Many young people in Polmont have literacy issues so when the Juke Box project was created it was a great opportunity for young people to find their voice , express themselves , and share their ideas about how they could contribute to the shows . So , I would recruit young people and support them with correspondence so they could be part of the project .
Young people ’ s health and wellbeing was under pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic . Restrictions add to an environment that is already designed to remove people ’ s civil liberties . Therefore , efforts to look after young people ’ s health and wellbeing is beneficial . K ’ s story highlights how crucial this was :
It was [ the youth worker ] who let us know that K actually wanted to create two segments , and his second segment was powerful , important and so well researched and put together . His reasoning behind his segment shows exactly why it had the impact it did . He knew how hard it can be for the young men in Polmont over Christmas and wanted to provide them with some ideas and information on how to look after their own mental health , and seek support when they struggle with it .
The Juke Box initiative created an opportunity to train and upskill a group of young men in aspects of theatre and drama , that are useful outwith Polmont HMYOI and beyond .
Young men who were part of this group but have since left Polmont have asked how they can help develop and promote the Juke Box project . As a result of this we have been able to link them up with commercial radio stations . So , the project is having an impact beyond the walls of Polmont .
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