Talking Hands Youth Club

Talking Hands is a youth club based in Swansea who help young people who are deaf or hard of hearing, run by the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) – the independent representative body for the voluntary youth work sector in Wales.

In 2012, in one of VIY’s very first projects after setting up in 2011, 14 young people who were supported by the centre and as many adult volunteers took part in a VIY project to decorate and repair the building Talking Hands were based in, which is still going strong today.

Over 14 weeks, young people, who were all deaf or with hearing impairments, volunteered 3 days per week, supported by our VIY trade volunteers. They picked up skills in plumbing, painting and woodwork, and gained an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation each during the project, all whilst renovating an important space that they used and benefitted from regularly. Our mentors and volunteers were extremely well looked after with Talking Hands providing food and refreshments to keep the teams going!

Mae Talking Hands yn glwb ieuenctid wedi’i leoli yn Abertawe sy’n helpu pobl ifanc sy’n fyddar neu’n drwm eu clyw, sy’n cael ei redeg gan Gyngor Gwasanaethau Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol Cymru (CWVYS) – y corff cynrychioli annibynnol ar gyfer y sector gwaith ieuenctid gwirfoddol yng Nghymru.

Yn 2012, yn un o brosiectau cyntaf un VIY ar ôl ei sefydlu yn 2011, cymerodd 14 o bobl ifanc a gefnogwyd gan y ganolfan, a chymaint â hynny o oedolion gwirfoddol, ran mewn prosiect VIY i addurno ac atgyweirio’r adeilad y mae Talking Hands wedi’i leoli ynddo, sy’n dal i fynd yn ei flaen heddiw. Roedd y prosiect yn un o’n rhai cyntaf a gefnogwyd gan y Loteri Fawr, sydd bellach yn Bartner Cenedlaethol VIY, gyda deunyddiau a roddwyd gan Wickes, ein partner brand cenedlaethol am x mlynedd.

Dros 14 wythnos, bu pobl ifanc, a oedd i gyd yn fyddar neu ag amhariad ar eu clyw, yn gwirfoddoli 3 diwrnod yr wythnos, gyda chefnogaeth ein gwirfoddolwyr masnach VIY. Dysgon nhw sgiliau mewn plymio, peintio a gwaith coed, gan ennill achrediad City & Guilds Lefel Mynediad 3 yr un yn ystod y prosiect, i gyd wrth adnewyddu gofod pwysig roedden nhw’n ei ddefnyddio ac yn elwa ohono’n rheolaidd. Roedd ein mentoriaid a’n gwirfoddolwyr yn cael gofal arbennig o dda gyda Talking Hands yn darparu bwyd a lluniaeth i gadw’r timau i fynd!

Wrth fyfyrio ar y prosiect 12 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, dywedodd Helen Robins-Talbot, Rheolwr Datblygu Adeiladau a Phrosiect Talking Hands:

“Fe wnaeth wahaniaeth enfawr i ni ar adeg pan oedd arian yn anodd iawn i’r ganolfan gael mynediad ato ar ôl i ni ei brynu yn 2007. Cawsom lawer o hwyl a dysgodd y bobl ifanc lawer o sgiliau gwerthfawr, gan ddysgu sut i weithio gyda’i gilydd, cyfathrebu, a gwrando. Roedd yn brofiad gwych ac yn un y byddwn yn argymell unrhyw sefydliad i gymryd rhan ynddo.”

Rydyn ni nawr yn edrych i ddychwelyd i ganolfan Talking Hands i helpu i drawsnewid eu gardd ddirywiedig yn rhywbeth arbennig eleni yn 2024.

Temple Grafton Village Hall

This village hall was in complete disrepair, we didn’t think we could save it. A previously much-loved place for the community, in a village with a high proportion of elderly people at risk of social isolation. A real old building with shoddy walls, no heating (big reason for lack of use by the community), poor kitchen, no safe outdoor space, especially for those with mobility issues, of which there are many in the local community.

Our first project funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with Stratford-upon-Avon District Council, match-funded by Sport England and supported by Dulux.

