UKSPF hyper-local and safety of women and girls’ programmes across West Yorkshire

Hyper-local activity is targeted UKSPF support at a local level in all five West Yorkshire local authority geographies.

Delivered by the relevant local authorities, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, this support is tailored to local need and takes a bespoke approach for delivery, based on community needs.

*hyper-local refers to local authority programmes in West Yorkshire

The hyper-local UKSPF project in Bradford focuses on three key strategic themes:

1. Circular economy and business support

This includes:

• entrepreneurial support for pre- and post-start-up businesses,
• initiatives to attract more people to the city and local areas,
• studies to see if new development projects are possible.

2. Community infrastructure

This includes:

• strengthening the district's emerging community anchor network through mentoring support and grant funding to build community pride and resilience,
• providing support to vulnerable young adults as they move from child services to adulthood,
• helping communities have a voice in local decisions and influence broader policies,
• offering design and financial support for communities to focus on preserving and improving their local environment.

3. Culture is our plan

This includes:

• strengthening the visitor economy to prepare for Bradford City of Culture 2025 (COC) by supporting events and creating a food culture offer,
• supporting growth in the culture and business sectors to maximise the opportunity and to create an economic legacy,
• involving communities through local events and a volunteering programme to support City of Culture 2025 (COC).

The hyper-local UKSPF project in Calderdale is targeted towards:

1. Community

This includes support to:

• communities in North and Central Halifax with the highest deprivation,
• communities that were hit the most by the pandemic,
• communities that can benefit the most to positively impact local people.

2.‘Keep it local’ commitment

UKSPF in Calderdale aims to:

• empower communities,
• impact on health and economic inequalities,
• build community wealth and legacy through a community-led and coproduced approach.

To support these aims Calderdale Council has funded capacity in two community anchors, Halifax Opportunities Trust, and North Halifax Partnership.

Halifax Opportunities Trust works to strengthen communities and place, by improving the places people live in and visit, as well as their overall wellbeing. Focusing on street conditions and improving infrastructure; youth engagement to reduce anti-social activity, support with cost of living and money management.

North Halifax Partnership’s Reimagining Communities project works to support a number of priorities to aid towards: affordable living, mental health, social connections, accessible services and opportunities for young people.

The hyper-local UKSPF project in Kirklees focuses on the following priorities:

1. Community

This includes support to:

• strengthen community capacity and infrastructure, building on successful joint working during the pandemic,
• extend cost of living support for the most vulnerable residents,
• add value to delivery of major regeneration programmes in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and emerging Local Centres initiatives,
• support Community Anchor organisations to develop their role in local communities,
• support the Community Champions initiative which builds the capacity/capability of community-based advocates and community grant programmes.

2. Culture and Place

This includes:

• supporting the legacy of Kirklees Year of Music 2023,
• promoting place-based working,
• improving local green spaces,
• creating safer town centres,
• developing career pathways in the arts and creative economy and opportunities for volunteering.

The hyper-local UKSPF project in Leeds focuses on four key priorities:

1. Cost of living

Measures to support residents, including:

• advice, signposting, and financial support to minimise the number of residents in poverty,
• increasing digital inclusion,
• increasing energy efficiency,
• the development of local food offer.

Examples of activity include delivering digital inclusion activity to support residents with the cost of living and the provision of debt advice for residents experiencing financial challenges.

2.Community Infrastructure

• programmes to support pride of place and develop the social fabric of communities, including small capital investment,
• support for resident-led activity through increased engagement.

Examples of this include Capable Guardian Programme, community safety and antisocial behaviour initiatives, the delivery of social action projects in communities, volunteering support and high street and district centre improvements.

3. Culture, Heritage, and Engagement

Expanding the district's inclusive cultural and creative offer across the city to engage a wider and more diverse audience focusing on:

• equality and diversity,
• social cohesion,
• celebrating difference,
• and culture for health and wellbeing.

