Rossendale Employment Project Hosts Film Screening For Local Organisations

Rossendale Works, an employability project delivered by Active Lancashire on behalf of Rossendale Borough Council, recently hosted a film screening at Trinity Baptist Church for local public sector organisations.

Project Lead Paul Becouarn presented a short film based on his own life, highlighting how his lived experience places Rossendale Works in a unique position to support individuals facing barriers to employment or training.

The film, Pipedream, directed by Aaron Dunleavy and Brody Salmon, explores Paul’s journey through addiction and imprisonment, before turning his life around with the help of Active Lancashire’s Challenge through Sport Initiative (CSI). The CSI project uses sport and wellbeing activities to support individuals in recovery from addiction, helping them develop healthier habits while receiving guidance from mentors with lived experience.

After leaving the prison system, Paul engaged with the CSI programme for several years before securing a role with Active Lancashire as a CSI Support Worker. He now leads Rossendale Works, which was established in 2018 by Active Lancashire and Rossendale Borough Council to support adults not in education, employment, or training—many of whom face challenges such as poor mental health, pre-existing health conditions, and substance misuse.

Understanding the close link between wellbeing and physical activity, Paul played a pivotal role in integrating regular exercise sessions into the Rossendale Works offer. The project now provides a wide range of free weekly activities for people of all abilities, including five-a-side football and women’s-only boxing sessions. To date, the programme has supported over 400 individuals into some form of education, employment, or training, with every participant having taken part in at least one of the project’s wellbeing or physical activity sessions.

The recent screening gave local organisations valuable insight into how Rossendale Works embeds physical activity and wellbeing support into its approach, and how these principles might be adapted to enhance their own services.

Reflecting on the experience, Paul said: “Sharing my story hasn’t been easy, but it’s a vital step in reaching out to others and showing them what’s possible. I hope that by being open, I can offer encouragement and support to those facing similar struggles. The film tells not just my story, but speaks to the shared resilience of those overcoming adversity.”

Looking ahead, Rossendale Works plans to showcase the film to more organisations across Lancashire and has already begun screenings in schools and prisons.

Rossendale Works is open Monday to Friday and provides free support for those aged 18 and over. For further information or to access support, please email: [email protected]