New Projects for Unemployed Youngsters


Charity organises 'community challenge' for the jobless

A charity that supports unemployed people living on the margins of society is setting up a new project in west London aimed at helping young people find jobs and access training.

Tomorrow's People is running a new sixteen-week programme called 'Working It Out’, which is centred around a ‘Community Challenge’. The aim of the challenge is to encourage leadership, change, initiative and involvement among 16-24-year-olds living in west London who are neither in employment nor training (NEETs).

The project is targeted at the most disaffected young people who steer away from official provision and will enable those on the edge of society to play positive roles in their communities and deal with difficult issues around motivation, confidence, social barriers and self-esteem, enabling them to secure sustainable employment.

In past projects around Britain, community challenges have been varied – from taking part in a community play to garden clearance work, to redesigning a charity website.

"‘This unique opportunity provides such a different approach for young people, they are more likely to engage and get something out of it," said Brian Gibson of the Tomorrow's People charity.

"Working It Out projects in other regions have seen the lives of young people and their communities transformed as habits of inactivity, petty crime and dependency are broken, peers see what opportunities exist for them and the local community life changes when a new, positive relationship is built with this group of misunderstood young people."

The new team are currently looking for community challenges to undertake with the young people starting the programme on 18 January. So if you need help painting your perimeter fence, designing the new décor for your meeting room, raising funds/awareness for your charity, or putting on an after school football club, then please challenge them to do it for or with you.

If you would like to get involved, as a challenger, volunteer or young person, please contact Lucy Coates or Petula Hippolyte on 0208 600 2456 or e-mail lcoates@tomorrows-people.co.uk

For more information on Tomorrow's People, please visit their website.

December 16, 2009