The charity KIDS are doing a survey to find out what young people know about personal budgets and short breaks and what their opinions are on these. If you're aged between 16 and 25 with special educational needs then please click the link below to have your voice heard.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SQDPN8T
When looking at the responses to the Dynamite 'Big Bang Surveys' which went out earlier this year one topic which young people were interested in was independence. This month we have been visiting young people to talk more about independence. We asked young people to write down their ideas about what independence meant to them on paper leaves.
Some young people talked broadly about what independence meant…
Being on your own
Real life
Important
Freedom of Speech
Get away from my sister
Doing things without my mum
Being able to do what everyone else does and beyond!
One thing which kept coming up was independence to be able to cook and make food for yourself.
Cooking x 5
Cooking (making your own lunch)
Cooking at home
Baking
Making my own meals
Food choices
Shopping was also a common theme.
Shopping x8
Managing your money
But probably the thing young people wanted to talk about most was travel and transport
School Transport (bus)
Trains
Steam Trains
Bus
Bus pass
Going home on my own
Getting around on your own
Walking to the bus stop on your own to get on the school bus
Crossing the road
Arranging your own transport
Using the train/public transport
Going out on your own
There were also some ideas about the kind of places young people like to travel to independently.
Going to Southsea
Going into town
Going to the cinema
Clubs
Bowling
Being able to visit Europe
Going to my nans
Being near to my church
Catch the bus to college
Seeing My Friends x4
Staying out late with friends
Going into school on my own
Meeting new people
Being able to go anywhere I want
Visiting family
Being able to wander at college
Some young people talked about living on their own.
Supported Living
Living on your own
Living on your own
Sleeping in on Mondays
Knowing there is someone to come home to
Some young people also talked about the responsibilities that come with independence.
Cleaning
Dishwashing and ironing
Responsibility
Can be lonely
Having your own responsibilities
We talked a bit about where young people go to find out how to be more independent.
Getting advice from older mates
Getting advice from older brother
Going to my family for advice
A couple of young people mentioned independence to pursue interests.
Using a computer
Working on my film making
The subject of jobs also came up as a way to be more independent.
Jobs
Do your own job
Having a job
Looking for a job
Knowing what is important to young people makes any service for young people better, thank you to all of the young people who spoke to us, it will help me here at Young People’s IASS to know what kind of information we need to be able to provide. If you would like to be more involved with Dynamite then email to get put on our mailing list or come along to our pizza evening on the 16th of July 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the Frank Sorrell Centre, Prince Albert Road, Southsea.
