Information for Applicants
Summary
Over a period of three years The Inspire Project will provide 96 young peoplewith an opportunity to develop their self-confidence, skills and aspirations as they progress through a series of activities.
The young people will be aged 13 – 16 and will recruited as they require additional support and opportunities due to their academic achievements to date, their levels of self-confidence, and their socio-economic background.
The activities they will participate in will include a week-long residential experience, issue-based workshops, community projects, mentoring support and a celebration event. Each young person will be involved for up to 12 months, with 32 places available per year.
Project Activities
- Residential
The first element of the project that the young people participate in will be a week-long residential event that will take place at an activity centre away from Leicester. The young people will work in teams of 8, alongside trained volunteers as they undertake activities that will develop their communications skills, their abilities to work with other people, their problem-solving skills and their resourcefulness.
- Workshops
A series of one-day workshops will be provided, addressing issues that affect many young people, such as dealing with emotions and managing relationships with people in authority.
- Community Projects
Working in small teams, the young people will plan and carry out projects that benefit their local community. These will test the skills developed during other parts of the project and will highlight what young people can achieve when they work together. For many, this will be the young people’s first experience of volunteering.
- Mentoring
Throughout the project, young people will have the support, either one-to-one or in small groups, of volunteer mentors, who will be recruited from the local community and will support the young people with issues that are affecting them.
- Celebration
At the end of the project the young people will come together to celebrate their achievements, along with friends and other invited guests. This will mark the conclusion of the project and the start of the next phase of their personal development.
Staffing
The programme will be delivered by a full-time Project Manager and a part-time Assistant Project Manager. They will also recruit, train and support a team of volunteers to ensure a high level of support to all the young people involved in the project.
Outcomes
Our application to the Big Lottery Fund states that the project will achieve the following outcomes:
- Young people will report increased transferable skills, eg teamworking, communication & problem solving, leading to improved employability
- Young people will report an increase in their aspirations for what they can achieve in life through increased confidence and experience.
Evaluation
All of the young people involved will complete their own self-assessment of the programme. This will reflect on the skills they have identified and developed and their assessment of the quality and effectiveness of the programme.
Feedback and evaluation will also be sought from the people referring young people onto the project, as well as from staff and volunteers involved in the programme.
Organisational Structure
Focus has a small staff team and all staff are encouraged to support one another in the development and delivery of existing and new projects and in the day to day running of the organisation. Focus is governed by a Board of Trustees. Further information about our vision, mission, principles and working practices are contained with the document “A Brief Guide To Everything You Need To Know About Focus”.
This project will sit alongside Focus’s other projects, which include:
- Our Roots & Shoots Project takes the form of an inter-generational gardening project. Small groups of young people work alongside older people as they tackle gardening projects, with the aim of reducing loneliness and isolation amongst the ageing population of Leicester
- Our Explore Leadership Project trains and supports young people to run their own community projects as they also seek to inspire and motivate other young people to take part in volunteering activity.
- Our Youth Action Team are central to all of our work. Meeting weekly, this group of young people act as ambassadors of youth volunteering. They organise their own volunteering projects; run workshops about youth volunteering in schools, colleges and youth groups;and they form a consultation group that ensures that the needs and interests of young people are considered by our staff team and board of trustees.
Applying for a post
Applicants are requested to complete and return an Application Form and Monitoring Form either by email to , or by post to 73 Church Gate, Leicester, LE1 3AN. The latter will be separated from your application and will not be used in the decision making process.
Shortlisted applicants will be those who are best able to describe how they meet the criteria contained in the Person Specification.
Some applicants may wish to apply for both posts, in which case they may (if they wish) complete just one application form, but indicating that they wish to be considered for either post.
Terms of Employment
Project Manager – £25,000 per annum, 37.5 hours per week
Assistant Project Manager - £21,000 per annum pro rata, 22.5 hours per week
Timeline
- Applications must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 17th August
- Applicants will be notified of the success of their application by 5pm on Friday 19th August
- Interviews will take place on Friday 26th August