Leeds Museums and Galleries’ programme of work builds on the service’s award-winning learning and community work. It will offer volunteering opportunities, events and participatory programmes and work closely with community partners on these. The service aims to give a warm welcome to more visitors and make improvements to at least two of its venues. Through funding for the Learning & Access Officer facilitating the Careers for All programme, the service will create a range of engagement opportunities for young people with SEND (special educational need and disabilities). The value of grants funding available to cultural groups to support the legacy of Leeds 2023 will also increase.

4. Supporting Innovation, Businesses and Productivity

Measures to support businesses and innovation include:

• support for local businesses to adopt and develop innovative practices,
• support to maximise the value of the Innovation Arc, leading to increased productivity and business growth,
• support new and existing SMEs to support growth and viability, particularly those who are hard to reach.

Activity will include delivering business information and enterprise activities aimed at prospective entrepreneurs in target communities. Innovation@Leeds aims to enhance & amplify innovation activities in Leeds as part of the new West Yorkshire Investment Zone

Productivity | Inclusive Growth Leeds.

The hyper-local UKSPF project in Wakefield focuses on a umber of key projects:

• Wakefield’s Pride in Thriving Centres project aims to support ongoing capital regeneration work in our centres by providing a community presence to promote environmental regulation and community safety, and deter anti-social behaviour and nuisances that affect visitor experience. A place management plan is being developed to inform delivery of shared projects with stakeholders, to contribute to the growth and reinvention of the high street, improve social infrastructure and encourage a real sense of civic pride, with businesses signposted to appropriate support along the way. In addition, shop security grants are being made available to qualifying businesses for security measure improvements.

• The Wakefield Retail Centres “Pop up" Programme is designed to make innovative use of space in our centres, such as provision of pop up spaces linked to markets to support small and micro retail businesses to test ideas, create jobs and grow sustainably, alongside dedicated business support for independent retailers.

• The WX Cultural and Creative Industries Growth Programme supports growth of cultural and creative industries in Wakefield, including delivery of the Creative Wakefield Network to showcase opportunities for local artists utilising the new Wakefield Exchange site and other cultural venues, aiming to drive growth and opportunity in the sector for local communities.

• The Creative Sector Support project works with creative sector businesses to facilitate cross fertilisation of the creative knowledge and skills within the District with more traditional industry sectors. Capital funds assigned to this project are facilitating the installation of three new learning spaces housed within the Wakefield Exchange building, to create space and resources for creative talent to grow and thrive.

• Toward Wakefield 2024 and Beyond is a programme of district-wide festivals and events to engage and inspire our communities, providing a unique opportunity for mass participation in culture and creativity, and building toward and beyond Wakefield's Year of Culture 2024. The programme utilises local creative talent and connects with our unique heritage, to bring culture and creativity into our communities, re-connect people with their place, and attract visitors into the District.

• Wakefield's campaign to support inward investment and place marketing includes a calendar of multi-channel promotional activity to launch Wakefield's emerging plan, target key inward investment sectors, promote key account management to encourage indigenous business growth, and build Wakefield's reputation as a place to start and grow a business. For Wakefield to achieve its economic ambition to have an economy that works for everyone, it is vital that the District attracts employers from a more diverse range of sectors, bringing life-long career and learning opportunities for Wakefield residents.

• Growing Wakefield's Visitor Economy is a project to develop a destination management plan to deliver activity to establish Wakefield as a visitor destination, including collaborative marketing and PR, coordinated tourism collateral and connection with tradeshows.

• Wakefield’s Healthy Eating on a Budget project delivers 6 volunteer led community pantries across the District, including activities such as allotment projects and family cookery classes, linked with wrap-around employment, skills, health and wellbeing provision to support people to move away from food bank dependency and reliance on crisis services.

• Wakefield’s UKSPF Local Grant Scheme has been designed to administer grants of up to £15,000 to provide financial support and seed funding for community projects and initiatives.

• Supporting Wakefield's VCS Capacity to Deliver for Residents is a project centred around building the capacity and capability of the VCSE (voluntary, community or social enterprise) sector to deliver for residents. The project aims to strengthen the sector in terms of skills, knowledge, partnerships and private sector investment and collaboration, to help community groups to become more sustainable and less grant reliant, and to enable growth of community assets in a targeted way in areas of low take-up, in addition to developing meaningful social value opportunities and encouraging a multi-agency approach to sourcing funding.

