Paid Programme
MEET BRADLEY…
Bradley (and this is his real name) is an incredible young man who we are really proud of.
He, like so many young people, has faced a series of barriers that have prevented him from finding work after leaving education.
There are many obstacles in Bradley’s way that we’re unable to discuss here; they are numerous and difficult, but not insurmountable with the right support. Unfortunately Bradley was bounced around between traditional routes of finding employment, which did not help the situation. However, The Perfect Place to Grow was able to offer support that government funded routes could not offer.
When we met Bradley, and he won’t mind us saying this (we checked), we found a shy, anxious young man who found it hard to communicate. He spent a lot of time alone and unsure of how to change his situation. He had worked in the past on a casual basis, but each time he found it a difficult experience and retreated into a routine that was rigid and closed to the wider world.
Taking our time…
One way of addressing a young person’s needs at The Perfect Place to Grow is through time. Bradley was with us for nearly nine months. He started as a volunteer trainee and progressed onto a paid program, working with us and building up his resilience and abilities.
Another option we have is to pay people to work with us. One of our founding principles is that young people should be respected both personally and financially; paying people a real wage demonstrates in the most obvious way that working literally pays. Thanks to the government’s UKSPF grant we were able to make this happen. Listening to Bradley recounting how he felt receiving his first payslip from us, and what he was able to buy that weekend, was an enlightening moment for us.
As with all the young people on the project, we started in the kitchen and got to know him and his specific support needs. We used the kitchen as a place to engage with him and the other young people around him. He got to experience working on catering projects, planting hops, making pizzas, coffee training, bar work, and being outside on a farm to name a few. Bradley has been one of the trainees that has had the opportunity to experience the most we can offer.
Giving young people the access to so many varied experiences is vital to what we do. Bradley had the opportunity to see how food can inspire change. He built resilience, and gained the confidence and skills that made him able to find work.
Did it work for Bradley? Yes.
Bradley has now left The Perfect Place to Grow to work in the kitchen at a venue not too far from us. He is a confident, responsible and delightful young man who is in a completely different place than when we first met him.
We have not changed him, but we have offered him the support and tools that have made it possible for Bradley to change his future for the better. And he has made us proud!
And there’s more…
Find out about Lyra’s internship success story