Shear Confidence with Nurture Academy

Nurture Academy aims to empower members of the community to learn new skills and build confidence in their ability to do so, while providing a safe, nurturing environment.

The organisations roots are in the art of braiding and barbering, and it is these skills that residents were able to explore and learn recently.

The Nurture Academy team held a three day session focusing primarily on locks and braiding. Those residents who took part shared that they thoroughly enjoyed their sessions, and felt a real sense of achievement in familiarising themselves with new, creative skills.

Tommy, a Your Place resident, said, “It was nice to have something different to do, to feel like I had a purpose for the day and to learn a new skill at the same time. I thought it would be nice to learn how to braid my friend’s children hair, and now I can”.

Hilda, a resident, had met Nurture Academy when they previously visited to style resident’s hair, and was delighted to be able to take part in a teaching session. She said, “It wasn’t easy, but by the end I felt gratified and was proud of my work and what I had achieved.”

We know that it is incredibly important for residents to be equipped for life away from Your Place. Training and employment opportunities and vital in this journey, and sessions such as these allow residents to explore if it’s an area they’d like to pursue long-term, and remind them of their ability to learn new skills and build confidence.

It’s been fantastic to see how participants adapt a more positive mind-set after successful sessions, and think more optimistically about future activities.

Portia Louis, the founder of Nurture Academy, said “We are so pleased and encouraged by how much growth we saw in those who took part. They were able to build on their barbering or braiding skills and we also witnessed a drastic change in mind-set, which in turn helped then to achieve their goals.”

We would like to thank Nurture Academy for partnering with Your Place.