When 15-year-old Peter Forrest arrived at Shipley-based Dream Achievers he did not have the confidence to speak in class, was being bullied and was in danger of getting himself into trouble.
Five years later, he has given a speech to delegates from 10 different countries at a European conference in Naples about his achievements. The Shipley resident, who has dyslexia, has turned his life around and is now working towards becoming a youth worker.
Dream Achievers uses the experience of working on a canal barge to help young offenders and young people who have fallen out of mainstream education gain confidence in their skills outside the classroom.
The youngsters referred to the project learn how to drive the boat and carry out repairs and maintenance. They do conservation work along the canal, picking out rubbish, installing bird and bat boxes, and tidying up the tow path.
They also help run popular canal cruises for visitors to Shipley, contributing to the regeneration of the town and the canal.
Other youngsters have been carrying out creative writing, photography and filming projects along the canal. And just recently young people designed, commissioned and helped reproduce the milestones along the tow path which were removed during the war.
The project has given Peter the confidence to go on an 18-month volunteering placement in Finland, and to go back to college and get the qualifications he needs to pursue his dream.
He said: “I am more organised, more punctual and more proud of what I do. Even if you don’t like boats, there are lots of opportunities out there for young people. No-one’s on their own.”
Peter has recently won a national award from the Young Achievers’ Trust, recognising the work of young volunteers in the UK.
Retired police officer Trevor Roberts set up Dream Achievers, which is an arm of the Bradford Motor Education Project. He works in partnership with a range of bodies including the Council’s countryside and rights of way service, British Waterways, the Environment Agency, Airedale Partnership and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
He says the slow pace of the canal and the chance to develop skills away from the classroom has proved beneficial to the youngsters, who might otherwise fall through the system.
“The canal is part of our heritage,” he said. “The young people are our future and we need to invest in both.”
Find out more about Dream Achievers at www.dreamachievers.co.uk
