Pictured above: (rear l-r) Anthony Taylor (Derwent
Living), Daniel Clifton ( DAK computer recycling), Sam Grebe
(Midland Heart Housing), Abudllah Ali ( Young Vibes)and Carol
Honeyghan (Midland Heart Housing)
Derwent Living has donated money to a project that is helping
people to build on their job hunting skills and confidence, at a
hostel for young offenders in Birmingham.
The Derby-based housing provider has pledged £300 from its
Brighter Communities Fund to the Bacchus Project, which was set up
by West Midlands Police.
The aim of the project is to encourage positive behaviour in
people staying at The Waterside Inn, and a Multiple Needs Unit, in
Birmingham city centre. Both are hostels that are situated near to
Derwent Living's student accommodation, The Canalside in
Birmingham.
The Waterside Inn is a hostel that opens its doors to people who
have previously proven difficult to house for a variety of reasons
- often, drug and alcohol dependency have been a factor, but this
does not apply to all the residents. The common factor for all is
they are often deemed by society, and the police, as a 'difficult
to reach' section of society, and feel undervalued.
The Multiple Needs Unit is for service users with equal
difficulties, but with complicating associated disorders of varying
degrees. The project will help to give the residents a target in
life, allow them to build up their self esteem, give them
confidence in completing their CVs and advice on job hunting and
interviews.
The money donated by Derwent Living will be used to secure
anti-virus and firewall software for the project's computer
equipment, and is the finishing touch to the project.
PC Freddie Gilbert of West Midlands Police said: "The
Bacchus Project is a really worthwhile, groundbreaking initiative,
not only for the residents who reside there, but also for members
of the surrounding communities. We are offering the service users a
facility that can give them treatment within their residence in
structured surgeries, and also give them the confidence to rebuild
their feeling of self worth, to get back into the working
world.
"Most of the people with whom I engage in these residences have
a real skill of some kind, and are very capable of taking on a job,
and it's a real source of talent which with a little help and
compassion, can be taped into. We will simply be helping them
to showcase that skill by giving IT training and help them to build
their CV's and give them advice on job hunting.
"When we were looking at potential funding, we looked at
companies that would have a vested interest in the work we were
doing, and thought Derwent Living would be ideal. Most of the
people we deal with have an underlying medical disorder and/ or a
dependency. By offering them support, and by approaching businesses
in the area, we are able to reflect to these people who think they
have been ill judged or neglected by society, a compassion and
understanding of the help they need to feel self worth, and
personal pride again. We are extremely grateful to Derwent Living,
as the help we receive from companies such as them is absolutely
critical to the success of what we are trying to achieve."
The Brighter Communities Fund was set up by Derwent Living in
2006 and aims to support groups and ideas that will improve the
communities where residents of Derwent Living live. Both residents
and non-residents can apply to get help funding projects that will
benefit Derwent Living residents and the wider community.
Peter McCormack, chief executive of Derwent Living says: "As an
organisation we want to help to improve the lives of not only our
customers, but of people generally in the local community. By
making this investment in these worthwhile causes, we are helping
to build thriving communities and putting back into those who we
serve.
"We don't have any trouble finding worthwhile causes, it's more
difficult to make sure we don't miss anyone out. It is refreshing
to see people in the community who want to help the people they
live alongside and have set up funds or groups to do this. We want
to show our support in any way we can and we fell that the best
help we can offer is financial."
For more information abour Derwent Living, please visit thwei
website here: www.derwentliving.com