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S A L F O R D A P P R E N T I C E

THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · 6-12 AUG 2012

Salford University is running an inspirational course forlocal activists who may not have had much in the wayof formal education but are determined to change theirareas for the better. Helen Clifton sits in

The atmosphere among the studentssitting in a small room in PendletonGateway resource centre is charged,almost revolutionary.

“How on earth do you live here, inthis society, and have not soaked up,not have running through your veinsand in your bloodstream, somethingof the profit and loss thinking?” asksSuryia Nayak, social work lecturer atSalford University.

“In other words, we can’t live inthis society and not be affected bysome of the politics and some of thethinking. Even if we hate it.”

The assembled group, a mix ofages, genders and races, voraciouslyscribble notes. They look as if thepenny has just dropped. For many,Nayak’s take on poverty is their firstintroduction to academic learning.And they are lapping it up.

The class is part of the 12-weekSalford Apprentice course, a “schoolof participation” that aims to educatelocal community activists in theworkings of local government andgive them a grounding in socialpolicy.

Run by Church Action on Poverty’s(CAP) Community Pride Unit, inpartnership with Salford University,the thinking behind the course istwofold: helping the students gainthe skills to create change in theircommunities and the confidence toovercome personal barriers.

Course costs of around £1,300 perperson are paid for by funding raisedby CAP; this year, fees were met bythe Network for Social Change andan anonymous fund.

And for some, becoming anApprentice has changed their lives.

During a difficult childhood beingbrought up by two heroin-addictedparents – although her father has

now recovered – education wasn’t apriority for 27-year-old SarahWhitehead. The mum of one wasoffered a scholarship to a localgrammar school but turned it downfor fear of not fitting in.

“In my head all those things werespinning round and stopping mefrom breaking out and saying: ‘This isme,’” Whitehead explains. “But theApprentice gave me confidence. I feltempowered.”

Inspired by what she had learnt,Whitehead decided she wanted tocreate an alley garden on her street.Supported by the local Seedley andLangworthy Trust, she created aresidents association. And despitefears about the apathy of herneighbours, 20 people turned up to

the first meeting ofthe BCDCommunityGardensAssociation.

The associationsecured a £1,000grant to transformthe rubbish-filledalley into acommunitygarden, completewith murals,

hanging baskets and vegetables. Andsince Whitehead spruced up heralley, the surrounding streets havebeen inspired to do the same.

“I think the sense of achievementcame on the day we did the actualclean-up and so many people cameout with the tools to help,” she says.“There was about 20 to 25 people allgetting stuck in, cleaning up andspeaking to each other. I took amoment to stand and watch them alland think: ‘I organised this.’ It’s agood feeling.”

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“We started tosee areaswhere wedidn’t thinkthe moneywas beingspent right orbeing evenlydistributed.”

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16 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · 6-12 AUG 2012

S U S A N M A Y

In March 2011, together with otherSalford Apprentice graduates,Whitehead created the Weaste AreaForum. The area is often neglected infavour of affluent neighbours, yetparts of Weaste are amongst the top 7 per cent of deprived areas in thecountry.

“As we attended various meetings,we found that Weaste was reallyunder-represented. So we wantedeveryone to know. And we started tosee areas where we didn’t think themoney was being spent right or beingevenly distributed. And it wasmainly because people in Weasteweren’t asking for money,”Whitehead says.

Despite never previously voting, oreven knowing who her councillorswere, Whitehead now has closeworking relationships with localpoliticians.

“We’ve got that network nowwhere we’ve got links intoeverywhere. We generally will helpin any way that we can to get peopleinvolved, build their confidence andtheir skills. Councillors will come tous for help now. They do listen to usbecause they know that we’re notgoing to go away.”

With the help of some donatedcomputers, the forum hastransformed the local social club into

a community hub, with a weekly jobsclub, community café and gym.Whitehead is now a mentor for otherSalford Apprentices. And, after yearsof unemployment, she now works asa research assistant co-ordinator forChurch Action on Poverty – andhopes to set up her own school ofparticipation for ex-offenders.

“When we first met Sarah, sheconveyed a very negative picture ofher life: that she’d always beentreated as if she would not succeed,

and there was verylittle opportunityfor her to developher education,”says MaureenMcMahon, seniorlecturer in nursingat SalfordUniversity.

