Project: Providing young women with coaching and workshops in life skills to improve future prospects and employability
Grant: £1,908
Fund: Police Property Act Fund
Startup is an organisation who support women whose lives have come into contact with the Criminal Justice System or who are seriously disadvantaged by social, economic and/or family circumstances. The first instance of their ‘Breaking the Cycle’ programme was run predominantly in Oxfordshire, with a total of 414 young women supported and 77% reporting improved self-confidence and motivation when it came to re-engaging with education or the employment market.
With the resounding success of the first programme, Startup made use of their £1,908 grant from the Police Property Act Fund to run ‘Breaking the Cycle2’ in Buckinghamshire, working with young women in Aylesbury Vale and the Wycombe area.
Running up until the end of July 2019, Breaking the Cycle2 has seen 121 young women living in Aylesbury Vale and 55 living in Wycombe supported, with 31 women already having either moved towards or reached their goals around employment, further education or self-employment since the programme.
Breaking the Cycle2 involved each young woman receiving coaching in life skills and employability. This consisted of an initial assessment with a specialist trainer and workshops in areas such as confidence and self-esteem, motivation, goal setting and action planning. The first part of the programme focused on setting personal goals, coaching and training, while the latter part focused on supporting the beneficiaries to reach their longer term aspirations.
With their grant, Startup have supported 176 young women in Bucks to define their individual goals and empower them to make better choices that will help them take control of their lives.
Case Study
Breaking the Cycle ran an open workshop at Hughenden Manor in May where some of the young women from Breaking the Cycle2 presented their small business goals to trustees and funders and discussed how they were going to reach them. Here is what some of the attendees said:
“I was totally absorbed from start to finish and full of enthusiasm and admiration for the wonderful work Startup is doing.”
Charitable Trust supporting Breaking the Cycle2“I love the work you do and it was so nice to meet the other girls today.”
Peer mentor, Breaking the Cycle2
