Abbey School

Armthorpe Academy

Astrea Academy Woodfields

BBG Academy

Bradford Road, Birkenshaw, Bradford BD19 4BE

Bentley Urban Farm

Bishop Young Academy

The Bridge Project

Working with Doncaster Careers Hub and Nexus Multi Academy Trust, VIY converted a disused school building at The Bridge School into a new community cafe and activity/exhibition space. 

The project: we designed and created a cafe, named by the students as The Copper Pipe, including decorating and indoor seating, alongside an outdoor seating area, decking and community garden – all through learning and applying carpentry skills.

The young people: 32 young volunteers from 10 local SEN schools

The impact:

• The cafe is now run by students with special educational needs, offering work placements and supported internships, and acts as a venue for community activities and exhibitions, part of Doncaster Council’s Opportunity Area Initiative
• The space is now also being for a baby sensory class, a monthly community counsellor surgery, as well as a Community Pantry, offering necessary and essential hygiene and food items to over 100 local people each week, in conjunction with Cambeth Community Project
• The students hard work has paid off after being awarded a five star health & safety rating in November 2022
• The project was also heavily supported by VIY partners Dulux and Travis Perkins and local construction sector employer Keepmoat Homes

Accreditations gained: City & Guilds Entry Level 3 in Carpentry and Health & Safety

See the full impact of the project in the partnership film below.

Brighouse High School

Brooksbank School

Cafe INDIEpendent

Cafe INDIEpendent is a live music venue, community cafe and social enterprise on Scunthorpe high street, and was introduced to VIY by Music Venue Trust, a charity that acts to protect, secure and improve grassroots music venues at risk across the UK. The focus of the VIY project was to help refurbish the downstairs performance and bar area, involving an all female VIY team of mentors and volunteers, including construction students from Doncaster College.

The project was also visited and filmed by Guy Martin and Channel 4 for Guy’s Building Britain series of short films on All 4 that highlight the UK’s national shortage of building and construction skills.

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