The project:

• Co-funded heating through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund*
• Repaired and repainted all of their interior walls and rooms
• Fitted a new kitchen
• Constructed a safe, outdoor accessible decking area where previously the area was inaccessible to people with mobility issues
• Project supported by local young people and volunteers from the village

Impact since the project:

• Dance group who use the hall twice per week now returning, providing good regular income
• Seated exercise group well established since the renovations and will continue after the funded sessions end due to popularity (facilitated via introduction to Think Active through VIY) 
• Fundraising events and plans in full swing, the renovations attracting more to both hire the hall and attend events, keeping the space financially secure, open & local people active in many different ways
• Opened to rave reviews and feedback from the community – particularly heating and overall welcoming appearance
• Outdoor physical activity planned for the summer on the decking
• “Revitalising the hall has guaranteed a financially secure future with a regular income stream enabling the hall to serve as an active village centre for decades ahead.” Temple Grafton Village Hall Committee, Stratford-upon-Avon, May 2023

Young people involved: 12 young people from Catch-22 and Think Forward

Accreditations gained: 7 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations in Carpentry

About the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

The Active Wellbeing Society

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives.

The Society was developed from the successful Wellbeing Service set up by Birmingham City Council in June 2015. They deliver so much in the community, including food justice, the Big Feed Project, cycling, walking, well-being, grow and connect (wildlife), physical activity sessions across different sports, and the clean air justice network.

VIY plans to create ramps to make the Mother Hub more accessible/inclusive. We will build a trellis to divide the space further, providing an area for films, workshops, and activities and keeping an area wild to increase biodiversity

Railings and woodchips will be added to cover and border the concrete path so it’s not slippy and has a more natural/appealing aesthetic.

We also plan to add a cover for the bike rack, a large communal moveable table, signage, an accessible grow space, an insect hotel, storage, and decoration.

Impact

This project aims to increase participation and engagement on the site and provide a space for volunteer projects.

Project Contact: Jordan Clarke, email jordan@teamviy.com

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.

The Chase Centre

The Community Pantry

The Local Community Centre

The Boston Local Community Centre is a great community hub which hosts a variety of groups including yoga, dance troupes, coffee mornings, health and hospice groups. We were funded through the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with Boston Borough Council.

The project:

As a longstanding venue with very little funds to maintain or improve the building, VIY, along with local young people and community volunteers, redecorated the main hall and entrance areas of the building, including constructing planters to create a fresh, bright and welcoming entrance.

The impact:

• 19 NEET/at risk young people took part on the project, referred from local youth organisations including Nacro, Thomas Middlecott Academy, Springwell Academy and Future For Me
• 17 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations were achieved by the students in Carpentry and Painting & Decorating
• Usage of the venue increased by around 30% following the project to make the venue more attractive to current and new users
• One of the young learners enjoyed the carpentry so much he was inspired to investigate a career in construction
• Strong, positive feedback and demand for more from 3 students referred by Middlecott Academy:
• “Great fun, enjoyable and a really great experience. I enjoyed helping other people and being able to work with other people as part of a team. I made new friends. I would definitely like to work with Team VIY again if I had the opportunity to do so. It’s given me independence and confidence to try different things. I was always happy when I got home because I had had such a great time.”
• “I enjoyed the freedom from school and a change of scenery, I could try something different.  Great experience and would like to work with Team VIY again in the future. I really enjoyed painting and making a difference to the community.”
• “Great fun, enjoyed having the independence. I really enjoyed painting the Community Centre and making it look a better place for people to go to. I would really like the opportunity to work with Team VIY again.”
• Feedback from the Board of Trustees: “The centre looks lovely now it’s had a refresh. The planters outside are really well made by the group, I can’t wait to see the plants in the summer.”
• Richard Tory, Trustee at The Local Community Centre, Boston, also volunteered alongside the young people on the project: “I thoroughly enjoyed the couple of days that I worked alongside your team and the young people they were supervising and instructing. The team were knowledgeable, helpful and supportive, whilst the students were enthusiastic, motivated and willing to attempt their tasks. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with all involved.”

The Old Farm Bus

The Pythian Club

The Space CIC

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