Expertise from one of our key delivery partners is assisting to create a community hub in Seascale.
Volunteers from Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick (BBK) have given their time and expertise on electrical work to help the Shackles Off Youth & Community Project, which has secured funding to build a purpose-built youth and community centre in Seascale.
The BBK team is giving electrical design support to understand the power requirements for the new building to determine suitability of existing supplies or a need for new ones.
The Shackles Off Project has been in existence for 17 years and started as there was no youth provision in the immediate area.
A group of volunteers from the local churches and community saw a need and worked with young people for six months to establish their needs. In September 2008 the first open-access youth provision on a Friday night started and Shackles Off became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2021.
The project is predominately for young people, 20% of their work also focusing on family and community support.
Transforming lives
Mandy Taylor, from the Shackles Off Project, said: “Many lives are being transformed by the work we do. This extends from young people being involved in the youth clubs and informal educational workshops, to specific work with mental health, risk taking behaviour and those who are NEET (Not in education, employment, or training).
“The community work extends to: Depression support group, parent autism support group, over 50s youth club, community events. Shackles Off responds to the needs of the community we work in, so is ever evolving and reactive to change.
“We have had help from the supply chain and, in particular Balfour Beatty, who helped us with advice from time to time via Michael Holdforth.
“Michael also organised for Nathan Lucock to help with the E&I design work. Nathan’s input has been invaluable and has also helped us make some decisions that we hadn’t necessarily already thought of, saving us potential delays down the line.
“We are very grateful for both Michael and Nathan’s support to our project and also Michael for the additional volunteer work he does from time to time, including being Father Christmas for our youth club parties!”
To see our latest volunteering opportunities use the Together For Good platform.