’s endeavour that she has decided to focus on a bible and youth work degree, enabling her to continue with the charity for another three years. Catalyst is Christian based and all its employees and volunteers share a faith in Jesus. However, it maintains a clear distinction between the support group sessions, mentoring scheme and other social activities which do not have a Christian element, and Christian Union sessions where young people can take part in discussions and activities based around a bible study.
Much of Catalyst’s work takes place in Tavistock College, where Jack and Lily run four support groups, each with about eight to ten students from years seven and eight; the sessions involve some structural topics, such as the NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing, but also include time to enjoy activities and chat - a member described the group as a safe place without the worry of being judged. Catalyst also runs a team of volunteer mentors, who work with individual students for an hour every two weeks. Their role isn’t to fix problems, it is to ask the right questions, listen to students and help them set achievable goals. Jack often receives positive feedback from members of staff who see first-hand how mentoring is helping pupils. More volunteers are needed as there is currently a waiting list of students who could benefit from the scheme.
Free Tea Friday is a very popular Catalyst lunchtime event for sixth-formers, which actually involves more hot chocolate than tea, as well as free biscuits – both of which are common ingredients in many of Jack and Lily’s sessions, alongside doughnuts! Fifty to seventy students regularly attend, taking advantage of a chance to chat to each other, as well as with Jack and Lily. The Wednesday lunchtime Christian Union meeting, often led by Major Pam Smith from The Salvation Army, is the only Catalyst session in the college with a Christian element. Christians and non-Christians attend, and sessions usually open with games and activities (and doughnuts), followed by discussions, and then prayer. A recent meeting saw students taking part in relay races to gather cards of superheroes and match them up; Pam then introduced her hero, Desmond Tutu, and his battle for human rights.
Outside the college, Jack and Lily run a youth group on Monday evenings for young Christians in the Tavistock area, who want to learn about the bible and explore their faith with interactive sessions. Catalyst organises weekend trips for the group too, such as a visit to Heatree Activity Centre last year, with outdoor group activities and evening discussions. In addition, Jack and Lily befriend young people in The Meadows in Tavistock and have been working with Ali Mansfield in Horrabridge for a couple of years, establishing a safe, informal setting for young people to meet weekly, while they offer a listening ear and a plentiful supply of hot chocolate and more doughnuts. Catalyst has also previously worked with Mount Kelly and is exploring options for a new club in the style of Free Tea Friday.
Rosemary Best
Catalyst would like to expand its work so more students can benefit, but to achieve this it needs to recruit more mentors, and raise further funds to employ an additional student trainee. If you can help or would like to receive a regular newsletter, please email info@tavistockcatalyst.com or visit tavistockcatalyst.com for more details.