VIY project at Rushall Community Centre, Volunteer It Yourself (VIY)

This proposal involves the renovation of an outdoor community space in Walsall completed by Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) at Rushall Community Centre (WS4 1JX - IMD3) - run by Manor Farm Community Association.

VIY will create more of a covered social seating area, benches, accessible planters to be used by groups/local people with mobility issues, to create a more welcoming social environment for their users/members of the public.

The works will be undertaken by young volunteers who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming so, developing new vocational skills on the job whilst being mentored by professional tradespeople, and gaining Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations.

VIY operates on a partnership model, working with a wide range of cross-sector partners across all of its projects, from National Partners supporting/match-funding the organisation’s work across the country like The Postcode Lottery, The Considered Ask, Dulux and Travis Perkins, to grant-giving organisations and UK government programmes, to delivering regional programmes of work in regional hubs across the UK including local authorities, construction companies, housebuilders and housing associations, local police forces, active partners, NGBs, cultural and youth work organisations.

This project will be delivered in partnership with Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) - who will be the sole delivery partner of the project.

On this project, VIY will work with Natural England, who have worked with VIY to nominate this project, and who will support the design/delivery of this project. They will also work with Morgan Sindall, as a national construction company working on large-scale developments in Walsall, alongside Walsall Council, who will provide the third-party contribution, as well as referring NEET local young people to gain construction experience through their partnership with Walsall Council, supplying volunteer mentors from their cohort of apprentices/local tradespeople from their construction sites and providing careers support/onwards progression opportunities for local people including further work experience, training and/or apprenticeships.