The charity, which offers advice and support to young people on sexual health and wellbeing, has said they are “delighted” to be one of the beneficiaries of next month’s Lions Club Swimarathon. Funds received will go towards supporting Brooks’ ‘Baby Think It Over’ programme.
The programme aims to teach young people about the needs of a baby, reinforcing how the responsibility for an infant can change a person’s life profoundly.
Young people participating in the programme receive one of Brooks 14 virtual babies. The ‘babies’ simulate the needs of a real infant and the programme participants must spend a full weekend caring for the virtual baby taking full responsibility for feeding, changing and comforting them.
Katie Walls, from the local branch of the national charity, said: “For over 15 years we’ve been running our highly effective ‘Baby Think It Over’ interactive programme, which, in the last year alone, has seen over 200 young islanders taking part. Additionally, we go into secondary schools to talk about the programme and this has reached over 400 young people in the last school year.”
Brook statistics said that 93.5% of young people who took part in the programme found it was a good way of learning about the responsibilities required to look after a young baby and 100% said they felt they had learnt something by taking part.
Ms Wall said: “Participants tell us that the programme teaches them how time consuming and stressful being a parent can be, and that they need to be mature and responsible when having a baby. It’s reassuring to know that the course is having a positive impact on the Island’s young people.”
“Like many charities, fundraising is vital in ensuring services such as the ‘Baby Think It Over’ programme continue to be available to young people in Jersey. Brook is delighted to have been chosen as a beneficiary of the Swimarathon, and would like to thank The Lions Club of Jersey and long-term sponsors, RBC Wealth Management.”
The 2017 Swimarathon will be held on 8- 12 March. This year, in addition to benefitting Brook Jersey, the Swimarathon will donate money to Brighter Futures, Every Child Our Future, Brig-y-Don, and Jersey Association for Youth & Friendship.