Our commitment to agile working at Positive Steps, and in particular the use of Citrix, allowed a seamless transition to home working by our staff during the Coronavirus situation.
Positive Steps, has been commissioned by the Community Safety and Cohesion Partnership to deliver a mentoring project with young people who go missing from home. An extract from a letter received by the Positive Steps team below highlights the real life impact the unit is playing in changing young people’s lives for the better.
"You came into my life when things were going wrong and I was in a bad place. I was going missing every day and I was constantly putting myself in danger. I was in a negative frame of mind and I was broken. I couldn’t find a purpose in life and I didn’t think I would make it out alive to be honest. Over the time you have been working with me, I have still been missing and I’ve still had my moments but you’ve taught me that each time I fall I have to get up and be bigger and stronger. You have also taught me that quitting is not an option. You helped me to remove toxic people out of my life and most importantly, you have taught me that it’s ok not to be ok.
"You have given me hope and helped me to live my life again. I just want to say thank you for everything you have done for me. You have made a positive impact on me and I am very grateful for everything!"
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Mike Doran, the CEO of MADHLO Youth Zone has passed away after a three week battle with Covid-19.
Positive Steps Chief Exec, Steph Bolshaw said - "Since its inception, we have always worked closely with Madhlo for the benefit of the young people of Oldham, and Mike's commitment to excellence has been an inspiration. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues at this sad time"
We have been working in partnership with researchers from the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University to deliver Getting Out For Good, a mentoring project for young women, and in the phase one evaluation report we have been praised ‘for embracing the project and working tirelessly to make it a success’
Getting out for Good was funded by Comic Relief and is one of the UK partners in an international support programme called ‘ I Define Me’, along with projects in Colombia and South Africa. The aim of the project was to understand the issues affecting vulnerable young women and girls who are susceptible to negative peer-networks, anti-social behaviour, exploitation, community isolation and violence. We also wanted to understand the challenges they faced in their local communities and what could be done to improve their situations.
The girls were each allocated a mentor from Positive Steps, who’s job it was to boost aspirations, help the girls build positive social networks by minimising harm from negative peers, and build confidence and promote positive decision making away from risky situations and behaviours.
Over the three years, 65 girls were given the opportunity to attend activities alongside their mentors - including football, drama, film making and boxing - in an attempt to improve their physical and mental health. The girls were also given the opportunity to attend social events organised by partnership agencies such as: G04G taster sessions, tour of the BBC and speaking on BBC radio Manchester, attending theatre performances and treat nights out.
The overall aim was to help the participants to make positive changes in their lives, and the girls were also given the opportunity to obtain AQA qualifications in the activities they wished to partake in. This element of the programme was really well received as a lot of the girls who joined the project had struggled at school or did not attend at all.
Overall, we received really positive feedback from the girls, parents and professionals. Comic Relief staff came to a session to speak with the girls and filmed some of their success stories.
Because of the success of the project, Comic relief have awarded Positive Steps further funding for the next two years - so we can continue to make positive changes, as well as minimising negative behaviours in young women’s lives.
Positive Cycles (a part of Positive Steps) has teamed up with Transport For Greater Manchester to assist in an initiative to supply transport for NHS staff and key workers across Oldham, Rochdale, Manchester and Tameside.
The aim is to collect donations of bicycles from the general public, refurbish them and then distribute to NHS staff and key workers during this current crisis.
Martin Sutton of Positive Cycles said: “Normally we take old and unused bikes and our volunteers and young people clean and fix them. We donate the newly refurbished bikes to jobseekers and local families.
During this coronavirus outbreak we are donating bikes free of charge to the NHS to help frontline staff commute safely to their place of work. We have already donated over 20 bikes to local hospitals. So, check out your sheds and garages for those unused bikes and help us keep the NHS moving”.
Have you got an unused adult bike in repairable condition to donate to Positive Cycles? on 0161 621 9250 and they will collect your old cycle.
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Positive Steps, Medtia Place, 80 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1DJ
| Tel: 0161 621 9400 | Fax: 0161 621 9401
Positive Steps is a trading name of Positive Steps Oldham. A company limited by guarantee and registered in England with company number 2563094. Registered Charity Number: 1017247
