Since March, Durham Wildlife Trust has been working with ten secondary schools in Sunderland and South Tyneside, to help young people discover things they can do in their own time, whether it be volunteering with local charities, joining nearby youth clubs, or trying different activities. They have told us that they do really want to explore the opportunities available to them in their free time but often find it hard to find out what their choices are. 

In order to break down the barriers that young people often face, such as not knowing about nearby youth clubs, sports and creative activities, students and teachers have worked with us to design and develop an online portal 'STEPFWRD ', which young people, parents/guardians, and schools across Sunderland and South Tyneside can use to find out what is available near them.

The portal went live in December 2024. You can visit it by clicking the button below:

STEPFWRD

We are very happy to have several activity providers already registered with STEPFWRD, but would like there to be many more, so that young people have the best choice and options available to them. 

If you offer activities and opportunities to young people and schools in the North East, being listed on STEPFWRD will help them to find out about it. There is no cost to register, as it has been developed through a fully funded project. To register your details and activities on the directory, just visit this webpage: Activity Providers – Step Fwrd 

The STEPFWRD online portal has been developed as part of the delivery of the year-long initiative, Enrichment Partnership Pilot, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), jointly with the Department for Education (DfE), and in collaboration with the National Citizen Service Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.