A SOCIAL enterprise that has helped spruce up a number of dale venues, while offering valuable work experience for students at the same time, has launched a bursary fund.
Trades4Care, a community interest company, works by giving college students hands-on training while undertaking renovation to community centres and care homes. Stainton Village Hall and Staindrop’s Scarth Memorial Hall have benefitted from minor makeovers through the scheme and several young people from Teesdale have gained training and experience.
Charlie Wright, from Trades4Care, said: “Our aim is to help young people, especially those from a disadvantaged background, to gain life skills and work experience and connect them with their community in ways which will build their confidence, show them the pleasures of work and the value of education, and perhaps lead them into fulfilling careers in trades.
“Our approach is to work with small numbers of young people on professional jobs
in care and community premises, to give each individual the particular support they need and to stay beside them until they have found a safe step into further training or employment.”
Trades4Care has teamed up with transport company Aviva’s community fund to create a bursary scheme which will support short-term traineeships.
Mr Wright said: “Some of the young people need a lot more support than others to find the confidence to get on the next rung of the ladder.
“We are trying to build a bursary fund so that we can offer the chance for some of them to act as youth mentors on the programmes while working more intensively with our team. We have piloted this, and the first young man who has had a bursary is well on the way to securing full time work.”
Already the fundraising drive has achieved about two-thirds of its £3,000 fundraising target to create the bursary scheme. For more information, people who want to contribute can visit avivacommunityfund.co.uk/trades4care.
