Young people transform Ashton youth centre in life‑changing 12‑week course

​​​​​​​A group of young people on the Hyde's Team 39 King’s Trust Team programme have transformed a busy Ashton youth centre, giving the building a much‑needed makeover while building their own confidence, teamwork and leadership skills.

The 12‑week personal development course, run in partnership with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, supports unemployed 16 to 25‑year‑olds with community projects, residential challenges and work placements to help them move towards jobs, training or further education.

The current cohort (Team 39) has been working at a Tameside Youth Service centre in Ashton, repainting rooms and tackling practical improvements that the building has gone without for years due to limited funding. “This is a building that is very busy, used by young people, and three of the young people on this project attend this session and they wanted to put something back,” explained Diane, who runs the centre for Tameside Youth Service. “We don’t have a lot of funding to do things like this in the building, so it’s been many years since it has had a decoration or anything.”

Kings Trust Course leader Sarah Quinn, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, praised the standard of the work as the team carefully painted the centre’s interior. “After the first couple of days when it was like ‘please be careful or else you’ll have to do it again’ and then they had to do it again !

…I think they’re learning quite quickly to be a bit more careful,” she said, highlighting how the project is teaching attention to detail as well as practical skills. For some of the group this is their first experience of painting and decorating, making the progress even more significant.

Diane said the centre offers essential support to local young people, many of whom face bullying and other issues in the community and need somewhere safe to go. “It’s life‑changing for these young people,” she said. “It’s really important that young people have somewhere safe because most young people nowadays don’t have anywhere where they can call safe.” Information about the sessions and wider youth offer is available through the youth service section of Tameside Council’s website, with all activities free to access.​

As part of the wider 12‑week programme, Team 39 team recently completed a cold and challenging residential in the mountains, where temperatures dropped as low as minus 15 degrees during outdoor activities such as rock scrambling and caving. “The young people didn’t moan once,” Sarah said. “They just got on with it and found it quite funny that if they stood there too long their coat got frost on it.” The residential is designed to push participants out of their comfort zone and develop resilience, communication and problem‑solving skills.

Teamwork and listening have been central themes throughout the course, with Sarah stressing that many young people can talk but do not always listen. “Everything that we do is about teamwork, it’s also about listening to people,” she said. “At any point in life they will need to listen to people and understand that listening is just as important as actually speaking.” Participants have also taken on roles in planning and organisation, from deciding how to tackle the community project to managing tasks and materials.

Sam, one of the young people on the course described it as “a bit of a challenge” but said the group had pulled together. “Everyone works together,” he said. “Everyone has their struggles and everyone has their strengths.” He believes the work experience element and the skills gained on the course will help him move towards a long‑term career in the fire service.

Another participant, Jack, has been closely involved in the refurbishment, including stairs and the rooms. Over the past couple of weeks he has learned about food hygiene and went on a residential. “The course certainly takes you out of your comfort zone,” he reflected, saying it has helped with confidence, communication and other key skills.

Erin has played a key part in the centre’s work, including painting.  She and a friend first visited the centre and noticed it needed attention, especially as it is so heavily used and does not receive regular funding for improvements. “It’s lovely for us to do a bit more,” she said, describing how the project has given her a sense of achievement and motivation to work towards her goal of becoming a nurse.

Joseph has taken on a leadership role in managing the painting and decorating project, coordinating what needed to be done and ensuring the right paints and materials were in place. “Everyone has done what needs to be done,” he said. “It has been very good and efficient.” He believes the course is a good way to get out of your comfort zone and learn to communicate with people you would not normally meet and is now preparing for a work placement.

In the coming weeks, Team 39 participants will head out on two‑week work placements across Tameside, applying their new skills in real workplaces. Sarah is appealing to more local employers to open their doors and offer opportunities to the young people. She said some businesses may have had a bad experience in the past or feel they cannot offer anything but stressed that there are keen candidates interested in areas from animal care and engineering to schools, painting and decorating, and paramedic routes.

“Tameside companies, please give these young people a chance,” she urged. Employers who can offer a placement are invited to contact Sarah Quinn by email at quinns@manchesterfire.gov.uk or by phone on 07837 948 564.

For many of the team, that chance could be the next step towards work, independence and a brighter future.