Oldham Skills Development- Meet Matthew

Matthew, 19, participated in the Guinness Partnership Oldham Skills & Employability programme

We met Matthew through the local housing association ahead of the programme starting due to him being out of employment, education and training. Matthew had recently been in a house-fire that left him without a stable home and was forced to move into an over-populated flat.

The fire had left Matthew feeling extremely anxious, vulnerable and uncertain about what may lie ahead. It had also put strain on Matthew’s relationship and damaged/destroyed some of his belongings.

We needed to provide some structure for Matthew to begin to get him out of the house and engaged in some positive activity. We knew the anxiety would be a huge barrier to this and so we decided to work with Matthew on a one-to-one basis ahead of the programme to start to bridge him into the space, the staff, the sessions and the format.

Matthew has a huge passion for cars and photography and so we combined the too and tasked Matthew with photography workshops bringing model cars to life and then editing the photos to a working brief within media advertisement.

This was the first time Matthew said he had accessed professional equipment within photography and Media and we were all really impressed with how he performed. Matthew worked to the brief and produced some amazing photos. He then worked with our team to edit and display the photos. Matthew also looked to create and social media platform to show his work and gain traction for more photography opportunities outside of our sessions. He has shown a keen interest in photography and the motor industry and is currently exploring volunteering/shadowing opportunities around this.

Matthew was a very lively member of the group. He was always first to arrive, full of ideas and someone who I would now describe as comfortable and confident. Members of the house Matthew is living in have fed back that he is really enjoying his time on the programme so far and the staff from the housing association have also said:

“I’ve spoken to Matthew’s partners mum, and she was saying that Matthew is really enjoying it. ”

— Housing Association source

“Matthew has produced a fantastic CV that records all his achievements and is tailored towards the industries he wishes to explore. Matthew is driven and has improved massively on his awareness and confidence around next steps, as well as his teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills all seeing huge progression. He has his Accredited Leadership Qualification behind him, industry awareness and insight, support networks, CV and the right mindset to achieve all he wants over the coming months and years.”

— Youth Worker Ryan

Staff member Ryan said Upon completion of the project Matthew said:

““This has been an amazing opportunity and has given me the chance to get back on the right path. I know what I want to do now, and I really can’t wait to get started. This programme has helped me hugely and I would really recommend other people in my position to get involved with it in the future.”

— Youth Worker Ryan

Matthew recently submitted an application to the Guinness Aspire Awards where he successfully obtained funding to purchase camera and lighting equipment to help him start up a small local photography business. Matthew has ambitious plans as to how this could develop and improve his life and also benefit the local community of Royton, Oldham. The Rio Ferdinand Foundation will continue to support Matthew on an on-going one-to-one basis to support his business venture.

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