Mahdlo Youth Zone Annual Review 2012-13

THANK YOU

This review provides a record of how our resources have been invested to achieve tangible results.

What this review doesn’t show is the dedication, care and consideration, together with the long hours and hard work that have gone into a massively successful first year. Nor does it show just how generous our army of founder patrons, partners, volunteers and staff have been in making a huge difference to the lives of Oldham’s future citizens. For all this and much more – on behalf of the Oldham community, Chairman Terry Flanagan and his Board of Directors, Chief Executive Helen Taylor and her team, and all who have so kindly helped Mahdlo to succeed –I thank you.

The objective within our incredible facility is to open young hearts and minds, allowing them to explore new opportunities, gain new skills, try out new ideas, raise aspirations and fulfil their true potential. In short, we want them to stand in front of a mirror and recognise that the person they see is capable of achieving anything, providing they have the determination, courage and patience to stay the course.

Our first year membership has approached 3000, with abilities and backgrounds from all parts of the Borough. The benefits of which are very clear to see from the volume of reports noting a change of attitude and behaviour at home, in school and in the local area.

Despite all of this, we are only at the start of an incredible journey. We thank you for joining us and look forward to celebrating our ongoing success together.

Founding Patron

The Stoller Charitable Trust

Founder Patrons

David and Janelle Barker

Eric Wright Construction

Frank and Judith Rothwell

Greengate Metal Components

Hills Panel Products

JW Lees & Co (Brewers)

Kitbag Ltd

OMC Motor Group

Patterson and Rothwell Ltd

Peter and Patricia Casey

Vindon Healthcare Ltd

Wiggett Construction Group

Plus one kind, undisclosed donor

Patrons

ANSA Elevators

Benchmark Building Supplies

C & C Insurance Brokers

J Greenwood Builders

Last Monsoon

Madeleine Lindley

Millon Restaurant

New Image

Terry and Sue Flanagan

The Treeside Trust

The Blue Tiffin

Truline

Wates Family Enterprise Trust

Supporters

An additional thank you to all our friends who have donated and supported us throughout the year including:

Always Present (Senior Zone members)

Asian Business Association

Big Lottery Fund

Bill and Julie Holroyd

Chris Oglesby

Damian Hughes

Dick Greenwood

Geoff Ball

Inclusive Technology

Jonathan Rice

Lucy and Dave Cobb

Luke Rothwell

Oldham Law Association

One Oldham Business Awards

OwMad

Oldham Business Leadership Group

Rotary Club of Saddleworth

Rotary Club of Oldham Metro

Safeguard Group

Sainsbury’s

Steve Robinson

Team Spirit

The White Hart

Tony and Anne Head Trailfinders

Warburtons

Web Applications UK

Norman Stoller CBE CStJ DL

“IN SHORT, WE WANT THEM TO STAND IN FRONT OF A MIRROR AND RECOGNISE THAT THE PERSON THEY SEE IS CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING ANYTHING”

OPENING DOORS IN OLDHAM

What a fantastic year! We opened the doors to our state-of-the-art Youth Zone on 17th March 2012 with a great opening party attracting over 550 young people. Over the year we signed up 2,775 members and received over 58,000 visits. In October we had the honour of being officially opened by HRH Earl of Wessex, giving our young people an incredible opportunity to showcase their talents and share with our royal visitor how Mahdlo has made a difference to their lives.

7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, our Get Active, Get Creative and Get Outdoors programmes offer a wide range of exciting activities and experiences, drawing a diverse mix of young people from across Oldham. From there we have been able to build relationships, understand our members as individuals and offer tailored support; enabling them to improve their health and well-being under Get Sorted, to Get Ahead in their future careers and develop as the citizens and leaders of tomorrow through our Get Connected programme.

