Being a young mum or a mum-to-be does not affect a young person’s involvement in the Activity Agreement. Their programme can be tailored to meet their needs and the flexibility of the Activity Agreement means that they can continue participating on activities and gaining skills that will benefit them later.

Teenage parents and mothers-to-be in Bradford can attend a parents support group as part of their Activity Agreement.
The group meets once a week for 8 weeks and gives young mums the opportunity to learn new skills as well as make new friends with the added bonus of their child care being paid for while they attend.

During the 2 hourly sessions the young mums discuss topics such as healthy
eating and First Aid for babies as well as sessions on health and beauty , cookery, healthy eating and food hygiene.

Course leader Amanda Swiderski chooses topics which will not only interest the teenagers but which will also give them helpful new skills. She says “I want the group sessions to be fun as well as informative. We also invite guest speakers to the sessions to talk about subjects that the girls are interested in and which will help them in the future.”

Recent guest speakers have discussed
different career options based on the
aspirations of the group, and the benefits of
volunteering in local communities in order to develop personal and work based skills.

The teenagers really enjoy attending the group, not only for the new skills that they have learnt but also for the new friendships that they have made, many of which they have continued after the sessions have ended.