Doing Good With Wood

A quarter of the working-age population in the UK, nearly 11 million people, currently do not have a job. This figure includes people who are studying, have caring responsibilities, are living with illness or disability or have taken early retirement, as well as those classed as unemployed. Many people not in paid work have rich and varied lives as volunteers, carers, students or as the friends and family members that keep our communities together, but there are others who feel shut out from the the rest of the world. This can particularly affect people who are recovering from mental health problems, are long term unemployed or have dealt with addiction issues, who can find that lack of confidence and social isolation become overwhelming.

The new government has focussed on worklessness and has signalled plans for skills and training including the introduction of a National Skills Fund to offer free, high-quality training in priority sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital technologies and a strong emphasis on apprenticeships and vocational training, making these routes more accessible and better tailored to industry needs. Their Lifelong Learning Guarantee will seek to ensure that adults can retrain throughout their careers, preparing the workforce for future challenges while tackling regional disparities in education and job opportunities.

This drive to close the skills gap, tackle economic inequality and drive innovation for a green economy may benefit many, but for people who struggle to leave the house, who are scared to speak to anyone they don’t know or whose health or caring responsibilities mean that they cannot attend regularly, government programmes can seem like just another thing that isn’t meant for them or that they just can’t manage.

This is where partnerships with the voluntary and social enterprise sector are vital. Volunteering can bridge the gap between hopelessness and engagement with the outside world. Studies show that frequent volunteering (at least once per month) can particularly benefit the mental health of what are called economically inactive groups (e.g., family care and long-term sickness). Some people will be on the path back to work while others will benefit from better health as they continue their studies, caring responsibilities or face other challenges, increasing their quality of life and reducing pressure on the NHS.

Community Wood Recycling member enterprise Wood Saints, the Wolverhampton-based project run by parent charity All Saints Action Network, recently welcomed Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth Stephanie Peacock MP and partners from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to show them the work they’ve been doing with local people to improve confidence and wellbeing through volunteering, supported by funding from the Heart of England Community Foundation.

Speaking about the reasons behind volunteering at the project, ASAN’s funded Community Engagement and Volunteering Officer, Nick, said:

“What we’re finding is that the reasons why people are lonely and isolated are really varied; it could be that they’ve finished work, it could be there’s a family breakdown or they could have mental health issues. Encouraging volunteering is about getting to know what people are interested in and building relationships.”

Development Manager Paul Aston commented:

“We take people on, we give everybody a chance that comes to us. It changes lives, it’s that simple.”

All Saints Action Network CEO Shobha Asar-Paul added:

“People are often very withdrawn and feel uncomfortable at the start. The funding, because it’s been spread over a long period of time, has enabled us to develop relationships and see people grow as a consequence of that. People feel valued, that they’re actually contributing to something important.”

Minister Stephanie Peacock commented:

“Great to learn more about the vital work you do, supporting people to connect with each other and learn new skills. I enjoyed having a go at some woodwork- making a crate!”

Social enterprises like the Community Wood Recycling network are particularly well-placed to partner with funders to create these opportunities because they can build up a long term presence in local communities that is not dependent on particular grant makers’ priorities. We’ve seen again and again that the experience of working in a team to help the environment and creating something that people want to buy in a warm and welcoming atmosphere is life-changing.

The third sector is also better at employing those likely to be excluded from the workplace, including people with disabilities, older workers and those with gaps in their CVs. For us at Community Wood Recycling, we aren’t just saving timber from the scrapheap, we’re making sure that people don’t end up there either.

Learn more about this topic at:

• Unemployment: Who are the millions of Britons not working? – BBC News
• Why are so many people in Britain off sick? The answer is far more complex than you think – The Guardian
• Social enterprise and the New Deal for Working People – Social Enterprise UK
• Can Volunteering Buffer the Negative Impacts of Unemployment and Economic Inactivity on Mental Health? Longitudinal Evidence from the United Kingdom – PMC (nih.gov)
• Half a million more people are out of the labour force because of long-term sickness – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
• INAC01 SA: Economic inactivity by reason (seasonally adjusted) – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Community Wood Recycling social enterprise The Woodhouse is part of Integrate Preston, a pioneering charity committed to a different way of supporting people with learning disabilities and complex needs. The charity bases its activities on a belief that every person has a right to be a valued member of the community and runs social enterprises to help the people it support to build new skills and confidence, make new friends and experience life as equals in a work and community environment.

Woodhouse manager Damian Connor and his team work with 17 people on placements who have learning disabilities across the week. Some will attend every day, while others come in one or two days a week, perhaps combining attending the project with training tailored to their needs. Many have physical disabilities or other complex needs as well their learning disability. Damian is passionate about how much everyone who comes to the Woodhouse can achieve. He explains:

The Woodhouse offers support to people when they are going through tough times and can help with things like arranging counselling.

AR used to work at the project and is now a College Teaching Assistant who volunteers during college holidays. He tells us

For some people, being part of the Woodhouse gives them a long-term role where they feel valued, while others move on into additional training or even paid work.

Damian is keen to share some of the success stories:

Integrate also operates a gardening project, a PAT testing service, a car repair service, a charity shop and a plant shop, all for the benefit of their service users, as well as providing other services for people affected by mental disability or deafness. You can learn more about their work at integratepreston.org.uk.