Bell Tower Annual Report 2021
Our annual review brings you the highlights of our last year, alongside sharing stories of the positive impact we are creating in the lives of young people.
Our annual review brings you the highlights of our last year, alongside sharing stories of the positive impact we are creating in the lives of young people.
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nnual<br />
eview<br />
<strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> Drop-In<br />
021
Project Manager<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> has now been<br />
providing daily after school<br />
youth provision in the city<br />
centre for seven years.<br />
<strong>2021</strong> has been a year of significant<br />
change and growth, filled with unique<br />
opportunities to respond to the<br />
increasing challenges young people<br />
are facing in the wake of the pandemic.<br />
We saw a record high attendance with<br />
over 130 new young people registering<br />
with the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> in the first month<br />
of reopening on a full time basis in<br />
September; an 120% increase in new<br />
sign-ups compared to the term before<br />
the first lockdown in March 2020.<br />
It is a privilege to be in place to meet this<br />
demand, however we are aware that<br />
the long term impact of the pandemic is<br />
only beginning to show in the lives of our<br />
young people as issues relating to mental<br />
health, depression and anxiety continue<br />
to increase.<br />
A recent NHS report where doctors<br />
revealed that clinically significant mental<br />
health conditions among young people in<br />
2020 was 50% higher than in 2017 and<br />
surveys taken in Sussex schools evidenced<br />
that one in twenty young people have<br />
considered suicide and the same number<br />
practiced self-harming at some point in<br />
the first eighteen months of the pandemic.<br />
We at The <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> remain committed<br />
to delivering consistent, relational and<br />
attentive youth work on a daily basis after<br />
school, with the vision of bringing relief,<br />
support and opportunity to any young<br />
person in need.<br />
We began this year in lockdown,<br />
providing daily online interactive<br />
content and activities with the priority<br />
of maintaining a connection point for<br />
the most vulnerable young people and<br />
opened for limited face to face support<br />
group sessions and outdoor activities<br />
when Government restrictions allowed.<br />
We were delighted to reopen in our<br />
permanent location in the basement of<br />
the Cathedral <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> at the start<br />
of term in September, but were quickly<br />
forced to return to 104, The Hornet - a<br />
covid secure location to safely manage the<br />
larger numbers of young people needing<br />
to use our service. We plan to remain in<br />
that location until the spring.<br />
This year’s review aims to tell our story<br />
through <strong>2021</strong> as well as highlighting our<br />
future plans which we look forward to<br />
with anticipation, while remaining aware<br />
of the challenges ahead and the need to<br />
increase our capacity and resources to<br />
meet the needs around us. I hope you find<br />
it an encouraging read.<br />
Sam Harding
‘Feels like<br />
home’<br />
Partnership with Relational Hub<br />
RESEARCH<br />
PROJECT<br />
SUMMARY<br />
T<br />
This year, the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> took part in<br />
the ‘Feel’s like home’ research project<br />
conducted by The Youthscape Centre for<br />
Research along with two other UK youth<br />
organisations and in partnership with<br />
Relational Hub.<br />
From the interviews and surveys, we<br />
heard that drop-ins were safe and positive<br />
places, where young people received<br />
valuable support from youth workers.<br />
Young people felt their confidence and<br />
social skills improved because of spending<br />
time in these spaces, and many of them<br />
had accessed wider opportunities through<br />
the drop-ins.<br />
“…wherever the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> goes, it<br />
still feels like home. Like, we had to<br />
relocate, but it still feels like a home.”<br />
16-year-old male, <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong><br />
“You form such good relationships<br />
with the youth workers, where<br />
you can trust each other and well<br />
I personally really respected and<br />
listened to what they had to say<br />
because all the advice they gave me<br />
led on to good things.”<br />
18-year-old female, LYP<br />
“When you let all your emotions out<br />
and you talk about it, it does help you<br />
mentally.”<br />
17-year-old female, Thirst<br />
“I’ve done things I didn’t think I was<br />
ever going to do, like climbing that<br />
mountain. It was very tiring, but it<br />
was such a laugh.”<br />
15-year-old female, LYP<br />
If you’d like to read the full report please visit:<br />
www.relationalhub.org/feelslikehome
ommy’s<br />
Tommy has been attending the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong><br />
for five years on a daily basis. We are thrilled<br />
that he has agreed to share his story since<br />
first coming through our doors in 2016.<br />
