Pendle YES Hub, a Youth Employment and Skills Hub based in Nelson celebrated its 4th anniversary recently, welcoming organisations and key stakeholders to mark the occasion.
The YES Hub was created in 2021 by Pendle Borough Council, Positive Action in the Community, The Department For Work and Pensions, and is managed by charity Active Lancashire. Since it opened its doors, the Hub has supported over 1500 young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Set up as a response to the pandemic, Pendle YES Hub now serves as a one-stop-shop for employment support, wellbeing services and physical activity.
To mark its 4th anniversary, Pendle YES Hub welcomed local organisations and stakeholders, as well as notable figures from the community including the Lord Deputy Leiutenant of Lancashire, High Sheriff of Lancashire and the Mayor of Pendle. The event enabled guests to witness firsthand the positive impact the YES Hub’s services have on young people, with a variety of activities on offer for guests to participate in including a bike maintenance class, Henna workshop, and a non-contact boxing session.
Following the activities, guests were treated to a performance from former YES Hub participant Aaron Hipgrave-Lewis, who has recently released his own EP and works as a guitar tutor thanks to the Hub’s support.
Dave Marshall, project lead for Pendle YES Hub, was delighted with the turnout to the event stating, “it was great to see so many organisations and individuals from across Lancashire come to the event and learn more about what we are doing here at the YES Hub.
“After the YES Hub opened, we quickly realised that many young people who are not in Education, Employment or Training have complex barriers causing their NEET status. We have worked with partner organisations to create a comprehensive calendar of free activities, including physical activity sessions, mental health support, and sessions that aim to get young people socialising with one another.
“Every young person who accesses the YES Hub will attend at least one of our free sessions, as we recognize the importance of helping them to build life skills and confidence before entering employment or education. We’ve witnessed firsthand how these activities help boost job retention and open up positive pathways for the young people who access the YES Hub, so it was really important for us to showcase this to the attendees at the anniversary event to enable them to transfer this into their own work, or encourage them to support the YES Hub’s mission.”
Pendle YES Hub aims to further its outreach and support as it enters its fourth year of operation, continually partnering with new organisations to deliver a wider variety of activities for young people. The YES Hub is also working to offer enrichment activities for young people, beginning with a trip to London this July where young people will be able to visit the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and many more iconic landmarks.
The YES Hub is relying solely on donations and fundraising efforts to make the trip possible, with £300 already being raised at the anniversary event through a raffle thanks to generous donations from Tesco Burnley, Morrissons Nelson, Woodheads Colne and Asda Colne. If you would like to support the YES Hub’s upcoming trip, you can make a donation via this link.
Pendle YES Hub is open Monday – Friday and is based at 39-41 Scotland Road, Nelson, BB9 7UT. To find out more or make a referral, please email [email protected]