Access to Industry Passport Project wins Kids Count Directors Award

Presentation of Kids Count Directors Award

Access to Industry’s Passport Project was last week awarded with a special Kids Count Director’s Award at a prestigious reception at the House of Commons in London.

Representatives from the Passport Project joined leading politicians and sporting celebrities including Olympic Gold Medalist Linford Christie on the Terrace at the House of Commons for the third annual Kids Count Inspiration Awards.

The Kids Count Inspiration Awards recognises those individuals, young and old, and organisations that have been responsible for inspiring young people in their communities. A record number of nominations were received this year for individuals and groups who are addressing issues that affect the lives of children by creating initiatives that are grounded in practicality and realism, make a positive difference, and afford greater freedom to young people to determine their own futures.

Passport is an accredited employability programme providing support for young people moving on from care and prison, working in partnership with Edinburgh City Council’s Through Care and Aftercare department, and with Polmont Y.O.I. This project is unique as it displays innovation, creativity, commitment and passion to ensure a structured, quality one-to-one service for young people.

Passport is so much more than the ‘traditional’ CV writing and careers guidance services. Passport is a personal one-to-one support service available as weekly sessions and as a rolling group programme to help overcome barriers (e.g. lack of education/work experience, housing issues, offending behaviour) stopping young people getting to where they want to be. It’s based on a unique and person-centred relationship that exists to raise aspiration, challenge and motivate. The creativity is reflected in the quality, imagination and effort that goes into the project and in the attitude and effort of staff.

Passport provides tangible opportunities in the form of courses with real progression routes such as Access: Cars and Extreme Makeover. Elsewhere in Access to Industry, there are many accredited learning opportunities to progress on to, created in partnership with Edinburgh-based Colleges. Passport also offers work placements with well known and inspiring organisations such as John Lewis, Marriott Hotel, Royal Mail and Marks & Spencer. Since January 2007 – February 2010, Passport has worked with a total of 473 young people, with 240 gaining SQA qualifications; 47 securing employment; 78 moving onto college and a further 97 moving on to training programmes.

Linford Christie said: “It’s an honour to be part of such a great initiative. All of the winners this evening are champions in their own right and the Passport Project is an inspiration to others, both young and old.”

Kids Count Chairman, Richard Stephenson, said: “The Passport Project was an obvious choice for the special Director’s Award and we were all incredibly impressed with the nomination we received for this project. Passport is the kind of project that makes a significant difference in the lives of the young people who pass through this programme. I am sure that this programme has helped young people find the right path for them in life and it is an organisation that gives young people huge opportunities that they would otherwise be without. I have no doubt that those who have experienced this initiative first hand will understand why it has been awarded a special Director’s Award at this years ceremony.”

Stephenson added, “The courage, conviction and confidence that is displayed by young people and those who work with them, across the United Kingdom is often truly extraordinary but frequently overlooked. I am very proud to be part of an organisation that not only brings young people to the heart of decision making in Westminster, but that also aims to recognise their contribution to society through these Inspiration Awards.”

One young person, Joe (18) representing the organisation was thrilled to receive the award:

“The Passport project really helped me focus on what I wanted to do next. It helped me to get a place at college and I am studying Travel and Tourism just now and so getting a personal tour of the House of Commons and House of Lords from an MP was amazing today.”

Sian Fiddimore, Chief Executive of Access to Industry was delighted with the accolade and recognition from the UK initiative:

Access to Industry Chief Executive Sian Fiddimore

“It is refreshing to reward positive stories about young people in the media for a change. This award recognises the motivation and hard work of the young people we work with who too often find themselves let down by society and learning to just survive the circumstances that they find themselves in that are out with their control. It’s time we recognised their efforts to make a difference in their own lives and I hope that the politicians will look to themselves, the local authorities and the public sector to create more opportunities for these young people because they deserve it.”

For more information about the Awards please visit the Kids Count website at www.kidscount.org.uk or contact the Director, Linda Lawrence at Linda@kidscountorg.uk / 07863200751

For more information about Access to Industry and the Passport project visit www.accesstoindustry.co.uk or contact sian@accesstoindustry.co.uk 0131 260 9721

About Kids Count

Kids Count was founded in response to the growing problems faced by children and young people, along with the failure of existing organisations to find suitable solutions to these issues.

Kids Count is a grass-roots Think-Tank aiming to find practical solutions to the broad spectrum of issues that affect children and young people in urban and rural communities.

Kids Count is a National organisation looking to bridge the gap between intellectual and practical solutions. Our objective is to be the foremost authority on successful local projects that provide national solutions to a wide range of problem issues for children and young people. We will achieve this goal, not by following any particular ideology, but by networking, searching out existing, successful, practical solutions, all over the country and refining them where necessary (with the help of experts in the relevant fields) and sharing of good practice. Once the solutions have been found, we will promote them in a national forum and lobby parliament for their use across the country.

Kids Count is not affiliated to any political party or charitable bodies, but has links with various organisations and works with all sections of society.

Kids Count believes that young people should be involved in the solution finding process. Therefore, as part of our organisational structure we have a Youth Board made up of young people drawn from all walks of life, many of whom have been recommended to us by our network of contacts & organisations. We will also work with these networks to reach as many young people as possible. One of our aims is to have a website that is attractive to, and can be accessed by, young people all over the country.

Kids Count aim is to put children and young people at the heart of policy and of the family.

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