'Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ Ghandi.

At Stepping UP we aim to remove the barriers that entrench people in poverty. Unemployment is one such barrier. By working with people to identify what their needs are we believe we can help people move on in life. 

Stepping UP Adult ETE offers a range of Education, Training and Employment opportunities for people aged 19 and over. Based at the Kabin on Kingsmead Estate, the project includes a range of courses in IT, assistance with job searching and careers advice.

Of course, not everyone who comes to us is unemployed or wants to find work. We recognise this and we also offer services such as I.T. training to those people who might just want to improve their skills or enjoy themselves. 

We are pleased to say that we have helped people even when the funding regime was so tight, most places would have turned people away!

Here is an example of some of the courses that we have delivered during the past year:

Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)

IAG means offering one to one careers advice, helping people write their cv’s, search for jobs and helping them to achieve their goals. 

We also offer the free use of our resources such as computers, phones and printing facilities. 

Miss O came to us with a background in consultancy, but wished to change direction to drug rehabilitation.

‘This is the best CV I have managed to put together showcasing my important skills and matching them with where I want to go. I have been to so many places and they have standard ways of approaching CV writing which did not meet my needs. Thanks very much for your help.’ 

Train the Trainer

In a collaborative venture with Hackney Council for the Voluntary Sector, HCVS, we trained staff from organisations like Family Welfare Association and City & Hackney Alcohol Service. We helped them develop I.T. Skills to enable them to work more effectively within their particular client base. 

‘The course has taught me things I had vague ideas about, but now I am sure of my skills. It’s been very useful, especially the organising with folders’ – Victor (City & Hackney Alcohol Service).

Family Learning

Learners produced calendars with family mementos and pictures. Creche facilities were offered for mothers with young children who would otherwise not have been able to attend. 

This pilot program was so successful that the learners rounded on the course observers at break time urging them to provide more courses. 

‘I could not have attended without the crèche and I’m no longer scared of computers. Thanks!’  - Mrs E.

ICT Training

With quality attested to by the trained observers and more importantly the learners themselves, classes have been really well attended. This has benefited local residents, and in some cases people from afar. 

‘Coming to the class has opened up a whole new world – I am learning new things all the time and have made new friends’ – Vera, 86. 

Community History Project 

A novel idea, which has caught the imagination of local residents. 

‘You bring personal photos relating to certain important events in your life. You scan, write and upload them to a national archive on the internet which portrays your local community history portraying the experiences of ordinary people, rather than historians.’ – Nat Ghann, Stepping UP Adult Project Co-ordinator. 

At Stepping UP we are looking at developing new, imaginative projects that can further the needs of this community. Bringing people together to enrich their lives.

If you are interested in finding out more about the work we do or in helping out, perhaps as a volunteer, please contact Nat Ghann on 0208 525 6966, or call in at our reception at the Kabin on Kingsmead Estate.  

We would love to hear from you!