We’ve worked hard to ensure our values underpin all that we do:

• We are inclusive and promote equality; our members truly reflect Oldham’s diverse population in terms of gender, ethnicity, geography and ability

• We offer exciting activities both here in the Youth Zone and further afield

• Young people are empowered to support the development of Mahdlo

• We build a culture of respect around the facility, each other, the community and ourselves

• We work collaboratively with a broad range of voluntary, public and private organisations to enhance opportunities for members

Our contribution to Oldham’s wider goals should also be celebrated. We have created 71 jobs and been supported by 141 amazing volunteers giving 11,270 hours of their time. Engaging the private sector in what has traditionally been public and third sector provision has been incredibly beneficial, not just financially but for the inspiration and opportunities created for our young people.

It’s been a great start and with the continued support of our partners, patrons and friends, I know we will go from strength to strength.

Part of the family Mahdlo is one of currently 5 Youth Zones created by the charity OnSide. The blueprint for these Youth Zones is based upon the highly successful Bolton Lads and Girls Club.

OnSide’s ambition is to achieve 20 state-of-the-art Youth Zones like Mahdlo across the UK by 2020, by recruiting local champions and bringing local partners together from the public and private sectors.

“SINCE OPENING, ONSIDE HAS WATCHED MAHDLO AND ITS TEAM FLOURISH AND GROW INTO THE STRONG, CAPABLE ORGANISATION THEY NOW ARE. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF MAHDLO.”

Delivery partnerships

The partnerships that we have developed in our first year are very important to us at Mahdlo in achieving great outcomes for young people and connecting us to local, regional and national agendas. Although too numerous to list, examples of how partnerships have enhanced our service offer across our six themes include: For ‘Get Active’ we’ve links to many sports clubs and organisations.

Coaches from Oldham Boxing Personal Development Centre, Oldham’s Junior Lacrosse Team and the Integrated Youth Service ensures our sports offer complements the provision in schools and the community.

Work with Square 1 has also delivered a quality music programme, enabling young bands and artists to record an album.

‘Get Connected’ partnerships have seen fantastic work with the Octagon Theatre around Young Leaders Training.

‘Get Sorted’ in conjunction with Brook and Oasis works with members around sexual health, relationships, drugs and alcohol.

Partnerships with the RSPB and PCT offer fantastic experiences for our members to ‘Get Outdoors’

Casey Group and the Barker Foundation have provided incredible opportunities to help our members ‘Get Ahead’

CO-OPERATION & COLLABORATION

Helen Taylor, CEO Mahdlo

“THE EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES WE OFFER HAVE HELPED YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS, MAKE NEW FRIENDS, INCREASE THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND GROW AS INDIVIDUALS.”

Kathryn Morley Chief Executive OnSide

“WE HAVE WITNESSED FIRST HAND HOW THEY HAVE GIVEN SUPPORT AND ADVICE AND PROVIDED EXPERIENCES THAT RAISE LIFE CHANCES… THEY ARE TRULY INSPIRATIONAL!”

Parents of Oldham In Touch

JUNIOR ZONE

Seeing and hearing on average, 500 junior members per week, engaging and having fun in the Youth Zone is truly motivational and inspiring.

Junior Zone is for young people aged 8 to 12, giving them the freedom of choosing what they’d like to do. They can make new friends, try exciting new things, develop interests and talk to someone, all in a fun, friendly and safe environment that allows young people to grow while maintaining their childhood.

where they got to present their enterprise ideas to Lisa Tse, who successfully faced the actual Dragons. Our ‘Brew Club’ (chance for a 1-2-1 chat with a youth worker) has supported Juniors to openly discuss issues of growing up including self-esteem, self-harm, bereavement, bullying, care and homelessness.

Throughout the year Juniors have celebrated religious and seasonal festivals and national events like the Olympics giving them a taste of cultural diversity, tradition and a global perspective.

Juniors benefit from activities across our six themes. They have particularly enjoyed taking part in inter-Youth Zone competitions, climbing and team sports, a great range of arts and crafts projects and Junior Dragons’ Den,

Attending Mahdlo for the first time can seem daunting as an 8 year-old so we offer them a welcoming, friendly and supportive environment that allows them to develop self-confidence, grow and be themselves.

