We are very excited to announce that we have secured funding for a new pilot project that will help young people transition from school to ‘positive destinations’.  

Funding for this project, called ‘Stepping Out’, has been provided by the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership Community Grants Fund and will run for six months, starting 1 November 2015. However, it is hoped that, should the project prove successful, funding from other sources will be obtained to continue the work.

The Stepping Out project aims to support Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) 14-18 year old young people in Leith in accessing work and/or training. Using  our expertise in working with BME communities, we will work with 6-8 young people on a one-to-one basis, helping to build confidence and resilience, as well as assisting with the more practical tasks of creating a good CV, finding work experience and/or training and practising interview skills. In addition, we will be working alongside a number of Leith based businesses to establish direct relationships between the young people and potential employers. We have already built up partnerships with three local businesses and all three business owners have indicated a willingness to be involved in mentoring young people, potentially meeting at least once a month with their mentees and being available to talk via telephone or email for regular consultations. We are keen to establish further links with more local businesses and offer as wide a range of experiences as possible.