• Wakefield's Business Support Gateway project is a central gateway for business support, delivered flexibly to support entrepreneurs and start-ups through the stages of business development and growth, by offering a combination of services, advice and resources and encouraging collaboration across different sectors.

West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, launched the regional Safety of Women and Girls (SOWG) strategy in November 2022.

West Yorkshire is home to over 1.2 million women and girls, and every one of them should feel safe. Safe at home, at work, on a night out, walking in a park, anywhere.

The West Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund will include a funding allocation of £992,760 over the next three financial years (inclusive of financial year 2022-2023), to support the delivery of the co-designed priorities and actions, as set out in the Safety of Women and Girls Strategy.

Each Local Authority in West Yorkshire is providing a bespoke service through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to contribute to this objective.

The safety of women and girls UKSPF project in Bradford will support the development of Bradford’s Safety of Women & Girls Action Plan.

The action plan aims to support the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Strategy, in delivering priorities of:

• education and prevention,
• supporting the safety of women and girls,
• providing safe spaces,
• and behaviour change.

Through the development and implementation of the action plan, we will:

• recruit young ambassadors,
• consult across the district,
• increase volunteering opportunities,
• develop programmes and projects that will address the Safety of Women and Girls agenda,
• encourage a successful local economy and community.

Additionally, the project will support Staying Put, a key local delivery partner, as they increase their offer of supported accommodation for victims of domestic abuse and their children. The project is looking to improve the standard of accommodation provided to create supportive and therapeutic environments.

The safety of women and girls UKSPF project in Calderdale aims to provide support to the third sector to address gaps in provision through grant funded voluntary and community sector (VCS) interventions and the provision of capital expenditure on safe spaces for women and girls.

This will help support to the council’s inclusive approach to help build capacity and resilience amongst third sector organisations, to deliver better outcomes.

Key objectives are to support projects that have the following impacts:

• improved engagement and support for victims,
• reduce in violence against women and girls’ incidents,
• more men and boys engaged with to encourage healthy attitudes towards women and girls,
• more safe spaces for women and girls.

The scheme will support the Councils Safer Streets and the Violence Reduction Partnership. The scheme will be aligned with the district’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Strategic Assessment and will complement the council Domestic Abuse Strategy.

The safety of women and girls UKSPF project in Kirklees, is the work of the Council and key partners, including the third sector, to identify the key investment priorities, such as:

• work with men and boys,
• behaviour change and prevention,
• providing safe spaces for women and girls.

This project focuses on delivering the following objectives:

• improving engagement and support for victims, particularly those in hard-to-reach communities,
• reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG) incidents,
• engaging with men and boys to encourage healthy attitudes to women and girls,
• creating more safe spaces for women and girls,
• collect qualitative evidence of impact to feed into a district wide evidence base of what works for VAWG Services,
• more businesses and community centres accessing bystander training.

The safety of women and girls UKSPF project in Leeds has four main strands:

• Building on the West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin Mayor’s Safer Parks Guidance (2023), Leeds City Council together with the Women and Girls Alliance Leeds, aims to engage with local women and girls to co-design and deliver safe and welcoming public spaces.
• Research to explore how a women’s centre in Leeds could provide a safe, gender-informed and inclusive environment for women and girls to access a range of services. Following the research, and consultation with a range of stakeholders including local women and girls, the Leeds Women’s Centre concept will be piloted and evaluated.
• Developed by the Women and Girls Alliance Leeds and Men’s Health Unlocked, “Switch onto Women’s Safety” is an insightful and thought-provoking workshop to empower men and boys to help women and girls feel safe and respected. Training providers will apply to gain accreditation for this workshop and train a further 100 men to deliver the workshop to men and boys across organisations and communities in Leeds.
• Working with women, girls, communities and policy makers, the Women and Girls Alliance Leeds will accelerate the Women Friendly Leeds movement, seeking to create the UK’s first Women Friendly City where women and girls are safe and supported to participate in all areas of urban life on an equal basis to men. A city that is better for women; better for everyone.

