Case studies

Leeds Ahead brought the three parties in this project together to identify the needs of the particular beneficiary group and to set objectives for the training. Key to these initial discussions with Archway, O2 and Pinsent Masons was the emphasis on tailoring the training materials and general approach to young people who had little or no experience of the workplace, low self esteem and a range of perceived or actual barriers to employment.  The programme comprised four sessions focusing on: Communications Skills, Confidence Building, Interview Techniques and Interview Preparation. These sessions were delivered in a variety of locations, including 02's own offices. A fifth stage involved individual interview practice at Pinsent Masons followed by a celebration event. Structured work placements were then offered within the firm for three of the young people. The sessions were designed and delivered by a total of eight O2 and Pinsent Mason volunteers with expertise in training and interviewing.  Five young people benefited from the initial programme. The young people's capabilities were stretched and the sessions were well structured and interactive. Archway reported that ‘Real life work experiences in a ‘safe' environment are a valuable part of building confidence, motivation, self esteem and, ultimately, supporting young people towards employment.' Leeds Ahead is working with O2, Pinsent Masons and other business partners to put together similar programmes to benefit a wide range of other groups that face barriers to employment.  

Employees from 02 and RBS were given some background information ahead of the day. On their arrival at the school in the morning the volunteers attended a briefing given by the Head Teacher and then paired off to attend classes. Facilitated by the class teacher, volunteers interacted with each class, encouraging pupils to discuss the advantages of working; from learning new things and being able to support yourself and family, to buying a home, meeting people and perhaps travelling the world. Children from each of the nine classes, ranging in age from four to 11, were then invited to write down their ‘dream job' on a piece of paper. These were collected in individual boxes for each class and the boxes buried beneath a corkscrew hazel tree in the school grounds, provided by 02. The children have named this their ‘Dream Tree'. At the end of the school day parents were invited into the school and to Space@ to hear about what the children had done that day.

Programme Manager Liz Casey from 02's Customer Service Centre in Leeds said: "We wanted to widen the children's horizons and raise their aspirations. They were very excited, interested and eager to put forward their own thoughts and opinions about the world of work. The jobs they dreamed of doing ranged from working in the ambulance service to becoming a doctor or a footballer. One little boy wanted to be a Power Ranger!"

Warren Parratt from RBS said "We ourselves found the experience so rewarding and the feedback from school staff was very positive. The children were so enthusiastic and a credit the school. It was so nice to be involved on such a project where we could make a difference in the community." The day-long event also aimed at making parents aware of potential employment opportunities. As a result of the day, 45 people from the community signed up for courses at Space@ that could lead to a qualification or a job.

This is a project where businesses can make a real contribution to raising the aspirations of young children, helping them to link their learning now, to their futures and the world of work. Only by raising the aspirations of our young people will we begin to have a real impact on creating economic and vibrant communities within our inner cities. Investment into the city of Leeds is set to continue and the job opportunities created by this investment cannot be met by the current workforce, this and projects like it are part of a wider programme to invest in the city's future workforce.

Leeds Ahead offers businesses the opportunity to participate in a range of projects like the World of Work day in a number of inner city schools. The day is particularly successful when there is also an opportunity for parents and carers to be involved too.

Leeds Ahead organised an ‘Employment and Training Fair' on 12^th March 2008. HMP, Manchester College and Job Centre Plus helped with entry clearance to the prison for all the employers and training providers. They also made the necessary internal arrangements in order to allow inmates to to attend the fair.

31 Employers and Training Providers attended with stands in the prison. The entire prison population of Armley Jail was given the opportunity to attend. On the day, 112 inmates attended entirely voluntarily. They were able to meet and talk to employers and training providers about their individual circumstances and aspirations.

Within one month of the event five offenders had left prison and taken up employment as a direct result of the jobs fair.

The fair enabled prisoners who were shortly to be released to meet the people who can help, such as employers that are prepared to accept job applications, and training providers.

