Community Record Studio

Community Skill Share Shop

Once a bakery on the edge of a large housing estate in Norwich, ‘The Shop’ had been vacant for a number of years. Despite some recent use as a pop-up shop, the space was not fit for public use. Following consultation with the local community, the ambition was to transform it into a community skill share hub.

The project: We’ve made this space fit for purpose by creating fitted storage and lockable cupboards, shelving, new flooring and adding an accessible ramp.

The young people: 19 young volunteers from City College Norwich’s Aspire programme, aimed at re-engaging young people at risk of disengaging with mainstream education completed 12+ hours each on the project

The impact:

• Community group ‘The Common Lot’ has occupied the space since VIY completed the refurbishment and are looking to manage the space on a more permanent basis as a skill share space for the community, to deliver employability support, reduce isolation and promote connectivity
• Refurbished unit now offers a bright and practical space for the community to meet
• Positive early levels of engagement, with a number of skill share sessions already taking place, including clothes repair, knitting, arts and crafts, energy saving advice workshop and a visit from Norfolk Wildlife to encourage people to connect with nature, which attracted more than 50 attendees
• 6 young people had attended a VIY project previously
• 12 young people who attended The Shop have gone on to attend further VIY projects with us
• 2 young people have already achieved EET progressions – going onto employment or further training

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Accreditations gained: 15 City & Guilds Entry Level 3 in Carpentry, Tiling and Health & Safety

Concord Youth Centre

Part of the Commonwealth Active Communities fund – creating Commonwealth legacy in Birmingham.

Coneygre Youth Arts Centre

Coneygre Youth Arts Centre, run by Sandwell Youth Services is a vital creative hub for young people across Sandwell, offering sessions in music, recording, performance and production. Trained youth workers use these activities to build trusted relationships and support young people with personal challenges.

The Project

This project brought together seven leading construction partners under the CWM framework – GF Tomlinson, Galliford Try, Interclass, Morgan Sindall, Seddon, Speller Metcalfe, and Willmott Dixon – working alongside VIY and local authorities, to deliver a first-of-its-kind collaboration project. This partnership gives young people – over half of whom are care-experienced – the chance to gain hands-on trade skills, confidence, and real-life experience while making a meaningful difference in their local community.

With demand for the studio soaring, Coneygre’s single recording space was oversubscribed. VIY worked to expand and re-purpose the space by:

• • Building a new drum riser
  • Removing a storage wall to create a singing/podcast booth
  • Adding a stud wall to turn one studio into two
  • Installing fire-retardant, soundproofing tiles
  • Creating a new desk/shelved area for podcasting

The upgraded space now offers:

• Two fully equipped recording studios instead of one
• A new booth for singing, voice work, and podcasting
• Improved functionality with the drum riser and desk area
• More opportunities for young people to develop music skills, collaborate, and access support

The new space is now a safe, modern environment where more young people from across Sandwell can develop music skills, connect with peers, and access support.

The Young People

• 8 young people –  Care experienced and other local NEET/at risk young people referred from Birmingham and Sandwell Children’s Trust, Sandwell Youth Service
• 7 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations achieved 
  • Site Carpentry and Painting & Decorating
• 100% of learners felt more confident about getting a job in the future as a result of the skills gained during the VIY project
• 88% of learners felt their overall feeling of physical health, happiness and wellbeing had improved due to volunteering with VIY 
• 100% of learners would consider a job or career in the building or construction industry due to VIY

VIY’s support will now continue with the young people, in order to support them into a positive progression outcome.

• 5 community volunteers also supported the project by prepping the rooms and clearing out to ensure the spaces were ready for work
  

Project supported by: Dulux, David Paradine, Eclipse Painting, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Coppice School

Corby Rugby Club

Coventrians Rugby Club

Coventrians RFC, which celebrated its centenary as a club in 2021, is a valued community club in Coventry providing opportunities for local people to engage in playing rugby union, rugby league, football and bowls. To celebrate its centenary it was able to receive some much needed renovations.

Over a three week period 28 volunteers aged 14-24, referred to the project by Hereward School (SEN), Avon Valley School, Groundwork and Coventry Voluntary Action, and a local youth justice service team, helped to repave an existing patio, build and fence a new pagoda and redecorate the changing rooms. This created a new social area from which families and the local community could spectate and gather together after games.

The first of our projects in partnership with Toolstation, who provided funding for the mentoring and qualifications of the young people, donations of materials and equipment and volunteer staff, helped see to the completion of the project.26 of the 28 volunteers achieved a City & Guilds Entry Level 3 accreditation. They were even supported by former England player James Haskell!

Speaking of their debut project with us, Greg Richardson, Head of Marketing for Toolstation, said: “We are really proud to support the Volunteer It Yourself programme and to help young people learn practical trade and building skills and earn a qualification. The construction sector is facing a shortage of workers and we hope that this initiative will inspire more young people to consider entering the trades.”

Coventry Saracens RFC

Despite previously being a traditional grassroots rugby club, Coventry Saracens have now run thriving boys football teams since 2010. After the success of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the granddaughters of club Football Coach Lee Thomas asked him “why don’t you have a girls team Grandad?” Three weeks later, they held their first girls session, with 16 young girls turning up to the first session. Pretty quickly, local sponsorship has helped to purchase kit and equipment, and to help keep the under 6 and 7s girls sessions free for all, training on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as providing food for the girls to eat together afterwards and build friendships.

The project:

We transformed their male-dominated changing rooms to make them fit-for-purpose and more welcoming for girls and neurodivergent young people. We built covered outdoor seating areas for spectators and young people with special needs like autism to take some time out when they need it. We then worked with local artist dynamickart to create an inspiring piece of artwork across the front of the club to celebrate the ‘friendship and respect’ ethos of the club and for all those wishing to play football.

Match-funded by Barclays Community Football Fund, Sport England and Think Active, all to help more local young people have access to football and to become more active, particularly those from underrepresented groups, including girls and those with disabilities and special educational needs.

The young people: 

25 young people, those involved in or at risk of crime supported by West Midlands Police, and those with disabilities or special educational needs from Hereward College

The impact:

• Thriving young girls football teams with 20 young girls playing regularly, now with spaces more welcoming for them and for those with hidden disabilities
• Since the VIY project, and other grants enabling the team to fit disabled facilities, a pan-disability team has now started at the club with 10 young neurodiverse players
• Local businesses sponsoring and supporting their kit and equipment
• Their ambition is to now start girls rugby too
• One young person, on a reduced school timetable due to behaviour, picked up three days paid work as a labourer with a family member, directly off the back of his positive, hands-on experience with VIY and gaining his Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation
• Another young person has since applied to study carpentry at Rugby College from next year
• West Midlands Police organised a presentation evening to award the young people their framed City & Guilds accreditations to those supported by the police, along with the gift of a measuring tape each, celebrating their positive achievement in front of their families
• Due to the success of the project, and in particular the intervention for the local young people, West Midlands Police have since funded two further projects in Coventry through their Violence Reduction Unit, to help their young people gain more vital hands-on experience and accreditations
• VIY are now working through a further four Police & Crime Commissioner Funds across the country in Warwickshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire & Suffolk

Accreditations gained: 16 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations gained in Painting & Decorating and Carpentry

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Crawshaw Academy

Creative Start

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