In figures...since beginning Catalyst we have had contact with 674 young people...

Building bikes, building futures

News: Spring 2013 Unlocking Young People’s Potential

Thanks to all those who donated via Local Giving as part of the Grow Your Tenner Campaign during the autumn we made a whopping total of... £2703.07!

4 students from Wythenshawe got the opportunity to build themselves a bike from scratch as part of a pilot programme launched by N-Gage. Working in partnership with St Peter’s High School in Longsight, the group spent 5 weeks with school based PC Daljit Singh, learning about bike building and maintenance. At the end of the course they were all able to take the bikes they had built home, just in time for Christmas. One parent noted her son had never had a bike before and she was really thrilled he had been able to get one that he had made himself. Each of the students had been referred to the programme by Newall Green Primary School. They were all struggling with their education due to poor behaviour. The aim was to spend some time addressing these issues whilst learning a new skill. Carly said, “It was a great opportunity to get the young people into an unfamiliar environment and challenge them to learn a new skill. They all did extremely well and we had some great chats with them. I am sure that this will have a positive impact on their future education.”

We are very grateful to Key 103’s Cash For Kids Charity who funded the project

and made this possible.

A young man that we have been working with for the past year as part of the Catalyst project has made such a change in his behaviour that he is set to join us for work experience in the near future. Jack (not his real name) has been regularly attending our detached youth work sessions in Wythenshawe. When we first met him he didn’t want to engage with us, had just been kicked out of school, was attending a pupil referral unit (PRU) and getting in trouble every week. He had no idea where he was heading in life and was getting in more and more trouble with people of authority. Over the past months Jack has turned himself around after engaging with us. Although he is still attending a PRU, his behaviour has completely changed, he now engages well with staff and his education. His behaviour is so good he gets taken out for lunch every Friday along with other good students. He is also working closely with us to become one of our Young Leaders and on a

recent N-Gage trip to Blackpool he requested to do work experience with us for a

two week period. He now has a goal to aim for, he says he wants become a youth

worker, hopefully working for N-Gage one day doing for other

young people what we have done for him.

Turnaround Youth to

join N-Gage for Work Experience

MP Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe and Sale East) braved freezing January temperatures to join our team and 20 young people aboard the N-Gage vehicle on the Royal Oak Estate. Mr Goggins has recently learned of the work of N-Gage and

said, “I enjoyed the visit and was very impressed by the way the staff engaged with the young people. The facilities on the bus give the young people something enjoyable and constructive to do; it was also encouraging to hear about their involvement in the other programmes and courses that are available.”

Our vehicle goes out 3 nights a week to Wythenshawe estates

...as a result of our intervention the Police state that anti-social behaviour is down... ...we’ve seen an additional 587 young people at Urbis...

MP Visits N-Gage on Snowy Friday Night

Carly Cocker joined our team

in Sept after completing her

degree in Public Services

and getting Married to Josh.

She has been actively

involved in youth work for 6

years and is passionate

about seeing young people grow in confidence and

ability. After struggling in school, being suspended

frequently and being told that she wouldn’t amount

to anything, she had one teacher who believed in

her, supported her and kept cheering her on. She

believed this person made all the difference and

changed the way school ended. This is why she is

passionate about giving something to young people

now, being the positive role model that they need.

Congratulations to Heather

O’Hara who has won a World of Difference placement with N-Gage. She applied to Vodafone and got

picked as one of 500 people to receive funding to work for the charity of their choice. Heather, a 3rd year Criminology Student, has

been working on the Catalyst project for almost a year. We’re really pleased to be able to work more with her over the next few months.

This year N-Gage has been named Charity of the Year by Sainsbury's Local in Sale! They’ve been busy raising lots of money for us. Thanks so much to all staff and customers!

...as a result of our intervention the Police state that anti-social behaviour is down... ...we’ve seen an additional 587 young people at Urbis...

Coming up soon...

We’ve got an action packed February Half Term ahead of us. We’re doing a transform community action project in Burnage with some of the Young People we meet every

week on the bus. Those that are able to come and help out will also get a trip to Alton Towers that week. We’re also running a residential at Kepplewray outdoor centre with a group from Fog Lane, also that we work with on the bus.

Picked to make a World of Difference

Introducing...our new schools worker

...we need your help to keep this up - see above for how you can get involved...

What people say about us... Inspector Debbie Weake, Wythenshawe Neighbourhood Policing Team

N-Gage have worked with the police at Wythenshawe... This has been particularly

successful on the Royal Oak Estate in Baguley, a problematic estate for anti social

behaviour. N-Gage have managed to establish a relationship of trust with this group

of perpetrators, which they have used as a basis to work through a programme with

the youths to establish more responsible attitudes towards the local community and

shopkeepers. This has led to notable reductions in complaints of anti social

behaviour from shopkeepers and residents on the estate.

N-Gage is a registered charity number 1117843. N-Gage, Benchill Community Centre, Benchill Rd, Manchester M22 8EJ admin@n-gage.org.uk 0161 637 1302 www.n-gage.org.uk

New Year New You? Following on from the success of last year we are supporting

a number of fundraising challenges this spring. We have

places in the Manchester 10k and are also planning another

3 Peaks attempt. To get involved in either of these or many

other events around the region please email

admin@n-gage.org.uk or see our website.

Shop for Good Free funds for N-Gage as you shop online. If you shop online you can raise funds for N-Gage by using Give as You Live. They claim back a percentage of your payment from online retailers and donate it to the charity of your choice, so you can give more at no extra cost to you. Check out www.giveasyoulive.com

How can you help N-Gage? Fundraising, Giving

Giving to N-Gage If you’ve been inspired by something you’ve read in this newsletter perhaps you could consider supporting us further? You can give online at www.justgiving.com/ngage, via cheque or cash handed to the office (see details below). You can also give regularly through standing order. If this is something you could consider please contact Sarah on admin@n-gage.org.uk