YMCA Derbyshire has received support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a new employability project inspired by local heritage ‘Past:Present:Work’.
Thanks to National Lottery players, the project will support 30 young people who have experienced homelessness and/or barriers to employment/learning. These project participants will be YMCA Derbyshire residents or young people engaged in training and education programmes at YMCA Key College.
The project aims to engage the young people in exploring key heritage and conservation sites in Derby and Derbyshire to understand the employment opportunities linked to these in the past and present. This will be done through projects, 1-1 coaching, group activities and essential work placements/volunteering to facilitate each young person’s successful journey into employment.
Cromford Mill, the Museum of Making, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust are partners within the project each providing workshops, delivered by their education teams to explore their sites and resources to inform and excite project participants.
Gillian Sewell, Chief Executive of YMCA Derbyshire, said: “YMCA Derbyshire is immensely grateful for the support from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This funding will enable young people who may not have the opportunity to visit and engage in activities related to their local heritage to access these places and learn about their rich history.
“We are excited to be working with our three project partners, Cromford Mills, The Museum of Making, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to explore the past and present of employment within the local area and take our participants on a journey to explore this. The project will enrich their knowledge and skills to build their CV’s and assist them in finding meaningful work for the future.”
