Empowering the Next Generation: Ridge’s Match with Greater Manchester Youth Network 

At Match My Project, we celebrate businesses that step up to create meaningful jobs and training opportunities in their communities – and Ridge & Partners is a shining example of this commitment in action.

Ridge & Partners, a Built Environment Consultancy, recently partnered with the Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN) through Match My Project to deliver their flagship Carbon Literacy Training programme: Ridge Green Futures. 

This partnership has enabled GMYN to champion their Build Your Future programme which supports Stockport-based young people who are or have been in care or are disabled/neurodivergent to access introductory opportunities in construction.

Ridge’s Green Futures programme promotes carbon literacy, empowering individuals to engage in the net zero transition and take action within their local communities to combat climate change.

Ridge invited GMYN to their head offices in Manchester for a World of Work visit with five of their young people. During the visit, they completed Ridge’s Green Futures certificate, which explores the effects of climate change on the built environment.

The second half of the workshop focused on Green Careers.

This included what a career in the green space could look like and entry routes. Participants also took part in a Q&A with two members of Ridge’s Sustainability Team. The young people quizzed them on their career journeys and the types of activities they get up to in their roles.

A real highlight for the young people was enjoying the skyline of Manchester from the 9th floor of Ridge’s building. They spent some time looking at all of the new developments springing up across the city and got to appreciate Manchester’s rich architecture from this unique viewpoint.

A young attendee commended Ridge’s Green Future programme, saying, “It was interesting to hear how they are trying to use less energy and save resources in building, I didn’t know there would be jobs like that in construction.”

Laura Perry, Social Value Project Consultant at Ridge, who delivered the programme, had this to say:

We were delighted to partner with Greater Manchester Youth Network as part of their Work Readiness Programme to host our Flagship Ridge Green Futures workshop for young people from Stockport. After listing our offer on Match My Project and matching with Greater Manchester Youth Network, I worked closely with Julia Hannam [Programme Coordinator at GMYN] to tailor the programme so it could be of maximum benefit to the participants.

Ridge received some impressive feedback about the programme:

  • 6 out of the 7 attendees reported at least a one-point increase in their carbon literacy as a result of the workshop
  • Two attendees are considering a career within the sustainability field after being presented with green career opportunities and participating in the Q&A with Ridge’s Sustainability Team

One workshop, one opportunity, one moment of inspiration can spark a career of purpose. 

This success story between Ridge and GMYN shows how your organisation’s expertise can shape tomorrow’s talent pipeline.

Businesses: don’t wait to make a difference. Post your jobs and training opportunities on Pathways To Work today and help build the workforce of tomorrow.

Sign up here.

Today is World Mental Health Day.

Why celebrate Mental Health Day?

Mental health matters, today and every other day. 

According to mental health charity Mind, 2 million people are currently stuck on waiting lists for NHS mental health services. 

Mental health stigma is a significant issue. People are being left behind by a broken mental health system.

We’re in the middle of a mental health crisis.

Today, we’re highlighting some organisations that have used our platform to write better narratives, ones that empower those who struggle with their mental health. 

Here are 7 recent projects on Match My Project that champion Mental Health: 

  1. The Suspended Coffee Scheme 

Gaia Giving CIC (Trading as Gaia Coffee) 🤝 Continuous Dataprint (UK) Ltd

  • The Suspended Coffee Scheme creates a stronger sense of community by providing immediate assistance to those facing financial hardship or food insecurity. This scheme aims to foster a stronger sense of community solidarity and ensures that everyone can access a warm drink or meal when needed.
  • The cost of living crisis has resulted in fewer people being able to purchase suspended coffees (coffees paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity). 
  • The growing number of individuals experiencing emotional and financial hardships has increased the demand for free coffee, necessitating additional resources to meet the needs of the Gaia Coffee community.

Continuous Dataprint provided funding, enabling Gaia Coffee to give out suspended coffees to people in need in their community.

Gaia Coffee emphasises the impact this generosity has made in the following words:

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks for the financial support provided for our Suspended Coffee Scheme. This generous contribution has had a huge impact on our community. The scheme has not only ensured that those facing financial hardship can enjoy a warm drink, but it has also fostered a stronger sense of solidarity and kindness within our community. By providing immediate support to those in need, the Suspended Coffee Scheme has truly made a difference in the lives of many, creating a more compassionate and connected community. Thank you for helping us make this possible.”

