Making dreams come true in Mole Valley

This summer Mole Valley Housing Association (MVHA), part of leading affordable housing provider Circle Anglia, is making dreams come true for 30 young people in Mole Valley. Over the summer holidays, young people aged seven to 18, will be taking part in the Mole Valley Dreamscheme project. Young people will do different kinds of work to make their neighbourhood a better place to live and earn points that they can trade for trips at the end of the project.

The work will include anything from weeding and planting, litter picking, repairing fencing or organising activities for children. This week the group is putting on a tea morning for residents at Clements House sheltered scheme in Leatherhead on Wednesday, and at Norfolk Court sheltered scheme in Dorking on Thursday from 1pm until 2:30pm.

Over the next two weeks the Mole Valley Housing Association team has organised two work days per week in Dorking and one work day in Leatherhead for the group. Each day consists of two sessions and the young people earn their points according to how many sessions they attend. Next week the Dreamscheme team will be running a free car wash at the Bridge Youth Club. The events are planned and overseen by qualified youth workers, and carried out with the help of Mole Valley Housing Association staff and volunteers.

The Dreamscheme participants will be rewarded for their work and engagement during the last week of the summer holidays, when they can decide how they want to spend their points.

The project is being organised by Mole Valley Housing Association, in partnership with Surrey County Council youth development service, Liquid Connection, Leatherhead youth project, Links Partnership and volunteers from the community.

Michelle McSorley, community development officer for Mole Valley Housing Association, said: “We are really excited about the Dreamscheme project, which is an important part of our work to engage young people and strengthen our communities. We are passionate about enhancing the life chances of our residents. The project aims to reduce anti-social behavior and reduce vandalism throughout the project and we are looking forward to working together with the young people.”

The Dreamscheme project has been successfully running over the past 10 years in the UK. It grew from the experiences of its founder Kate King and the six years she spent living in the Flower estate in Sheffield during the mid 1990’s. More information can be found on: www.dreamscheme.org.uk.

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Note to Editors
For further information please contact Maike Riedel at the Circle Anglia press office on 0845 234 0824 or email pressoffice@circleanglia.org.

Last modified 16/08/10