To find out more about how you or your organisation can get involved with any of the projects, get in touch via the Women Friendly Leeds website.

The safety of women and girls UKSPF project in Wakefield has been developed with long-term sustainability in mind and includes the delivery of an innovative education and prevention secondary school-based programme and volunteer peer ambassador scheme.

This project aims to support behaviour change for at risk children and young people, providing:

Education and prevention programme

• group work sessions in 6 secondary schools – a programme of up to 6 sessions per cohort (universal for all, responding to the Behaviour Change theme by educating on harmful behaviours towards women and girls as well as additional separate groups and one-to-one sessions for at risk children and young people),
• 1:1 support sessions in secondary schools - a programme of up to 6 sessions per young person referred,
• group work sessions in the community for those young people who feel unable to access support in school,
• 1:1 sessions in the community for those young people who feel unable to access support in school,
• the option for art therapy for all participants.

Volunteer peer ambassador scheme

• an educational online course to train 200 ambassadors and to be used by young people during reflections/insolation at school,
• volunteer peer ambassador training sessions to empower young people to raise awareness and support others in the school and their local community. The project expects to recruit 100 Volunteer Peer Ambassadors each year,
• online chat-box support outside of group work and educating/raising awareness sessions for children and young people who have been affected by these issues.

So far, this project has trained 111 ambassadors and engaged with 5724 young people.

Kala Sangam is delivering a major capital project that will transform the company’s Grade II listed arts centre, removing significant barriers to entry.

Capital plans include:

• the installation of a new 200-seat theatre,
• two new lifts,
• changing places facilities,
• accessible entrance and foyer,
• acoustic and hearing loop solutions,
• broadcast studios and offices for BCB Community Radio,
• and four new studio spaces for a wide range of community/CYP engagement and artist support.

The works will transform an iconic heritage building into an accessible, resilient, fit-for-purpose creative hub.

Timetable of work sits at 14 months, with re-occupancy expected in May 2025, ahead of a public reopening of the building in August 2025 as a milestone moment in Bradford's year as UK City of Culture.

Safety of Women and Girls (SOWG) Partnership Work with the Police and Community

In November 2023, feedback was received from the Safety of Women and Girls (SOWG) Community Consultations held at the African Community Centre at Quaker House in BD5. In response, the SOWG Lead worked with the Police Women and Girls Engagement Officer. Together, they arranged for a female officer to visit the group fortnightly, with the goal of listening to the women’s concerns and guiding them to appropriate support services.

These regular visits have made a significant positive impact on the group, fostering trust in the police among the women.

"The regular contact has given me confidence that whenever I see a Police Officer, I can approach him/her and ask for help or support" Female, Sudan, Aged 35-40

"In my country people fear the Police and are apprehensive to speak to a Police Officer but the lady Officer who visits us is very kind and has made me feel that the Police in Bradford is very approachable and willing to help." Female, Somalia, Aged 25-30

Northern Broadsides Theatre Company to engage young people in the Park and Warley areas of Halifax, in local theatre and the arts.

This project aims to encourage a broadening of horizons and establish creative expression for the young people taking part and to help foster a sense of pride in themselves and in their community.

The project’s focus is on young people and aims to engage people regardless of their socio-economic background. The grant allowed Northern Broadsides to consider accessibility and provide additional support services. This included transportation and support workers for those with physical needs. This also captured participants from a broad spectrum of ethnicities highlighting the community's capacity for diverse creative expression. 

This community had no youth theatre programme before the project. Northern Broadsides facilitated a variety of events and sessions that helped to shape the delivery of the full Youth Theatre Programme, which started in September 2024, based on the needs and wants of the community. The funding and project has directly supported the key aim of providing equal opportunities for young people in Park Ward to engage with the arts. By removing barriers to participation and ensuring inclusivity, the funding has laid the groundwork for long-term community involvement and personal development through the arts.

The summer intensive session attracted a diverse group of young people of different ages, all from the South Asian community, offering them a space to connect and collaborate. In addition, the appointment of a Community Producer for the Youth Theatre will further strengthen local engagement and ensure the program reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. Her upcoming work, including a day of participatory arts focused on climate activism, will expand the program’s reach and relevance.

