Newport Youth Academy

Celebrating Community, Health & Opportunity! 🌟
Our Newport Youth Academy learners recently took part in an inspiring Aneurin Bevan University Health Board community event focused on promoting fitness, wellbeing, and healthier lifestyles across Newport — and what a fantastic morning it was!
💪 Chair Pilates Sessions
Learners took part in engaging chair‑based Pilates led by health professionals from 19 Hills Health Centre. These sessions offered an accessible, inclusive way for young people to explore mobility, flexibility, and strength — all delivered by experts passionate about community health.
🥗 Nutrition Workshops with Newport County
We were also delighted to join the Newport County – County in the Community team for practical, interactive nutrition sessions. Learners explored healthy eating, smart food choices, and how nutrition supports both physical and mental wellbeing.
🤝 Strengthening Community Connections
Events like this highlight the value of bringing organisations together to support young people. We’re proud of our learners for getting involved, trying new activities, and embracing programmes that encourage healthier, more active lifestyles.
A huge thank you to everyone involved for welcoming our Academy and helping us champion health, fitness, and community engagement across Newport. 🌍💛

Christmas Spirit in the Community!
✨ Over the Christmas period, some of our young learners from Newport Youth Academy stepped up to support a festive event for the Ringland community, supported by Hedyn, Lovell and Celtic Manor
From organizing tables and guiding guests to their seats, to overseeing food preparation and providing table service, the learners ensured a warm and seamless experience for everyone who attended.
One learner reflected:
“I really enjoyed serving food to members of the public. It was good to volunteer in a new setting, and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
👏 A huge congratulations to these inspiring young people for their dedication, teamwork, and community spirit. Their efforts brought joy to many and highlighted the power of youth engagement in making a difference.

🎉 Happy New Year from Newport Youth Academy 🎉

As we wrap up an incredible year, we want to thank all our amazing learners, staff, and partners for making 2025 such a success. 🙌
Your hard work, creativity, and commitment has inspired us every day. We’re excited to continue supporting you in achieving your goals and unlocking new opportunities in 2026! ✨
Here’s to another year of learning, growth, and success together. 💫
Happy New Year – let’s make it the best one yet!

Nadolig Llawen !

As we celebrate Christmas, we want to thank all our learners, staff, and partners for making this year such a success. Your hard work, commitment, and achievements have been incredible, and we’re so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.
Enjoy the festive break and get ready for an exciting year ahead in 2026! 🌟
From all of us here at Newport Youth Academy, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🎅✨

🌟 Huge congratulations to Amber on beginning her work placement with Lovell's Social Value team! 🌟

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain real-world experience while making a positive impact in the community. Working in and with the community is at the heart of what we do—it builds connections, creates opportunities, and helps shape a brighter future for everyone.

A big thank you to Shelly and the team at Lovell for their incredible support in making this placement possible. Your commitment to social value and community engagement is truly inspiring.

👏 We’re so proud of our learner and excited to see all the great things she will achieve during this placement!

We will remember 🌺

11/11/2025

Early Steps, Big Impact: How NYA and Ogi Are Inspiring Future Careers:
For many teenagers, the summer after GCSEs is a time to relax—but for two young people supported by Newport Youth Academy (NYA), it became a launchpad into the world of work.
In partnership with Welsh broadband provider Ogi, we recently piloted a new placement programme that gave 16-year-olds Gizella and Niam a chance to gain first-hand experience in a thriving tech company. It’s a great example of how giving young people access to real workplaces—sooner rather than later—can shape their confidence, skills, and future ambitions.

The Value of Starting Early
At NYA, we know that talent and potential don't wait for a university degree or a job application. That’s why we’re passionate about creating experiences that introduce young people to the working world earlier—especially those who may not see traditional career routes as the only option.
This summer initiative, delivered in collaboration with Ogi, reflects that belief in action. It offered our learners a real taste of life inside a growing tech business, and an opportunity to understand not just what companies do—but how people work together, solve problems, and support customers.

Andrew White, our ELO at NYA, explained:
“We’re always looking for partners who understand the importance of investing in young people from all backgrounds. Ogi showed real commitment in making this happen, and we’re excited about what this could lead to.”

Inside the Placement: Real Work, Real Learning
Over four weeks, Gizella and Niam became part of the Ogi team, contributing to the Customer Care and Billing departments. This wasn’t a token placement—they were actively involved in tasks, invited to meetings, and treated like valued colleagues.
They also joined training sessions covering professional tools like Microsoft Office, explored the technical side of the business with network specialists, and built a deeper understanding of what working in a company really involves.
Alongside this, both young people achieved formal qualifications in:
• Customer Service (Level 2)
• Employability
• Equality & Diversity
• Lone Working Awareness

For Gizella, the experience made a real impression:
“It gave me a clear picture of what a professional job can look like day to day—and it helped me realise what direction I want to take.”

