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Aspley youth project builds futures (NCH release)

Young people in Aspley will start a project this month to improve their local community and get valuable work experience.

The Communities Taking Control project will see a number of young people from Aspley and Broxtowe carrying out environmental improvements for more than 200 homes in Lindfield Road. The work will include:

• Fixing fences, erecting fences and painting fences
• Cutting back hedges
• Clearing out gardens

The project, which has been funded by Nottingham City Homes, hopes to drive community pride in one of the city's most disadvantaged areas and build up trust and understanding between young and older residents.

The young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, will be working with Broxtowe Education Skills and Training (BEST), which supports local youngsters get the skills and qualifications they need to get into work. Officers from Nottingham City Homes, the City Council's Neighbourhood Management Team, City Service's Clean Teams, Community Protection Officers, local councillors and the Police, will also be supporting the project.

All young people taking part will receive a CV and portfolio of work achieved. They will also be supported to find future employment or an apprenticeship.

A smaller project which took place last year on Harwill Crescent in Aspley showed what a difference these projects can make to local young people. Three of the young men who took part in the project are just about to start a one-year apprenticeship with City Services. They will be studying towards an NVQ as well as getting valuable experience in grounds and street cleansing, waste management, recycling and work as a public realm operative.

Gill Moy, Director of Housing Services at Nottingham City Homes, said:

We are committed to creating homes and places where people want to live in Nottingham, and it's so important that we support projects like this.

Not only does it improve the local area and community relations, it gives young people - who are bearing the brunt of the recession according to unemployment figures - the opportunity to gain valuable work experience.

Portfolio Holder for Area Working, Cleansing and Community Safety, Councillor Alex Norris, said:

The pilot scheme we ran in Harwill Crescent last year was a great success in terms of getting young people involved in positive activity to improve their neighbourhoods and engaged positively with older residents.

Not only that but it has led to apprenticeships for some participants, giving them real prospects to make a positive contribution to society. We hope to see similar successes with this scheme and further schemes that are planned.

Anna Mimms, Chief Executive Officer of BEST, said:

BESTbuild is a social enterprise construction company based on the Broxtowe Estate.

We employ unemployed people from the estate to deliver on the council and Nottingham City Homes (NCH) contracts. BESTbuild has been contracted by NCH to spruce up local streets, in addition we are mentoring young local lads who are working with us on work placements as part of the 'Communities Taking Control' project.

Most young people on the Broxtowe Estate want jobs and this project will help them get the experience they need to help realise their aspirations.

Without the support of NCH we would have never come this far. We are creating jobs, creating role models, and local people are making a difference to their own community.

(Fri 13th January 2012 09:00:00 GMT)

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