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2010 Press releases
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Young Crawley Foyer residents to get qualified thanks to May Gurney funding
Residents at the Crawley Foyer, which trains and houses young people who would otherwise be homeless, will start a new qualification thanks to a cash donation.
The centre will offer its residents the new City & Guilds course from May after receiving £2,700 from May Gurney, an infrastructure services company which employs around 150 people in West Sussex.
The cash will enable Foyer staff to deliver the eight week training to around 10 residents, aged 16 to 25, young people who are not currently employed or in education. The group will get the chance to learn new skills and boost their confidence. For many, it will be the first recognised qualification they will have ever achieved.
May Gurney has awarded the money from its charity, The May Gurney Foundation. It was set up last year, with the support of Sussex Community Foundation, and has set aside £300,000 to help charities and organisations across the UK get people back into work, education or to increase their confidence. The Foyer is one of the first Sussex charities to receive funding.
The new eight week course at the Foyer offers a ‘pick and mix’ approach, giving young residents the chance to select from a variety of modules, including food hygiene, first aid, drink and drug awareness and budgeting among many others. The aim is to aid their progression into formal education, other training, volunteering or into employment.
Jaine Bryan, deputy manager at Crawley Foyer, says the funding will help several young people gain a recognised qualification that was previously out of their reach. “The majority of our residents have been low achievers at school, with very few or no academic qualifications. For some, this will be the first formal qualification they have ever achieved.”
By the end of July, the pupils will have achieved a recognised qualification, opening new doors to employment and education. Jane adds; “Giving residents the freedom to choose what they want to study means the course is tailored to their interests. For some, having a routine and a purpose to their day will make an unbelievable difference. This course will provide tangible skills, but will also help them to develop a sense of self-esteem, who they are and how to cope with and respect authority. It wouldn’t be happening without May Gurney’s donation. We are extremely grateful for their support which will make a real difference to the lives of these young people.”
Janine Daynes, Chair of the May Gurney Foundation, said the Foyer was a typical example of the projects May Gurney wants to support. “We’re committed to giving back to the local communities in which we work. Crawley Foyer provides a safe and supportive home for young people who would otherwise be homeless. Their work to help vulnerable young residents on the road to employment or education is incredibly worthwhile, and one that makes a significant contribution to individual lives as well as the wider area.”
The £2,700 donation to The Foyer in Crawley is just one of six donations handed out by May Gurney in Sussex this spring. Other projects to receive funding, totalling more than £25,000 are:
• Sussex Association for Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus (Sussex wide) - £5,000 to fund a new centre to help people into work
• Sussex Beacon (Brighton & Hove) - £4,864 to provide IT training to those living with HIV/AIDS, with the aim of gaining future employment
• AMAZE (Brighton & Hove) – £5,000 to provide information and support to parents of children living with disabilities and special needs
• Pathways to Health (Brighton & Hove) - £4,230 to fund volunteering opportunities at a community health project offering ear acupuncture treatment to people with drug and alcohol dependency, mental health issues or those living with HIV/Hepatitis
• Fellowship of St Nicholas (East Sussex) - £3,500 for the St Nicks Community Café project, to offer volunteering opportunities for young people, those who are long-term unemployed or living with mental health distress.
May Gurney will donate £100,000 per year until 2011 to charities across the UK. Another £15,000 has been made available to match fund May Gurney’s employees’ fund raising activities for local and national charities.
If you are a Sussex based charity, and would like to find out if you are eligible for May Gurney’s funding please contact Mary Carruthers at Sussex Community Foundation on 01273 409440.
-ends-
About May Gurney
May Gurney is an infrastructure services company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line services across the UK.
We make sure that the road, utility, rail and waterways networks and public buildings are well maintained and that household waste is collected, managed and recycled. These essential maintenance services, which are based on long-term contracts, are the ones that are visible to local communities, and make a very real difference to the quality of life. They keep the country running.
Our track record in delivering great operational performance has built long-term relationships with our clients, who rely on us to support and anticipate their current needs and improve future outcomes. This focus on excellent customer service drives May Gurney.
And we never forget that our clients trust us to engage with their customers - communities and individuals - on their behalf. It's a responsibility that everyone at May Gurney takes very seriously.
