Our purpose is to operate successfully as a place-based community development charity that offers essential support, advice and opportunities to people of all ages in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
We engage above all with those experiencing poverty, social isolation or exclusion, adverse childhood experiences, and poor mental and physical health and well-being. Within the communities it serves, Valleys Kids has developed a wide range of programmes and support that provide opportunities and hope to those in greatest need, helping to tackle embedded cycles of deprivation. Our place-based methods of working mean that we are a first point of contact for advice, advocacy and material support which is used by hundreds of people each week.
Our vision is that every individual throughout their life and no matter what their circumstances should have opportunities for feeling safe and happy, making informed decisions, achieving their potential, and contributing to their communities and to society.
Our mission is to be there for all the people in our communities when they most need support in improving their lives, exploring new avenues, meeting others and enjoying themselves.
Our work is grounded in this vision and mission. Together, they provide the foundation needed for exploring how individuals and communities can realise their ambitions and grow in confidence through participation, creativity and collective action.
We are especially proud of the way in which we engage directly with people of all ages and support communities in operating a wide range of activities across many spheres of life. This includes community development, play, education, health, physical and mental well-being, the arts, family life, peer relationships, employment, skills, and housing. Valleys Kids believes that everyone has potential and sees its most significant role as enabling people to find purpose, believe in themselves, and inspire others.
We collaborate with people from environments which are disadvantaged socio-economically but rich in folk culture, sometimes without a voice or choices. With a wide range of partners, our excellent staff and volunteers work closely and carefully with people so that it is the residents and participants who play a lead role in co-developing the programmes and projects we deliver.Â
Valleys Kids is unique in the length, depth and breadth of its experience in place-based community development in Rhondda Cynon Taf. What makes this activity so special is how a child, young person or adult (regardless of their background, experience or financial means) can gain access to a safe space which allows them to see a world otherwise not imagined.
We seek improvements in socio-economic, environmental and cultural circumstances by bringing people together to solve collective challenges; maximising the impact of key community activists; developing strategies and solutions via person-centred approaches, grounded in engagement and participation, social justice, equity and sustainability.Â
To achieve our aims, Valleys Kids will continue to:
- Commit to free at the point of delivery provision, ensuring fair access.
- Empower local communities to shape the way in which services are delivered and to pursue opportunities for increasing the resources available to them.Â
- Encourage people to set the direction of our work, centred around their needs, hopes and desires, through effective communication, consultation and evaluation.
- Work inclusively in non-judgemental ways and in safe and trusted environments, ensuring access for demographics under-represented.
- Widen engagement of disadvantaged and marginalised people, people with protected characteristics, and communities with a diverse range of programmes and activities, broadening their experience and appreciation.
- Enable people who have complex lives to develop confidence in using their voice, supporting them to make informed decisions about their future and to connect with the wider world.Â
- Nurture talent and develop career paths with and for young people and adults, supporting them to access mentoring from professionals, increase their skills and achieve qualifications.
Promote and celebrate use of the Welsh language in the delivery of services by developing high quality bilingual experiences in a safe, inclusive and positive environment;
- Encourage people to consider themselves as global citizens and raise awareness of the issues around climate justice while also ensuring all programmes operate in a sustainable way.
- Work collaboratively and in partnership with organisations locally, UK and internationally in enabling people to access high quality opportunities which are inspirational and life enhancing, broadening their horizons.Â
- Engage with and lead local and national relevant organisations in Wales to develop best practice in the methodologies we use. Â
- Continuously transform and evolve governance, structure, operations and engagement in response to contemporary needs and opportunities affecting valleys people and communities.