We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are a BIBA’s Finalist in two of the prestigious award categories after successful applications and interviews in both the Community Business of the Year Award and the Employer of the Year Award.
We are really excited about welcoming the judges to our Grange Park Youth Centre as part of the BIBA’s ‘on tour’ later this month and hope to wow them with our passion and relentless ambition to enable young people to lead their best lives across the Fylde Coast.
Our applications explained about the impact that our 5-year workforce strategy is already having on our employee’s personal development and our the forefront of our pride is our Young Leadership Academy which enables young people Aged 14-17 to embark on a journey of volunteering and academic qualification in partnership with the National Youth Agency.
We also evidenced the direct correlation between our increasing levels of income and the quantity and quality of our service delivery. In 2020, as an organisation generating an income of around £505,000pa we were engaging around 511 children and young people; but since 2021 when we first generated in excess of £1,000,000pa we have worked with more than 1,000 children and young people.
We measure our impact through a series of internal and external evaluation tools which seek the opinions of young people and professionals. Most recently, we commissioned the Centre for Youth Impact at the YMCA’s George Williams College to partner with us for a 12-18 month period in a journey of external monitoring, evaluation and learning.
It is this praxis, the merging of academic theory and lived-experience, that enables us to critically analyse the true impact our work has on the communities within which we work. The result of these findings is an understanding that Blackpool’s issues vary from community to community and this is what drives our relentless ambition to launch additional facilities across the town that are person centred and needs-led.
The glittering awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 15th September 2023 at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom – and our tickets are booked!
