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The Dreamscheme Story
 History  Today & The Future

2007-2008, Another year in the life of dreamscheme

Ten years ago Kate and Geoff King left the Flower Estate in Sheffield, gave the first Dreamscheme training course and took the Dreamscheme to Uganda.

The past ten years can be summarised as follows:
  • A small team of staff and volunteers have raised and spent £625,000, run a pleasant office, provided training, advice and support to local groups and provided the network with two websites. The Annual Conference "PARTYcipation" has grown to be a showcase for Dreamscheme groups and the partnership with Uganda dreamschemes still grows.
  • Dreamscheme is known for its simple, positive formula of working with young people in their communities and doing WORK, giving POINTS and going on TRIPS.
  • The DSN has maintained high standards, grown steadily, received no negative publicity and encountered very few problems. Both the DSN and local groups win awards, but spend very little on publicity.
  • The DSN has weathered and learnt from some struggles, frustrations and disappointments
  • There are now possibly 100 groups in the UK, and organisations now use Dreamscheme principles without making contact with the DSN

The past year has been an enjoyable one! The small team of staff, volunteers and trustees have worked happily together in the office in Preston. We can honestly say that this year has seen the smallest financial turnover and the largest signs of growth!

Training courses have been delivered by Kate King on 29 days and 400 people have enjoyed the courses and workshops.
The significant area of growth has been in the regions, where groups are being replicated, partnerships formed and funds raised. We now have to estimate the total number of young people involved at over 1500.

www.dreamscheme.net has been totally rebuilt and we are just beginning to see groups participating in the new format.
www.dreamscheme.org.uk has been totally updated. It is amazing to see how well this site has lasted since it was built in 2002.

The newsletter has gone out monthly to over 800 recipients and the number of new enquiries has grown to 150.

The DSN has made two visits to Uganda in the past year. Colin Bilsbrough and Geoff King took a young person last summer and Colin returned to work in the college in January. We hosted 2 visitors from Uganda and their work in UK schools was highly praised in an Offsted Report.

PARTYcipation was definitely the best so far, with the whole day given to watching the achievements of young people. Other groups in the UK have held award evenings and celebrations.

The staff team: Kate King is still in post as the Director/Inspirer and Colin Bilsbrough has been the Network Manager. Jim Dobson transferred from staff to volunteer to trustee this year and Alice Middleton came for two weeks on a school work experience programme and is now employed on occasional days in the holidays. The accounts have been examined by Phil Stunnell, an engineer with accounting experience.
The trustees have met regularly, welcomed Jim to the Board and said farewell to Alan Boardman after 8 years of committed service to the DSN.
Awards and publicity has been encouraging, with articles in Young People Now, the TEPAS magazine, the publication of Gordon Brown's book and many local stories about local groups.
The Annual Accounts will show an income of £52,000 and an expenditure of £48,000. Two private donors, one grant and earned income have made up the income this year.

Highlights of the year
  • Training a group of 8 young men as leaders in Cumbria, who have been Dreamscheme young people for 6 years
  • Watching the Glasson Dock/Uganda dvd for the first time ten times!
  • Watching other people watch it
  • Seeing the newsletter become a dynamic communication tool
  • Hearing of awards that adult volunteers receive
  • Young people producing the "buzz" at PARTYcipation 07

The DSN has never been static or boring, but always dynamic and visionary. It continues to inspire people to change the lives of young people and adults and the communities that they share. The DVD about Glasson Dock and a village in Uganda is well made, gives an exciting and honest picture of Dreamscheme and sometimes moves people to tears.

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