Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s inclusive learning centre TryZone have received support from Key partner British Gas over the last few months in the form of volunteer staff who have supported some of the projects that work with both young children and adults.
The volunteers have contributed on a number of projects this year including working with adult ESOL learners who are acquiring English as their second language club as well as, providing interview and job application support in the TryZone Work Club.
The volunteers have also worked with primary school students in the ‘Zone 6-7’ project that aims to help year 6 school children increase their confidence, self-esteem, resilience and team work skills in order to make transition to secondary school a more comfortable experience.
At a recent Zone 6-7 visit to Meanwood Valley Farm Natasha Willmer from British Gas, who has volunteered on a number of projects with TryZone, explained how the volunteering opportunity came about:
“We were invited as team managers that if we’d like to get involved with TryZone we could put ourselves forward for it. I was really keen to get involved to give back to the community and to work particularly with children. It’s been a really great partnership, we all work really well as a group and everyone has particular strengths, so it’s just been a really great experience.
“It’s a great opportunity to do something different for us and get out there and do something that gives a little something back, the kids are our future really and to help support them is a really great opportunity for anybody.”
Nigel Wood, the Education Programme Manager at TryZone commented on the partnership and the impact the volunteers have had: “It’s absolutely brilliant we’ve had this partnership with British Gas for about 6 months now and for us it’s really so fantastic to have volunteers from an organisation as big as British Gas to come and volunteer and actively get involved with some of our projects. It really adds so much value you can’t put a finger on it to be honest.
“They bring so much in terms of their professionalism their skills and their time on a range of projects at TryZone, not only like with the children here at Meanwood Valley Farm, but also with the adults from our literacy programmes and those in the adult Work Club, they bring a special set of skills that has just been absolutely fantastic for us at TryZone.”
TryZone is a Big Lottery funded project and operates with the support of its key partners to work with specific young people and their families who need some extra support in order to make a positive difference to their lives. The projects are tailored to the individual needs of pupils, young people and families who are supported by specialist tutors at the purpose built Learning Centre at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
For more information on TryZone and details of how to get involved in a project visit:
www.leedsrhinosfoundation.org/education/index.php
Watch the video of the TryZone's visit to Meanwood Valley Farm below: