Our work with Young People & Employment
Our work with Housing & Neighbourhoods
PROJECTS
Archway: Working with young people aged 16-25
The Beck: Working with young people aged 13-19
Construction and Housing Yorkshire: Realising the Potential of the Built Environment.
re'new Employment team: Providing wide-ranging employment support
Welcome
re’new is a regeneration charity working with disadvantaged people and communities. Our Vision: Working to regenerate communities to ensure that everyone has the same chances in life wherever they live. All our work is driven by a desire to help people realise their potential and create the best environment for them to do this.
NEWS & EVENTS
Helping people on their pathway to construction
Helping people on their pathway to construction
Pathways to Construction
We have linked up with a local Leeds business, East End Park electrical contractors BCS Electrics, to provide rewarding work experience opportunities.
The first of these was with 19 year-old Brad Schofield from Wortley, who has just completed four weeks with BCS Electrics.
The work experience forms part of Pathways to Construction, a scheme for people aged over 16, living in Leeds, who are currently unemployed. The project covers three areas: a taster session at Leeds College of Building, employability skills training with re’new Employment team and work experience. Our Construction & Housing Yorkshire project runs the Pathways to Construction scheme with Leeds College of Building, re’new Employment Team and Interserve Working Futures.
Brad said:
‘My time with BCS Electrics has been great and for the four weeks I’ve been working at Leeds General Infirmary, on a major scheme in the ‘voids’.
‘Derek Blackburn has been my teacher and he’s been fantastic. He’s an approved trainer and has been doing his job for more than 30 years. Derek has also shown me a number of drawings so I can wire up a light circuit known as a Chinese two way and another called an octopus. He is a fount of all knowledge.
‘I’ve loved my four weeks with BCS Electrics. My goal is to find an apprenticeship and go to college, and I think these four weeks will really help me. I’m now working with re’new to update my CV and now have my CSCS card.
BCS Electrics operations manager Dean Towers said:
‘At BCS Electrics we believe in giving people a chance. When we were contacted by Construction & Housing Yorkshire, asking if we would take on Brad under the Pathways to Construction scheme, we agreed.
‘We are undertaking a major contract at Leeds General Infirmary, and this is what Brad helped work on during his four weeks with us. Before he started with us he’d done his homework and looked us up on the internet. He’d done his research which was a very good start in our eyes.
‘He had to begin work at 7.30am every morning and he wasn’t late once. He was assigned to Derek Blackburn who, over the years, has trained just about the entire workforce, including me. It’s fair to say Derek isn’t easily impressed, but he was with Brad. I’ve not heard one bad comment about him. He’s been a really good lad.
‘Thanks to Brad he has opened the door for us to take on others under the scheme. We are more than happy to work with Construction Housing & Yorkshire again. This partnership is good for us, and good for those participating in it. Pathways to construction can open a lot of doors for graduates.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Pathways to Construction scheme and how you can get involved, please call the CHY team on 0113 881 4821.
Young people kick off their careers
Young people kick off their careers
Young people kick off their careers with sports course
Young people from Leeds are taking their first steps into employment, education or training after completing a course with re’new. The ten week REAL + Sport and Well Being course for 16 – 19 year olds, who are not in education, employment or training, ran from The Beck centre in Killingbeck.
The programme aimed to provide young people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to gain employment or go onto further training. The aim has certainly been met with this group of young people who have gone onto, amongst other things, a futsal coaching course, army preparation and employment. One young person has even been offered a place on a Professional Golfers’ Association course owing to his natural ability.
The programme also provided an opportunity for a local young person to volunteer over the ten weeks, strengthening his own opportunities and hopes of becoming a youth worker in the future.
Ali Spaul, Health and Sport Development Officer at The Beck, said:
‘These young people have been a pleasure to work with and their energetic personalities have become a real inspiration to everyone they’ve met.
‘This great thing about this course is that not only does it give young people the chance to gain qualifications and improve their literacy and numeracy skills but by engaging with them through sport it means we can develop their sporting knowledge and help them find out what careers are available in the field. Some of the students have gone on to start their own businesses selling everything from appliance repair to obese compression stockings. The design, inspiration, and creativity of our students is really impressive, and we're sure they're going to go on to great careers after working here.
