Kim is singing a song of hope (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Kim is singing a song of hope

8:52am Tuesday 24th August 2010 in

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Around 2,500 teenagers are excluded from school daily in the UK.

Exclusion from school can have a detrimental impact on a young person’s life.

Statistics reveal that two-thirds of the prison population have been excluded from school; 65 per cent of offenders have been excluded or truanted regularly; 44,000 school-leavers are unable to read or write and more than 50 per cent of excluded children fail to get any A-to-C grade GCSEs.

Sixteen-year-old Kim recalls being constantly on report at secondary school. Her behaviour led to her brief exclusion. Through the Pupil Referral Unit, she discovered The Lighthouse Group.

Music is a skill that will give young people self-belief

Dave Brons from The Lighthouse Group

Based in Bradford’s appropriately-named Hope Park, the organisation gives 13 to 16-year-olds who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion the opportunity to achieve qualifications and learn the life skills they need, in a structured, organised learning environment.

Combining education with personal development, they address their behavioural difficulties and issues which led to them being excluded from school.

“I found it was better than school. I’d do a few days there and a few days at school. I liked it because there were less people in the class and I could concentrate more,” says Kim. “I started growing up and realised I didn’t need to behave like that.”

Kim is one of The Lighthouse Group’s success stories. Her powerful singing voice has been likened to that of British soul singer Joss Stone. It’s hard to comprehend that Kim, who entertained large crowds at Bradford’s Mela festival this summer, was too scared to sing before discovering her vocal talent through the organisation.

Kim is looking forward to doing some recording at Bradford’s Factory Street studios, and she would love to land a record deal, but she remains realistic and is working towards a career as a youth worker.

The Outstanding Achievement award she recently received in honour of Philip Haigh, the man who founded The Lighthouse Group, recognises her commitment to change.

Philip had a vision to support needy young people in Bradford. He opened a drop-in cafe and youth club in the Apostolic Church in Great Horton, where he was an elder, and it soon became apparent that the number of young people attending were truants or had been excluded from school.

Working closely with schools, The Lighthouse Group gained funds from various sources to develop its services. A move to larger premises at Hope Park came two years ago.

Bradford remains the head office, but the organisation also has centres in several cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Reading and South and West London.

Dave Brons, who joined the group as a youth worker shortly after it was set up, says reasons why youngsters miss school include bereavement, being in care, bullying, family breakdowns, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and gang culture.

Dave, a guitarist who has played with Westlife, believes music is one of the most powerful ways of engaging with young people, and was eager to pass on his skills to young people.

Through a recently-launched music academy at the group, he is now fulfilling his aim of setting up a music school for disadvantaged youngsters, offering an eight-week course equivalent to a music GCSE. Young people can also gain songwriting skills, studio experience and perform live.

One student who was homeless when he came to the group picked up a bass guitar and is now studying at music college. He and Kim are among the many students whose lives have been transformed.

Statistics from across The Lighthouse Group’s centres show there is a 91 per cent success rate of young people remaining in education, further training or employment.

“My passion is music, but I believe that in getting young people involved in activities, we are saving lives, it is a big motivation for me,” says Dave. “It’s not just giving them a skill that will give them a nice hobby, it’s a skill that will give them some self-belief.”

- For more information about The Lighthouse Group, call 0845 5083242 or visit tlg.org.uk