Category: Uncategorized

**Concluded in March 2018**

Journey to Work Plus is a 3-year project funded by the European Social Fund and is supported under the Youth Employment Initiative. Journey to Work Plus, led by TwentyTwenty and supported by The Y and Futures, will provide an intensive and focused package of support to assist young people and young adults from across Leicester City to successfully secure sustainable employment. Our objective is to increase retention rates and positive progression into education employment and training by ensuring the people we support are able to commit to, and succeed in Education Employment or Training.  As a result of we would hope to see a reduction in Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) figures across Leicester City.

There are two programmes within Journey to Work Plus:

• Engage 16+ (for young people aged 16-24) delivered by TwentyTwenty and The Y – see below for more information.
• Engage 25+ (for young adults aged 25-29) delivered by Futures

 

Engage 16+

What support is available?

Engage 16+
An initial 8-week programme which supports disengaged YP in small groups to ‘acclimatise’ to longer study. Using a Solution-Focused approach within a framework of person-centred support, Engage helps young people to examine core strengths, areas of interest and employability competencies through four, two-week modules. Celebrating ‘quick wins’ to boost confidence, young people will learn to ‘own’ a decision to make their journey to work. Each young person will be provided with intensive 1-2-1 support from a dedicated Journey to Work Plus Coach and (if required) a Complex Needs Worker.

 

J2W+

• Young people can either transition from Engage to J2W+, or if they are ready, they can enrol straight on to J2W+.
• A six-month employability focused education, skills training and career planning programme.
• Groups of young people work with dedicated and passionate tutors to achieve accredited qualifications in English, Maths, and ICT.
• Alongside tutors, each young person receives support from a dedicated Journey to Work Plus Coach (and Complex Needs Worker if required) to support them every step of their journey.
• Young people attain work-ready skills and competencies (through classroom learning, interactions with local employers and work experiences), providing them with the knowledge and confidence they need to move towards further training/education and employment.

 

Progress

• Successful transition into employment or further education, sustained for at least 12-months.
• This key transition is supported by a high calibre volunteer progression mentor, who is trained to support each young person through their positive progression into further training/education or employment
• Their Journey to Work Plus Coach will stay engaged if further support is required
• Complex Needs Workers will remain engaged with both the employer and young person, providing personalised support to reduce barriers to sustained positive progression, which could include issues around maintaining accommodation, personal relationships, finances and mental health and well-being.

 

Who will benefit from the Project?

• The programme has been designed to provide intensive and bespoke support for unemployed and economically inactive young adults (aged 16-24 years) living in Leicester City, who need support to progress into education, training and employment opportunities.
• Beneficiaries are likely to evidence complex needs including but not exclusively: learning disabilities, common mental health barriers, ex-offenders and those involved in crime, gang activity and anti-social behaviour, young lone parents, ex-offenders or young adults with learning difficulties, care leavers, those with experience of homelessness or unstable housing, substance misuse, domestic violence, and being brought up in a household where unemployment is endemic and multi-generational.

 

Where is the programme delivered?
TwentyTwenty Lifeskills Centre, 66-68 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1FB

How to Refer
Referrals can be made either by an individual self-referring, or through a partner organisation supporting the individual.  Referral forms must be completed.

More Information?
If you would like to discuss the Journey to Work Plus programme in more detail, please get in touch with TwentyTwenty Leicester Lifeskills Centre Manager, James Barnsley on [email protected] or 0116 261 9790.

Concluding in January 2018, The Y is delighted to have exceeded targets.

• 119 young people registered with The Y
• 106 were helped to find accommodation with 67% sustaining their tenancy for at least 18 months
• 48 entered work with 44% sustaining at least 6 months in full time employment

Ambition East Midlands is an innovative ‘housing first’ support project focussing on homeless young adults who are unable to access existing services. Launched in January 2015, this three year project ensures that vulnerable 18–24 year olds have a secure home from which to build their aspirations for employment and learning.  The project is now closed to new referrals.

Intensive Support

Each young adult referred to Ambition has a dedicated link worker providing intensive, personalised support that begins by helping them find a stable place to live. Over the three years they are supported to sustain their tenancy and develop the skills and confidence to enter employment, education, training or volunteering. They also have somewhere to turn for help with wider life issues such as budgeting, health, offending, drug and alcohol addiction or relationships.

