Victoria, Team Programme

Victoria joined the Team programme after she was unsuccessful in getting into college and felt bored and didn’t have anything to do. The Team programme gave her a purpose and helped her communication skills and confidence. Here she tells us about her experience and the impact the programme had on her.

Before the programme I didn’t really communicate with people I didn’t know, and when I started the programme almost everyone at the taster day was new to me. I have gained more confidence and I have developed my leadership skills.

It’s been challenging working in a group with many different people, but I’ve learnt that everyone has different mind-sets and even if you disagree you can learn to work with others. Even though you might have your own idea, you should still consult others as they might have a different view.

The best part of the programme was the residential. Everyone was really scared at the start of the activity with the Coastguard when you have to jump in the water from a height of 15-20 feet. But we succeeded by encouraging each other where you had to jump into the water from 15-20 feet but we were really encouraging of each other. Later, we went on a hike with the whole team and we worked really well together on difficult parts of the hike, if we needed help we would make a chain and help each other up. Everything changed on the hike, we started working together as a team, we made sure everyone was going to get through it.

Other people should do the Team programme because it taught me new things, it’s really helpful and it will help them develop the self more. And you will see things in yourself that you have never saw before.

“If I wasn’t on the Team programme I would probably still be at home doing nothing. It has shown me a lot and now I want to go and pursue my goal to become a pastry chef by doing some courses.”