FUNDED by the Drax Foundation, the charitable entity of renewable energy company Drax Group, a new and exciting programme has started in Goole, which will support unemployed adults aged 18-40 from the town.
Run by Humber-wide charity CatZero, the intended outcome for the 14 participants on the 12-week programme is to help them into employment, education, training, or volunteering. This is the first time CatZero has worked with the Drax Foundation, who are keen to see how the charity’s successful approach is put into action in the town.
Participants will take part in activities to improve employability, increase skills attainment, improve physical and mental health and wellbeing, and overcome barriers to personal development. The CatZero staff will be working alongside organisations local to the town to help achieve these outcomes, including Goole Boxing Club CIO and the Green Team, who will be undertaking horticultural sessions and exploring volunteer opportunities within the community. There will also be visits to the Drax Power Station, in Selby, teambuilding exercises, and other outdoor activities.
Participants will also have the unique opportunity to sail on CatZero’s 72-foot Challenge yacht, also called ‘CatZero’, which is used as a tool for providing positive change. Moored at Hull Marina, the yacht spends eight months of the year taking participants and corporate supporters on networking and teambuilding adventures in our nation’s waters.
The charity works with people of all ages, helping them into employment or training through confidence-building activities and plans tailored to the individual. The team also works with Forces’ veterans and families at the point of crisis through its highly successful and in demand Full Families programmes in Grimsby and Hull.
Sarah Coulson, programme and implementation manager at CatZero, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity in Goole, supporting people to achieve their goals and, hopefully, helping them back into the job market.
“Through trust, commitment, and a personalised action plan for each person, we move people beyond their personal barriers, co-designing a relationship-based programme of activities. Together, we hope to build confidence, social disciplines, and resilience in our participants, so that they feel strong enough to reach their targets.
“Each person becomes the lead partner in their own development.”
Jane Breach, Drax’s UK Community Manager, continued: “We are proud to be supporting CatZero’s vital work to deliver employability and skills training for unemployed people in Goole. We look forward to welcoming participants in the programme to Drax Power Station as part of their personal development work. Organisations like CatZero make a tangible difference to people’s lives and deliver a positive impact on people, nature, and the climate in our communities.”
CatZero has offices in Grimsby and Hull, running established programmes in both of those areas and occasional programmes in Scunthorpe. Its programmes have an impressive 95 per cent retention rate across the Humber. The charity has previously run courses in the Goole area and are excited for this chance to return to the town.
The Drax Foundation’s community approach reflects its “commitment to being a good neighbour”, and with the Drax Selby biomass power station being only 6-miles from the centre of Goole, the foundation’s support for local people is very welcome.
Pete Tighe, CatZero partnership and development manager, commented: “The Drax Foundation’s values are underpinned by ‘effective corporate giving’. By supporting people across the Goole area, partnered with CatZero’s commitment to every participant, we can make a real difference to people’s lives.
“We are looking forward to working with the Drax team and hope that the relationship continues into the future, so that we can provide further support to people in the Humber region.”
For the duration of the 12-week programme, CatZero will be available at its pop-up office at the Central Methodist Church, in North Street, Goole. For more information on this or any other aspect of the charity, contact the team via www.catzero.org or by calling 01482 333303. For more about the Drax Foundation, see www.drax.com/about-us/our-communities/