Real connections, real adventures.
1:1 Mentoring | Youth Groups | Adventures
In Apollo’s view, youth work shouldn’t decide for young people, it should let them advocate for themselves.
We centre our organisation’s mission, values and services around this trust in our young people, creating a safe space in which they can show us what they need, and together building the relationships and services that will meet those needs.
This is how Apollo has become the
gold standard of youth services in Guernsey.
Apollo in a message
from a young person
It’s been so lovely to go out with you each week and finally start opening up about my issues that I had pushed down and tried to ignore for so many years.
You’ve helped me a lot and even though it hurts to talk about my problems I’ve found that it really does help to break down the barriers that have been up for far too long.
It really does mean everything to me that you didn’t give up on me and still tried to push through even when I struggled to talk. You’ve done so much for me in such little time.
In Apollo’s view, youth work shouldn’t decide for young people, it should let them advocate for themselves.
We centre our organisation’s mission, values and services around this trust in our young people, creating a safe space in which they can show us what they need, and together building the relationships and services that will meet those needs.
This is how Apollo has become the
gold standard of youth services in Guernsey.
Apollo in a message
from a young person
It’s been so lovely to go out with you each week and finally start opening up about my issues that I had pushed down and tried to ignore for so many years.
You’ve helped me a lot and even though it hurts to talk about my problems I’ve found that it really does help to break down the barriers that have been up for far too long.
It really does mean everything to me that you didn’t give up on me and still tried to push through even when I struggled to talk. You’ve done so much for me in such little time.
We ask our young people what they want, and to our best ability, we make it happen - with passion and proactivity.
Our service cycle begins with 1:1 Mentoring, progresses through to Youth Groups, and then on to Adventures.
Every stage is child-led: we empower young people to co-create their own support.
In practice, this means they choose and share the activities and outcomes of their 1:1 Mentoring, Youth Groups and Adventures.
This approach has proven to be uniquely effective for young people slipping through the cracks of mainstream services, refusing school, or not engaging with allocated services.
1:1 Mentoring
“Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love.” — Dr. Bruce Perry
The entry point and beating heart of Apollo’s service cycle is 1:1 Mentoring.
Our child-led approach prioritises building human-to-human relationships around shared activities chosen by our young people - everything from boxing to sea swimming to fishing to golf to walks and talks. This also presents opportunities to collaborate with and support their families, team of professionals, and other stakeholders. stakeholders.
Youth Groups
Once we have built trusting relationships through our 1:1 Mentoring programs, we look to graduate our young people into our Youth Groups, built around what our young people have told us they want and need.
Active and outdoor pursuits, supervised semi-structured play with other young people; these formative but fun social experiences are the ones that young people need to forge new friendships, break old cycles of behaviour, and help them to become happy and functioning members of our community.
Apollo has taken the initiative and established Youth Groups to address the unmet needs and interests of our young people:
Weekly term-time youth group for the quieter young people who need gentler support and help to step into new adventures
Ember
Weekly term-time youth group for the louder young people who need high-octane fun and engaging adventures
Spark
Offers a calm space for young people to cast their cares aside, find community, and hook into engaging discussions and activities.
Gone Fishing
As with our 1:1 Mentoring, our Youth Group provision is built around Ask, Deliver, Review, Repeat: we ask young people what they want to do and we make it happen.
In 2024, our Youth Groups did everything from enjoying beach days snorkelling and building sandcastles, to exploring WW2 fortifications, to making campfires and climbing, to playing night games and going on scavenger hunts.
At the end of each term, our young people vote for the activities which they most enjoyed in their Youth Groups, and they vote for new activities they would like to enjoy in the next term, and Apollo builds session plans around this feedback.
Apollo views this area of inequality as critical to address.
Apollo has taken the initiative and, according to the wishes of our young people, created engaging and inclusive adventures in which they can form safe and consistent relationships with both adults and other young people - all whilst enjoying a range of positive activities :)
Our Adventures have included:
- Boat fishing trips
- Herm day trips
- Sark camping trip
About our Activities
Three words to describe your adventure?
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“Fun, tiring, enjoyable.” Millie, 16yro
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“Amazing, exciting, fun!” Issy, 10yro
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“Fun, difficult, exciting.” Connor, 14yro
Favourite part of your adventure?
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“Kayaking!” Connor, 14yro
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“Everyone lying on the grass in their sleeping bags watching the lightning in the distance.” Liam, Team Apollo
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“Making our own pool in the sand and crystal hunting.” Molly, 11yro
When the Traditional Route Isn't an Option
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“We’ve applied both times for school trips and he never got a space. Both were Europe” Mum 15yro
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“He wasn’t even allowed in the playground at breaktimes or lunch, due to the risk of him losing his temper. He wasn’t even invited to the leaver's assembly in Year 6 either, they said he should finish term 2 weeks before everyone else as it was all “activities” and they didn’t have the staff to accommodate his needs.” Mum 12yro
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“I was too naughty. They said they couldn't keep me safe.” Chris, 10yro
The Road Less Travelled: When Traditional Routes Fail.
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“We’ve applied both times for school trips and he never got a space. Both were Europe” Mum 15yro
-
“He wasn’t even allowed in the playground at breaktimes or lunch, due to the risk of him losing his temper. He wasn’t even invited to the leaver's assembly in Year 6 either, they said he should finish term 2 weeks before everyone else as it was all “activities” and they didn’t have the staff to accommodate his needs.” Mum 12yro
-
“I was too naughty. They said they couldn't keep me safe.” Chris, 10yro
When the Traditional Route Isn't an Option
How to Support
Apollo relies significantly on the amazing community support it receives from third-sector organisations and corporate social responsibility initiatives
to support its young people.