HOLIDAY ZONE

Gone are the days of hearing “I’m bored” for 13 weeks of the year. Open to 8-14 year-olds, Mahdlo Holiday Zone has kept young people entertained from 8:30am to 5:30pm throughout school holidays. Activities have included drama, working out in the gym, sports, gardening, archery, arts and media projects, crazy golf, a circus day with Skylight Circus and even a ‘Come Dine with Me’ cooking initiative, as well as relaxing in the Chill Zone.

Holiday Zone has worked with various providers such as Oldham Community Leisure to offer mountain biking, RSPB for orienteering and bug hunts at Dovestones and Sainsbury’s who kindly donated pumpkins for our members to carve and display in-store.

Exciting, challenging, inspiring, awesome, fresh, amazing and incredible. These are just some of the words members have used to describe Senior Zone, that welcomes young people aged 13-21 years.

Influenced by members through quarterly consultations, Senior Zone nights have developed around young people’s needs and desires. They deliver some truly memorable and life changing experiences via exciting activities and opportunities that contribute to members feeling safe, making new friends and trying new things in their spare time.

It has attracted a wide range of young people from different communities, cultures and abilities. They participate in everything from drama to street dancing, sailing to snowboarding, boxing to marshal arts, trampolining to archery and much more.

Members have been involved in celebrating events such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Queen’s Jubilee, Barak Obama’s US election win and Red Nose Day.

Talented theatrical and musical members have performed live on local, regional and national stages. Two bands have recorded their first music videos and we have created ‘Mahdlo Rocks’ – a ten track CD.

We have also helped prepare young people for the world of work and given our members opportunities to take on more responsibility and run activities as Young Leaders.

“The parties that Mahdlo put on are really good fun, it’s everything you want in a disco. Knowing we are in a safe place assures us and our parents.” Nat

“AS A FAMILY, YOU’VE MADE A MASSIVE IMPACT AS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO WORK DURING THE SUMMER, KNOWING THAT OUR CHILD IS IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.” Parent

“SENIOR ZONE HAS STOPPED ME HANGING AROUND ON THE STREETS AND GETTING IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS IN TROUBLE WITH THEM BEFORE MAHDLO OPENED.” Donica

“MAHDLO HAS CHANGED MY LIFE, BY MAKING NEW FRIENDS.”

Sarah

“MAHDLO IS MY SECOND HOME, THE STAFF ARE CALM AND HELPFUL WHICH HELPS ME STAY IN A POSITIVE PLACE.”

Charlotte

ABILITY AND FAMILY ZONE

Mahdlo runs ability sessions alongside the mainstream sessions, ensuring that young people with additional needs and disabilities are included alongside their peers, breaking down barriers and encouraging all young people to share experiences together.

The activities are adapted for young people with additional needs from mild learning difficulties and visual impairment to physical disabilities. They include boxing, trampolining, karaoke, arts and crafts, cooking and gaming, plus trips such as attending an ice hockey match.

Young people can access sessions independently or with carers/family members, with extra trained Mahdlo staff and volunteers always on hand for support. The sessions aim to create an inclusive atmosphere where young people can make new friends, grow in confidence and become empowered, as well as understanding differences around ability, religion or culture.

“I AM SO PROUD OF HOW BEN HAS PROGRESSED AND GAINED CONFIDENCE SINCE ATTENDING THE ABILITY SESSION. HE HAS GONE FROM NEEDING ME IN HIS EYE LINE TO MAKING ME SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENT, BANISHED TO THE RECEPTION WITH MY BOOK. THANK YOU MAHDLO.”

Emma, Personal Assistant

“I LIKE COMING TO MAHDLO AND SPEAKING TO LOTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOR LOTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO SPEAK TO ME. IT’S A SAFE, CALM PLACE TO GO TO.”

