Getting kids back to school.

FRANCES HARRISON only recently came to work as a manager at Fairbridge West in Bristol, UK, with socially excluded young people. 'Society is unfair to kids who struggle to fulfil their potential. The school system doesn't always work for them and they don't fit. Fairbridge meets them on their level,' says Harrison.

She is not a religious person; instead she operates on her values. The job that she had before was in strategic policy at the National Consumer Council. She took a significant pay cut and left London because she felt that as her career rose, she was becoming distanced from the grass roots.

Last year, Fairbridge separated its courses for under-16s from those for over-16s. 'We had to change the way we dealt with some very challenging young people, and for instance we have used yellow and red cards to discipline them. This has made a real difference, and forms part of our strategy of plan, do, review and apply,' says Harrison.

She coordinates the two teams operating at the front line. The first is the Outreach Team, whose job is to target people who may have drug problems, are excluded from school or have a hard time at home. Harrison points out that 60 per cent of prisoners in the UK were excluded from school at some stage, so getting kids back to school at an early stage is essential.

The Development Tutors take the young people on an access course, a week in Wales doing things from climbing and caving to canoeing and gorge walking. This teaches the young people that they can do almost anything they set their minds to. They come back to the office and set themselves a course that could involve outward bound adventure, cookery or a range of other activities. These courses in turn teach them personal and social skills, as well as how to have fun.

Operating out of a two-storey shop unit on the Gloucester Road in Bristol, Fairbridge West has an annual budget of 400,000 [pounds sterling] a year. It is one of 15 Fairbridge branches around the country which are almost entirely funded by a relatively small corporate and government contribution.

One of the high points of the last year was a venture set up by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The clients set up an exhibition at the Watershed on Bristol's waterfront, showing what they had learned on the course. The main event was a short play by the Fairbridge clients and workers from the FSA. 'Among the audience were local MPs, businessmen and young people. The applause showed the response to their efforts it was amazing,' says Harrison.