We are delighted to announce that Zoe Matthews has joined the team as our young part-time Communications and Project Coordinator. Zoe is hugely community-minded and we are thrilled to have found someone who is local to Gillingham and a Gillingham School alumni to help us develop the project.

Zoe brings with her a wide range of experience and is already proving herself to be the go-to person for the project, keeping everyone organised, informed and in line.

Until the official project phones arrive, you can get hold of Zoe using the general project email – info@gycollective.com.

Do remember that she is part-time and will be working flexibly so please be patient. For anything more urgent you can leave a message for her by calling the Rendezvous – 01935 814486 or ask to speak to Andrea (Rendezvous Administration) or Helen (Chief Exec).

Urban orienteering…

Did you know that Gillingham, Dorset is one of the few towns to have its own urban orienteering trail? In fact, do you know anything about orienteering? And, what’s it got to do with Gillingham Youth Collective?

If “Covid & Me” was the film that kickstarted the use of media in youthwork in Gillingham then “Find Your Way” is the film that sent it on our way. The making of the film helped us formulate our ideas around the use of film and was a key part of our application to the National Lottery Community Fund for the Gillingham Youth Collective project.

But if you don’t know anything about orienteering (and some of us didn’t) take a look at the short film made by the Rendezvous outreach team. Working again with film-maker Marianne King and a group of young people from the town it explains what orienteering is and how to take part.

The film was a long-time in the making owing to the ongoing interruptions caused by Covid-19. But, we got there in the end and several of the young people involved had so much fun that they are now involved in the Gillingham Youth Collective and we plan for many more to join them over the next five years.