The “protagonist” of this case study will always be the young people of Park and Warley. Regardless of whether they had an interest in the creative arts and theatre before this project we hope that they now have access to this and can continue to grow through the Youth Theatre Programme. Many young people have enjoyed this experience as can be seen in the quotes section below.

Impact and end goal

The UKSPF funding has been instrumental in enabling Northern Broadsides to run taster sessions at Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre and the Unique Community Hub, creating initial interest and engagement among local young people. The sessions set the foundation for the full youth theatre program launched in September.

With the support of UKSPF funding, we have taken significant steps toward creating a welcoming and inclusive space for young people in Park ward. Our taster sessions at Hanson Lane and Unique Community Hub, as well as the Summer School were well-received and helped build initial interest among local young people.

“It made me feel eager to show everyone what I can do. I can’t wait to do more acting” Summer on Stage Participant

"My favourite part was when I felt more comfortable" Summer on Stage Participant

"Overall this was very fun and entertaining, before I came here I was so bored and lonely but now I have made lots of friends and I am happy"  Summer on Stage Participant

"Thank you so much for not making me feel bored"  Summer on Stage Participant

"I feel proud, happy and excited" Summer on Stage Participant

"I feel proud of myself and I feel happy and excited for the show also. I was glad I made new friends. It was so fun, I loved it. I hope we go again" Summer on Stage Participant

"I feel proud, accomplished, and confident." Summer on Stage Participant

“The UKSPF funding has been absolutely critical in allowing us to kickstart engagement with young people in the community. Thanks to this support, we’ve been able to run taster sessions at Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre and the Unique Community Hub, sparking early interest and involvement from local young people. 

Additionally, the extra UKSPF grant has enabled us to prioritise accessibility. We’re now able to offer vital services like translation and support workers, ensuring that all young people, regardless of their background or physical needs, can take part. The funding enables us to offer free food and drinks for participants, ensuring everyone who takes part is well nourished and ready to perform their best and most creative work. During our August Summer Intensive at Halifax Playhouse, we saw 14 young people from the South Asian community actively engage, which gave us real insight into the community’s needs. This event highlighted the youth theatre's role as a vital space for creative expression locally.

The funding is helping Northern Broadsides achieve our mission of providing equal opportunities for young people in Park Ward to access and engage with the arts.” - Jess Rooney, Marketing and Communications Manager, Northern Broadsides Theatre Company

Mary was a year 9 student who was described as "off the rails" by staff and was only attending school a couple of days a week. When Mary attended in week 1, she was late but still produced some incredible work. It became clear that Mary, like many young people, needed to feel a sense of belonging. The group seemed to provide the space she needed to shine.

Mary had been exposed to far too much at a young age, and the impact on her was evident to everyone. Amy, the Safety of Women and Girls School Project worker arranged to have a 1-to-1 session with Mary to discuss what was going on in her life and explore how the project could help her address some of her issues. It turned out that Mary’s phone was at the heart of her troubles, and she wasn’t aware of the dangers it posed.

Throughout the project, Mary began to speak openly in the group, becoming a shining example of honesty and self-reflection. The delivery of the project highlighted the importance of providing young women with a safe space to express themselves and access the support they need to stay safe.

Following discussions with staff at the school, they agreed that, had they delivered the sessions, the impact wouldn’t have been as significant. In fact, when there was a one-week break in the project, all of the students were asking where we were.

The impact of these projects isn't always immediate, but the changes in Mary, her attitude and approach, have had a ripple effect on her friendship circle, showing how far-reaching the impact can be.

TSL Kirklees started out as a group of like-minded leaders of third sector organisations who wanted to work together and support each other. It developed into a membership organisation that aimed to bring together and represent the whole of the third sector in Kirklees, and in 2015 became a fully-fledged charity. They are still a membership organisation at heart, but now also work to support and grow the sector in Kirklees, and act as an umbrella body for a number of projects that help do that.

Mindful Maker approached TSL when they were considering setting up a not-for-profit organisation.