Niam added:
“The people made all the difference. Everyone was supportive and welcoming. I’ve learned how essential teamwork is in any role.”

Why Partnerships Like This Matter
This was NYA’s first collaboration with Ogi, and it has already shown us what’s possible when young people are trusted with real opportunities. The benefits go both ways—learners gain confidence and direction, while businesses engage with fresh talent and give back to their communities.
We believe the earlier young people get to experience the workplace, the better equipped they’ll be to make informed decisions about their future.
For us, this placement wasn’t just about a month of work experience—it was about unlocking potential, building self-belief, and showing that professional environments can be inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of age or background.

NYA’s Ellie George Crowned Wales Under 16s Speedway Champion !

Ellie had an incredible weekend at the 2025 Welsh Speedway Championship - racing through the rain to become the new Under-16 Welsh Champion!
Her determination, confidence, and skill shone through in every race, proving that hard work and passion really do pay off.
As a member of NYA, Ellie is a confident and motivated learner who has demonstrated commitment to her own self-improvement both in and out of centre.
She’s a great example of what can happen when you believe in yourself and put in the effort. Everyone at NYA is so proud of her success and we can’t wait to see what she does next on and off the track!

Several learners from Newport Youth Academy have recently taken part in the Cwmpas Social Entrepreneurship Programme, delivered in partnership with Business Wales. The programme aims to inspire young people to see business as a tool for positive change, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to create and manage their own social enterprises. Through a series of interactive workshops, mentoring sessions, and collaborative projects, learners explored key topics such as business planning, marketing, budgeting, and understanding social impact.
As part of the programme, learners also took part in a competition to pitch and draft the most successful business plan, putting their creativity and entrepreneurial thinking to the test. This challenge encouraged participants to refine their ideas, consider real-world feasibility, and present their proposals to a panel for feedback—mirroring the process many social entrepreneurs experience when launching a new venture.
A key element of the course involved learners developing their own business proposals, allowing them to apply what they learned in a practical and creative way.
A highlight of the programme was a site visit to Bike Lock in Cardiff, a thriving local social enterprise that combines a cycle café with secure bike storage facilities. This visit provided valuable insight into how social enterprises operate day-to-day, how they balance community benefit with commercial sustainability, and the positive environmental and social impact they can have. The experience gave learners a real-world understanding of entrepreneurship, teamwork, and innovation. Many participants have now developed strong initial ideas for their own ventures, which they may be able to progress further with ongoing guidance and support from Cwmpas and Business Wales after the programme

🌟 Celebrating Our Learners’ Success! 🌟
We’re incredibly proud of our Newport Youth Academy learners who recently took part in the CWMPAS Social Enterprise Programme! 🙌
Throughout the programme, our learners have developed valuable entrepreneurial, teamwork, and communication skills — gaining hands-on experience in planning, developing, and pitching their own business ideas. From identifying community needs to designing sustainable business models, they’ve shown creativity, confidence, and a real commitment to making a difference. 💡💼
A huge congratulations to all participants for their hard work and fantastic business plans and pitches — your innovation and enthusiasm truly shone through! 👏
We’d also like to extend our sincere thanks to CWMPAS for delivering such an engaging and inspiring programme. Partnerships like this are at the heart of what we do — providing our learners with meaningful opportunities to build skills, explore careers, and connect with their community. Together, we’re helping young people develop the confidence and knowledge they need to thrive. 🌱
Well done to everyone involved — we can’t wait to see where your ideas go next! 🚀

🎉 Congratulations to our Newport Youth Academy learners! ⚡
We're proud to celebrate their successful completion of an Electrical Engineering Taster Course, delivered in partnership with Addysg Oedolion Cymru / Adult Learning Wales and NDGTA.
This opportunity gave our young people hands-on experience and valuable insight into the world of electrical engineering – a sector full of innovation, challenge, and opportunity.
💡 Work experience like this is more than just practical learning. It plays a vital role in widening horizons, building confidence, and helping young people explore career paths they may never have considered.
Through partnerships like these, we’re opening doors – empowering learners to gain real-world skills, meet industry professionals, and take the first step toward a brighter future.
A huge thank you to our partners for making this possible, and to our learners for showing up with curiosity, commitment, and enthusiasm!

🎉🍽️ Our talented learners turned up the heat at the Newport Food Festival 🔥👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

This weekend, our students proudly represented us at the Newport Food Festival
They showcased passion, professionalism, and some seriously impressive cooking!
They crafted delicious burgers and mouth-watering scones that wowed the judges and festival visitors alike! Their creativity and skill were on full display, proving that the next generation of chefs are ready to shine. ✨🍔🥐
We’re so proud of their hard work, teamwork, and the way they brought their flavours to the stage. 🌟🥗🍝

Huge congratulations to everyone who took part — you made us so proud! Here’s to many more tasty achievements ahead. 👏🎉

Newport City Council please share!

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