Youth work takes many forms and for young people, Mahdlo Youth Zone is often a place to go, or where there’s someone to talk to.
As a charity we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our patrons and partners.
Partners provide us with funding for specific projects, support to work with specific groups of young people, or to reach a specific outcome.
- Personal and social development group activities
- Issue-based workshops on themes
- Employability support, eg. CV preparation, mock interviews, application form support, inspirational speeches from local business people, employer/training provider visits), selection days and Positive Steps career guidance
- Volunteering projects, where young people meet people from different communities, gain skills and learn enterprise
- Referral to Mahdlo targeted support options including one-to-one weekly mentoring
The Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled our young people at Mahdlo Youth Zone to connect with people and communities on an international, national, regional and local scale.
It has enabled Mahdlo to provide young people with new experiences through different creative activities such as music and performing arts.
Support from the Four Acre Trust has provided us the opportunity to run weekly Youth Voice workshops in our junior, senior and girls’ sessions.
These sessions are focusing on young peoples’ views on:
- making Mahdlo at better place
- making Oldham and the local community a better place
- making the world a better place
This includes team led surveys with young people and consultation led by young people. With weekly workshop opportunities for the wider membership to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions on different topics and issues; to debate and support one another to tackle them.
The aim of this being for young people their own social action and campaigns.
Beyond this, for young people who wish to form more regular groups; there is a chance to create forums, undertake young leader training and be part of’ direct decision making groups at Mahdlo.
To support the wider development of youth voice within Mahdlo the full team will receive training on youth voice and participation.
Thanks to the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation we’re able to involve Oldham’s young people in developing and promoting a new walking site at Northern Roots, a project to create UK’s largest Urban Farm/Eco Park.
Thanks to their support young people aged 8 to 19 will be able to:
- Walk the proposed routes between 0.6 and 3.7 miles, including themed events, (e.g. Spooky and Pollinator Friendly Walks), feeding back on appeal to young people. They will also complete Duke of Edinburgh Awards onsite.
- Identify potential barriers and solutions to increase young people and family walking onsite, therefore building local ownership.
- Co-develop/advise on: route play spaces, young person-friendly maps with points of interest, positioning of signage, bins and seating (including an “open to chat” bench).
- Trial walking activities, e.g. orienteering and treasure hunts.
- Develop a cohort of Walking Young Leaders training (approximately 5) to champion Northern Roots in their communities.
- Co-design diverse young person-friendly marketing materials to promote long-term walking habits, e.g. videos, photos selfies and blogs to go on websites/social media, including positive feedback.
Julia and Hans Rausing have granted Mahdlo more than £41,000 to support our reopening and to continue to provide a safe and exciting space for young people to visit, seven days a week.
Julia and Hans Rausing launched the Youth Centre Recovery Fund after seeing the need for support in the sector following the financial impact of the pandemic on many charities. Studies from The National Youth Agency showed one in two youth charities will be unable to meet operational costs within 12 months.
The Fund was designed to help youth centres survive and recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in order that they may continue to deliver vital work for young people.
Oldham Council have funded Holiday Zone places and food for young people who receive benefits-related free school meals, during the Summer and Christmas holidays.
The holiday zone offer runs 8:30am – 3:30pm, at Mahdlo, Monday to Friday, through the school holidays. Breakfast and lunch is provided every day in line with school meals – healthy eating standards. Young people can take part in a range of creative, physical and outdoor activities.
On a daily basis we offer, sports and physical activity with a baseline of 6 physical activity options available every day. These include; trampolining, archery, climbing, multi sports, wheelchair sports, and fully functioning gym, with qualified trainers. Every day there will be a creative offer for young people including performing and visual arts. On a weekly basis we run workshops focussed on the issues young people face; for example; healthy relationships; online safety and anti-bullying. We are also able to tailor these workshops to young people accessing the programme as issues arise.