Our Stepping Stones to Employability Programme for Young People continues to flourish. We have partnered with Alfriston School, Pebble Brook School, The Beaconsfield School, Chiltern Wood School and Aspire Shortenills for some time.
The programme
A graduated path towards employment
We are grateful to The Rothschild Foundation who supported us with match-funding for this project for three years. Stepping Stones has enabled numerous young people to become involved in a wide variety of conservation opportunities that have helped them grow and realise their true potential. We are so proud of the skills, confidence, self esteem and team work that we have seen bloom in each and every one.
Reach
Reach of the Stepping Stones Programme
The map below shows the number of schools and individuals engaged in our Stepping Stones to Employability Programme over the last 3 years.
55
Stepping Stones programmes, 2023 to 2026
650
Individuals taking part
In their words
Praise for our Stepping Stones programme
“Your team work exceptionally well with our students through trust, encouragement and humour. Chiltern Rangers are outstanding practitioners crafting exceptional environmental activities.”
“Doing Chiltern Rangers has really boosted my confidence. Without doing Chiltern Rangers, I wouldn’t be as confident as I am.”
“One of our key aims is to prepare our students for integration into the wider community, able to enjoy & participate in life as contributing adults. The Stepping Stones Programme contributes significantly towards the achievement of this goal.”
Woodoaks Farm
“What an incredible young man”
Our Woodoaks Farm partners gave the highest praise to one of our long term Stepping Stones work experience students:
What an incredible 12 year old young man. Open, honest, earnest and SO hard working from 10-3 non stop. As we chatted he told me about his situation at school. How he recognises he can be disruptive and often has the impulse to walk out of class but with his ADHD medication finds that he can control that knee jerk reaction. It struck me that here was a wonderful example of a school leading with understanding and flexibility that allows a square peg to be a square peg and finds an incredible compromise and collaboration with a team like Chiltern Rangers. This was a FANTASTIC example of allowing a young man to flush out the stuff that would otherwise cause him to be pent up and put his energy into less positive things.
Woodoaks Farm
Watch
See Stepping Stones in action
The film below gives a visual taster of the Stepping Stones process that allows young people with Special Educational Needs to make a successful transition from the safety of a small special school setting into the world of work.
Get involved
Partner with us on Stepping Stones
We are always on the look out for funders, DBS checked volunteer leaders, corporate partners and young people’s groups to support our Stepping Stones project.