The story begins...
For those who’ve been with us for many years (some of you, 7+ years!), you may be aware that Templesprings before the pandemic was located elsewhere in Grays Town Centre. This is where this story begins
How it started
About Us
Back in the old centre, Derin (our CEO) decided to create a safe space for young people to occupy themselves during the plenty of spare time they had.
Not alone, either. Thanks to the fantastic hard-working volunteers, Derin and his team was able to keep the young people busy.
Even years after, moving to the new location opposite Morrissons, Derin, his wife Bidemi and the same fantastic volunteers continue to deliver these sessions.
A team of coaches who aim to empower and inspire local youth
Our aim is to create an environment where young people can:
- Explore possibilities in the area of their skills, talents, creativity and aspirations.
- Express their gifts and talents through performance, volunteering, peer mentoring and work placement.
- Expand and develop new skills and their vision of what is possible.
We provide Barclays Life Skills training, placements for Duke of Edinburgh Programme, Work Placements for Schools and Colleges, and other volunteering opportunities for young people.
The Barclays Life Skills Modules is used to inspire and equip young people with the skills they need to move forward into the 21st century workplace. We explore everything from writing a CV to shining in an interview, boosting leadership skills, developing confidence, problem solving, creativity, communication, pro activity and learning to manage money.
We are focusing on social action projects including cleaning up the streets of Grays, offering gardening services for the elderly, bag packing in Morrisons, community car wash and many more. We are doing this to help our youth gain a sense of responsibility and give back to their local community.
We will have guest speakers from different professional backgrounds coming in to talk to our young people to help them get a better understanding of the areas of work they are looking to get into. We will be running different workshops to further explore what courses or training they need to take to land their dream job.
C3 Youth Program
Through our C3 Youth Program, Templesprings positively impacts the lives of young people (mentees) by aligning mentees with well informed, caring, and experienced role models (mentors); We provide Barclays Life Skills Training, work placements for the local college students, skills and volunteering opportunities for Duke of Edinburgh Program, so as to:
- Build confidence and self-esteem
- Bridge the ‘Aspiration Gap’ in young people
- Help them overcome barriers to learning and/or employment
- Help individuals take personal responsibility for their future including making healthier choices about lifestyle
Our programs bring families and the wider community together to celebrate young people’s achievement through our annual summer slam event. This helps young people develop all round emotional, physical, and social well-being.
Check out the playlist below about our fantastic Youth Group work
The C3 young people demonstrated strong entrepreneurial skills by working on a series of engaging business projects. The brief was to design a themed T-shirt inspired by a chosen concept or shared interest, which was then produced using vinyl printing. Participants worked collaboratively in assigned roles, contributing to idea generation and decision-making throughout the project.
Through this process, they developed a range of practical skills, including project management, marketing, design, and basic accounting, alongside their creative abilities. The initiative also supported fundraising efforts for the year’s C3 Social Action Project.
Playlist
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Social Action Project:
Each year, a dedicated community of volunteers, young people, trustees, and Templesprings staff—comes together to raise funds in support of local causes. These efforts enable us to purchase essential items and gifts for our annual Christmas Hamper Campaign.
The initiative is designed to support families facing financial hardship, residents in homeless hostels, and older people in care settings. We are also grateful to Giving World for their generous donation of hamper items.
The team prepare and distribute around 250 hampers to a range of local organisations, including Colourful Beginnings, a Thurrock-based homeless shelter, a local single mothers’ support charity, and Active Essex’s free school meal holiday programme.
In addition, hampers were provided to families attending our Templesprings holiday clubs delivered throughout the year as part of the HAF programme. Through this campaign, we were able to offer practical support to local charities and their beneficiaries, providing essential items and small, thoughtful gifts tailored to meet the needs of each group.
One partner organisation shared:
“Thank you for your generous gift to our residents. We are thrilled to have your support. It was a lovely Christmas surprise for our residents, who all appreciated receiving such generous gifts. You truly make a difference for us, and we are extremely grateful.”
Sanctuary Supported Living Manager
Playlist
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Commitment, Communication and Consistency
The three Cs, that’s what it means! But what does it result in?
It results in a community that you feel safe and empowered. A place where you can explore, express, expand and develop your gifts, skills, and talents.
How do I sign up?
Fill the form below to express your interest (this is not an official application form). We may be in touch nearer to enrolment.