The day was such a success that HMP have asked for two further events per year. Leeds Ahead will continue its role of engaging with business and persuading them of the benefits of supporting the Employers Pledge.

Employers who already support the Pledge are happy to discuss the 'business case" for involvement with other businesses. This can be arranged through Leeds Ahead.

Parties involved

Leeds Ahead, HMP, Job Centre Plus, Best Ltd, WYCCP, DISC, A4E, Business Link, Cathedral Centre Bradford, Barca Leeds, Leeds City Council Jobs & Skills (LIEP), Staff Smart UK, Leeds Libraries, The Prince's Trust, Leeds City Credit Union, Turning Point Wakefield, Places for People Neighbourhoods, SRC Training, Heads Together Media, Baker Harding, Timpsons, Construction Leeds, Pegasus Recruitment, Hewlett Civil Engineering, Leeds City Council and Remploy.

Quotes from businesses

I never knew this stuff went on in prison. I'm grateful to be involved'

I'd be delighted to come back again'

It's been an interesting day, very useful to me and my company'

Approx 112 prisoners attended throughout the day and their comments included:

'I've been in and out of prison for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this'

' There's a lot of things here I'm really interested in, I've got no excuses now'

'There are people here willing to give me a chance'

Click on the link below to hear interviews from the day:

http://www.elfm.co.uk/2008/04/out-of-armley/

Leeds Ahead identified a number of businesses that were able to support the feasibility project in different ways. Tiger 11 received advice on legal structures from Wrigleys solicitors, help from architects Brewster Bye and interior designer Ann Clements on the design of the premises, support from Nisbet LLP quantity surveyors and Unity Housing on costing out the building work and operating costs, and project management support from the Camberwell Project. Meanwhile, solicitors DLA Piper Rudnick agreed to draft tenancy agreements.

The results of the feasibility study were collated and presented by the Leeds team in the bid for enterprise funding in late 2006. As a result, £20.6m of funding has been won from govenrment to support the development of enterprise in the most deprived areas of Leeds. Thanks to the upfront work done by these businesses, the Tiger 11 plans are now being implemented, along with many other catalyst centres in other parts of the city. Solicitors DLA Piper Rudnick have continued to advise Tiger 11, representing them on the transfer of the school premises from the local authority to the Trust and in relation to their funding arrangements.

Jeremy Morton of Tiger 11 said ‘The support through Leeds Ahead was excellent and invaluable. As a new community organisation taking on a large building project we were struggling to make progress until Leeds Ahead brought a range of professionals to bear on the project.' The project benefited the city more generally, helping to win £20.6m to fund enterprise development in inner city areas. Finally, the businesses themselves benefited. Many of them, brought together through this project, have gone on to do business with each other on other projects.

Tiger 11 will formally open for business in summer 2008 and offer a range of facilities to local people to help them set up their own businesses. Once it is open, Leeds Ahead will have an ongoing role in linking existing businesses into the centre to offer encouragement, build a vibrant network and help local people to develop their enterprise ideas.

Leeds Ahead approached Chris Mclean from CMC Consulting, who offered to become Steve's mentor during this period of change.  Chris was previously head of organisational development for a large primary care trust so had significant experience in developing organisational excellence through developing people and human systems.  She is also a qualified personal performance coach and neuro linguistic programming practitioner.   

Whilst still in the early days of this arrangement, Steve reports that 'so far the sessions and information have been tremendously helpful.  I have set some targets which involve meeting with the staff to build team strength, and I have gained clarity on what I need to do going forward'. Chris reports that 'Being a mentor is definitely a two way learning process; I get as much out of the sessions as the mentee, such as improving my coaching skills, deepening my understanding of the challenges and ways of working in other organisations, and really helping to widen my horizons and step out of my comfort zone. I would definitely recommend it to others.'

This project took place in November 2007 in conjunction with Leeds Legal, which promotes the collective legal services of the city, and delivered in association with the environmental charity, Groundwork Leeds. 

