Peer Support in Action
Surrey Peer Issue Training (SPIT)
SPIT is now entering its eleventh year of peer education training,and has recently won the Health of the Young Nation, Health Alliance Award for South Thames.
SPIT was originally set up in 1986 following research carried oy Elmbridge Youth Council which concluded that young people talked to their peers about drugs. It recommended that young people should have a better understanding of the issues surrounding drugs in order to offer the right information to their peers. This pioneering project was set up to help educate young people about social and health issues using peer education.
The project is managed by a core group of young people who are supported by members of the local youth service and health promotion service.
The project consists of a Peer Education Programme which runs on an annual cycle, involving an introductory day, a residential training weekend and then a fieldwork project. The latter is an essential element of the programme as it is via the course participants educating their peers by utilising the skills, methods and theories acquired and developed on the residential weekend that SPIT reaches the majority of young people.
After the fieldwork has been completed, all those who took part on the project then meet for an evaluation session and subsequently decide upon the issue to be addressed at the following year's course. All costs are met by the project to ensure it is open to all young people aged 16-25 in Surrey.
Topics that have been covered in response to young people's views in the past have included HIV/AIDS, relationships, drugs, homelessness, youth crime, bullying and sexual health.
An independent evaluation of SPIT (1994) concluded that SPIT "offers on innovative way of communicating with young people". As one participant said: " I never realised you could learn and have fun at the same time".
Members of the SPIT working party are planning to publicise the project this year by going into local schools, colleges and youth clubs. SPIT will be recruiting for the 1997 project in September. The topic, chosen by the previous years participants. is "Positive Images" and if you are interested please contact:
Email: - Nikki Parkhill
or telephone Nicola Mundy on 0148332828 (Daytime).
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