Routes To Grow - Aaliyah's experience of a life changing programme

’Routes To Grow’ is a programme that takes place at Cyrenians Green Skills Centre located in West Lothian. It promotes a series of values-led, peer-supported and person-centred activities, over a period of 10 weeks. Below, one of the participants, Aaliyah*, has taken the opportunity to talk about her experience there.  

I started the Routes to Grow programme this Spring because I wasn’t enjoying school - classrooms felt overwhelming and my teachers didn’t have the time to give me the support I needed. This made me really anxious, I couldn’t concentrate in class and felt like there wasn’t much point in me being there. That’s when I was told about Routes to Grow.  

The programme taught me about sustainable land development, conservation, construction, horticulture and helped me work towards a Forest and Outdoors Learning level 4 qualification.  

 When I started, I was a bit nervous but it didn’t take long for me to really enjoy it. By the end of the day one, I was already making friends, talking and trying to make people laugh.   

It was so different to school, based on the nature and world around me, I learned about different flowers, plants, birds, trees and so much more. Not only that, but I also developed a lot of new skills and built new relationships – turns out I really like working in, and even leading, a team. By helping other people – showing them how to build planters, sowing and harvesting, it helped me realise what I would like to do with my life. I’m confident I’d like to work with young children in a one-on-one capacity, offering that additional support that I felt I missed out on.   

 The changes in me didn’t go unnoticed. My careers advisor said: “She’s a wee star. Cyrenians helped with her confidence and self-belief as well as showing her the benefits of committing to something. She built some lasting friendships and gained so many transferable skills that have set her up for the next step on her progression from school.”  

 The Routes to Grow Staff encouraged me and pushed me to try new things. It sounds like a small thing, but just by being in a nice group of people who are nice to each other, it made me realise that I’m a positive person with lots of offer. I liked it so much, I brought along a friend and I feel like she’s had the same experience, and it brought us closer together. At the end of the course, I didn’t want to leave so I decided to volunteer at Cyrenians. I’m very grateful for this experience. 

The classroom isn’t the right place for everyone. My advice for people like me, who were struggling at school, is to see if  there’s something else you can try. Maybe, like me, you’d do better outside, with people who have the time to engage you in the right things and give you the right support. I think everyone deserves that opportunity.  

*to protect the anonymity of participants, names have been changed.