If you are considering supporting
a local organisation with the highest impact-per-pound of any on our island, get in touch and we can talk about how you can make magic happen.
Around one-third of Apollo’s work is supported by donations from charities and CSR, meaning everything from 1:1 Mentoring interventions to off-island Adventures have been made accessible to young people who are not held by social services and cannot afford to pay privately.
More Messages
about Apollo.
"Just wanted to say a quick thanks, your work with Conor is really fundamental in his recovery and is a perfect balance for him."
"Apollo has changed my lads outlook on life and himself. He has confidence, happiness and self belief. But it’s not just our child that Apollo has helped, it’s us as parents, his sibling, his grandparents who aren’t afraid to babysit anymore, his school friends, the teachers who have seen his attendance go from 30% to 98%. We will never be able to show how grateful we are for giving us back our happy little boy x"
"I honestly think that you can be held single handedly responsible for getting Finley through these exams. He’s so much more balanced now he knows how to chirp. You smashed it Liam - thank you x"
Our Adventures offer
Multi-day experiences
Circuit breaker
Independence, resilience
Larger groups
Range of activities
Whether you are a professional, parent or business...
Apollo collaborates with the community to make magic happen. We work directly with families, we receive referrals from social services, schools and youth charities, and we partner with local businesses to support our island's young people.
What families say
Hear from Families Who Have Experienced the Apollo Way.
“He’s so comfortable in the stuff you’re doing that he doesn’t even need to know exactly what is planned like he normally would. We can’t express in words what this means to us. It’s small steps but huge for him to step out of his comfort zone like he is.”
Dad of 19yro
“Bringing Millie to Apollo has made a huge difference to her confidence. She loves the outdoors and being able to mix with new people has been great. She looks forward to each week and spends time in between talking about what the group have got up to. It’s a great opportunity for any children who may find mixing a challenge to meet similar people. The team are so welcoming. They really know how to interact with all of the children in a way that benefits them individually. Honestly it’s making such a difference to us. Sincere thanks for everything!”
Apollo Mum
“I really do appreciate all you do for Max - his life is brighter with Apollo in it!”
Mum of 11yro
Meet the team
Liam Doherty
Founder & Director
Liam boasts over a decade of experience in voluntary youth work, transitioning to a professional role in 2021, and founding Apollo in 2023. As Apollo's Founder and Director, he remains actively involved, managing a caseload of young people and leading weekly clubs and adventures. Additionally, Liam is a boxing coach, holds a pastoral role at Elizabeth College, and enjoys sea-swimming.
Jess Le Page
Youth Mentor
Jess has dedicated her career to working with young people, starting at age 15 with Guernsey's Playscheme. Her experience includes Les Voies Special School, Youth Commission, and Seesaw Nursery. Outside work, Jess loves animals, pop punk, and baking.
Lara Klein
Adventures Lead
Lara is a Scout Leader with experience in youth work, learning support and managing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Lara’s passion for supporting young people to access life-affirming activities in the great outdoors is infectious, and her creativity and enthusiasm to make adventure happen for young people made her an obvious appointment for Adventures Lead.
Matt
Matt worked mostly in finance before pursuing his passion for skiing. As a ski instructor in Canada, he worked primarily one-to-one with young people with SEND, specifically autism. Matt is a tigger: bouncy, fun, with a knack for involving young people in activities, which has been invaluable across youth groups and adventures.
Lizzie Singer
Youth Mentor
Lizzie has four years of experience working with young people, working with Guernsey Employment Trust, supporting disadvantaged and disabled individuals to find meaningful work. Lizzie is a calm but powerful, prioritising nurturing environments and psychological safety, but bringing the energy when it counts. Outside of work, Lizzie competed in Strongman, coming second in her category!
What Young people say.
Hear from the young people directly.
“Wotcher Liam!!! Thanks for helping me get out into the world this year. I’ll always treasure our one to ones, games, Apollo FM, Ember and all that’s to come. Looking forward to 2025. Have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year”
Zane, 18yro
“Highlight of my week you absolute legend. Quote of the day- ‘you’ve got to cultivate your chirp.’ Worked so well today and felt so good within myself - the impact of exercise!”
Freddie 17
“You have changed my life so much.”
Christian, 15yro
Professionals
Apollo accepts referrals from professionals working with young people, including:
- Schools and education staff
- Social workers and support workers
- Health professionals and CAMHS
- Charities and youth organisations
Partnerships
CSR, ESG, Community Impact Initiatives
You are a responsible adult not engaged with social services seeking private support for a young person
Families
Families can also directly contact Apollo, though we will often ask that a professional helps to coordinate the referral.
Community
Parents, Guardians, Family Members
You are a local business or organisation wanting to make a tangible positive impact in the lives of young people by supporting Apollo's work
Apollo relies significantly on the amazing community support it receives from third-sector organisations and corporate social responsibility initiatives to support its young people.
If you are considering supporting
a local organisation with the highest impact-per-pound of any on our island, get in touch and we can talk about how you can make magic happen.
How to Support
Around one-third of Apollo’s work is supported by donations from charities and CSR, meaning everything from 1:1 Mentoring interventions to off-island Adventures have been made accessible to young people who are not held by social services and cannot afford to pay privately.
