We’re extremely grateful to LIFT for providing us with funding to run our new project ‘You’ve Got This’; a series of 6 half day workshops focussing on team building and increasing confidence of long term unemployed people aged 16-30. Our first workshop started last week with a lovely group of young people, all with varying barriers preventing them moving towards work, such as low level mental health issues, hidden disabilities or lack of experience in the work place. Each workshop is themed and last week helped participants identify their own strengths within a team. At the end of the series, the group will put into practice all they have learned about marketing, budgeting, planning etc by helping New-U organise and run an event, with each of them contributing in a way that suits their ability and highlights their strengths.
We’re also hugely thankful to the ‘Love Norfolk’ Community Fund which has provided us with transition funding whilst we develop and implement our income generation strategy. This funding has given us the time needed to apply for Charitable Status. We are over the moon to announce that we achieved UK Charitable Status just before Christmas and can now plan fundraising activities to secure our future.
We have have a new staff team for 2020. Sarah, Tasha and Kiera all started the first week in January and are working hard to support those on work placements whilst giving the shop a new look and setting up our online shop.
The way in which textiles are produced and marketed has huge implications for both the environment and for social inequality. Long term unemployed people face numerous barriers to moving towards employment and many of these cannot be overcome without intervention geared to the individual and their specific needs. Bringing these two aims together will better the lives of so many now and in the future. We’re still looking for more local businesses to sponsor a young person on a work placement, just get in touch if you’d like to know more.
Finally, a staggering fact; In 2019, New-U Enterprise facilitated the swapping of over 30,000 items of clothing & accessories. Based on best current estimates, this equates to a saving on the equivalent new items of 9 billion litres of water and 6 million kilos of CO2 – WOW!