Samuel

FAMILY SESSIONS

Held on Sundays, young people come along with parents, grandparents, neighbours, carers and siblings and participate as a family unit in activities like Zumba, sports, arts and crafts, rock climbing and cook and eats.

Family Ability is for young people with additional needs. All activities are adapted and POINT (Parents of Oldham In Touch) hold a weekly drop-in to give information and support. Our café also offers a hot homemade meal for families to enjoy together.

We also host family themed events like our Mahdlo Bouncy Day to celebrate International Day for People with Disabilities where 400 people had fun on inflatables.

BEEN ACCEPTED BY ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE CLUB ON EQUAL TERMS; AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE BEST STAFF TEAM I HAVE EVER SEEN WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.” Parent

“HIS MAHDLO YOUTH NIGHTS ARE THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS SOCIAL WEEK. HE HAS MADE NEW FRIENDS,

GET ACTIVE

Sporting activities take place all year in our sports hall, outside pitch, fitness suite, boxing studio and climbing wall. Young people can TRY over 40 different sports including archery, free running, trampolining, gymnastics, ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse, as well as all the usual sports. They can TRAIN to develop their skills and have participated as a TEAM in various tournaments and leagues.

The inter-Youth Zone President’s Cup sponsored by our own President Norman Stoller and organised by OnSide was a brilliant event,

bringing 300 young people from 6 Youth Zones together at Mahdlo.

They competed in everything from unihock, boccia, hoopball and dodgeball, to fitness and endurance tests, tug-o-war and a Gangnam Style dance-off.

We strive to make our sports inclusive. Girls’ football has been incredibly successful with the Junior Team representing Mahdlo in local and regional tournments. Oldham Athletic coaches facilitate our ever-popular weekly wheelchair football sessions.

We also reflect our nation’s sporting achievements, replicating competitions for Mahdlo members: The Ryder Cup in a series of ‘crazy golf’ holes; the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, our very own Olympic Games; plus Oldham Rugby Union Club ran coaching sessions culminating in a trip to Salford City Stadium to watch the England v France Six Nations final organised by our Chair and Rugby legend Terry Flanagan... and England won!

Although primarily open to all young people, we do work with partners on more targeted projects, including teaming up with East Oldham Neighbourhood Police to engage a group of young people involved in low levels of anti-social behaviour, with climbing and appropriate behaviour workshops.

“THE TOURNAMENTS THAT GET ORGANISED ARE TOP, WINNING IS THE BEST FEELING.”

Attar

“THE CENTRE HAS INTRODUCED SPORTS TO US TO TRY THAT WE NEVER KNEW EXISTED AND TOTALLY LOVED PLAYING.”

Ash

Our Get Active programme enables young people to develop their skills, grow in confidence and take part in physical activity through fun and inviting sessions.

GET CREATIVE

In every session young people can take part in a range of arts activities, such as drama, dance, music, arts and crafts, radio production, digital media, performances, African drumming, DJ-ing, MC-ing and singing.

We have embraced the TRY, TRAIN, TEAM approach to support participation at all levels. Our Seniors have tried their hand at costume design and participated in a Bollywood fashion show. They have been able to learn about scriptwriting, acting and filming through a ‘youth engagement in gangs’ media project.

The street and contemporary dance workshops have enabled members to discover new talents and develop their skills within Mahdlo as well as linking them to the more specialist Earl Dance Centre who deliver our sessions.

One of our members James, is a very talented DJ who having further developed his skills at Mahdlo, now supports all the discos and events we do in the centre. He has taken a leadership role setting up the equipment and training other young people. James’ story illustrates how our ability to nurture talent not only has an impact for the young person but also enhances the work we do.

Our Seniors have been able to showcase their talent including participating in a dance performance at Lords Cricket Ground and singing and dancing at our fundraising events, creating unique and exciting opportunities for our young performers.

