Finlea’s story: “It helps me to get out of the house.”

Hi I’m Finlea, I’m 14 years old and live with my mum, dad, four brothers, two sisters and our  dog Bonnie. I’ve been a member at Carlisle Youth Zone (CYZ) for six years. My mum signed me up as a member and joining CYZ gave me a place to meet people socially.

When I first started at CYZ I was quite shy, and my behaviour was very bad, I often got into trouble during club. Now I feel more confident, my behaviour is better, and I enjoy helping the staff during the sessions.

I now want to become a Young Leader at the Youth Zone to help other members who might be in the same place I was when I first started, as well as to help staff run activities.

I like attending the Youth Zone because it helps me to get out of the house. Being able to talk with staff and other members helps my communication skills and helps me avoid fights with my siblings.

The staff are the same each week, which has helped me get to know them and they’ve been able to get to know me and help me. I’ve learnt to cook and bake and can now do it independently. I love the arts and crafts area with Mark where I can make whatever I can think of.

CYZ has helped me become more tolerant in social situations and has helped me learn how to control my emotions. Being able to talk to staff when I’m struggling has helped me develop coping strategies for when I’m angry. The staff always explain why I can’t do something and the boundaries CYZ has set has helped me learn what I can and can’t do.

This has helped me improve my behaviour at school. In year seven I had 100+ behaviour logs. In year nine I had only 16 and my aim this year is to get no more than five.

CYZ has helped me improve my behaviour and understanding of what I can and can’t do.  I can speak to people now and my confidence has improved.