TSL met them to find out more about their group; their purpose, who they wanted to work with and what they wanted to achieve.

• They discussed various options for legal structures and made recommendations based on their circumstances and plans.
• They gave advice on opening an account with a bank that deals with charity banking. 
• They supported them apply for and secure their first three small grants which enabled them to pilot delivery in partnership with local community centres.
• They introduced them to their local community anchor who helped them promote their activities and offered ongoing support
• They provided safeguarding training and helped with policies and procedures.

Impact and end goal

Mindful makers now have a clear plan for the coming year and a cash flow forecast. They are developing a track record for delivery which will help them secure future funding.

“I knew I wanted to run my own organisation, but I was struggling to know where to start. There was so much to do, it was overwhelming! TSL have been there for me every step of the way, guiding me through the process. I have achieved so much in my first year and I couldn’t have done it without you.” - Director, Mindful Maker CIC

Penguin Acting & Theatre Production CIC – 'Lola'

The school theatre production Lola was delivered in high schools across Kirklees. It consisted of a performance followed by a one-hour workshop aimed at raising awareness of the warning signs ("red flags") in toxic relationships. The workshop also focused on preventing young females from being drawn into violence, exploitation, or county lines.

The project aimed to increase awareness of healthy relationships while boosting students' confidence in seeking help and support for themselves and their peers. Lola has opened the door for important conversations within schools, enabling professionals to intervene early.

"The students engaged well during the performance and responded positively. The performance was watched by members of the safeguarding team, the Executive Head Teacher and the Associate Headteacher and all agreed it was informative, engaging and targeted well at year 9/10 audience. We would definitely recommend the company and Lola's story to other schools and be keen to have the project return to us next year." South Kirklees School Teacher

"As a survivor, that was really well done." - Student in North Kirklees Alternative Education Setting

Money Buddies offer a handholding, educational (by stealth), and empowerment-focused advice and support service to the people of Leeds. If a client needs full support, the Money Buddy provides assistance in tasks such as writing letters to creditors, completing household budgets, preparing financial statements for creditors, contacting creditors to pause action, and filling out grant and trust applications. The Money Buddy is committed to advising and supporting the client from start to finish.

Johnny

Johnny, a 42-year-old single British male, was one of the people helped by Money Buddies. He lives in a Leeds City Council property and receives Universal Credit. Johnny mentioned he had several health conditions that prevented him from working but hadn’t explored whether he could access additional financial support due to these conditions.

How Money Buddies helped:

Johnny expressed difficulty managing his outgoings on his limited income and wasn’t sure if he was entitled to further financial support. With help from his Money Buddy, they completed a Benefit Check, which identified an unclaimed Personal Independence Payment. The Money Buddy explained how to request the claim form, but Johnny felt he couldn’t do this without support. His Money Buddy assisted him in requesting the claim form via the PIP new claims line during the drop-in session. Once he received the form, his Money Buddy could assist him in completing it at the main office or through the Welfare Rights Unit. Johnny opted to take the details for the Welfare Rights Unit since he didn’t want to travel to the office.

During the appointment, Johnny mentioned his lack of food and inability to replenish it due to his limited income. His Money Buddy discussed issuing a food parcel voucher for a local food bank and researched nearby food banks. However, Johnny expressed concern about seeing someone he knew at either location. Arrangements were made for Johnny to receive a food parcel delivery to his home address instead.

Johnny also disclosed feelings of suicidal distress and became visibly upset at several points during the session. His Money Buddy provided him with the Samaritans Helpline and the Connect Helpline numbers, as well as encouraged him to make an appointment with his GP. Johnny confirmed he would follow through. With Johnny’s permission, his Money Buddy submitted a referral to Adult Social Care on the same day to explore additional support options.

Impact and end goal:

As a result of the Personal Independence Payment claim identified during the benefit check, Johnny could potentially increase his income by at least £68.10 per week.

With a food parcel delivery arranged, Johnny no longer needed to worry about purchasing food before his next benefit payment.

Johnny can return to a Money Buddy drop-in if he needs further support. He confirmed he would return if needed but also mentioned he planned to contact his GP surgery for an appointment after leaving the drop-in.

