Following the enormous success of the summer programme, I should just like to thank you and your team for making such a positive difference to the lives of the young people involved. Throughout the applications, the week of workshops, the rehearsals, the two performances (one as part of Sheffield United's pre-match entertainment in their game against Preston North End and the other for parents and friends at Clifton School), the efficiency and the professional approach of your team ensured that this project met the needs of all the young people involved and provided them with an experience that will remain with them for a very long time.
We deeply appreciate all the hard work that was put in to tailor the project to the needs of the young people and families involved; all those "extras" that were added in to make the experience even more fantastic, such as setting up interviews with Howard Webb and other local and national celebrities, adding in extra rehearsal time and meeting demand for an additional performance, did not go un-noticed!
The young people involved in this project come from across the Clifton Learning Community and from all walks of life, some of whom are working closely with a variety of agencies. The Clifton area has some of the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation in Rotherham and some of the young people and families involved face real challenges in their day-to-day lives. The project enabled all the young people to feel inspired and develop aspirations some may not previously have dreamed of having.
Our evaluations and case studies show a direct correlation between engagement with the project and raised self-esteem, and this is borne out most strongly by the testimonies filmed by the young people involved in the Media and Filming part of the project. The following words from one young person's evaluation sum it all up: "I never imagined I could do something like this but now I know I can, and I know that I need to work really hard to get somewhere in life, that's what this project has given me, the push to make something of myself and believe I will succeed."
Please pass on my thanks to all your team and I wish you every success with your future projects and look forward to working with you all again in the very near future.