Hayley, 17

I left school with no GCSEs - school wasn’t my thing. I got bullied when I was younger so I lost interest and stopped going. My sister is disabled so I stayed at home and helped her with her baby instead. I would get a letter from school telling me to go back so I’d go for a couple of weeks and then stop. I was just bored and wanted to do my own thing.

Earlier this year I went and did a Prince’s Trust course and I really liked all the outdoor stuff. I told them I wanted to be an instructor so they suggested I came to Fairbridge.

My Access was the best time of my life. I did stuff like gorge walking and climbing. There were a lot of people on it and they were a real laugh – all really nice and friendly. At school people wouldn’t speak to me, but here I got on with everyone.

I've now been coming here for four months - doing all sorts of other courses. The staff are awesome and really supportive. They’re a laugh – really friendly and never put you down. If you want information you can come here and use the internet or ask the tutors.

Before I was really shy and not doing anything, but I'm a lot louder now and I have just started doing an outdoor pursuits course at Tycoch College. If it wasn’t for Fairbridge I wouldn’t know anything. I would probably just be sitting in my house.

Kosh, 21

I was always in trouble when I was younger. I got caught with drugs by the police and was always finding myself with problems. I left home when I was 16 and I don’t see my family much now.

For the nine months before I came here I was sitting around doing nothing but smoking dope and my ambition in life was just to sit around and play computer games.

I went to the Prince’s Trust but I got chucked out. Then I got a letter about Fairbridge so I came along. I was expecting to have a laugh and I did. I went on an access course to Biblins. There was a group of us and we all went camping, climbing and abseiling.

I remember dancing around the camp fire and being silly. I came back quite a lot because it kept me busy. I was learning life skills, IT skills, and outdoor activities like caving. That's the thing - you're having fun but learning loads of stuff at the same time. I guess Fairbridge is a bit sneaky like that!

What’s really good about Fairbridge is that everyone is really available and there’s a massive variety of people who they are all trying to get off to a new start.

I’ve been coming here for a year now and I have just started volunteering so I’m now here five days a week. Everyone is great to work with the staff are all like big kids.

In the future I want to work for Fairbridge, get experience and get into youth work.

My course lasts for two years. After that I have been offered an apprenticeship in outdoor pursuits and one day I want to be an instructor.