How young parents enrich their lives

Project WILD Young Parents' Project

Purpose To provide holistic support to disadvantaged young parents

Funding Half from Cornwall Council and half from charitable trusts including Comic Relief and Children in Need. It costs about £275,000 a year to run

Background The WILD Young Parents' Project in Cornwall was launched by a group of young mums who felt local provision did not meet their needs. What started with meetings in each other's homes more than 20 years ago has grown into an award-winning charity providing a huge range of opportunities for young parents aged up to 23 and their children.

Action The project works with families affected by multiple problems. So far this year, 85 per cent of the young mums required support for mental health issues, 67 per cent for family conflict including domestic violence, 79 per cent housing problems and 87 per cent benefits, money and debt. "We're not just talking physical poverty, but emotional poverty," says project manager Jo Davies.

Referrals come from midwives, health visitors, social workers and children's centres. Support includes outreach work and home visits, healthy eating and cooking schemes, arts and theatre projects, and group excursions to the beach, countryside and swimming. A key part of the project is encouraging families to get more active and enjoy the natural environment for free. "A lot of our families may never have gone to the beach or woods before," says Davies.

WILD runs 11 groups across Cornwall for young mums and links up with the charity Brook to work with young dads. The project collaborates with other organisations including Cornwall College, Falmouth University, the Eden Project and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, as well as local health services.

Keys to success include the project's committed staff and the fact "parents are at the centre" of everything it does, says Davies.

Outcome Data from April to December 2013 shows 77 per cent of families have increased physical activity through involvement in WILD, while 41 per cent have sustained that outside the project. Sixty-nine per cent have improved healthy eating, while 14 per cent have given up smoking and 29 per cent have reduced smoking. The project has seen 16 per cent of families gain employment, while 35 per cent have volunteered and 81 per cent have taken part in training and taster sessions. Fifty three per cent have plans for future work and training, and 31 per cent have improved take-up of benefits.

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