No matter how old, how many qualifications or how much life experience you have – you can always learn from others and the team at Pushforward are no different. We learn every day from our young people.

Here we have a student teaching us about Blues Music and fixing a guitar.

Think this young man will be teaching us about the art of fishing soon… Even if it does make us pull faces when it starts the fish starts to wiggle!

Fishes in a different location – a visit to find Nemo! Also chance to look and touch snakes and Geckos.

We don’t just learn from our young people – we are constantly amazed by them.

Some of our young people lose all confidence and won’t even go out of the house. Then they work with Pushforward. We help them to build their confidence, find their spark, teach them new skills and soon they leave us and return to mainstream school – and that makes us so proud to see how far they have come.

The young people make us proud of how they try new things – even when it may for them be a massive challenge for them – but they overcome this with encouragement, support and praise.

A different challenge here. Looking at how the Cathedral looks in real life for a 10 year project to construct the Cathedral in Lego – over 100,000 pieces!

Over in Lowestoft our new Forging area has been put to good practice making a hook.

Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localised compressive forces.

Forging is one of the oldest known metalworking processes.^[1] Traditionally, forging was performed by a smith using hammer and anvil, though introducing water power to the production and working of iron in the 12th century allowed the use of large trip hammers or power hammers that increased the amount and size of iron that could be produced and forged. The smithy or forge has evolved over centuries to become a facility with engineered processes, production equipment, tooling, raw materials and products to meet the demands of modern industry. (Wikipedia)

Lots of trips out and about this end of Term including:

Bewilderwood and Brandon Country Park for our primary students. They had an awesome time outside, playing, working as a team, playing nicely and just being kids. What a great activity for the last week of Term.

A trip to the beach. Fresh air, exercise, conversational education.

Dinosaur Park, which resulted in a Go Karting Champion! – fun, friendship, outdoors, activities, competition.

Oh and a splash about too! This looks like so much fun!

The Driving Range. – Sports, fitness, hand-eye co-ordination.

Helmingham Hall – exercise, fresh air, history, conversational education.

Helmingham Hall was completed in 1510, surrounded by its deep moat, serene gardens and ancient 400 acre deer park which is the home to herds of both red and fallow deer.

We love visiting the Owl Sanctuary. It’s open to the public all year round and is a great place to visit to watch, study or simply enjoy the company of owls and other birds of prey.

Orford Castle steeped in history, a great place to learn.

And a cycle ride in The Kings Forest – outside, exercise and strong friendships forming.

Whilst at Fendicks Fisheries this young man got to meet the horses and feed them carrots and have a ride in the cart.

Over in Newmarket 2 we have been busy with Carpentry

Home improvement continues to be a theme for many people. General demand for those with carpentry and joinery skills is likely to remain strong. So strong, in fact, that the industry could struggle to keep up. So it is a skill we are keen to support when a young person shows an interest.

Here we have restored an old worn out garden bench – what a beautiful end result.

We have also been continuing our Harry Potter Bench project.

And we re-planked a Bistro Table

The Bike Mechanics workshop has been busy – stripping, standing and repainting an old bike. Bike mechanics is a great life skill for any young person to learn and help them feel independent and safe when out and about on their bikes.

In Moreton Hall we have been having some friendly games of Pool with our friends before we break up for Summer. Is this learning? – of course it is! – without them realising; maths, hand-eye co-ordination, teamwork and of course building friendships.

We have also done some cooking – although not as much as normal this week as we have been out and about so much, but here we have a ingredients written out, purchased, sausage rolls made and eaten!

Two types of sport here; the fun bashing each other with foam to pushing weights at the gym. Both exercise, both fun, both fitness.

Looks like they can’t wait until they are 17 to drive! Whether its a fun car, go kart or a gaming lounge.

mmmm hot chocolate just what the young person ordered 🙂

Over in Newmarket 1 – we have been cracking on with our MX5 project:

• Training on tyre machine.
• Shotblasted and powder coated wheels.
• X4 new tyres.
• New rear end arms/brakes/bearings etc ready for fitting.
• New stainless steel exhaust.

Still lots to do but the car now runs and drives under its own power….for first time in over 10yrs!

The breakout room in Newmarket 1 also got a facelift – our young people and staff working to spruce up this room – looks great!

We finish this week and the Term with an amazing project completed for one of our young people.

Their bedroom was not a place they wanted to hang out or bring friends to.

So with new furniture (drawers, desk, wardrobe), TV, walls painted, new carpet, new skirting, rug, bedding and posters this room had a complete Pushforward Makeover.

What an awesome project to finish and a lovely room for someone to now enjoy, to feel proud of, to have some personal self-worth and to feel safe in their own space.

Well done team!

The Directors of Pushforward want to wish everyone from our amazing team to parents/careers and of course our young people an awesome, fun, safe, enjoyable summer holiday and we look forward to welcoming you all back in September.

Our Ethos

No one can begin to affect the world around them until they are CONFIDENT , COMFORTABLE, happy in their own skin and have found their SPARK! We take the time to understand and develop programmes from where the learner is in the world not where we think they should be.