THE FLEX YOUTH & COMMUNITY GROUP
Highlights and Testimonials
In March 2022, The Flex Youth & Community Group opened its doors to the young people in the Basildon community with the hopes of providing young people a space to unleash their inner potential through our enrichment programs. Today, we are a recognised as the only youth organisation in the area for ethnically diverse young people, and have even gained recognition by some of the leading community partners and statutory agencies for all of our efforts. We are so proud of all the attention we’ve been getting, and are happy to share all our updates and feedback from our young people with you.
J.G
I originally went to youth to spend more time with my brother who attended the youth centre before me, although he is still part of the reason I go I have met some smart and wonderful people at flex. It has provided me with a safe environment where I feel like I can cry, scream, study and fail and be met with only support and no judgement. I have made many friends at youth which may sound stereotypical but I feel a great sense of community within the walls of flex. If you asked anyone who attends flex they could tell you at least one way that they have benefited from having a place where they can get away from home and be around a group of people with similar interests. Some will say the teenagers and the young adults of this generation need guidance and realistically we do. Youth is a place where teenagers can get guidance on situations. We as a community love and need flex and will keep routing for flex to stay alive :)
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Thank you for your time and please consider the future of the children who will lead our next generation
R.W
To me Flex means that I can have a place I can be free from stress and where I can enjoy and make new friends every week. Flex has helped me to open up and be myself and I have so much fun there. There is so many cool things I can do at Flex. I made a headband using a sewing machine with my friends and with supervision from Miriam. I have also been involved in topical discussions and I learn so much from different people's points of view and opinions.
P.W
Flex is a place where I can socialise and feel like part of this community with other people who are just like me. A place where I can make new friends and laugh. Every week I look forward to flex even when I couldn't attend because of exams. It feels like a place to escape from the stress of school and feel at peace for at least a few hours. It gives me a chance to feel part of this community and express my culture and opinions (topical discussions etc). It’s a safe place and I have also learned many new skills and have become more confident in expressing myself. Flex is something which was created for purpose, and made a great addition to Basildon.
A.W
Every week I look forward to going to the Flex Youth club. I have learned so much including: cooking skills and how to play pool! Being a part of flex has made me realise how blessed we are to be different and to be surrounded by others like us. This allows us to be free to express ourselves in different forms like: dancing, singing, and music. We are able to share our opinions freely knowing that there are people that can help us see things from a different perspectives without judging, even when we may not agree. Coming to flex is one of the best decisions I've ever made! I have made many new friends who made me feel comfortable when expressing my culture and my beliefs, and I love it here!