The Bridge Trust
Jumping

About The Bridge Trust Thames Valley

The Bridge Trust Thames Valley are a registered charity based in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

We reach out to the young people of Maidenhead by welcoming them to our project - re:charge in King Street, Maidenhead.

Background

The Bridge Trust Thames Valley is a registered charity no: 1063163. It was established on 24th April 1997 and the initial project was a housing initiative for homeless young men. When local statutory provision improved, the project reached a natural end and was sold. A proportion of the proceeds were allocated to setting up re:charge.

With a lot of support from the people and churches of Maidenhead, re:charge opened in November 2002 moving to Kingsway House, King Street, Maidenhead in June 2006, having outgrown its original home.

Mission

Our mission is to help young people find hope for the future by engaging with and encouraging their communities, especially local churches, to provide role models, friends, facilities and activities to help them make positive choices, form strong relationships, build confidence and discover talents. We do this because of the hope Jesus Christ has given us which inspires us to reach out to others.

Vision

Our vision is to build thriving communities in the areas we work which are safe, healthy, lovely and fun places for children and young people to grow and develop. This work will be a legacy of hope for future generations.

Values

Believing

  • As a Christian organization, our belief and faith in Jesus Christ inspires what we do.
  • We rely on God for all we need and work hard to take good care of what we are given.
  • We have hope for the future even in the most hopeless circumstances.
  • We believe the best of and for all those who work for us and with us, whether they have faith in Jesus Christ or not.

Building

  • In building our team and partnerships we believe that how we treat each other speaks louder than what we say.
  • We are willing to take risks and make mistakes in order to grow and develop.
  • All individuals are valuable and have gifts and talents to make a positive contribution.
  • We respect each others work and realize we all contribute in many different ways.
  • We identify and encourage potential and celebrate success.

Transforming

  • The Bridge Trust Thames Valley exists because we believe in a God who wants to transform individuals and communities through forgiveness, love and acceptance.
  • No matter how small or insignificant we think our actions are, God can turn them into something extraordinary.

Aims & Objectives

To have a positive impact on both target groups by providing a venue and creating an atmosphere in which positive relationships can develop and opportunities can be offered.

Objectives

  • Empower young people and young parents to reach their full potential.
  • Participation in the development of the project as part of a user group.
  • Help prevent target groups making negative choices such as drug and alcohol misuse, by providing an alternative, positive environment where a range of activities is on offer.
  • Provide a place when young people can come and meet the team whenever they want to and for maintaining contact with those who have left school.
  • Enable young parents to bring young children at times convenient to them, for an indefinite period, and to meet others in a similar life stage.
  • Give other organisations somewhere to meet young people and utilise the space for mentoring, as an access point for more informal work.
  • Give local people the opportunity to demonstrate care in the community.

Who's Involved

The Board of Trustees have overall responsibility for the strategic management of the project. They are:

  • Phillipa Boyland
  • Pat Hunt
  • Lucy Pettitt (Chair)
  • James Clarry
  • Steve Briggs

The project staff consist of:

  • Service Manager - Hilary Bone
  • Operations Manager - Georgie Grafham
  • Family Support Worker - Hannah Lucas
  • Sessional Youth Workers - DJ Mhlanga, Dave Jones and Wes Delaney
  • Fundraising Administrator - Sheila McLachan

The work could not be done without the many volunteers in Maidenhead and the surrounding area who support the activities and come alongside the young people.