A GRANT of £15,000 is helping to support and encourage young people from Barnsley into the care sector.
South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) awarded the funding to Crossroads Caring for Carers, based at Maple House, on Stocks Lane, as part of its Moving on Up young people and employment programme.
Established in 1993, Crossroads Barnsley is a charity providing support services to nearly half a million carers and those they care for in Barnsley every year.
The funding enabled Crossroads to expand its work engaging young people interested in care careers. The initiative targeted young individuals without existing connections to the organisation's service users.
Crossroads used the grant to fund an eight-session course, completed by 16 youngsters, which culminated in six accredited care certificates and two additional transferable qualifications – safeguarding and first aid. There are a further 36 youngsters undertaking this course during the coming year.
One of the sessions was a hands-on first aid training course with expert trainers from Crossroads. The sessions taught them life-saving skills such as CPR, wound care and how to handle emergencies.
SYCF’s Moving on Up programme awarded grants of up to £15,000 over three years to South Yorkshire community organisations to help young people aged 14-30 find jobs. The programme focused on pre-employability skills and opportunities, especially for vulnerable and marginalised young people.
Joseph David, CEO of Crossroads, said: “We are hugely grateful to South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation for this grant which is critical in helping us to attract new people, and particularly a younger generation to explore careers in the care sector.
“It enabled us to deliver our care-focused curriculum courses to prepare participants for future roles in a sector experiencing high demand.”
Professor Chris Booth-Mayblin, chair of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, and SYCF’s philanthropy coordinator, Rachael Farrell, visited Crossroads Barnsley to learn more about the organisation’s work.
They attended a Memory Hub event – an afternoon of entertainment, food and dancing at Barnsley Football Club to bring together people living with dementia, their carers, families and those facing social isolation.
Chris said: “It was such an inspirational event. Crossroads is making a real difference to the lives of carers and those they care for, and it was fantastic to see this first hand. We’re delighted to have been able to fund the care training programme as part of the organisation’s commitment to engaging more young people into the sector.”
Susan Taylor, chair of trustees, Crossroads Barnsley, said: “It was fantastic to welcome SYCF to our Memory Hub event. We are incredibly grateful for the support they’ve provided through the Moving on Up programme.
“We’re a vital resource for the Barnsley community, and the SYCF funding means we can continue our work across the borough as part of our mission to make a real difference to the lives of many people.”
