Ad Astra

Project Manager Contact: darren@teamviy.com

Project Overview

Ad Astra is an alternative education centre supporting children and young people with emotional, behavioural, and learning challenges, many of whom have Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans. VIY is redesigning and building a small animal area and enhancing classroom spaces with artwork. This project will provide students with opportunities to care for animals, improving their mental health and offering valuable skills in animal care.

Inspire Academy

Project Manager Contact: darren@teamviy.com

Project Overview

Inspire Community provides personalised learning and inspirational teaching in a supportive environment, helping young people reach their full potential through an inclusive curriculum.

VIY is constructing a bespoke sensory chill-out pod in the common room, incorporating carpentry work and custom artwork on MDF boards that reflect Inspire’s mission and community impact. The project will create a safe and creative space for young people to relax, be inspired, and benefit from a sensory experience.

Unedau Cyfeirio Disgyblion Caerdydd

Am y prosiect Gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Caerdydd a’r contractwr adeiladu Centregreat, rydym wedi chwarae rhan yn Ymrwymiad Caerdydd i helpu i hybu uchelgais a sgiliau pobl ifanc ar draws tair Uned Cyfeirio Disgyblion ac Ysgolion Arbennig, yn unol ag anghenion a chyfleoedd o fewn diwydiannau , fel adeiladu, ar garreg eu drws yng Nghymru.

Eu huchelgais yw darparu cyfleoedd profiad gwaith parhaus ac ymgysylltu â chyflogwyr, yn ychwanegol at ymweliadau a rhyngweithiadau ad hoc. Fe wnaethom gyflwyno gweithdai byr mewn tair ysgol, Ysgol Greenhill, Ysgol Gymunedol Gabalfa a Bryn y Deryn a Chanolfan Carnegie, gan gefnogi myfyrwyr a allai fod wedi cael trafferth mewn addysg brif ffrwd oherwydd ymddygiad, anghenion addysgol arbennig a/neu brofi trawma yn eu bywydau.

Cefnogwyd 15+ o fyfyrwyr gan Fentor Arweiniol VIY i ddysgu sgiliau gwaith coed, er mwyn adeiladu dodrefn pren i wella amgylchedd eu hysgol eu hunain, a hybu eu dysgu/dyheadau y tu allan i addysg brif ffrwd.

Rhoddwyd yr holl ddeunyddiau gan Travis Perkins De Caerdydd.

Dywedodd un myfyriwr:

“I ddechrau roeddwn i’n meddwl bod heddiw’n mynd i fod yn dwp ac yn wastraff fy amser. Nawr rydw i wedi gwneud y fainc rwy’n meddwl ei bod yn werth fy amser 100%. Rwyf wedi dysgu rhywbeth newydd mewn gwirionedd. Mae heddiw wedi rhoi pwrpas i mi ac rydw i wedi cymdeithasu hefyd.”

Dywedodd eraill wrthym:

“Fe wnes i ei fwynhau’n fawr. Dysgu torri’r pren oedd y rhan orau ac fe wnes i wella arno”, “Roeddwn i wir yn hoffi rhoi’r holl ddarnau at ei gilydd gyda’r sgriwdreifer a’i weld yn troi’n beth iawn” a “Hoffwn wneud mwy o’r math hwn o stwff.”

Dywedodd Ian Priday, Athro ym Mryn y Deryn a Chanolfan Carnegie, Caerdydd:

“Roedd Alan o’r radd flaenaf – yn hollol wych gyda’r dysgwyr, ac roedden nhw i gyd yn gwerthfawrogi ei ymdrechion a’i amynedd – roedd llawer o ‘ddiolch’ ar ddiwedd y dydd, ac nid yw hynny’n wir bob amser!”

Dewch i weld beth mae’r profiad gwaith ymarferol hwn yn ei olygu i Ysgol Greenhill

Cardiff Pupil Referral Units

Working in partnership with Cardiff Council and construction contractor Centregreat, we’ve played a part in the Cardiff Commitment to help boost ambition and skills in young people across three Pupil Referral Units and Special Schools, according to the needs and opportunities within industries, like construction, on their doorstep in Wales.