Our Junior ‘Get Creative’ programme explores a variety of art forms, from digital technology to glitter and glue. Juniors have worked with external partners such as Mako Media, Earl Dance, Skylight Circus and The Oldham College to try activities like Mahdlo Radio, vocal recording, graffiti, street dance and drama.

For Seniors and Juniors alike, Get Creative empowers them to make a difference, pursue a passion they enjoy, grow in confidence and use their talents through live performances.

“I’VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH SOME GREAT DJS IN MANCHESTER THAT HAVE TAKEN ME ON AND ASSIGNED ME TO THEIR AGENCY.”

James

“BECAUSE OF MAHDLO I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP MY TALENTS AND FIND NEW SKILLS THAT I DIDN’T KNOW I HAD.”

Molly

“I HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM AND SHOW OFF MY SKILLS AND ALSO HELP OTHERS AND MEET NEW FRIENDS. I’M PROUD TO BE A PART OF MAHDLO.”

Lewis

Get Creative encourages personal development through self-expression, enhancing skills and talent, enabling young people to try new things, take part in workshops and perform as a team.

GET OUTDOORS

Mahdlo had every reason to be proud of Junior and Senior members who completed the 40-mile Oldham Way Challenge. An impressive feat especially as the team’s map reading skills were not quite up to scratch and so they actually walked closer to 48 miles! They raised over £500 in sponsorship from family and friends, which they donated to Mahdlo.

Our Get Outdoors programme enables members to enjoy the outdoors while developing teamwork and problem solving, improving fitness and increasing environmental awareness.

Over the year young people have participated in canoeing, rock climbing, raft building, snowboarding, abseiling, archery, mountain biking along some of Oldham’s best trails and horse riding; even braving the wintery weather and hitting the choppy waters of Salford Water Sports Centre to learn to sail. February’s highlight was taking 60 members from our Holiday Zone to Ringley Wood for a day of den building, fire making and team games. There has been exploration and environmental activities at Dovestones with the RSPB and members got to try bush crafts at the forestry skills residential in Keswick.

For many these activities take them out of their comfort zone and challenge them to grow in confidence.

In 2013/14 we are offering exciting new opportunities including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, John Muir Environmental Award plus lots of adventurous days out.

Amidst growing evidence of the positive influence green spaces have on health and well-being and concerns that children’s intimacy with nature is fading, Mahdlo has a vital role in giving young people opportunities to experience, explore and reconnect with the natural world around them.

“MY CONFIDENCE HAS GROWN MAKING ME FEEL BETTER AS A PERSON.” Ste

GET SORTED

As a young person, having friendships and relationships creates a lot of peer pressure, sometimes influencing behaviour they do not truly understand and may wish they had more guidance on. At Mahdlo we support our young people address the diverse and complex issues they face. Brook have run regular workshops offering sexual health and relationship advice and our Brew Clubs have given members time out from their friends to talk to our youth workers about everything from body image to drugs and alcohol, parental divorce and becoming a looked after young person.

Having someone they’ve built strong sustainable relationships with and to express how they feel gives us a better overall picture of that young person and helps us tailor our support. It also helps individuals understand their actions and make better decisions. For those needing more focused support we have been able to offer counselling through our Time to Talk project.

Additionally we ran our first Branching Out project supporting young people moving into independent living - a daunting prospect for those lacking a good support network. It was particularly valuable for young people leaving care but also those who have lacked positive role models in managing a home. The project focused on key areas for support: housing, employment, budgeting, health and social networks to give young people the best chance of success.

“I COME TO MAHDLO TO SEE STAFF AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAT I WOULDN’T FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING WITH MY PARENTS.”

Chloe

“MAHDLO HAS HELPED ME DISCOVER ME AS A PERSON.”

Will

“INSTEAD OF EXPLODING, I KNOW I CAN GRAB A MEMBER OF STAFF AND ASK IF I CAN HAVE A CHAT AND THIS GIVES ME A CHANCE TO MANAGE MY FEELINGS AND ACTIONS BETTER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO IF MAHDLO WASN’T HERE.”

