making the most of Opportunity needs a pathway.
Access → Process → Success
Providing opportunities for great activity matters. But on its own, it doesn’t create long-term change.
What turns a session into the first step to success, whatever that looks like for the individual, is what we build around it.
01 · Access
The first step.
Free and affordable opportunities in sport, the arts and educational enrichment.
We create, fund, enable or partner on activity that young people might otherwise miss.
Sometimes we deliver standalone, sometimes we work through schools, other charities, and community partners. Either way, young people get involved.
02 · Process
CLIMB.
Access alone is not always enough.
CLIMB is our personal development framework.
It isn’t just a classroom curriculum. Delivered through standalone sessions, experiences and lectures and woven into activity itself.
How sessions are run, the relationships young people form, the responsibility they’re given, how they reflect, and the way progress is recognised all help shape them as people and their sense of belonging.
It’s adaptable enough that it can be delivered by Ladder Up, through funded projects, in schools or alongside partner organisations.
C
Community
Play your part. Make a difference.
Participants learn to contribute positively, understand the needs of others and become part of something bigger.
We build connection, positive relationships and the skills to support them.
L
Leadership
Step up. Bring your ideas to life.
We are intentional about developing confidence and capability. In stepping forward, taking the lead, steering others and supporting younger or less experienced participants, young people learn about responsibility and accountability.
I
Independence
Build the foundations. Earn the next opportunity.
The essential skills and attitudes for the workplace and adult life: punctuality, presentation, communication, reliability, determined effort and responsibility are all things that can be learned.
Through rehearsing and demonstrating these skills and attributes, young people earn their opportunity to bring their own ideas to life, and shape their own experience and that of others.
M
Mindset
Learn, reflect and recognise progress.
Participants learn how to reflect, recognise their own progress and see success in others — Building confidence and resilience, and supporting their self awareness as they take responsibility for their next steps and in choosing the path they will travel.
B
Belonging
Be part of something meaningful.
Our activity and sessions don’t just happen to our participants. They contribute, shape the experience, build effective relationships and have their achievements recognised. Through this we grow their agency, sense of self-worth and let them know they are seen and valued for who they are.
From participant to Leader.
Participate → Develop → Contribute → Belong→ Lead
01
Prepare
Planned sessions, workshops and mentoring teach reflection and communication skills, professional standards and strategies to build positive relationships.
Training adapts and grows alongside increased responsibility.
02
Participate
Young people apply their learning through purposeful activity.
Mentors model good practice, give feedback and support increasing responsibility as readiness grows.
Design and implementation of their own ideas provides opportunities for greater creativity, accountability and deeper more sophisticated skill development.
03
Reflect & recognise
Guided reflection and feedback sessions help young people recognise their learning, the value of their contribution, and how the process is shaping them.
Coach like conversations with mentors and peers enable them to identify positive next steps within projects or their own lives.
Where we work.
In schools
Alongside PE, enrichment, the arts and pastoral programmes — giving structure to the personal development that good schools already value.
Or… as an outreach mechanism bringing mutual benefit to local communities and a schools students
In clubs
Within sports, arts and community clubs, turning participation into leadership, building standards and progression pathways.
As standalone activity
Through Ladder Up’s own funded projects, where CLIMB is built in from the very first session.
Our approach and ‘CLIMB’ model for personal development, is designed with enough flexibility to adapt to a range of settings.
The activity and the depth of experience may change, but the deliberate developmental approach stays the same and can be delivered by Ladder Up, or by partners supported by our training, quality assurance and impact assessment as resources allow.
03 · Success
is different for everyone.
Our only aim is for young people to leave us better placed to shape what happens next for them.
That might mean a qualification, a place in education or training, a job, a leadership or volunteering role, work experience, progression through a partner organisation — or developing an idea of their own.
It’s not for us to make judgements, it’s for us to support and where appropriate we do just that; helping launch ideas, writing references, using our network - anything that can help our alumni reach the next rung on their Ladder Up.
Bring US to your setting.
Schools, clubs, arts and community organisations: we’d like to hear how CLIMB could work with you and your young people.