  1. SAD Lamps for use during group mental health sessions

Self Care Creatives CIC  🤝 John Lewis & Partners Cheadle

  • Self Care Creative’s workshops help individuals struggling with their mental health focus on their own version of gratitude and success. They promote self-worth and upskill participants through embroidery, journaling and vision boarding.
  • Self Care Creative partnered with John Lewis & Partners Cheadle to support people suffering from seasonal affective disorder to feel brighter through the use of SAD Lamps during well being focused activities
  • Sun lamps positively impact the body’s regulation of melatonin (a hormone that helps control the sleep-wake cycle) and serotonin (which helps regulate one’s mood). 

John Lewis donated a SAD Lamp to promote wellbeing in the community-building workshops hosted by Self Care Creatives. 

Both organisations had positive feedback:

“We are thrilled at Self Care Creatives CIC to have connected and matched with John Lewis Cheadle through Match My Project. We kindly received a Wellbeing SAD Lamp donation which will have a positive impact on our participants who attend our self care focused thread journaling and vision board workshops. Match My Project is such a fabulous way to connect businesses who care with uplifting projects in the local community.”

“Just glad John Lewis Cheadle was able to help this amazing community group. This connection will hopefully lead to many other exciting opportunities together.”

  1. Sponsor-A-Plot at Petworth Community Garden

Petworth Community Garden CIC 🤝 AD Construction Group

  • The Community Garden in Petworth has been working with their local community in the heart of a social housing estate since 2005. They offer over 100 disadvantaged locals access to free organic food and support with mental wellbeing through a variety of gardening and therapy projects. They also provide free hot lunches and community cooking lessons.
  • Finding funds each year for all their projects is becoming increasingly harder. They had an increase in costs since running their Food Boxes project – which delivers fruit & veg from their garden to families experiencing food poverty.
  • AD Construction Group provided funding that is enabling the Petworth Community Garden to run their gardening and wellbeing projects, helping those dealing with mental ill health, isolation and food poverty.

Petworth Community Garden is looking for more businesses and individuals to ‘Sponsor-A-Plot’ for a year. There are 10 plots in total and for between £100 – 300 a year, you could be the proud sponsor of a strawberry, rhubarb or raspberry plot to name a few!

Find out more and donate to this wonderful project here:

https://localgiving.org/fundraising/sponsor-a-plot

  1. 1:1 wellbeing support for the community

St Sidwell’s Centre 🤝 Bradfords Building Supplies Limited

  • St Sidwell’s Centre provide 1:1 support sessions for their community – from a listening space, to help accessing specialist support services.
  • With more local services facing cuts, long waiting lists for specialist provision and challenges in accessing services, many people approach the centre for help with a wide range of challenges. 
  • The increasing demand for St Sidwell’s Centre’s services meant they needed extra funding.

Bradford’s Building Supplies have made a generous donation which will provide staffing and contribute to room hire for 30+ 1:1 support sessions held by St Sidwell’s Centre.

St Sidwell’s Centre thanked Bradford’s Building Supplies, saying that “providing ongoing wellbeing support within our community is essential and it’s so important to have the resources to offer this.”

  1. Mental well-being through animal interaction

Brinnington SEND 🤝 POSSABILITIES CIC

  • Brinnington SEND started delivering animal therapy sessions to promote mental health wellbeing for families with children and young people with additional needs and disabilities.
  • Interactions with animals are proven to have a calming effect and reduce stress levels. Brinnington SEND noticed positive emotional responses among participants and fewer behavioural issues reported after these interactions with animals. 
  • They used Match My Project to secure the funding which would enable them to run this initiative on a long-term basis.

POSSABILITIES CIC has agreed to fund sessions that will host 400 people. They said,

“We are really looking forward to working with Brinnington SEND on this project. Debbie spoke passionately about the aims and aspirations of her organisation. I’m confident that this project not only fills a critical gap in support provision for SEND children in Stockport, but will also bring a lot of joy and happiness!”

  1. Sport in Mind – Brent

Sport in Mind 🤝 Anglian Building Products (ASHI Group)

  • Sport in Mind started running a weekly stretch and movement exercise session at Brent Hub for Hyde residents and local people struggling with their mental health. This activity is free and people can be referred via the GP/NHS or self-refer. 
  • These sessions help to reduce loneliness and isolation, providing a regular weekly activity with other local people.
  • The funding they had received for this activity was running out but they wanted to continue to offer it for free. They also wanted to offer residents attending a free wellbeing journal to encourage being active, eating healthily, and other healthy lifestyle tips. 

Anglian Building Products provided funding which will pay for an instructor and venue costs. This generous donation will improve the lives of adults experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. They said,

“Great organisation to work with and we look forward to working with you again in the future.”

