Things to do

If you’d like to get involved in improving and designing the services and support for children in care and those leaving care, you can join Nottinghamshire’s Children in Care Council. We want to hear your views on how to make things better for children in care and care leavers like you. 

Some care leavers have had life-changing experiences after getting involved in the group.  They have built their self-esteem, confidence and other useful life skills. This has helped them to make new friends, travel, make a positive difference for children in care and to find a good job.  This could be you!  Talk to your personal adviser if you’d like to get involved, or contact the Participation Team on 01623 626972 or YouthService.BusinessSupport@nottscc.gov.uk

If you want to get your voice heard on a national level, then you might want to vote in national elections and to do that you need to enrol on the Electoral Register.  This also makes it easier to do other things such as applying for housing, your passport or a bank account.

To live a fully independent life you need to make sure you have all your essential identity documents. We will help you to do this and pay for any fees. These include your birth certificate, passport, national insurance number, young person's citizen cards and deed poll to change your name, if you choose to. This also includes making sure you have a bank account.  Let your personal adviser know when you’d like to do this.

Like other people, you might want to find time to relax and enjoy yourself and meet new people from time to time and we’ll help you with this if this is what you want to do.

If you fancy an adventure, we will take you on an annual free residential or day trip to one of our outdoor and environmental centres in the Peak District and around Nottinghamshire.  If you want to organise your own trips, they offer unique and affordable opportunities, covering a wide range of outdoor adventures and environmental activities.  You can find out more here Outdoor and Environmental Activities

If you live in supported housing, there will be a range of leisure activities available for you to get involved in such as sports, fitness and adventure activities, day trips, art and craft, nature and gardening clubs and user forums.  There will also be opportunities for you to get into volunteering.  Talk to your housing support or key worker or personal adviser if you’d like to get involved. 

Nottinghamshire Youth Service offers high quality positive social educational activities across the county to care leavers until their 22^nd birthday. They can support you to develop your confidence, knowledge, skills and experience in a safe and enjoyable way!  Until your 22nd birthday, your Platinum Card will get you into Nottinghamshire County Council youth clubs and activities for free.  The Platinum Card provides free entry for Nottinghamshire children in care and care leavers to Nottinghamshire youth clubs and other activities.  To find out more call their Participation Team on 01623 626972 or email YouthService.BusinessSupport@nottscc.gov.uk

Through Notts Help Yourself you can find out about all the groups and activities taking place in your area.  Your personal adviser can help you with this and provide information on other groups and clubs you may wish to join.  They may be able to help you with the cost of these and other leisure activities.  

Volunteering is a great way to get out of the house, to try new things, build your confidence and skills, not only for your self-esteem, but to help you get into work.  New skills gained like communication, team work and decision making can really make you stand out from the crowd when applying for a college or university course and a job.  Volunteering can also make you feel pretty good and of course you will make a positive difference to your local or wider community. 

One way of getting into volunteering is through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, as it’s one of the four sections in this adventurous scheme where you get to experience a range of new activities and challenges, as well as learn new skills and sometimes travel to new places with other young people. In Nottinghamshire it’s completely free for care leavers.

Find out more and register here Duke of Edinburgh or contact the Nottinghamshire County Duke of Edinburgh Award Office on 01623 556 110 or Email DukeofEdinburgh@nottscc.gov.uk. As your personal adviser to help you with this if you need it. They can also tell you about other awards, schemes and competitions you can enter.

If you are interested in other volunteering opportunities contact your local CVS (Community and Voluntary Service) via the contacts below:

Volunteering opportunities and community projects

• Ashfield Voluntary Action - Ashfield Voluntary Action, Portland St, Kirkby in Ashfield NG17 7AE - 01623 555551 - www.ashfieldvoluntaryaction.org.uk
• Bassetlaw CVS - The Old Abbey School Priorswell Road, Worksop S80 2BU  - 01909 476118 – www.bcvs.org.uk
• Voluntary Action Broxtowe - Oban House, 8 Chilwell Rd, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1EJ - 0115 917 8080 – www.vabroxtowe.org.uk
• Mansfield CVS - Community House, 36 Wood St, Mansfield NG18 1QA -  01623 392444 – www.mansfieldcvs.org
• Newark & Sherwood CVS - Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1BY - 01636 679539 – nandscvs.org
• Rushcliffe CVS - The Pump House, Abbey Rd, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5NE- 0115 969 9060- rushcliffecvs.org.uk

Or if you are interested in opportunities further a field take a look at these websites –

• Do-it
• vinspired
• volunteerinternalcitizenservice

Notts Help Yourself - Work & Volunteering Zone –  www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk for information on organisations that can help support you into work, or to volunteer. 

You can find out about different activities for children and families across Nottinghamshire, such as toddler groups and children’s library sessions by looking on Notts Help Yourself – under the 'Things to do in the Community' tile at www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk

We are really pleased to be able to offer FREE annual membership to a local leisure centre to all our Nottinghamshire care leavers aged 18 – 25 years old.  This offer, is in conjunction with the seven Nottinghamshire district authorities, and gives you as a Nottinghamshire care leaver, a year-long membership (renewed yearly until your 25^th birthday) to any Nottinghamshire District council-run leisure centre within your Nottinghamshire local authority district.  As part of this membership, you will be able to access any gym and swimming facilities alongside any of the classes held as part of the membership package, during peak/off-peak hours for FREE.

If you reside in one of the seven Nottinghamshire districts (Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, or Rushcliffe) and you identify yourself as a Nottinghamshire care leaver then please contact your Personal Advisor for more information or if you are aged 21 – 24 years old and wish to access this offer, then please contact the 21Plus Team on 0115 8044154 or email them at 21Plus@nottscc.gov.uk.