Junior member

Get Sorted helps young people address the issues they face and access the right support. They go through so many changes and developments. It’s hard trying to find out who you are, how you’re supposed to act and understanding why things happen.

GET AHEAD

Members benefit from regular guidance on their chosen pathways to a successful future in employment, further education or business.

Together with our Founder Patrons and local businesses, we’ve exposed members to the world of work, supported by promotional and recruitment visits by The Oldham College, Rathbones and Prince’s Trust to name a few.

We launched our employability course ‘Changing Futures’, funded by Warburtons, with 14 young people not in education, employment or training recruited from Oldham’s Career Guidance Service and Mahdlo. Founder Patrons gave insights into employer needs and meeting expectations, plus opportunities and key contacts. It’s proved a great success with 80% of participants moving into education, employment or training. Three young people went on to set up their own enterprise ‘Choc and Shake’ selling milkshakes in the Youth Zone and at our events.

Lisa Tse, CE of Sweet Mandarin kindly judged our Junior Dragons’ Den competition. Excited by the initiatives, Mahdlo invested start up grants to well presented and thought out ideas.

A committed group of young entrepreneurs developed the fundraising project ‘Always Present’ to contribute to sustaining Mahdlo, launching bespoke jewellery that proved extremely popular and quickly sold out. Followed by a ‘Design our Christmas card’ competition, resulting in four designs being printed with all money raised donated to Mahdlo.

Members also planned and delivered a 50p dinner fundraising event, making table decorations, producing invites, preparing and serving the three

course meal, as well as providing live entertainment through dance and music. Raising over £3k, they all gained an unforgettable workplace experience.

We also hosted work experience pupils from Peter Jones Enterprise College and The Prince’s Trust, and created 5 apprenticeships.

Senior members have also benefited from networking with business leaders at our Business Breakfasts and the Global Enterprise Week Business Breakfast.

“THANKS TO THE TEAM I HAVE GOT MY CAREER BACK ON TRACK AND STARTED A TRIAL ON AN APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING COURSE.”

Steve

Our Get Ahead team has inspired, encouraged, motivated and developed individuals through enterprise projects and personal development training courses.

“STAFF HELP US TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL GOALS FOR OUR FUTURE.”

Danny

GET CONNECTED

Get Connected helps young people to make a difference, have their say and become young leaders. It’s about establishing who they are within their own community and how they want to help, putting them in touch with local decision makers and becoming empowered, active citizens.

Our aim is to enable members to become positive role models, help and support other young people and understand what it means to be a leader.

As a youth organisation, we naturally believe Mahdlo should be youth led. Our Young People’s Development Group has been instrumental in positively influencing how they would like Mahdlo to look and operate. Expanding its membership, the group is becoming the Voice of Mahdlo, creating a channel for all young people to steer our direction and continue our positive work.

We support young people to develop and pursue their personal goals and directions in life. Many Senior members have the ambition and drive to make a difference, learn new skills, develop confidence and most of all play a helpful, productive role as young leaders.

Others are seeking opportunities for work experience, to take on more responsibility or to specifically develop skills and knowledge to work with young people. To facilitate this we offer a leadership programme that helps develop team working and social and leadership skills. It provides young people with transferable skills, to envisage the world of work and their role within it.

“MAHDLO HAS GIVEN ME THE CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT A GOOD ROLE MODEL I AM TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OLDHAM. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS THAT AGE AND IF I HAD SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF THAT I COULD LOOK UP TO, THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED ME A LONG WAY.”

Kimmy

“THE YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAMME HAS GIVEN ME RESPONSIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH KIDS WHICH I LOVE.”

Chaz

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

May I firstly endorse my thanks to our President, Board, Council, patrons, supporters, staff, volunteers and young people of Mahdlo for making the first year of our journey so exhilarating! I call it a journey because that’s what it is - a continuous evolution of the young people of Oldham.