STORYProgramme helped me to build confidence<br />
I started coming to the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> in year 7<br />
when I was twelve. The team ran an assembly<br />
at The Chichester High School and it looked<br />
fun, so I decided to give it a go.<br />
I remember feeling so welcomed into the space<br />
and was amazed at how cool and modern<br />
everything was, inside such an old building!<br />
It felt like a safe place, somewhere I could be<br />
normal, talk to people and play games away<br />
from the stress of everyday life. The youth<br />
workers and volunteers were always there<br />
to play games, or talk about stuff whenever I<br />
needed them. I didn’t really like to talk about<br />
my feelings to most people, but with the staff at<br />
<strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>, I’d just open up straight away and I<br />
found that quite surprising.<br />
People at the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> were different to<br />
people at school. They would actually listen<br />
and try their best to help me sort things out,<br />
and before too long I was going every day.<br />
Sam even came into school each week and<br />
we would play football and talk about stuff.<br />
It kept me away from the wrong crowd and<br />
I’ve now been going to the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> almost<br />
every day for the past five years. It’s definitely<br />
my second family!<br />
After two years of going to the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>, I<br />
became a Young Leader. Once a week I would<br />
join the volunteer team and help around the<br />
Drop-In. I made hot chocolates, counted<br />
the money, helped set up and clear down,<br />
which all helped me grow in confidence and<br />
it felt good to know I was trusted with stuff.<br />
I now have a job in a local cafe, something<br />
I never thought I would have been able to<br />
do, especially talking to new people and<br />
customers. But my time on the Young Leaders<br />
and now I’m earning my own money and get<br />
on really well with my team at work.<br />
When Covid hit, I was gutted that the<br />
Drop-in had to close, but during lockdown,<br />
we started Life Group online over Zoom. It<br />
was hard not meeting face to face, but Life<br />
Group meant we could talk about how we<br />
were doing on the inside. When restrictions<br />
lifted, we would cook and eat together and<br />
do big group activities that were different<br />
to the Drop-In. Life Group helped me to talk<br />
more openly about things in my life, things I<br />
usually never wanted to talk openly about.<br />
But talking helped me change things as well<br />
as to grow in confidence and of course, learn<br />
new cooking skills!<br />
The past five years at the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> have<br />
been life changing. I’ve been able to make<br />
lasting friendships, I feel like I’m nicer to<br />
people, more considerate, more social, I can<br />
talk openly and process my feelings instead<br />
of bottling them up, I have a job, better social<br />
skills and the way I talk to people has changed,<br />
as well as my opinion of myself, on life and a<br />
lot of other things. I’m also a LOT taller!<br />
It’s scary to think about leaving the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong><br />
now that I’m nearly 18, as well as how fast<br />
time has gone since I first came here. But at<br />
the same time, so much has changed for the<br />
better and I can see new opportunities ahead<br />
of me. I’m hoping to stay on as a volunteer<br />
when I leave and see others like me go<br />
through the same life changing experience.<br />
I will always remember the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> and<br />
recommend it to any young person thinking<br />
of going along!
Life Group<br />
Life Group has now been<br />
running for over a year and it’s<br />
been so exciting being on the<br />
team to see it take shape.<br />
The project was launched in late 2020<br />
after recognising a need to respond to<br />
an increase in anxiety and mental health<br />
issues among young people.<br />
In <strong>2021</strong>, the sessions ran every Monday<br />
evening as young people gathered to cook<br />
together, eat together and then engage<br />
in discussions, games and activities that<br />
focus on relevant themes in their lives<br />
such as bullying, self esteem, relationships,<br />
social media and much more.<br />
Many of the young people who attend<br />
the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> come from complicated<br />
backgrounds and so we wanted Life<br />
Group to develop with a culture of<br />
safety, inclusion, listening, and openness,<br />
replicating a sense of a family centred<br />
around the table!<br />
It was a privilege to see so many young<br />
people open up and share (some for the<br />
first time) about the challenges they face<br />
in their lives, and so encouraging to see<br />
others responding with care and support.<br />
We had thirty five young people attending<br />
Life Group on at least a monthly basis this<br />
year with an average of 15 attending each<br />
week. This has quickly become one of<br />
our most popular sessions and we are so<br />
excited to see it grow further in 2022.
