Venture Trust wins prize for innovation by removing technology from its employability programme

Venture Trust is pleased to announce that it won not one but two awards at Clydesdale Bank's Spirit of the Community Awards 2018 for its CashBack Change Cycle employability programme.

Venture Trust was one of five organisations to win a prize in the 'help people into employment' category through its CashBack Change Cycle programme. It also won the first B Innovation award for demonstrating innovation in its CashBack Change Cycle programme. Awards for innovation are usually reserved for the latest technology or something digital, but Venture Trust won for a programme where technology is removed, and phones are definitely not allowed!

CashBack Change Cycle is an employability programme supporting disadvantaged young people to develop the life skills required to gain sustainable employment. Along with partners, Bike for Good and The Bike Station Edinburgh, the programme centres around building and maintaining a bike, combining one-to-one support and group mentoring, outdoor activity and classroom work, developing confidence, responsibility, and job readiness.

The Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, the organisation behind the Spirit of the Community Awards, has a strong tradition of supporting communities by providing funds to help registered charities, not-for-profit organisations, community and other voluntary organisations make life safer, healthier and better for those around them.

The awards support projects that help people have a healthy relationship with money, help people into employment and help people improve their local environment.

CashBack Change Cycle takes disadvantaged young people out of their normal environment, away from technology, away from peer pressure, and digital media, and gives them the space and peace to see themselves differently. Individuals are supported to learn skills that most people take for granted: working as a team, following instructions, dealing with confrontation, and building self-worth. Young people learn practical skills of building a bike, bike maintenance, and gain certificates in Health & Safety, First Aid, and Tech City and Guilds. Time is spent in the classroom developing employability skills such as CV writing, interview techniques, and setting and achieving goals, and valuable time is spent in the outdoors developing bike skills and building confidence. Once completed, the individuals are supported to achieve their goals and gain sustainable employment, along with having their own bike to travel economically to their place of work.

Amelia Morgan, Chief Executive Officer for Venture Trust comments, "We are delighted to have received both awards at the Spirit of the Community Awards. The prizes total £10,000 which is invaluable in ensuring that we continue to run the CashBack Change Cycle programme, along with our main funder, CashBack for Communities. This is a fantastic programme that really supports young people with complex issues who have for some reason found themselves on the margins of society. Innovation doesn't always mean high technology - it can also mean seeing things differently and that is what we have done with our CashBack Change Cycle programme."

For more information about Venture Trust's CashBack Change Cycle programme, please visit the website: http://www.venturetrust.org.uk/programmes/cashback-change-cycle/

For further information about The Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation Spirit of the Community Awards, please click here: www.cbonline.co.uk/foundation