  1. Counselling for young people and families 

Ignite Life 🤝 4Ward Group LTD (T/A Wascle)

  • Ignite Life have provided over 100 young people and families with counselling sessions to help them through periods of mental health challenges, bullying and other barriers.
  • Poor mental health amongst young people is rife and they receive referrals for their counselling service every day.
  • To make their service free-of-charge for the user, they rely completely on funding to ensure these sessions can go ahead. Ignite Life needed more funding to keep up with the demand for their counselling service.

Ignite Life matched with 4Ward Group to fund professional 1:1 and family counselling for marginalised young people and families who face barriers to support. This generous donation is now supporting staffing costs and enabling Ignite Life to maintain up-to-date safeguarding training.

As we observe World Mental Health Day, these seven projects serve as powerful reminders of the impact we can make when businesses and community organisations come together. 

Here’s how you can get involved:

  1. For Community Organisations: If you’re running a project that supports mental health and wellbeing, sign up at matchmyproject.org. Your initiative could be the next to receive crucial support and resources.
  2. For Businesses: Your contribution can transform lives. Register at matchmyproject.org to discover local projects that align with your values and see how you can make a tangible impact in your community.

Ridge & Partners, a Built Environment Consultancy with eleven locations across the UK, recently signed the Care Leaver Covenant. The Covenant is a promise made by the private, public and voluntary sectors to advocate for care leavers aged 16-25.

As part of their pledge, Ridge agreed to offer twelve work experience opportunities to care leavers in the local community.

They chose the Match My Project platform to fulfil this commitment. Four successful candidates were referred to Ridge by the Greater Manchester Youth Network and the Stockport Leaving Care Team. 

Diversifying Workforce Practices

Philippa Wilkinson is the passionate Post-16 Lead at the Stockport Virtual School. She explains that it is not a “real” school, but rather, a team of teachers and other professionals that support the educational attainment and employment aspirations of people aged two to twenty-five, who have been looked after by the local authority.

I asked her about the main challenges that care-experienced individuals face in entering the workforce.

She cites disrupted education patterns of these young people, including suspensions, exclusions, and low attendance, as major factors that often become barriers to entering the workforce in subsequent years.

The Stockport Virtual School advocates for these oft-misunderstood individuals: “So we’re trying to make the best opportunities for them, and get companies to understand that and make allowances for this group of young people.”

Matching with Ridge through Match My Project has allowed the virtual school to promote quality employability opportunities for young people. Phillipa explains that the successful candidate was treated like a “proper” employee at Ridge: they were given a laptop, and their own email address, and included in meetings at different levels. They were made to feel a part of the working environment at Ridge, and given personalised support throughout the two-week placement.

The work placement went so well that the candidate was offered an ongoing mentorship.

What stands out to me most about my conversation with Phillipa is the point that care-leaver work placements add value to the hosting business as much as they benefit the candidate.

Phillippa puts it this way:

“As adults and professionals, we do tend to think our way is the best way … but it’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes for a company to take a young person who has a care-experienced background might give them another dimension, another viewpoint in meetings, another way of looking at things. It diversifies their own workforce practices.”

Adding Another Dimension

Laura Perry, Social Value Project Consultant at Ridge, agrees that care-experienced individuals bring immense value to an organisation.

She tells me that, as part of the work placement, the candidate was tasked with researching charities in a local area that Ridge was submitting for work in. The care-leaver happened to have had first-hand experience with many of the local charities. They were able to give insights into these organisations that, as Laura points out, the team would have had no other way of finding out. 

Laura goes on to explain the impact that the student had on her team:

“With the knowledge of charities and being a service user – that was huge – money can’t buy that kind of first-hand experience. I think we all learnt a lot from them. They’re resilient; they spoke really openly about their experiences or some of their challenges, and it was a really open conversation … it helped us understand more some of the challenges that care-leavers face … it was a massive learning curve for us.”

Match My Project is Helping Overlooked Individuals into Work

The testimonials from the Stockport Virtual School, Greater Manchester Youth Network, and the team at Ridge & Partners illustrate the immense value that Match My Project’s Pathways to Work feature can bring to both businesses and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

By posting work placement and job opportunities through the platform, companies can quickly and directly connect with organisations supporting overlooked groups like care-leavers. The successful Ridge work placement shows how care-experienced individuals can provide fresh perspectives and diversify workforce practices.

For businesses looking to make a positive social impact while tapping into an underutilised talent pool, Match My Project’s Pathways to Work is the ideal solution. Post your employment opportunities on the platform today – here’s how.

For VCSE’s looking to access quality opportunities for local people, look no further than Match My Project. Watch this video on how to navigate Pathways to Work as a community organisation.

To learn more about Pathways to Work watch this video in which our CEO Dan explains the value of the new feature.

By partnering with Match My Project, your organisation can join the movement towards building a more inclusive workforce and equitable society for all.