Read Joe’s Story

Outcomes

The success of the project is measured on the basis of long-term housing and a combination of learning and development opportunities completed.

• Accommodation: The young adult will be established in safe, suitable accommodation, sustained for 3 to 18 months and beyond
• Education: Entry into education or training with accredited qualifications
• Employment: Full time or part time employment taken up or volunteering placements undertaken

In our first year we registered 119 homeless young adults aged between 18-25. 68% were housed and 37% entered into some form of employment, education or volunteering work with the support of Business In The Community (BITC).

About Ambition East Midlands

Ambition East Midlands is an exciting partnership between P3 Charity, YMCA Derbyshire and The Y, who are leading on the project in Leicester and Leicestershire. A significant contribution is being made by local housing, education and other support organisations, enabling expertise to be joined up and individualised to get the best outcomes for young vulnerable adults.

Ambition East Midlands was awarded £2.95m from the Fair Chance Fund which is jointly funded by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government. As it is a payment by results programme we had to raise funds in advance. We worked with Triodos Bank to offer a Social Impact Bond, one of the first to qualify for the newly introduced Social Investment Tax Relief, which raised £100k from individual investors. We also attracted financial backing from Big Issue Invest and Key Fund.

Get Involved

Help us to create a community focused on ending street homelessness.

If you’d like to get involved or hear more please get in touch via: [email protected]

Use the Streetlink app to report sightings of rough sleepers in the city. Information will be used on the night of the street count to ensure that as many rough sleepers are identified and supported as possible.

The Y is once again taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on the 29th September, from 10.30-1pm.  There will be free tea and coffee and the opportunity to make a donation in exchange for lots of lovely cake!

All proceeds will go to Macmillan Cancer Support and Breast Cancer Now.  Most of our staff have been affected by cancer, either personally or through loved ones.  The most common cancer is breast cancer; Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s leading breast cancer research charity.  Macmillan Cancer Support provide medical, emotional, practical and financial support, as well as campaigning for better cancer care.

We hope you can join us in the fight against cancer!

Donate to Macmillan Cancer Support today: Text JAM ATW5 to 70550 to donate £5

The Coffee Morning takes place: 
at The Y, East Street, Leicester 
Friday 29th September
10.30am – 1pm

George Williams Make Em Laugh exhibition has once again raised smiles for The Y audiences this Leicester Comedy Festival 2017.

Focusing on some of the more contemporary household comedians, George produces a twist on the traditional notion of caricature with his technique of layering, manipulating and distorting shapes. This year’s exhibition featured Jo Brand, Jack Dee, Rowan Atkinson, Ross Noble, Russell Brand, Harry Hill amongst others as part of the British Comedy Greats collection.

George Williams collection is available to buy, visit his website www.caricatures-uk.com for more information.

Back to Blog Homepage

Romeo and Juliet is the world’s greatest love story, telling the fateful story of the star-crossed lovers. Ballet Theatre UK is bringing to The Y Theatre a refreshing take on the ballet production with impressive grace and tragic emotion that was brought to live by their intimate movement repertoire.

This production by Hinckley based company Ballet Theatre UK is the latest in their history of vast repertoire, becoming one of the UK’s most popular touring companies. The company have received plenty of positive accreditation from within the industry as well as their audiences, therefore this take on the greatest love story is set to please us all.

This story follows the main thread of Shakespeare’s story. Where the two lovers meet at Capulet’s ball, therefore starting off a fateful series of events that conclude with both star-crossed lovers coming to their death embrace.

Their movement repertoire was elegant, watching their athletic bodies glide along the stage was inspirational. The young bodies undertaking a series of sustaining the high level of speed and clarity within their choreography. They had a lovely pace working through the tale of the two lovers, however it didn’t stray away from the intimacy and intensity created by knowing what would happen in the end.

I thought that the size of the space aligned with the basic scenery and lighting design allowed for an emphasis on the movement that Ballet Theatre UK is well recognised for.

Ballet Theatre UK’s Romeo and Juliet will end touring Sunday 29th January before Giselle begins touring from February 2017.

This blog has been written by Emma Hope, UK Culture, Lifestyle and Travel Blogger based in the East Midlands.
Click here to visit Emma’s website and read the original blog.

Back to Blogs Homepage