“But she startedto think beyond

her own ideas and feelings aboutthings. She then started to escalatewhat she was learning into her owncommunity in a very informed way.And she was getting results. And it’sthe results that seemed to reinforce toher that she could do better. Shebecame a shining star.”

McMahon says it is crucial thatpeople like Whitehead exist toinspire others to make change.

“Sarah is a prominent figure in hercommunity. It goes back to thatripple effect. People can see whatbenefits it has brought to Sarah andhow she can stand up and fight hercorner in an assertive way. And theywant to get on board. This hasbrought the community together.”

“I didn’t intend for it to be, but ithas been an example to otherpeople,” Whitehead agrees. “Andother people have come to me andsaid: ‘You’re an inspiration.’ Whenyou can see what you can do whenyou get involved, it makes peoplereally want to do it.”

Joyce Kay of the Community PrideUnit adds: “This is the second yearthat we have run the SalfordApprentice course and once again ithas been a great success.

“One of the main benefits toparticipants is an increase in theirconfidence and skills, particularly inrelation to involvement in thecommunity where, perhaps for thefirst time, they become confident totake on decision making roles wherethey can make a difference to theirown lives and others’.”

Salford University leads thecountry in supporting students toenter university through alternativeassessment like the Apprenticecourse.

“Councillors dolisten to usbecause theyknow thatwe’re notgoing to goaway.”

Previous page:Sarah Whiteheadin the alleygarden sheinspired on herstreet. Above:with Joyce Kay ofthe CommunityPride Unit at theSalford Apprenticecourse

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176-12 AUG 2012 · THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH

S A L F O R D A P P R E N T I C E

Students takingnotes on theApprentice courseand (above)MaureenMcMahon, SalfordUniversity lecturer.Photos: Helen Clifton

“Salford has a history of engagingwith the local community and offersnon-traditional learners the chance toenter university courses throughassessing their prior experiences andlearning,” explains Ruth Potts,accreditation of prior learning co-ordinator. “The Salford Apprenticeprogramme offers people in Salfordthe opportunity to enter a fulluniversity programme and to take ona more influential role in theircommunity and become involved in

local decision-making.”

Followingcompletion of thecourse, Apprenticeattendees registerat SalfordUniversity tocomplete aportfolio thatdocuments their

learning. The portfolio is equivalentto a 16-week part-time module andearns students 20 credits. During themodule students are given access touniversity resources, and classes instudy skills, just like any other full-time student.

It is hoped that some of the 22people who have so far completedthe course will eventually go on tobecome degree students.

“It is not an easy option though.We expect them to be able to provethemselves academically,” says Potts.“We want them to think that it istheir university. This is ourinvestment in them. And when theyrealise they are capable of accessingacademic study, it’s a massiveachievement. It’s Sarah’s university.She can come into the University ofSalford and not think twice.

“We cannot get into thecommunity where Sarah is; we canonly hope to educate her so shemakes the difference. And that’sreally rewarding. She’s marvellous.”

Back in the classroom in Salford,the discussion moves on to notions ofdifference. One attendee talks abouthow she has been racially abused butwas unsure of how to stand up to theabuse. Another tells of a time she sawsome local youths draw swastikas ona wall. Everyone has a tale to relate.

Whitehead points out that a lack ofeducation is often the reason forprejudice, and Nayak adds that thosein power often create policies thatseem to support prejudice.

The atmosphere is frank and open;the discussion moves on to the brutalmurder of Indian student Anuj Bidvewho was shot less than a mile awayin nearby Ordsall on Boxing Day2011. Last month local man Kiaran

Stapleton was sentenced to aminimum of 30 years for the murder.

Whitehead, who says she firstcame to the Apprentice with a“misconception and a lack ofunderstanding” about issuesincluding immigration, adds that thisis the part of the course that reallychanged her perspective.

“I realised that society is givenways to deal with certain things butisn’t given anything to deal withdifference. Anything that’s differentfrom you, or you don’t understand,you either fear it or you fight againstit.”

And although she is still “scepticalabout all the public consultations”about policy in Salford, she nowattends them all.

“I want to be heard and have mysay. I have created changes with myvoice. And that just proves to me thatI can do it and should continue to.”

“People cansee how Sarahcan stand upand fight hercorner in anassertiveway.”

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