A youth and family centre at the heart of Walker for over 60 years.
St Anthony Youth Education and Support (SAYES), known locally as the Bostey, has been at the heart of the community in Walker for over 60 years.
St Anthony Youth Education and Support, known locally as the Bostey, has been at the heart of the community in Walker for over 60 years. Today its dedicated team works with more than 100 young people and their families, running a range of weekly drop-in sessions and a packed programme of activities from a new, purpose-built centre.
The aim is to create an environment where young people feel safe and can take part in a wide range of activities that help them build new skills and widen their horizons. As the team put it, youth clubs are not just about a room with a pool table: the Bostey offers the chance to learn new skills from cooking to photography, arranges museum visits and outdoor activity sessions, and provides support such as help with managing mental health.
Knowledgeable and experienced staff provide one-to-one support to help young people work through any issues they may be facing. Over the years the team has also built strong and trusted relationships across the community, so that their support extends beyond the young people themselves to whole families in times of need.
“This donation is a real game-changer for us. It means we have some security for the next three years and can look to expand the services we offer.”
Jodie Grieveson, Youth Project Manager, the Bostey
The Bostey was first supported by the Trust as part of the Newcastle Neighbourhood Youth Project, a group of seven youth organisations the Trust helped to fund some years ago. That is how we first came to know their work. Today we support the Bostey in its own right, as we do with most of those original projects, rather than as part of a group.
For the Bostey, that support has been transformative. Youth Project Manager Jodie Grieveson called it a real game-changer, giving the centre stability, room to grow the services it offers, and the confidence to plan for the future.
“Neighbourhood youth projects like the Bostey are making a massive difference to their communities, giving young people access to new experiences that build confidence and widen horizons.”
Sue Reece, Reece Family Trust
We fund grassroots organisations across the North East that help people live healthier, happier lives.