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What's Happening
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Dear God...
“Hardly anyone can ever find God because God is right at the end of your mind after all the background thoughts are gone.”
Maisie Satchwell-Hust

PROCLAIM TRUST
CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE


Our Progress



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Drugs education in UK schools is often approached in a purely factual way, which can prove to be ineffective.  When such facts are presented in a more personalised format, such as in the Classroom Resources, students can more readily understand and enjoy learning about the issues and problems associated with the topic. The facts ‘come to life’ and are more readily assimilated and retained in the mind. The learning process is immeasurably aided by such an approach to teaching. We believe that these resources will uniquely help to fill such a gap nationally, within drugs education programmes.
 
A survey carried out in 2009 by the NHS - The Health and Social Care Information Centre – on secondary school pupils in years 7 to 11 (mostly aged 11 to 15) found that around 180,000 11 to 15 years olds were regular smokers, around 540,000 had drunk alcohol in the last week, around 250,000 had taken drugs (including glue, gas and other volatile substances) in the last month and around 450,000 had taken drugs in the last year. Based on such concerns and a need for more relevant Christian literature the project was initiated.
 
It is our aim, with the funding received from Westhill, to produce and send the detailed ‘Once An Addict’ Classroom Resources to an additional 250 (187 have previously been distributed) secondary schools in the UK, of which there are approximately 5,000, and to offer follow up support to schools. Proclaim is currently identifying the next 250 cohort of secondary schools in the UK.

 



Update: November 2016

Proclaim Trust has now had 250 Classroom Resources produced. Secondary schools have currently been identified in:

  • Lancashire
  • Birmingham
  • Edinburgh and Glasgow

We plan to gradually roll out the Classroom Resources throughout the above areas. In November 2016 Once An Addict Classroom Resources were sent to 50 secondary schools in Lancashire. Brian Jackson from Restoring Hope Church, Accrington,  Lancashire is linked to several schools in Accrington, Lancashire and has been identified as a ‘Champion’ to help introduce the Resources in schools. Proclaim Trust’s Adelle Howells will be assisting Brian in this.

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A further 68 Classroom Resources are also currently being sent out, in stages, to schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham.

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On a recent visit to a school in Inverness Barry spoke to all the students in S5 (ages 16-17), with great feedback. The Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Smith, said she would use the Classroom Resources for the whole of the school!

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A mixture of twelve teachers and youth workers have shown initial interest and are being contacted to become ‘Champions’ in delivering / enabling delivery of the Classroom Resources in their areas / schools. Watch this space!

Great conversations are already taking place regarding this resource between students and staff and Barry. In a school, where Barry recently visited and promoted the Classroom Resources, a student, who never speaks to staff, came up and thanked Barry for what he had said and expressed that his story had had an impact on his life. The staff member who heard this was amazed and very moved by this reaction.
 



Update: Summer 2017

Throughout June 2017 a further 184 Classroom Resources were sent out to secondary schools in the UK - Birmingham and the West Midlands, London. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Swansea and Leeds. Proclaim Trust has been  liaising with schools to look at the impact of these Classroom Resources.  Classroom Resources have therefore now been sent to 234 secondary schools. In light of this the Classroom Resources have the potential to reach  approximately 21,000 students, aswell as many school staff members.
 
Feedback forms were sent to schools. Here are some quotes from students: “People can change after a huge mistake’, You don’t have to do what your friends tell you to do to impress them’. A number of students fed back that the story of Barry Woodward had changed their views regarding drugs and faith /church.
 
Feedback forms also show teachers are impacted by Barry’s story. From a school Barry visited after the Classroom Resources were used one teacher noted: ‘Excellent presentation skills and ability to draw in an audience with exceptional levels of detail, description, empathy and emotion. Relevance of subject material was superb, up to date and very relevant’. Another teacher wrote: ‘…..there were some key characters who could certainly take something from Barry’s story that were very engaged indeed…’
 
Barry Woodward has visited and spoke at 3 secondary schools that have used the Classroom Resources and will be revisiting these schools to speak again, at their request.