Ethan’s Story

Ethan found it hard to make friends and join in at school. He wasn’t sure how to connect with others and sometimes felt a bit lonely. This made it tough for him to have fun and enjoy activities outside of school.

Finding a Helping Hand:

To help Ethan build confidence and find new friends, his school referred him to The Junction Short Breaks programme. This program is all about helping young people like him have fun and learn new skills in a safe and supportive environment.

First Steps to Change

At first, Ethan was a little shy, but our friendly staff in the Short Breaks Team helped him feel welcome. They introduced him to other young people in the group, and soon enough, he was joining in on all sorts of new and fun activities including:

• Creative crafts and arty projects: unleashing his inner artist!
• Multi-sports action: getting his heart racing and muscles working!
• Cooking up delicious treats: learning new recipes and sharing them with friends!
• Life skills workshops: building confidence for everyday challenges!
• Exploring feelings and emotions: understanding himself and others better!

Three Years Later …

Ethan has been coming to Short Breaks for three whole years now! That’s the longest he’s ever stuck with anything, and it’s clear why:

• He’s made some fantastic new friends. He loves hanging out with the group and having fun together.
• His confidence has soared. He’s no longer shy and now feels comfortable trying new things.
• He’s calmer and happier at home. His family is thrilled to see him enjoying himself and getting along better.

“I have made new friends at short breaks and I have done lots of new and fun things!” – Ethan

“Since attending Short Breaks, their behaviour has improved at home, he is more confident within himself, is able to listen to others and take on board what they say and is aware of their feelings. He is overall feeling better within himself and it shows through his positive behaviour in his home life. He is also attending a new youth group which Short Breaks has given him the confidence to do.” – Ethan’s parent

From shy to shining, Ethan is proof that friendship and fun can blossom with the right support.