Local residents and resident groups were asked to identify environmental tasks that needed to be undertaken in their areas and to open community facilities to host the working parties.  Volunteers were given a site briefing, and provided with all the tools, materials and instructions required by our partner, Groundwork Leeds.  Over a period of 5 days volunteers donated in excess of 2,000 hours of their time; painting public underpasses in Little London; clearing litter in Bramley; tidying gardens in Gipton, area-wide tidy ups in Chapeltown and landscaping in Beeston.  Volunteers were split into teams to encourage networking and teambuilding opportunities, and teams took part in a variety of tasks throughout the day.

Local school children from Little London Primary School created mural designs for several of the underpasses in their area, and also worked alongside volunteers to litter pick and plant bulbs.

Over 280 volunteers from 13 of the city's legal firms donated their time to what turned out to be the biggest volunteer project from one profession in Leeds.  

By working with local residents, school children and partners, the volunteers delivered tangible environmental improvements across the city.  In Gipton alone over 27 tonnes of rubbish were collected, 4,000  bulbs planted, 300 bollards painted, 38 gardens cleared and 25 instances of fly tipping removed.

The volunteers helped deliver environmental improvements, creating a safer, cleaner and greener environment for those living in the neighbourhoods.  The activities complimented a range of other projects supported by business in the area, such as school projects and support for enterprise.  Local resident groups benefited from such highly visible support, giving those striving to improve their own communities a much needed boost.  Engaging local school children in the activities fostered a level of pride and responsibility for their neighbourhood and by working alongside volunteers from outside their area preconceptions were challenged and children's aspirations broadened.  

Leeds Legal has committed to holding another Environment Week in 2008 and to extend its support to other community regeneration initiatives.  Through Leeds Ahead businesses of all sizes have the opportunity to engage meaningfully in city regeneration.

Leeds Ahead identified a number of businesses that were able to support the feasibility project in different ways. Tiger 11 received advice on legal structures from Wrigleys solicitors, help from architects Brewster Bye and interior designer Ann Clements on the design of the premises, support from Nisbet LLP quantity surveyors and Unity Housing on costing out the building work and operating costs, and project management support from the Camberwell Project. Meanwhile, solicitors DLA Piper Rudnick agreed to draft tenancy agreements.

The results of the feasibility study were collated and presented by the Leeds team in the bid for enterprise funding in late 2006. As a result, £20.6m of funding has been won from govenrment to support the development of enterprise in the most deprived areas of Leeds. Thanks to the upfront work done by these businesses, the Tiger 11 plans are now being implemented, along with many other catalyst centres in other parts of the city. Solicitors DLA Piper Rudnick have continued to advise Tiger 11, representing them on the transfer of the school premises from the local authority to the Trust and in relation to their funding arrangements.

Jeremy Morton of Tiger 11 said ‘The support through Leeds Ahead was excellent and invaluable. As a new community organisation taking on a large building project we were struggling to make progress until Leeds Ahead brought a range of professionals to bear on the project.' The project benefited the city more generally, helping to win £20.6m to fund enterprise development in inner city areas. Finally, the businesses themselves benefited. Many of them, brought together through this project, have gone on to do business with each other on other projects.

Tiger 11 will formally open for business in summer 2008 and offer a range of facilities to local people to help them set up their own businesses. Once it is open, Leeds Ahead will have an ongoing role in linking existing businesses into the centre to offer encouragement, build a vibrant network and help local people to develop their enterprise ideas.