Programmes with goals – during an average week young people are

So please come on board, invest in the future of Oldham’s young people and

‘Looking to the future’ is embraced by four main topics:

Bringing more people together –the number accessing Mahdlo has been great but we want to reach more young people, particularly from areas where we currently have fewer members, increasing our impact across the Borough.

More opportunities – we have delivered some great life and work experiences so far and intend to do more in the year ahead. In discussion with a host of potential partners of choice, we are developing the details for our young people to have ‘more chances in more places’. Now established, it’s time to develop Mahdlo; launch the mentoring programme, arrange exciting trips to sports and music events, art exhibitions and other youth projects adding a new dimension to our offer.

“I WANT MAHDLO TO DEVELOP AND CREATE THE GOOD PEOPLE OF OLDHAM’S FUTURE; WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS BY INVESTING IN, SUPPORTING AND DEVELOPING THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TODAY - COME AND HELP US!”

FUNDRAISING

JW LEES

JW Lees Brewery is a great example of how local businesses can engage with Mahdlo at many levels:

• Managing Director William Lees-Jones was Mahdlo’s inaugural Chair and a key player in making the vision a reality

• JW Lees was the first local business to become a Founder Patron

• They donated an auction prize and ran the bar at our Patron’s Summer Ball

• The staff team got on their bikes raising £500

FINANCE

We were in the fortunate position of securing a significant proportion of the income for 2012/13 prior to opening through the Patron programme and from the local authority. The remainder of the income was mainly from sales and fundraising (primarily events and donations), with income targets in both areas being exceeded.

The main expenditure relates to staffing and premises. Running costs were lower in 2012/13 than they will be going forwards as many of the service and maintenance contracts were included as part of the building works. Mahdlo has controlled costs and as a result turned a greater surplus than budgeted for, meaning we have achieved our reserves

target to support future investment and organisational sustainability. Going forward the emphasis will be on continuing to diversify our funding base, including trusts and grants and increasing community fundraising which is critical to our success.

Our journey so far has been brilliantly supported by everyone listed earlier in this review and a great many more of our friends and partners. In addition we have had a busy year doing traditional ‘funding activities and events’ including a Summer Ball, a 50p dinner at the White Hart, an Asian Business Leaders dinner and a Bollywood night. There has also been some great community fundraising including the Lucy Cobb fashion show, the Patelvis Tour and as part of Mad for Mahdlo week, 5 local primary schools raised money and our young people did bag packs at Sainsbury’s.

PATELVIS TOUR

5 local restaurants – Millon, La Minhaz, Blue Tiffin, Indian Ocean and Last Monsoon – all held Elvis nights to raise money for Mahdlo. Patelvis, an Asian Elvis tribute performer, rocked the classics while guests enjoyed a 3-course meal. Raising money through ticket sales, raffles and auctions, Millon, Blue Tiffin and Last Monsoon kindly added to their fundraising total to become Mahdlo patrons.

LUCY COBB

Sue Flanagan and local business Lucy Cobb of Uppermill raised a fantastic £2,833 for Mahdlo by holding a stunning fashion show to launch the spring/ summer collection.

• Employee Paul Collinge ran the New York Marathon raising £195

• In June Mahdlo welcomed the entire JW Lees team for a great annual conference

• HR Manager, Vicky Jackson supported our Changing Futures programme, speaking to the group about recruitment and interviews

• They raised £420 by reselling old PCs to staff

• They raised £5,067 at their annual golf day

EXPENDITURE

JW LEES IS EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH MAHDLO. OLDHAM IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF MAHDLO AND THAT IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OUR FUTURE AND WE WANT TO HELP THEM REALISE THEIR DREAMS; THIS IS WHERE MAHDLO

INCOME GROWTH TARGETS

“THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS PROGRAMME, BUT WE NEED TO BUILD ON THIS FOR NEXT YEAR SO PLEASE COME AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS.”

