Emma’s Story
Supporting Emma’s Transition to Senior School Background: *Emma was referred to Matrix to receive support through our year-long School Transition Programme. Emma’s mother reached out to me initially to express her concerns about her daughter’s anxiety regarding starting at Senior School, particularly related to fire alarms and drills. Despite her attempts to communicate these fears […]
“A Genuine Guiding Light for the Children”
“A genuine guiding light for the children” – we recently sat down with a long standing friend of Matrix to hear why they love working with us and how they see Matrix inspiring young people. Steve Smith – Headteacher, Guildford County School What do you love about Matrix? We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Matrix, […]
Feeling Happier at School
Jed* started attending our Schools Transition Project last year. By providing a safe and welcoming space for students to express their worries, we help build their confidence and the resilience they need to overcome obstacles they may encounter at secondary school. In the sessions, students like Jed learn how to manage their anxiety, make new […]
Could you support us for just £1 a month?
A little way to make a big impact! At Matrix we often say that “we do a lot with a little”. As such, if you’ve been following us for any length of time, you’ll know that we’re now the main youth work provider in Guildford Borough, making a big impact serving thousands of young people […]
Priya’s Progress
Priya had experienced some bullying at school and was struggling with attendance, leading to aggressive and rude behaviour wherever they went. When they started coming to the Youth Café, they brought this disruptive behaviour with them and were unwelcoming to others who came along. The team took time to build trust and engaged them in […]
Malin’s Story
12-year-old Malin was struggling with anger issues as a result of a parental split and other family issues, regular frustration and anger meant they would lash out and get into trouble at school, and at home. In our first few sessions they would either be energetic and loud, or completely unengaged with their head on […]
Community Fundraising
We are hugely thankful to our community for supporting us through the Co-op Community Fund across 2022. Local Co-op members raised an amazing £3,571 for Matrix. A huge thanks to Co-op for this opportunity and to all of the community for your ongoing support!
Work, Rest & Play!
During an enrichment day at Christ’s College, we ran a ‘Getting the Balance Right’ workshop with four groups of year 11s. We worked with the students to discover the importance of having a balance in the areas of ‘work, rest, and play’. This workshop was to help prepare them as they get ready for exam season, […]
Alex’s Achievements
We began seeing Alex in the summer, the school referred him as his self-esteem was noticeably low and he was being distracted easily in class. In one session activity, he scored himself low on feeling valued by others. We then spent the following sessions looking at self-esteem activities and setting simple tasks for him to […]
Building Freddy’s Confidence
Our school lunchtime drop-ins provide a safe space for students to come and make friends, play games and let off steam, as well as connect with our youth workers. We’re currently running these drop-ins in three schools across Guildford. Freddy* attended our drop-in at George Abbot and initially was very quiet, reserved and shy, seeming awkward around […]