Schools Out For Summer
Hundreds of local children benefitted from the free workshops and activities offered by Windsor Housing, throughout Windsor and surrounding areas, over the past 4 weeks. Summer in da Hood (SIDH) is a positive free activity programme for young people aged 8 to 19 in Windsor and the surrounding rural areas during the summer holidays.
Windsor Housing established SIDH in 2007 and continues to lead and manage the initiative. Consultations with participants over the last 2 years have shaped and informed the programme to ensure it entertains and meets youth needs. 
The project aims to celebrate youth achievement and learning through the arts and sports whilst promoting community cohesion and having a positive impact on anti-social behaviour. The children’s and young people’s achievements are celebrated through an accredited awards system, raising self-esteem and enhancing CVs with new skills sets.
In order to benefit more members of the community, in 2009 the project developed into a strategic multi-agency group with new and existing partners including the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), the Army, Thames Valley Police, NHS Berkshire East and Churchmead Secondary School in Datchet, East Berkshire.
Key multi-agencies including Thames Valley Police and RBWM Community Safety Wardens led workshops to specifically target crime reduction and raise awareness and understanding of social responsibility whilst retaining an element of entertainment. These included knife crime, stranger danger and internet safety.
Windsor Housing also opened the project to ‘business days’ sponsored by local companies. These workshops included Nokia instructing the children to invent a new and imaginative mobile, Honda hosting team building games, Microsoft informed the children, and the staff, about internet security and ensuring safety and privacy of online accounts like facebook.
Over the 4 weeks around 250 different children attended the workshops and most are keen to see the activities introduced during other school holidays, such as Easter and Christmas.
Steph Dixon, RBWM Prevention Worker, said, “These early intervention projects give positive and social activities to steer youngsters away from anti-social behaviour and encourage community cohesion. The business days have been a real success with everyone.
Vicky Moran and Claire Pembroke, both 15, said “During the school holidays we run out of things to do. Coming down here is great as you get to socialise with people our own age. There’s lots of people here that you see around the neighbourhood, but here we get to meet them, hang out and make friends.”
Ruby Wade, aged 9 said “It was all great fun. I especially enjoyed making comics, having my photo taken on top of the slide and putting it on the computer made me look as though I was on top of Everest.”
Arun and Akshay Tah, 9 and 10 respectively, thought the Nokia day was the best and said “We found the details of the workshops at school and have been following them around throughout the local area for the past three or four weeks.”
Cheryl Monk, Community Relations Manager, BAA said “Although this is the first time the Communications Team has been involved, we do a lot through our Community Investment Programme which is focussed on local area. We really enjoyed it and hope to be able to attend again.”
