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Chantelle Harris (right) was one of 10 young people from Cardiff who led workshops in Sierra Leone
A project to give disadvantaged young people in Cardiff a chance to volunteer in Africa has been hailed as a success.
Ten youngsters from Cardiff spent two weeks in Sierra Leone with local children leading workshops on sexual health, nutrition, skills and football. Organisers aim to boost the self-esteem and skills of so-called Neets - young people not in full-time education, employment or training. Wales footballer Craig Bellamy's charity was one of the trip supporters. The scheme will now be run annually to offer volunteering chances to others.
Global citizens
The overseas trip was run by the SAFE Foundation, an international development charity based in Cardiff, in partnership with Communities First.
It offered disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 24 the opportunity to increase their understanding of global citizenship whilst helping some of the most deprived young people in the world.
Football sessions were led by Peter Griffiths, who played alongside Bellamy in the Wales under 16s team.
More than half of the £27,000 budget was met by a GwirVol youth volunteering grant from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
Project manager Hannah Fitt of Communities First said it was a means of boosting the aspirations of the youngsters involved.
"The number of Neet young people in East Cardiff has been a priority for some time and, having personal experience of the benefits of international volunteering, I thought this project would be an extremely positive way to engage some of the hardest-to-reach young people in Cardiff.
"Communities First is committed to supporting our volunteers in ways that will help increase their access to opportunities and prospects and this has been an experience that has exceeded all of our expectations.
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