European Social Fund in England

Malcolm Wicks MP visits award-winning ESF project

Interview with Maureen Clare, Impact/Mace Base Project (developed by Durham County Council's Access Service)

On May 9, Parliamentary Under Secretary Malcolm Wicks visited the ESF-funded Impact/Multi-Agency Cooperative Education (MACE) Base Project in the North East, which helps young people re-engage with education.

This project recently achieved second place nationally in the 2002 European Parliamentary Labour Party Award for Effective Use of European Funding. The judge, Peter Hain MP, Minister for Europe, commended its innovative and outstanding use of European money in addressing the issues faced by disaffected young people of school age.

The Impact/Mace Base Project, developed by Durham County Council's Access Service, launched in September 2000. It supports local people, aged between 14-16, who are disenfranchised from mainstream education and at risk from social exclusion. It targets those with less than 50% school attendance and multiple social, emotional and behavioural problems.

In County Durham truancy and permanent exclusion has reduced by half in recent years and this project has made a significant contribution to that progress.

Pupils are nominated by their schools and undergo a comprehensive assessment to identify their academic, personal and social skills and needs. They then enrol on a 25-hour education programme, tailored to their age and ability, and attend one of five dedicated facilities across the county: Seaham, Stanley, Chester-le-Street, Ferryhill and Spennymoor.

The programme follows the Citizenship, Personal, Health and Social Education (CPHSE) curriculum - specifically adapted to the needs of the young people and cross-referenced with National Curriculum requirements. Pupils receive basic skills support, careers advice, drug awareness, counselling, ICT, anger management and examination routes.

Maureen Clare, Head of Access and Inclusion with Durham Local Education Authority, says:

"The visit by Malcolm Wicks MP and the European Award are welcome recognition for all who have worked hard making this project a success. Since its launch, many young people have re-engaged with learning, providing them with better opportunities post-16 and enhancing their life chances."

The project, as of April 2002, had enrolled 300 beneficiaries, far surpassing the original target of 160. The first tranche of pupils (132) left the project in July 2001 and achieved positive outcomes - at the end of last year, nine young people had found employment and the remainder were in further education or training.