Here are some stories from<br />
the young people who have<br />
attended <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> on a regular<br />
basis over the last year.<br />
Lillah - Year 8<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> has helped me to make<br />
new friends, where normally I would<br />
just go home and be on my own.<br />
Grace - Year 8<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> is really fun, Me and my<br />
friends go after school which I so look<br />
forward to, especially after a long<br />
hard day! The staff make it so much<br />
fun and welcoming, and I would be<br />
really sad if <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> ever closed!<br />
Zac - Year 9<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> is the reason I still feel<br />
happy and hopeful through the<br />
pandemic. It brings me so much joy to<br />
go there and have laughter, fun while<br />
playing games with my mates and be<br />
part of what I call my second family.<br />
I don’t really know what I would do<br />
without it. Most of all, the staff who<br />
run it are really kind, understanding<br />
and generous people who are great<br />
to be around.<br />
Ashley - Year 11<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
I’ve been coming for years now! The<br />
staff have taught me the guitar, and<br />
I’ve made so many friends. If it wasn’t<br />
here, I know that so many people<br />
wouldn’t have anywhere to go!<br />
Ruby - Year 9<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
I come to the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>, because<br />
everytime I come here, I have fun and<br />
interact with the best people around me.<br />
Phoebe - Year 8<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
I’ve been coming here for two years<br />
now and I love to come and see the<br />
youth leaders every day, as well as<br />
to have fun with my girls! I don’t<br />
think I would have any fun if the <strong>Bell</strong><br />
<strong>Tower</strong> wasn’t here. Life Group has<br />
also helped me with my stress and<br />
anxiety. I’m really thankful for the <strong>Bell</strong><br />
<strong>Tower</strong> and everyone there, especially<br />
because they have to put up with me ;P<br />
Alfie - Year 8<br />
<strong>2021</strong><br />
Why I LOVE The <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>!<br />
First, it has helped me make so many<br />
new friends, in a place I know I can go<br />
to beat stress and be myself. There<br />
are other things I could do other than<br />
the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>, but I still go every day<br />
because it just feels great here and<br />
the people are amazing. It also just<br />
feels really safe.
IN <strong>2021</strong><br />
17<br />
volunteers on team<br />
across the year<br />
1390<br />
attendances<br />
across all sessions<br />
1280<br />
hours of volunteering<br />
148<br />
sessions<br />
34<br />
Life Group Sessions with<br />
community meals cooked and<br />
enjoyed together every week<br />
24<br />
online support sessions<br />
through Lockdowns<br />
136<br />
individual young people<br />
attended in the first month<br />
of reopening in Autumn <strong>2021</strong><br />
Our first month back at the <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>
Financials<br />
The <strong>Bell</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>’s<br />
expenditure for <strong>2021</strong><br />
was £63,000.<br />
We receive the majority<br />
of our funding from<br />
local and national<br />
grant makers as well as<br />
receiving donations from<br />
individuals who believe in<br />
our work. Here is a simple<br />
breakdown of our costs.<br />
£63,000<br />
Staffing £36,600<br />
Volunteers and training £5,850<br />
Sub Projects £5,650<br />
Partnerships and consultancy £5,500<br />
Centre maintenance and utilities £5,200<br />
New equipment £3,000<br />
In session expenses £1,200<br />
We’d like to thank all our generous funders for<br />
supporting our work in the last year.
Donate<br />
If you would like to partner with us financially,<br />
you can donate in a number of ways.<br />
Online<br />
Scan the above<br />
QR code to go to<br />
our website.<br />
Bank transfer<br />
To:<br />
CAF Bank,<br />
Chichester City<br />
Centre Drop-In,<br />
40-52-40<br />
00025627<br />
Cheque<br />
Post to:<br />
Chichester City<br />
Centre Drop-In,<br />
104 The Hornet,<br />
Chichester,<br />
West Sussex<br />
PO19 7JR
Home<br />
way from<br />
ome”<br />
Chichester City Centre Drop-In<br />
Registered office 104 The Hornet<br />
Chichester<br />
West Sussex<br />
PO19 7JR<br />
Charity Registration Number 1154818