Reconnect Community Awards - video transcript

Sarah Hammond, KCC Corporate Director Children, Young People and Education:

"We're here tonight celebrating the absolutely fantastic achievements of the Reconnect Programme. Not just the programme itself but the individuals that have made it happen. Some of the projects have been absolutely extraordinary from the free buses for children and families, cultural activities, sporting activities, meeting friends and family, and last but by no means least, the lost learning, the catch up on lost learning that our children suffered from during the pandemic."

Nadeem Aziz, Chief Executive of Dover District Council:

"Reconnect has been a success because it managed to bring all of those various parts together and people got really engaged and felt they were able to make a difference. And the people they made a difference to, we saw some of those people tonight and you could see the moving impact that it had on people's lives."

Dione Jarvis, Early Help Worker for Tonbridge Youth Hub:

"Today we won an award for Wellbeing category, we got some Reconnect funding which allowed us to run some additional projects to what we already offer. So we currently offer youth groups nearly every evening of the week and the Reconnect funding allowed us to offer additional projects such as a voucher scheme where we give out vouchers on an application basis to targeted families and individuals to reconnect with their local communities. We also run a fashion project which is upcycling, recycling clothes and we also done a residential for at risk young people.

It feels really amazing to share it with everyone, like hearing everyone else's stories and what else the money has been used for because when you apply for a grant, I guess you only know your own experiences of it and hearing other people's stories is really inspirational. I think being here tonight has just kind of channelled that motivation and like reminded us why we do the job we do and why we work with young people."

Dimon Dean, Founder and Executive Director of Challenger Troop:

"I think one of the biggest things for us is actually seeing all of these other amazing organisations which also inspires you to carry on doing what you do and do it more and do it better. To see some of the amazing projects that have been delivered over the period of the reconnect has been really inspiring to see."

Sarah Hammond, KCC Corporate Director Children, Young People and Education:

"Within our county, both within our county council and probably more importantly, within our community, we have a wealth of knowledge, experience and skill that is just waiting to be tapped. We were able as a county council to bring people together, but the people who delivered on it were across our county with the most unbelievable set of skills. That is for me, something to be taken forward, how we continue to build resilience in our communities now that the programme has ended.

I want to say it from my heart, thank you to the community, thank you to the volunteers and thank you to the staff particularly of KCC, who many, many of them have delivered this Reconnect Programme alongside their day-to-day work which is about working with and for the children of Kent."

[Title slide] Reconnect - Kent Children and Young People.