‘The young people were given individual careers guidance and a support worker to help with their progression. The support worker will continue to support them as they take their next step until they’re settled.
‘Their excellent enthusiasm, attitude and attendance really paid off and we’re excited to find out what the future holds for them.
The course will run again throughout the year. For more information, contact Ali Spaul at The Beck on 0113 881 4812.
Notes:
The REAL + programme is delivered by igen, who contract for provision with different providers who deliver courses city-wide. The programme is funded by European Social Fund through the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA).
Changing Lives with Children in Need
Changing Lives with Children in Need
Funding success for The Beck
We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a three-year grant of £84, 868 from Children in Need to continue providing our programme of healthy activities for disadvantaged young people. The weekly timetable is delivered from The Beck and includes healthy eating and sports activities.
David Ramsden, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said:
'We are delighted that we have been able to give out an incredible £17, 907, 930 in our first grant round of the year to help projects like The Beck.
'These grants are made possible by our amazing supporters, and everyone should feel proud about the part they have played in raising this money.
'It really is going to make a huge difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.'
To find out more about The Beck, visit http://renewleeds.co.uk/beck or call 0113 881 4812.
re'new puts building firm back on track
re'new puts building firm back on track
A building firm has been rescued from the brink of collapse by signing up to Construction & Housing Yorkshire, a project of re'new.
John Croft, who runs D Croft and Son in Mirfield, said joining Construction & Housing Yorkshire was a “last shake of the dice”. But now Mr Croft says joining the organisation has saved his business by helping him make contact with key industry figures.
He said: “Things weren’t going well, and in 2010 I was introduced to Construction & Housing Yorkshire.
“It was a last shake of the dice and it’s fair to say it has proved to be a very wise move.
“Thanks to Construction & Housing Yorkshire, we have been introduced to key people in the sector, in addition to receiving help and advice filling in tender documents.”
D Croft and Son, based at Meadow Bank Crescent, has even gone on to win an award since joining Construction & Housing Yorkshire.
Construction & Housing Yorkshire director Rob Wolfe said: “We are very proud of our relationship with not just John, but with scores of other businesses involved with the construction and housing sector across the region. Part of our role is to help businesses of all sizes work together to benefit themselves, their workforce and the region’s economy.”
re'new's planning assessment skills commissioned by national house builder
re'new's planning assessment skills commissioned by national house builder
Construction & Housing Yorkshire’s skill at producing detailed planning assessments for local authorities has led to us being commissioned by a national house builder.
Construction & Housing Yorkshire (CHY), a project of re'new, has completed a major housing market assessment report for Persimmon Homes, a member of a consortium which is seeking to develop land in east Leeds.
The 30-page report produced by the CHY team focused on a number of key topics, including existing properties, how affordable housing is in the area, employment, environment, education, crime and demographics, and will be used to uniform the types of new-build houses to be provided the area.
Construction & Housing Yorkshire Consultant Huw Jones said:
‘Before any authority approves a major housing development it will seek a housing market assessment report. This is to determine what need there is and the types of homes the area is short of.
‘Over the last two years, we have carried out 13 such assessments for Leeds City Council, and understand it is on the back of the quality and depth of our findings that we were recommended to Persimmon.
‘This is our first private sector commission and I’m hopeful this will lead to further work not only from Persimmon, but from other developers too.
Mr Jones, a housing strategy expert, added:
‘In addition to looking at the big picture, our reports can drill down to individual streets. We look at the neighbouring areas, the types of houses, how much housing costs there and the people who live and work in them.
‘Our findings help shape future development and, more importantly, demonstrate particular needs, be it family units, accommodation for older people, housing for young couples or single person’s flats.
John Kirkham, Strategic Land Director at Persimmon Homes, said:
‘We are delighted with the document that the CHY team prepared for us. CHY was one of the organisations suggested by Leeds City Council and has provided an excellent report.
Further details about this work can be found by calling the team on 0113 881 4859.
Case Studies