For more information please contact Matt Ware on 01603 417722, or email matt@tribepr.com
The centre will offer its residents the new City & Guilds course from May after receiving £2,700 from May Gurney, an infrastructure services company which employs around 150 people in West Sussex.
The cash will enable Foyer staff to deliver the eight week training to around 10 residents, aged 16 to 25, young people who are not currently employed or in education. The group will get the chance to learn new skills and boost their confidence. For many, it will be the first recognised qualification they will have ever achieved.
May Gurney has awarded the money from its charity, The May Gurney Foundation. It was set up last year, with the support of Sussex Community Foundation, and has set aside £300,000 to help charities and organisations across the UK get people back into work, education or to increase their confidence. The Foyer is one of the first Sussex charities to receive funding.
The new eight week course at the Foyer offers a ‘pick and mix’ approach, giving young residents the chance to select from a variety of modules, including food hygiene, first aid, drink and drug awareness and budgeting among many others. The aim is to aid their progression into formal education, other training, volunteering or into employment.
Jaine Bryan, deputy manager at Crawley Foyer, says the funding will help several young people gain a recognised qualification that was previously out of their reach. “The majority of our residents have been low achievers at school, with very few or no academic qualifications. For some, this will be the first formal qualification they have ever achieved.”
By the end of July, the pupils will have achieved a recognised qualification, opening new doors to employment and education. Jane adds; “Giving residents the freedom to choose what they want to study means the course is tailored to their interests. For some, having a routine and a purpose to their day will make an unbelievable difference. This course will provide tangible skills, but will also help them to develop a sense of self-esteem, who they are and how to cope with and respect authority. It wouldn’t be happening without May Gurney’s donation. We are extremely grateful for their support which will make a real difference to the lives of these young people.”
Janine Daynes, Chair of the May Gurney Foundation, said the Foyer was a typical example of the projects May Gurney wants to support. “We’re committed to giving back to the local communities in which we work. Crawley Foyer provides a safe and supportive home for young people who would otherwise be homeless. Their work to help vulnerable young residents on the road to employment or education is incredibly worthwhile, and one that makes a significant contribution to individual lives as well as the wider area.”
The £2,700 donation to The Foyer in Crawley is just one of six donations handed out by May Gurney in Sussex this spring. Other projects to receive funding, totalling more than £25,000 are:
• Sussex Association for Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus (Sussex wide) - £5,000 to fund a new centre to help people into work
• Sussex Beacon (Brighton & Hove) - £4,864 to provide IT training to those living with HIV/AIDS, with the aim of gaining future employment
• AMAZE (Brighton & Hove) – £5,000 to provide information and support to parents of children living with disabilities and special needs
• Pathways to Health (Brighton & Hove) - £4,230 to fund volunteering opportunities at a community health project offering ear acupuncture treatment to people with drug and alcohol dependency, mental health issues or those living with HIV/Hepatitis
• Fellowship of St Nicholas (East Sussex) - £3,500 for the St Nicks Community Café project, to offer volunteering opportunities for young people, those who are long-term unemployed or living with mental health distress.
May Gurney will donate £100,000 per year until 2011 to charities across the UK. Another £15,000 has been made available to match fund May Gurney’s employees’ fund raising activities for local and national charities.
If you are a Sussex based charity, and would like to find out if you are eligible for May Gurney’s funding please contact Mary Carruthers at Sussex Community Foundation on 01273 409440.
-ends-
About May Gurney
May Gurney is an infrastructure services company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line services across the UK.
We make sure that the road, utility, rail and waterways networks and public buildings are well maintained and that household waste is collected, managed and recycled. These essential maintenance services, which are based on long-term contracts, are the ones that are visible to local communities, and make a very real difference to the quality of life. They keep the country running.
Our track record in delivering great operational performance has built long-term relationships with our clients, who rely on us to support and anticipate their current needs and improve future outcomes. This focus on excellent customer service drives May Gurney.
And we never forget that our clients trust us to engage with their customers - communities and individuals - on their behalf. It's a responsibility that everyone at May Gurney takes very seriously.
For more information please contact Matt Ware on 01603 417722, or email matt@tribepr.com
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