Halloween at Youth Hubz: A Spooky and Fun-Filled Experience

As the air gets crisper and the nights grow longer, Halloween is just around the corner, and here at Youth Hubz, we’ve embraced the spooky season with open arms! From pumpkin picking adventures to creative workshops, our young people have been fully immersed in the spirit of Halloween, showcasing their creativity and teamwork.

A Little History on Halloween

Halloween, celebrated on the 31st of October, has ancient origins. It stems from the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred. Over time, it has evolved into a fun and festive occasion filled with costumes, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, and of course, pumpkins!

Youth Hubz in the Halloween Spirit

This year, our young people have been busy getting into the Halloween spirit by decorating their homes with eerie decorations. From cobwebs and skeletons to hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns, the creativity has been truly impressive. Each household reflects their unique personalities, some opting for traditional spooky vibes while others have gone for more colorful and fun designs.

One of our young people, turned their living room into a haunted house! Using spooky lights, giant fake spiders, and glowing pumpkins to give their home a ghostly glow, making it the perfect place for a Halloween movie night.

Pumpkin Picking at Whitley’s Farm

A highlight of our Halloween activities was the group trip to Whitley’s Farm in Pudsey for some good old-fashioned pumpkin picking. This outing not only provided the young people with a fun autumn experience but also an opportunity to capture the day on camera.

One of our young people, continued to develop her photography skills, capturing some stunning images of the pumpkins and the beautiful countryside backdrop.

Pumpkin Carving Workshop

To round off our Halloween festivities, we held a Pumpkin Carving Workshop at our main office. Armed with carving tools, everyone let their imaginations run wild, creating unique and intricate designs. From traditional scary faces to artistic patterns, each pumpkin was a reflection of the young people’s individuality and creativity.

This workshop was more than just a creative outlet – it was a great way to encourage positive interaction, teamwork, and self-expression. Many of the young people enjoyed bonding with their peers over their shared love of Halloween, while others simply found it a relaxing, positive activity.

Halloween at Youth Hubz has been a wonderful celebration of fun, creativity, and community. Whether through decorating their homes, going on a pumpkin picking adventure, or attending our carving workshop, our young people have made this spooky season one to remember.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this post🎃

April

Floating Support keyworkers
After leaving school, I worked in the textile industry for over 20 years. To support and encourage my daughter to attend college I completed an access to higher education course, where I had the chance to volunteer at a homeless shelter as part of the curriculum.

My passion for helping others then led me to start working with young people, initially in a mother and baby unit. In 2003, I joined Calderdale Council as a casual residential worker, becoming a permanent staff member in 2007. I then moved to a short break unit for children with learning disabilities in 2011, where I stayed until 2015 before changing my career path to focus more on support than care.

For the next 8 years, I had the privilege of supporting 16-18 year old care leavers, and I was even promoted to manager in 2018. It was a very rewarding experience, but I was eager for a new challenge when the opportunity to become a team leader working with Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) became available. I'm really enjoying the new experiences and the chance to support these young people as they navigate the asylum process and work towards living independently developing skills for community safety and involvement, personal hygiene, and basis English.

Outside of work, I cherish my time with my children and grandchildren. It brings me great joy to be able to spend quality time with my loved ones.

Babita Mehta

24/7 Operational Manager
Babita has worked with children for over 20 years. She has worked in the Education sector in a safeguarding role, before transitioning into Safeguarding Lead with Youth Hubz Semi Independent Support where she has worked for the last 18months. She is currently completing Level 4 in Children, Young People and Families Practitioner and ensures she keeps up to date with her role by attending various Safeguarding Leadership courses with new legislation and guidance. Babita has been Safeguarding Lead since 2021. She supports the implementation of policies and procedures with safeguarding practices. She ensures staff are up to date with all the developments in child protection policy, research, practice and guidance. In 2023 Babita was promoted to Operational Manager for 24/7 support.