In April 2008 the business was just about to start to trade and Nadeem was aware that he needed support to help develop the commercial infrastructure of the company to ensure that the business was judged upon its merit as a professional contractor, rather than a social project or charity. Leeds Ahead discussed Nadeem's requirements for a mentor and established the area of business expertise that Nadeem and his business could benefit from. Through Leeds Ahead's business network, a suitable mentor was identified. John Hayton of Hayton Accountancy offered to mentor Nadeem and the two parties were brought together by Leeds Ahead for an initial meeting to ensure the proposed match was suitable.  John's previous experience with a significant local contractor was just as relevant as his financial business acumen and having set up his own business himself, he understood some of the challenges faced by Nadeem.  Nadeem reports that John has been an outstanding support to the business and has offered a wealth of information and guidance whenever it has been required - on a range of issues. Nadeem said ‘John's expertise and knowledge are invaluable to our organisation at this time.  It has allowed the business to develop a robust infrastructure which conforms to all legal requirements, and without his contribution we would have struggled to develop this and made many more mistakes along the way.  Having John's support allows UCI to get real advice in areas where previously we would have had neither any reference nor previous experience.'

The benefits have not been one-sided however; John has also found the relationship beneficial.  ‘Mentoring has been a marvellous experience for me.  After just a few meetings, we have developed a real rapport which allows us both to benefit from the relationship.  As well as getting a great sense of satisfaction, I am learning a lot about my mentee's business sector which adds another string to my bow."

Employees from 02 and RBS were given some background information ahead of the day. On their arrival at the school in the morning the volunteers attended a briefing given by the Head Teacher and then paired off to attend classes. Facilitated by the class teacher, volunteers interacted with each class, encouraging pupils to discuss the advantages of working; from learning new things and being able to support yourself and family, to buying a home, meeting people and perhaps travelling the world. Children from each of the nine classes, ranging in age from four to 11, were then invited to write down their ‘dream job' on a piece of paper. These were collected in individual boxes for each class and the boxes buried beneath a corkscrew hazel tree in the school grounds, provided by 02. The children have named this their ‘Dream Tree'. At the end of the school day parents were invited into the school and to Space@ to hear about what the children had done that day.

Programme Manager Liz Casey from 02's Customer Service Centre in Leeds said: "We wanted to widen the children's horizons and raise their aspirations. They were very excited, interested and eager to put forward their own thoughts and opinions about the world of work. The jobs they dreamed of doing ranged from working in the ambulance service to becoming a doctor or a footballer. One little boy wanted to be a Power Ranger!"

Warren Parratt from RBS said "We ourselves found the experience so rewarding and the feedback from school staff was very positive. The children were so enthusiastic and a credit the school. It was so nice to be involved on such a project where we could make a difference in the community." The day-long event also aimed at making parents aware of potential employment opportunities. As a result of the day, 45 people from the community signed up for courses at Space@ that could lead to a qualification or a job.

This is a project where businesses can make a real contribution to raising the aspirations of young children, helping them to link their learning now, to their futures and the world of work. Only by raising the aspirations of our young people will we begin to have a real impact on creating economic and vibrant communities within our inner cities. Investment into the city of Leeds is set to continue and the job opportunities created by this investment cannot be met by the current workforce, this and projects like it are part of a wider programme to invest in the city's future workforce.

Leeds Ahead offers businesses the opportunity to participate in a range of projects like the World of Work day in a number of inner city schools. The day is particularly successful when there is also an opportunity for parents and carers to be involved too.

For the last year, the students have been benefiting from a structured literacy and numeracy programme delivered by mentors who are employees at the law firm. As a reward for working hard throughout the year, the students who have been mentored each week of term by the law firm's staff were invited to the firm's  city-centre premises in Park Row. On arrival, the students were treated to lunch in the Boardroom followed by a presentation by staff on the different career opportunities available within the firm. These ranged from jobs in the legal departments to careers in maintenance and security, reception, catering and IT. Finally, the students teamed up with their mentors and were given a full tour of the building.  Peter Nuttall, the school's relationship manager with the firm, stated that "the majority of the pupils would have no other opportunity to experience something of this kind. Our pupils can also see that getting a job in an organisation like Pinsent Masons is a realistic aspiration". This is the second year that the firm has conducted work place visits for the students and has now formally integrated the visit into the third term of the mentoring programme. It has already become renowned within the school and the students look forward to it all year!