Government awards further funding to CT
Challenger Troop is delighted to announce that the Department for Education has awarded a grant of £1million to expand our military style youth engagement programmes throughout London, the South and North West of England.
The funding will be used to raise educational attainment and support young people from the ages of 8 to 18, particularly those from a disadvantaged background and will be focused in 2 key areas:
- Prevention and early intervention: working to prevent pupils becoming disengaged with education, supporting those at risk of exclusion and supporting the transition between primary and secondary school
- Working with pupils in alternate provision with the aim of reintegrating them successfully into mainstream education
Challenger Troop CIC provides an extensive range of programmes with a military style and ethos utilising challenging personal development activities in a stimulating outdoor environment. All programmes are designed to engage young people, enhance their self-discipline, responsibility and attitudes towards others.
This funding will enable will enable Challenger Troop to expand its provision to support more vulnerable and disengaged students in Kent, Medway, South London and East Sussex in the South and Cheshire, Manchester and Liverpool, Hull in the North.
This funding forms part of a £4.8 million grant, awarded by the Department for Education, to six projects led by the ex-Armed Forces personnel to tackle underachievement by disengaged pupils. Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said:
“The lives of thousands of disengaged children have been turned around thanks to these projects which instil our wonderful Armed Forces’ values of hard work and discipline.
“That is why we are increasing the funding going to these important projects – so that even more children can benefit from the military ethos.”
Simon Dean, Founder and Chief Executive of Challenger Troop CIC said “We are delighted our work has received this recognition and to be given this opportunity to help a greater number of young people. We see first-hand how our programmes make a positive impact on a young person’s attitude, equipping with them with the skills to make a positive contribution to themselves and their community.”
Challenger Troop programmes instil teamwork, discipline, resilience and leadership in students through outdoor adventure activities, fieldcraft, bushcraft, sports, first aid, residential activities, mentoring and other group command tasks focused on improving attainment and behaviour.
Teacher assessment of the direct impact on 32 pupils involved in Challenger Troop programmes found:
- 77 per cent showed improvement in self-control and behaviour after six months with 10 per cent showing improvement after one day;
- 86 per cent showed improvement in the their social skills after six months; and
- 73 per cent showed improvement in their self-awareness and confidence after six months.
More outcomes information can be found here Our Outcomes
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