What we do
We help young people across Swindon and Wiltshire build confidence,
gain real skills and take their next step into learning, training or work.
Some young people find mainstream education hard. Others leave and can’t find a way into work. For ten years, we’ve been the bridge between the two, working with schools, local authorities, families and employers to give young people the experience and support they need to start a career.
Our approach is trauma-informed, interest-led and practical. We start with what a young person is into, and build from there.
How we work
Learning in a real training workplace
Young people learn by doing. In our training workplace they design products, run stalls, serve customers and take on live business projects, the same kind of work they’d do in a real job. It helps them:
- Get past the barriers that have been holding them back
- Build a CV with real, work-ready skills
- Try out different careers and youth-led business ideas
- Move into college, an apprenticeship, paid work or a business of their own
We keep groups small and the pace flexible, so young people can turn their passions into professions.
Our programmes
ENGAGE
Alternative Provision
A different way to learn, in a small group that gets it
Ages 11–16 · Small groups · 1:3 staffing
For students who are returning to school, taking time out of mainstream education or following a personalised timetable. They create and run business projects based on their interests, from candles to custom t-shirts, building practical skills, confidence and life skills along the way. Students can also work towards a King’s Trust qualification, with no exams.
Connect
Therapeutic Mentoring
Support that comes to you
Ages 5–18+ · At home or in the community · Sessions of 2+ hours · Continues through school holidays
For young people who are struggling to leave the house, have been excluded, or are only just coping at school. A therapeutically trained mentor meets them where they feel comfortable: at home, out on a walk, over a game or cooking together. We work closely with families, schools and other professionals, and we don’t give up.
94% of young people improved their confidence, mental health and self-esteem, and attendance for those with emotionally based school avoidance rose from 24% to 82% (NHS-commissioned evaluation).
DISCOVER
Personalised Tutoring
Maths and English, at their own pace
KS3, GCSE and Functional Skills · 1:1 and small-group · In person or online
For young people who need a different approach to learning. Our qualified teachers break learning into achievable steps and build it around what interests each student, whether that’s fractions with icing or weighing and measuring with bread dough. Young people re-engage with learning and start to see themselves as capable. Suitable for alternative provision and home-educated students.
Aspire
Vocational Programme
A supported first step into the world of work
Ages 16–19 · Max 12 students · 10 hours a week
Feels like an internship, run in our vocational training suite alongside local organisations and specialists. It’s for young people who are finding further education hard, including those with low attendance or at risk of becoming Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). They gain work placements, enterprise experience and qualifications, ready for college, an apprenticeship or work.
BOOST
Employability Workshops
Get ready for work with local employers
Ages 18–24 · Small-group workshops · 12 weeks
Practical workshops, run alongside local employers, covering CVs, applications, interviews, job searching and workplace skills, with a look inside different industries. 89% of participants move into employment, education or enterprise.
Work with us
For schools, local authorities and youth providers
When a student needs more than the classroom can offer, we can help. We offer alternative provision, therapeutic mentoring and tutoring for individual students, plus hands-on enterprise and employability projects that get whole groups thinking about their next steps. Our provision has passed compliance and safeguarding reviews with both Swindon and Wiltshire local authorities.
For young people aged 16 to 24
Who aren’t in education or work Not sure what’s next? Our employability coaching and enterprise programmes give you advice, guidance and real project experience in our training workplace, so you’re ready for work and know what you want to do.
For employers
Looking for keen entry-level talent? We’ll help you find it and support you to make it work, with a low-cost, supported route into recruitment and workplace development. Many businesses also get involved by giving careers talks, offering work experience or sponsoring a programme.
FAQs
We believe that too have any meaningful connection the session needs to be two hours, and the length of the support package will vary depending on the needs of the child, but our minimum package is 12 weeks.
Ready to take the next step?
Got a young person in mind who needs something different?
Tell us about them and we’ll help you find the right fit.