Swan Highlights

Last week was the first week of the Easter holiday, and honestly, the youth club at The Swan Youth Project in Berkhamsted  was absolutely buzzing. It was so good to see the space full of life, laughter, and that real community feel. We were so happy to run our Easter HAPpy Camp , a holiday activity programme for young people in Hertfordshire. Huge thank you to the Hertfordshire Community Foundation — we really couldn’t do it without their support. Each morning started at 9:30

We had a really exciting visit from our local firefighters at The Swan Youth Project in Berkhamsted , and it was such a great experience for everyone. Our young people had the chance to learn about:👩‍🚒 career opportunities in the fire service🔥 important fire safety tips to help keep themselves and others safe🚨 what it’s really like to respond to emergencies But it wasn’t all serious… 😄We also challenged the crew to a few games of pool 🎱 and basketball 🏀 — and we’re pro

Yesterday at The Swan Youth Project in Berkhamsted , things got a bit messy… but in the absolute best way possible! We had the lovely ladies from the U3A drop by to bake with our young people, and honestly, the place was buzzing. There was flour everywhere, plenty of laughs, and that brilliant kind of kitchen chaos you only get when everyone’s stuck in together. It wasn’t just about the baking, though. It was about the chats over the mixing bowls and seeing everyone relax. On

Today we kicked off our County Lines Programme at DESC, and honestly? It was a powerful morning. Massive shout out to Amy and Luke from First People Housing CIC for joining us. Luke shared his own story about substance misuse, and you could’ve heard a pin drop. No scripts, no lectures — just raw honesty. It’s exactly what the students needed. We had some really frank conversations about the reality of things like ketamine and the long-term damage that people don't often talk

It’s already the second week since we reopened, and we are absolutely loving our refreshed centre! Every day, we hear the most wonderful feedback from our members and our partners at Mencap . It’s incredible to see the reaction — everyone who walks in immediately notices how much better everything feels. It has truly become such a lovely, bright, and welcoming place to be. A huge thank you once again to Peabody Community Foundation  and Lux Property Services  for the incredib

The doors are open, and it feels amazing to be back! We reopened today, returning to our usual hours: Monday to Friday, 3:30pm – 6:00pm. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. The most common reaction from our young people? “It looks so clean!”  The centre feels much fresher and brighter, and the new colours have been a huge hit with everyone. A massive thank you again to Peabody Community Foundation  and Lux Property Services  for such a fantastic job. Seeing the me

Take a look at these changes! The centre is looking incredible, and we simply cannot wait for you to see it for yourselves. This transformation has been made possible thanks to the amazing support from Lux Property Services , Peabody Community Foundation , and Connect Property Services . Thank you for helping us create such a bright and welcoming space for our young people. We’ve really missed the noise and laughter in these rooms, and we are now busy getting everything ready

Wednesday was such a special day for all of us at The Swan Youth Centre . We were absolutely thrilled to welcome our Mayor, Councillor Catherine McArevey , to see our amazing new renovations and officially cut the ribbon ahead of our grand opening. It was a lovely opportunity to show her around, chat about our transformation, and share more about the positive difference our work makes in the lives of young people. We are so grateful she took the time to listen and learn more

Even while our centre was closed for renovations, the heart of the swan youth project  kept beating! We didn’t want to miss our weekly catch-ups with our members, so we took our meetings on the road. We are so incredibly grateful to Waitrose Berkhamsted  for kindly opening their café doors to us. They hosted two of our meetings, providing a warm space, hot drinks, and delicious treats for everyone. It was so lovely to see everyone, catch up, and spend time together in such a

We had our first Life Skills session of the spring term with Year 12 students at Ashlyns School . Great students, so keen to learn and engaged in trying new things. Later on in the evening, I was watching Rick Stein  in India when he met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama . He spoke about the importance and significance of sharing food with others. This is one of our core values at The Swan Youth Project  and whilst the food is important, it’s the connections we make through

The new year has kicked off with a massive buzz at the centre! If you’ve been passing by, you’ll have seen that we are right in the middle of a big renovation. We’re working hard to repair damage from previous flooding and finally make the improvements we’ve been dreaming of for our young people. This transformation is only possible thanks to the amazing teams at Lux Property Services , Peabody Community Foundation , and Connect Property Services . They have worked tirelessly

We had a truly wonderful Christmas party at the centre! The Swan  was absolutely buzzing — full of young people, music, games, and that special festive feeling that makes this time of year so magic. A massive thank you to our "angel" Maggie Pal  and the team at Waitrose Berkhamsted  for their incredibly generous food donation. The spread was fantastic and very much enjoyed by everyone! We were also so happy to have Sandra  join us, and we are deeply grateful to all our volunt

Today  marked our final Life Skills  session of the Autumn Term at Ashlyns School , and we made sure to finish on a high note! To celebrate everything the group has achieved over the past few months, we spent the afternoon baking together. The kitchen was full of Christmas songs, delicious smells, and a really wonderful atmosphere as we made biscuits and shared some festive cheer. It has been a privilege working with this group throughout the term as part of our Life Skills