'One2One' JHJ - Educational and Social Enterprise Provision for Adults with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities

Who we are

I am a qualified teacher with over fifteen years experience in Further and Community Education, teaching adults of all ages and abilities from Pre-Entry to Level 2 and mainly in Supported Learning. As such, we embed literacy and numeracy into all that we do.

Our ethos is to enable students/clients to become productive and visible members of society through socialising, promoting independence, academic progression and work related activities

We have an established cohort of twelve students of ages ranging from middle 20's to early 70's. They are a small close group that gets on really well so it is important that everyone is happy, including any new clients.

We have a fantastic group of people of so it is imperative, for a thriving, happy learning environment, that the group dynamics work for everyone.

What we do

Our provision offers a wide variety of activities.

Learners are encouraged and supported to further develop their independent living abilities, healthy lifestyles awareness and/or work based skills.

This is achieved through our on-site facilities at St Matthew's Hall, Stretford (indoor base room, catering standard kitchen, large sprung dance floor hall space, craft workshop and kitchen garden) plus working in community partnerships.

In Situ Activities (When based in St Matthew's Hall, Stretford)

• Weekly café – serving the local elderly community in partnership with RVS (The Royal Voluntary Service). This is subject to FSA (Food Standards Agency enforcement so it is real work. All students are trained to 'Introductory Food Hygiene' level to facilitate 'work ready' access to the Food Industry. Social activities | Royal Voluntary Service OUR CAFE HAD TO CLOSE DURING COVID BUT WE HOPE TO REOPEN NEXT YEAR IN 2024

• Occasional paid Contract Catering work at Saint Matthew’s Hall – providing cold fork buffets for conferences of up to 50 people with a view to offering catering for children’s parties and other celebrations.

• Weekly trips out in our minibus – museums, galleries, parks, outdoor markets, concert halls (The Bridgewater Hall).

• Weekly working on a local allotment (Humphrey Park) Humphrey Park Allotments (trafford.gov.uk) or undertaking horticultural activities in the local area (Sale Waterpark) in partnership with TCV (The Conservation Volunteers). Get Involved With TCV | Connecting People and Green SpacesWeekly Yoga session with a professional teacher (Esmeralda Smit) who specialises in working with Adults/Children with Additional Needs. Our Pilates and Yoga Instructors, Therapists and Qualifications - The Pilates Rooms Urmston

• Cooking lessons – learning new skills to utilise with confidence in the home environment in order to promote independence.

• Gym sessions – initially working in partnership with the Social Enterprise ‘Unlimited Potential’ within their ‘Empower You’ Service. Gym Programmes were tailor made for all students. Now students attend independently of this service yet we maintain close links with the staff from ‘Unlimited Potential’ (‘Empower You’ Service). Empower You | Unlimited Potential
• Music appreciation and participation – attending specialised participator performances for Adults with Additional Needs and free afternoon concerts to experience music from other cultures and genres.

• Physical activity – cycling, walking, indoor games in the large sprung wooden dance floor hall at Saint Matthew’s Hall. We also work in partnership with TCV to take nature walks thus enhancing health, wellbeing, community responsibility and personal confidence through activities such as nature spotting, mindfulness, building bird boxes, planting trees, clearing paths and willow fence weaving.

• Academic learning – with a focus on the functional skills of literacy, numeracy (including money skills) in order that each student can reach their own full academic potential with a view to gaining greater independence (home and work environment).

• Travel training awareness – both whilst on public transport and walking to and from venues.

• Horticulture and floristry – making floral arrangements to industry standard for Christmas plus tending the garden the students created at Saint Matthew’s Hall. Our café uses vegetables the students have grown themselves from our garden plus the TCV allotment.

• Wood and nature crafts – working in partnership Trafford Timber Centre Trafford Timber | About Us - Timber Merchants | Stretford and Surrounding to make bird feeders, Christmas planters and fencing for our kitchen garden and with TCV to make willow hurdles, willow sculptures, wooden bird boxes and garden ornaments. We also ‘upcycle’ small occasional furniture and old wooden placemats (for example) for sale at the annual Christmas Fair where all proceeds are donated to The Society for Abandoned Animals charity. Society for Abandoned Animals (saarescue.co.uk)

• Needle crafts – basic home repair hand sewing skills (button replacing and straight stitching) simple sewing machine use and cross/needlepoint skills.

• Computer sessions – individual and group delivered at Saint Matthew’s Hall.

• Photography – increased awareness natural environment through nature identification.

• Extended sessions that run through to the evenings so students can experience the theatre, restaurant dining and seasonal experiences such as The Blackpool Illuminations in order to foster improved social skills.

• Fundraising – Organising and running our annual Christmas fair stall in aid of the local Animal Sanctuary (The Society for Abandoned Animals). Society for Abandoned Animals (saarescue.co.uk) Students make, label, pack and sell all the items to members of the public made thus demonstrating principles of manufacture, marketing and selling.

• Health and beauty sessions ‘in-house’ sessions.

• Annual group holiday – One week's holiday