Greater Manchester
Children and Young People, Grants to charities
Young people empowered to become role models
Peter Rhodes learns more about the activities on offer at Power2
More than 60 teens across Greater Manchester will get help and support to make the most of their education and mental wellbeing by becoming a mentor to a toddler, thanks to East Lancashire Freemasons.
The £30,000 grant from the Freemasons will see young people mentoring an assigned toddler over 16 weeks with learning and play activities. Sessions at the nursery are followed by reflective classroom lessons with Power2‘s team of facilitators. On completion of the programme, students achieve a nationally-recognised NCFE Level 1 qualification in Interpersonal Skills, which they receive at an annual graduation ceremony.
The programme is proven to be highly effective, with Power2 research showing 97.8% of Teens and Toddlers graduates 16-18 were in education, employment, or training.
According to a YouGov poll in 2022, almost a quarter of young people believe they will never recover from the emotional impact of the pandemic, and almost half agreed that the pandemic left them feeling burnt out. Young people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage who risk school exclusion or have confidence issues are feeling the effect of this emotional impact more negatively. Power2’s Teens and Toddlers programme will work with these young people who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
We’re very grateful to East Lancashire Freemasons for their generous grant. Every child and young person deserves the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their background or challenges – and with the help of the Freemasons, many more can!
I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Power2 with this important programme. For many teens, mentoring a toddler is their first experience of being a role model, and the first time anyone’s ever looked up to them, which is a huge boost to self worth and the first steps to a young person recognising their own strengths.
