We are delighted to have been awarded three years’ funding by CABWI to support our learning programme and help us develop our work around employability and next steps – The Future is Yours.

Every year our projects in Sherborne and Yeovil help young people gain over 50 English and Maths qualifications. Qualifications open doors and our learners go on to study Level 3 qualifications, join an apprenticeship scheme or find work. This new grant will help us continue to run the programme and recruit and support our amazing volunteer tutors who deliver the English and maths sessions. 

But sometimes young people don’t know what they want to do, understand what they can do, or lack confidence to work towards their goals.  The Future is Yours aims to change that.  Currently, it is a small programme developed, and delivered inhouse for our existing learners, by Helen Devonshire.  Funding from CABWI will help us grow the fledgling programme so we can offer it to other young people not already working with us.

We have appointed careers guidance professional Jules Benton to provide us specialist input to the programme.  Jules worked for Ansbury Guidance for many years and now runs her own company, the intriguingly named, Cosmic Cactus. She has Level 7 qualifications, and over 30 years’ experience, in Career Guidance.   Jules is well-known and respected by many young people and professionals across the county so we are thrilled to have her on board and look forward to sharing more information as the programme develops.

CABWI is the awarding body for the water and utilities industry and launched a grant programme this year focussing on helping young people move towards work. We were thrilled to be one of the first grant recipients and are looking forward to a fruitful relationship with them..

Multi-year grants are hugely helpful to organisations such as the Rendezvous.  They allow us to plan for the long term, offer the staff team job security and reduce management time spent seeking and managing multiple small grants – which in turn means there is more time to focus on refining and enhancing our work with young people which is what it’s all about.

If you are interested in finding out more or volunteering as a tutor then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.