These programmes have been delivered to disadvantaged and hard to reach, local, young people who are not in education, employment or training. They have been referred from Job Centre Plus, Careers Southwest and the Impact centre [formerly Connexions].

Our World of Work programmes are completely different from existing Work programmes available elsewhere, they include :

Workplace visits to local sustainable businesses
Beach and forest school sessions
Watersports which include surfing and stand up paddleboarding
Edexcel accredited Workskills qualifications
Work Experience, Work Placement and Apprenticeship opportunities
Long Term Mentoring after the programme has completed

Our success rate is 5 in 5 back to education, employment or training.

Press Release

For immediate release : SEPTEMBER 2012

Beach School makes significant impact on young people’s development

GB Boardriders CIC Beach School is an inspirational process that offers children and young people opportunities to achieve, develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands on learning experiences in a local coastal environment.
GB Boardriders CIC, based in West Cornwall, UK, have just completed two ground-breaking pilot intervention projects using their Beach School approach: One with a group of year 6 pupils from a local Primary School, and one with young 16-24 yr old NEETS (not in education employment or training). The projects were made possible by funding from the West Cornwall Youth Trust and the Tanner Trust in cooperation with The National Trust. In both projects the young people were given an opportunity to develop personal and social skills over a series of weekly sessions out on the beach in all weathers.

The designers and facilitators of the project, were Mod Le Froy and Sarah Van Horn, Sarah comments ‘after 22 years of educational experience I have been amazed at the power which Beach School has to create unique learning experiences and accelerate positive changes in the young people with whom we have worked,’ Mod continues, ‘this project complements the work we have been doing over the years working with young people using outdoor, experiential education as a significant tool to aid personal development and improved social inclusion.’

The NEET work programme “Shifting Horizons” included Beach School as an integral part of the intervention together with local work place visits and classroom sessions leading to an accredited Edexcel Workskills Award. This unique combination of youth work, outdoor education, workplace experiences and opportunities to gain a qualification has propelled 100% of clients into education, employment and / or training.

Impacts/Outcomes
100% of clients no longer in status
High level of engagement and enjoyment
Significant increase in confidence and self-esteem
Increased ability to self assess
Formation of short and long term work / education plans
Improved formal and informal communication
Improved knowledge of their local environment and feelings of inclusion
Improved risk assessment skills

Quotes from recent participants:
“I thought the project was going to be boring but I learned how to do a lot of stuff properly and have something to do apart from playing on my games console. The leaders have done a lot more for me than other people have and I have got a work placement and am applying for a Princes Trust Award so I can go to college to train as a Forest school leader, the same as Mod and Sarah.”

“I had an idea of what I wanted to do but I didn’t know how how to do it. Now I am volunteering for the National Trust as well as getting my Construction Health and Safety card and hope to get an apprenticeship on a sea fishing boat.”

Quote fro the National Trust :
“We are very keen to build on the partnership with Global Boarders and their approach with experiential learning. We share the aspirations outlined in GB’s approach using the outdoor environment as a stimulus to build confidence and independence in young people aged 18 – 24 which matches both the West Cornwall business plan, which has a focus on involving and providing opportunities for young people and our National strategies embraced in our outdoor vision of getting outdoors and closer to Nature.”
Jon Brookes, Countryside Manager, National Trust

Based on the success of these pilots GB Boardriders CIC plan to roll out their Beach School across Cornwall to a range of client groups including Job Centre Plus, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Cornwall Council and the NHS.

Beach School evolved from the Forest School movement developed in Sweden in the 1950s. In Forest School the leaders trust the young person’s own approach to their learning, observe and support it, and offer their skills to help the young person achieve. Outdoor experiential learning, which is different from mainstream learning, uses the outdoor environment as a stimulus and ‘teaching’ takes the form of dynamically responding to the learners during delivery rather than ‘planning’ what is to be delivered. On the sessions environmental education games and topics such as fire lighting and tower building were delivered in a supportive, inclusive environment that focused on tailored, self-development strategies through every activity.

This work has sprung from GB Boardriders highly successful academically evaluated Surf to Success intervention programmes that they have been delivering in Cornwall since 2006. Their innovative, Academically evaluated Surf To Success Intervention and Transition programmes have been analysed in partnership with academics from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health ; the impact of Beach school will assessed using a similar methodology and the academics believe that “GB Boardriders have been a fantastic partner in helping us try to understand the health, well-being and societal benefits for children and young people of interacting with coastal environments.”
Dr Mathew White, European Centre for Environment and Human Health