13 January 2010

Outreach project set to raise aspirations in Sheffield

An innovative outreach project has been launched in Sheffield this month (January 2010), which aims to raise the educational aspirations of the Somali community in the city.

The project is being run in partnership between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Somali Community Centre, Sheffield City Council´s Children and Young People´s Service, Sheffield College and Sheffield Futures, who offer the local Connexions service.

The project has grown from Community outreach work and Sheffield City Council´s Children and Young People´s Service and is the brainchild of a group of Somali graduates and parents, who have come together to establish a mentoring programme for Somali young people between the ages of 14 and 19. The programme will involve Saturday Study Skills classes for mentors to work with mentees from January to July 2010.

The scheme was launched at an event in the City Hall, which enabled Somali parents and children to come along and find out more about the project. They were able to listen to presentations and pick up information about Somali educational attainment figures and Higher Education as well as news about Vocational Learning and Apprenticeship schemes.

125 Somali parents and young people attended with 66 young people registering to join the mentoring scheme. Parents and children were able to meet the 10 mentors who are Somali graduates and undergraduates, to talk about the kind of support they need.

The project also has the backing of BBC TV News Reporter, Rageh Omaar, who will act as a role model to the mentees and visit the project in the spring.

Margaret Mitchell, a Widening Participation Project Manager at the University of Sheffield, said: "This project is what the community have been asking for and I feel working in partnership to create this pilot scheme is the beginning of something which can help a large number of Somali children and their parents to improve their chances of reaching Higher Education by raising their confidence, attainment and grade."

Raphael Richards, Senior Manager in Sheffield City Council´s Children and Young People´s Service, said: "I believe that future improvements in the attainment of Somali young people will be underpinned by this initiative. Here, we have Somali undergraduates and graduates becoming mentors and supporting young people in their community. In Sheffield, we want to see more groups empowering young adults to shape the city´s future."

Mubarak Ismail, from Sheffield Somali Community Centre, said: "The project will encourage young people to be role models and it will help build the confidence and ambition of the mentors so that they are contributing to and developing their community, The project will help start to shape their community, so they can get to the young kids before they drop out, before they get expelled, or get involved in crime or drugs. Young people will be inspired to do better and achieve their goals. This will also encourage other Somali young men to sign for mentoring and other support services to help them work out a career paths' that's right for them and fits their aspirations."

For further information please contact: Lauren Anderson, Media Relations Officer, on 0114 2221046 or email l.h.anderson@sheffield.ac.uk

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