Positive Steps

Our Positive Steps workshops are designed to

• Encourage young people to think positively about their life with and beyond their illness
• Set realistic goals to increase motivation
• Develop skills such as team work, public speaking, conflict resolution and active listening
• Gain an insight in to the business world and gain genuine work experience
• Rebuild confidence and motivation to return to education or employment and plan for a future beyond cancer

Since our last report, we have invited 20 young people to embrace their entrepreneurial skills and work collaboratively to develop a new, unique t-shirt design for Teens Unite. The young people were split in to four teams and assigned a business mentor who worked with them to not only create a new design, but to plan the launch and promotion of their t-shirt too. We took along a garment printer so that the teams could see their ideas come to life, and so that they could follow the whole design process.

We briefed the young people that we wanted to see creativity, innovation and unique designs that we could put before retailers to sell raising funds for and awareness of the Charity.

We were joined by business mentors from a private Charitable Trust, the UK’s biggest online shopping platform, one of the UK’s most popular High-End department stores and an international business consultant.

The young people were also supported by a group of designers from several UK businesses who all demonstrated a passion for creativity, imagination, design and inspired marketing. The designers were available to the young people throughout the day and supported them in creating their final design as well as their marketing material to create a product launch for their t-shirt.

Each of the teams were asked to create a business plan and to showcase their ideas in a ten-minute presentation to the Judges at the end of the day. Every member of the team was asked to take part in the presentation which was to be a real opportunity for them to “sell” their design idea to the Judges, share their design concept and their plans to market and launch their product.

After a spending time in the morning completing their business plans which ensured they created a cohesive vision for their teams, which they would then use to confidently communicate to the Judges, they demonstrated that they had considered their target audience, planned their launch and added their ideas for a marketing strategy, they then got down to the creative business and actually bought their design ideas to life.

After a busy morning, the young people headed for a delicious lunch, coming together with the Judges, who had been walking round and silently observing the groups, seeing the various skills demonstrated. Lunch was the perfect opportunity for an informal chat and for the Judges to familiarise themselves with the young people.

Lunch over, the teams finalised their designs and worked on their presentations ready for them to deliver later in the afternoon. The Judges, who came from different business areas, including independent boutiques and market leading financial service groups, were seated and ready to enjoy the presentations, marking the teams against a set of agreed criteria.

After each presentation, the Judges had some questions for the young people, and their responses helped them to select not just an overall winner, but some individuals whose performance was notable. The individual recognition covered, Best Leadership, Best Team Player, Best Presentation, Best Organisational Skills, Most Creative, and the Best Entrepreneurial Skills.

 After a long day, which saw four teams produce some amazing designs, all of which were worthy of recognition, the young people headed off to a Celebratory Dinner, taking time to get dressed up, and have their make-up done by some professional make up artists who kindly volunteered their time.

At the dinner, the overall winners were announced, and the individual recognition awards were presented. It was a fantastic evening where the young people celebrated their own and each other’s success, genuinely happy for their new friends whose achievements were recognised.

To everyone who has supported the Positive Steps program, sincere thanks from everyone at Teens Unite. 74% of young people diagnosed with cancer are worried about the impact that cancer will have on their future employment. Workshops like this help to provide the confidence to look for a future beyond illness, providing an excellent opportunity to work with and learn from the best in business.

This report shares some very recent work that we have been doing with the young people we support, so recent in fact, the young people are still at the event as we prepare this report.

For a five day period in August, twenty young people, who are somewhere on their own cancer journey come together for an unforgettable, positive and uplifting time.  They make new friends that will stay with them always, as they share something in common that they can chose to talk about or not.

Over the five day stay, they challenge themselves physically and mentally, some of them for the first time since their diagnosis.  During the stay, they get to express their thoughts and fears through the creative process with art workshops, they do some physical challenges such as archery, rock climbing and bell boating, and they take on our Apprentice Challenge, preparing them for a return to work or education.  They'll take part in a "traditional school sports day" and enjoy a BBQ before relaxing in the gardens, or playing games such a giant Connect 4, giant Jenga, or card games. They'll get social and enjoy a quiz night, karaoke and a bit of beat boxing. 

But before all that starts, there is a gentle pampering session where the young people are treated to some relaxing hand massages as they get to know each other over a delicious pizza.

Sessions like this, and the Thai Chi and relaxation sessions that they participate in on the second day are so important for a young person following a cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Cancer and its treatment can be stressful and the relaxation treatments and techniques that the young people learn, help to calm the mind and sharpen their ability to focus.  The combination of deep breathing and meditation learned in these sessions enable the young people to transport themselves, emotionally, to a place in which they feel safe and secure and better able to deal with things.

On the final evening of their stay, the young people attend a formal dinner to celebrate their achievements.  Ahead of the dinner, a team of beauty therapists come to pamper the young people, giving them a professional make over, helping them to come to terms with their new physical appearance, teaching application techniques and professional processes that will help to rebuild their confidence.  This confidence in turn helps the young people to move forward in all aspects of their lives.

To all of the supporters of this project, we offer our sincere thanks.  With your generous help, we are able to unite more of the seven young people aged 13-24, who, everyday in the UK, hear the words "you have cancer".