Terry Flanagan

CAN HELP.”

William Lees-Jones, Managing Director

Mahdlo supporters enjoying Arighi Bianchi’s hospitality - one of the prizes in our Summer Ball auction

“EVERYONE’S GENEROSITY WAS INCREDIBLE… IT’S IMPORTANT TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.”

Lucy Cobb

TEAM MAHDLO

Our fantastic team of volunteers, apprentices and staff have been a key asset in the successful delivery of our goals and programmes. They’ve been supported by our highly skilled and motivated Board of Directors who reflect the public, private, third sector partnership that Mahdlo embodies.

We can’t thank enough our 141 active volunteers, who have given up an incredible 11,270 hours, bringing a range of skills and experiences that have greatly enhanced the team and our offer to young people.

“I THINK WE DO AN AMAZING JOB AND SUPPORT THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES.”

We believe our team are worth investing in and have been able to offer a wide range of training to ensure they are well-equipped and supported in working with our young people. We have also benefited from the kind support of Team Spirit and Damian Hughes, a true motivational speaker, who ran our team building event, donating their time to invest in us as a centre of excellence.

91% OF VOLUNTEERS FELT THEY GET A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT FROM THEIR WORK AT MAHDLO AND FEEL IT HELPS THEM ACHIEVE GOALS IN OTHER PARTS OF THEIR LIVES.

Our 56 sessional and part-time staff encompass youth workers, sports workers, gym instructors, climbing instructors, arts and performing arts activity workers, sports activity workers and ability workers. They are led by 11 full-time, very experienced youth workers, fundraisers, trainers and managers.

As part of our commitment to creating real opportunities for young people, we have developed a Young Leaders Programme to train Senior members in helping to run sessions. We have also been able to offer apprenticeships in both Youth Work and Customer Service to help young people improve their prospects and employability.

98% OF RESPONDENTS IN THE TEAM SURVEY FELT WE DELIVER A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE THAT REFLECTS OUR VISION AND VALUES.

GETTING INVOLVED

Our volunteers are vital for us to deliver quality services and run the Youth Zone. We always welcome applications from people interested in joining the team. Signing up is easy –just visit www.mahdloyz.org or call our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 0161 624 0111

MAHDLO BOARD

NORMAN STOLLER CBE CSTJ DL PRESIDENT

Managing Director then President of Seton Scholl Healthcare plc (retired)

TERRY FLANAGAN

DIRECTOR - CHAIR OF THE BOARD Telecoms Consultant and ex-rugby player

WILLIAM LEES-JONES

DIRECTOR - VICE CHAIR

Managing Director, JW Lees Brewery

JOHN AINLEY

DIRECTOR - LEGAL ADVISOR

Senior Partner, North Ainley Halliwell Solicitors

KASHIF ASHRAF

DIRECTOR - COHESION

Community representative

DAVE BENSTEAD

DIRECTOR - HR

HR Director, Diodes Incorporated

CLLR HUGH MCDONALD

DIRECTOR –PUBLIC SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Families, Leisure and Culture

TIM MITCHELL

DIRECTOR –

THIRD SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

Chief Executive, Positive Steps Oldham

CAROL O’HARE

DIRECTOR - FINANCE

Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

LINDSAY WALSH

DIRECTORFACILITIES/HEALTH AND SAFETY

Managing Director, Greengate Metals

DAVE WHALEY DIRECTOR –MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS

Editor at the Oldham Chronicle

JANELLE BARKER DIRECTOR - FUNDRAISING

Partner in real estate investment trusts

WILLIAM LEES-JONES TERRY FLANAGAN NORMAN STOLLER KASHIF ASHRAF DAVE BENSTEAD JOHN AINLEY

“IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE PART OF MAHDLO AND BE SUPPORTED BY AN EXCELLENT TEAM.”

“AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.”