Teenvine+ Covid 19 Next Steps

29/09/2026

Why was the frog late for work? His car got toad! 🐸 If you like this good/bad joke and are looking for work supporting a young disabled person to have a great life, this post might interest you!

We are helping T and his Mum find a personal assistant to work one-to-one with T for up to six hours a week during term-time and up to 12 hours in school holidays in the Eastern Green area of Coventry.

T's personal assistant needs to be proactive, responsible, understanding and help him with all of the activities he enjoys - including visiting museums, going swimming, playing Xbox, building lego, going on walks using a wheelchair and telling terrible jokes!

This funny, fun loving 13-year-old is looking for someone who can relate to him in a light-hearted, playful way but also support him with the practicalities of life (including road safety), creating opportunities for positive friendships and greater independence.

Having access to a car for trips out is preferable, but not essential.

Contact Avril Draper for further information, including the hourly rate of pay, at [email protected] 📧

Please note this is a contract between T's family and the personal assistant, not Grapevine.

Please share if you know someone who could be great for T ♻

ID: A woman wearing a baseball cap and white t-shirt smiles as she gives a boy a hug in the evening at a campsite. This is TeenVine+ project worker Laura at this year's summer camp out with Teenviner Harry. Harry is not the person looking for a personal assistant.

24/08/2026

Spooky Adventures in Coventry 👻

This morning, Dark History UK took some of our Teenvine Next Steps young people on a spooky ghost tour around Coventry! 👻

For some of our young people, this was a huge step. Getting out of the house, meeting new people and trying something outside of their comfort zone. We’re so proud of them for giving it a go!

Spooky Jo made everyone feel so welcome, and the young people loved discovering the fascinating history of Coventry and hearing about how it connects to some of the city’s ghostly stories. 👻

One young person messaged me afterwards saying:

“AMAZING, we had so much fun!”

A massive thank you to Jo for making the experience so enjoyable, welcoming and inspiring. It’s fantastic to see our young people discovering new interests, building confidence and creating positive memories along the way.

Dark History UK
Grapevine Cov and Warks

24/08/2026

06/07/2026

EXCITING NEWS! 📣 The Village Hotel Coventry is hosting a quiz night at their venue on Thursday 9 July and, as their charity partners, we will receive half the proceeds to go towards our Teenvine Plus summer camp in August!

Each £12 ticket includes entrance to the quiz, a delicious buffet and a raffle. 7pm arrival for a 7.30pm start, finishing by 10.30pm.

Teams of up to eight people can enter the quiz, with individuals being able to join up with others on the night if they don't have their own team.

We're hoping to enter a couple of our own teams too and would love to see you there! Quiz nights are always a great opportunity to catch up with friends and test your knowledge on a wide range of trivia, general knowledge and current events.

Please share with anyone you know who might be interested in coming along. Let's get quizzical! ❓

To book your ticket, please email The Village Hotel Coventry directly at [email protected] 📧

Vegetarian food options will be available on the night — please include any dietary requirements when you book.

Come along and support young people with special educational needs and disabilities from Coventry 💜

ID: An orange, yellow, black and white promo flyer advertising the quiz night on 9 July 2026 at Village Hotel Coventry. Illustrated yellow question marks and the pink, purple and yellow Grapevine logo are also seen. All of the details are in our post.

15/06/2026

One of the highlights of our programme is our drop-in sessions, where young people have the opportunity to reconnect with me (Poppy), meet others who are on a similar journey, and try something new in a relaxed and supportive environment.

At our latest session, there was plenty to get involved in, from Nintendo Switch games and slime making to a variety of activities that could be enjoyed independently or alongside others.

Seeing the progress that has been made throughout the cohort where by the end of the 6 months, many young people are willing to take that step outside their comfort zone. Whether it's starting a conversation, joining in with an activity, or simply being in the same space as others, these are all huge achievements worth celebrating.

It's always inspiring to see young people building confidence, developing social connections, and discovering that they are capable of.

28/05/2026

Last week Poppy from Teenvine Next Steps supported a young person with some travel training into Coventry City Centre using the bus. 🚍

For many people, catching a bus and heading into town feels like an everyday task, but for some young people struggling with anxiety, leaving the house, or attending school, these steps can feel overwhelming.

This session was all about building confidence and independence through small achievable goals:
✔️ Checking the bus timetable
✔️ Waiting at the bus stop
✔️ Asking the driver for a ticket
✔️ Travelling into the city centre
✔️ Walking around the shops and becoming familiar with the environment
✔️ Planning the journey home

These experiences help young people develop important life skills, reduce anxiety around travel, and slowly build confidence in the community around them.

Every small step matters, and this was a really positive one. 🌟

21/04/2026

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT! 🛎️ In 2025, Grapevine and Central England Law Centre supported Coventry people to respond to the government’s consultation on proposed changes to disability benefits — and we are doing it again!

This time to respond to the government’s ‘call for evidence’ in its review of the Personal Independence Payment benefit (PIP) — known as the Timms Review.

SAVE THE DATE 📆
Wednesday 6 May, open from 10am to 12.30pm
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

The government says the review of the health and disability benefit PIP aims to help support better health, higher living standards, greater independence and employment where possible.

Is PIP fair, fit for the future and working well in our changing world?

Grapevine and Central England Law Centre want to know what YOU think.

As Coventry-based organisations working with disadvantaged people, we intend to contribute evidence to the Review with a full and true picture of what life with (and without) PIP is like for disabled people and people with long-term conditions in our city.

Our submissions will include people’s lived experience, our own knowledge, data and reports.

To achieve this we are once again hosting a free, open event (no appointment necessary) for people to come and share their experiences of PIP.

The evidence we gather will be submitted to the Timms Review.

It is very important we respond to the Review so that the government knows what Coventry people think about PIP.

Please tell us you are coming and let us know any access requirements by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/h8S2qsDhY3KiXXZV7

Please also share with anyone you know who receives PIP, or has applied to receive it, and lives locally.

Useful links, easy read and other information are available on our website here: https://bit.ly/48QE4k1

ID: A white megaphone on a purple background with a bright pink bubble inside containing text about the PIP Review Consultation Event on 6 May at Belgrade Theatre, all details of which are in the text of this post.

17/04/2026

During half term, Poppy hosted a drop-in session at Costa Coffee, giving young people a chance to connect, unwind, and focus on their next steps.

Here’s a glimpse of what we got up to:
✨ Exploring different college courses and breaking down the application process
🎨 Getting creative with watercolours
🗓️ Building daily and weekly routines
☕ Enjoying matcha and frappés together
💬 Catching up on half term activities and future plans

These sessions are all about creating a safe, supportive space where young people can build confidence, explore opportunities, and feel part of a community 💛

10/04/2026

Some days at school can feel overwhelming — and that’s something many young people are navigating right now.

We explored emotional regulation in a simple, hands-on way. Using soaking wet sponges, we headed outside and let it out — throwing them onto the ground as a safe and physical way to release built-up frustration and stress.

What might look like a small activity can open the door to bigger conversations:
💬 How does stress show up in our bodies?
💡 What helps us feel calmer and more in control?
🧠 How can we manage tough emotions in healthy ways?

Creating space for young people to express themselves — without judgement — is such an important part of building resilience and self-awareness.