Their ambition is to provide sustained work experience opportunities and engagement with employers, over and above ad hoc visits and interactions. We delivered short workshops at three schools, Greenhill School, Gabalfa Community School and Bryn y Deryn and the Carnegie Centre, supporting students who may have struggled in mainstream education through behaviour, special educational needs and/or experienced trauma in their lives.

15+ students were supported by a VIY Lead Mentor to learn carpentry skills, in order to build wooden furniture to improve their own school environment, and boost their learning/aspirations outside of mainstream education.

All materials were donated by Travis Perkins Cardiff South.

One student said:

“I initially thought today was going to be stupid and a waste of my time. Now I’ve made the bench I’m thinking it was 100% worth my time. I have actually learnt something new. Today has given me purpose and I’ve socialised too.”

Others told us:

“I really enjoyed it. Learn to cut the wood was the best part and I got better at it”, “I really liked putting all the bits together with the screwdriver and seeing it turn into a proper thing” and “I would like to do more of this kind of stuff.”

Ian Priday, Teacher at Bryn y Deryn and the Carnegie Centre, Cardiff, said:

“Alan was first rate – absolutely excellent with the learners, and they all appreciated his efforts and patience – there were lots of ‘thank yous’ at the end of the day, which isn’t always the case!!”

See what this hands-on work experience means to Greenhill School

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School

Chapel-en-le-Frith School is one of 100 secondary schools across England that took part in VIY’s Mentoring Programme, supported by The Careers & Enterprise Company, since 2017.

The Mentoring Programme is targeted at students in Years 8-11 and designed to develop early awareness of the building and construction sector as a relevant and rewarding career pathway. The programme typically involved three interactions for students over one term with their VIY Mentors: two introductory skills workshops and then an on-site building project, identified/nominated by the students.

At Chapel-en-le-Frith, 34 students were selected by their teachers to participate, and for their project the students decided to renovate the school allotment. This included the building of new raised beds/planters and potting benches, and improving wheelchair access. Over two days each student completed 12 Guided Learning Hours working with their Mentors, successfully achieving an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds carpentry accreditation in the process.

Pre and post evaluation revealed that the students, in addition to developing new vocational trade skills, had also increased their confidence levels across seven key softer employability skills over the course of the programme, including teamwork and expressing their ideas and opinions.

Don Valley Academy

See what happened when we created a memorial garden for the students of Don Valley School, with the help of 15 of their very own students learning carpentry and joinery as they go, and earning an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation. All part of our VIY Mentoring Programme, supported by the Careers & Enterprise Company working with 100 secondary schools across England since 2017.

Just one of Guy Martin’s mini-series on Channel 4, Building Britain, travelling to four VIY projects across the country to meet the young people we mentor in trade skills whilst renovating community spaces.

Eko Pathways School

Haringey Learning Partnership

Havering Virtual School

Virtual schools are educational settings which support looked after and previously looked after young people. They seek to boost educational outcomes for these young people who can often be at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training).

Our pilot project with Havering Virtual School in London during summer 2024 was a great success, with the aim to bridge the skills gap and build confidence for young people who have been out of mainstream education for a while.

Young people, supported by Havering Virtual School and VIY’s Trade Mentors, designed and built a covered seating area with a table for the staff at MyPlace Youth & Community Centre, to use as a social space whilst taking breaks from work for positive wellbeing.

This pilot one week workshop was also used as an engagement tool to build rapport with young people and boost their skills by setting up a communal space which will be a constant positive reminder of their experience.

Impact of this project:

• 4 young volunteers gaining hands-on construction skills – experience they wouldn’t otherwise gain elsewhere
• All 4 volunteers achieved an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation in Carpentry during this week long project
• Sharna Swain, Key stage 4 & 5 Officer for Havering Virtual School told us: “The boys truly loved it, the mentors were brilliant and it’s really helped to encourage thinking around their aspirations!”
• Our Lead VIY Trade Mentor on this project, Dale said: “It’s a great opportunity for these young people to learn in a way that suits them, away from a formal educational environment where they’ve previously faced disruption or that they may have been away from for long periods of time due to care.”
• A ceremony is being held to celebrate the work of these young people with their parents, carers and Head of Children’s Services from Havering Council

John Grant School

Project Contact:  JoJo Yohannes, email jojo@teamviy.com

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