Projects

Shard End Youth Centre

Completed: 2016
Location: Birmingham
Region: West Midlands
Wickes local store partner(s): Perry Barr
Other local partners: Asfari Foundation, multiple local alternative providers

About the project

Shard End Youth Centre is one of the longest serving youth clubs in Birmingham, and is located in one of the most deprived wards of the UK. After running a successful internal painting and decorating project in 2015, we worked with the centre staff to establish VIY’s first Midlands Hub. This was a tremendous success and, over the following four years, with the support of The Asfari Foundation and the Careers & Enterprise Company, we hosted over 200 young people as they did a combination of painting, plumbing and carpentry work on the building.

In total more than 2,400 volunteering hours were contributed by the young people who were referred to the project by over 20 schools and colleges, local JCPs and YOTS as well as users of the club themselves. Local Wickes stores also contributed over £15,000 worth of materials.

We are extremely pleased that ten of our students have successfully achieved the Entry Level 3 City & Guilds qualification off the back of taking part in VIY at Shard End Youth Centre. This is a fantastic result as they were all previously very disengaged, struggled to attend school and had no prior record of academic achievement. Teacher, George Dixon Academy
As well as giving me new technical skills and increased confidence, VIY taught me how to act in a working environment. You’re treated like an adult in the way that you have to turn up on time, act professionally and get the job done to a decent standard. The mentors obviously support you along the way but it’s down to yourself to do the work, as they are only there to guide and teach. It was a really great feeling when we completed our project. VIY helped me make up my mind that I wanted a career in building and construction. Ramone MacDonald, VIY volunteer