Gareth

Gareth, a 77-year-old male of British ethnicity, was one of the people helped by Money Buddies. He attended a drop-in session after a friend recommended he visit.

Gareth lived in private rented accommodation and had recently received a Section 21 notice, as his landlord intended to sell the property. He expressed interest in a new property in the same area but at a substantially higher rent. Gareth mentioned that suitable properties in his area were rare.

Divorced and in receipt of a state pension, a small works pension, and Attendance Allowance, Gareth asked for support with completing a benefit check to see if he was eligible for any additional support, as he could not afford the higher rent without financial assistance. This situation was causing him considerable stress and worry.

How Money Buddies helped:

Gareth was supported to complete a benefit check, which revealed he could potentially claim Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, and a small amount of Pension Credits. He had never claimed any of these benefits before and was unaware that he might be eligible.

The Money Buddy spoke to staff at the hub, who advised Gareth to make an appointment for help with the applications. They also recommended bringing his Section 21 notice to the appointment to investigate the possibility of a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to cover any rent shortfall and bond fees.

Gareth was signposted to the Welfare Rights Unit (WRU) for support with his Pension Credit application.

Outcomes for the client:

The benefit check indicated that Gareth could receive an uplift of £751.00 per month from Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, and Pension Credits.

If successful in applying for the DHP, he could receive an additional £262 per month to cover the rent shortfall and approximately £1032 to assist with his bond.

Gareth plans to return once he receives his new tenancy agreement to make his applications. The Money Buddy will continue to check in and provide support throughout the application process and any external service referrals.

Keeping Women and Girls Safe/Healthy Relationships Project

The Keeping Women and Girls Safe/Healthy Relationships Project aims to raise awareness about healthy relationships and abusive behaviours, as well as provide social and emotional wellbeing support for young people who may have experienced or are vulnerable to unhealthy or abusive relationships.

iSpace5 is a community interest company that supports young people aged 8 to 18/25 years. They provide emotional and social wellbeing support in both school and community settings, alongside offering information, advice, guidance, and training on various social issues. Additionally, iSpace5 delivers youth and community services within the Wakefield area.

Through their work in schools and communities, iSpace5 has identified that many young people are either in unhealthy relationships or exhibiting unhealthy behaviours towards their partners, friends, and family members. As part of their outreach, they have been delivering group work support to a group of Year 9 boys referred due to concerns about unhealthy relationships. Some boys were referred because of their own unhealthy behaviours, while others were on the receiving end of such behaviours.

The boy featured in this case study was referred for both reasons, so he could gain knowledge about healthy behaviours from both perspectives. From the beginning, he was open in the group, contributing well, but remained guarded when discussing emotions connected to behaviours rather than just the behaviours themselves. He held the typical Year 9 mindset that discussing feelings or asking for help equates to weakness. However, due to iSpace5’s style of delivery, he gradually became more at ease and began opening up. As he did, his openness had a positive impact on the rest of the group, especially given his high social status within the school. This led others in the group to follow his lead and feel comfortable being honest and showing their vulnerabilities.

This openness enabled deep conversations about relationships and how behaviours in relationships are often influenced by personal feelings and insecurities. These discussions helped the boys recognise and understand their own unhealthy behaviours, as well as those they had experienced from others.

Given the boys’ popularity in the school, particularly the protagonist, other students from their year group began to follow them and express interest in the support being offered. As a result, iSpace5 expanded their support, and the boys formed a supportive network for each other and their wider circle.

Impact and End Goal

The group work was highly successful, as evidenced by all the boys, including the protagonist, requesting further sessions. This success helped reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and emotional wellbeing. All the boys sought additional one-to-one emotional wellbeing support in school and even attended the iSpace5 base during the summer holidays for these sessions. Additionally, some of the boys volunteered their time during the summer provision, acting as peer mentors to younger service users and teaching them essential skills for socialising, forming friendships, and maintaining healthy relationships.

The boys stated: “Thank you Hayley and Kath for all your help about girls and relationships. I wish we could carry on the group work until the end of school.”