PROJECT UPDATE JANUARY 2012:
- Service users benefitted from a healthy three course dinner to celebrate Christmas.
- An exciting project was delivered in conjunction with the halle Orchestra, involving poetry and musical composition.
- A football project was initiated, and is successfully transforming challenging behaviour into positive outcomes.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Look Lively promotes it's work with all young people aged 16-25, but has the flexibility to enable a focus on groups with specific needs such as young men, young parents, people who have experienced abuse, separated and unaccompanied refugees, rough sleepers and hostel dwellers.

These young people are often experiencing social and emotional difficulties due to, in the main, homelessness and housing issues. They often present with a multitude of issues, and thus require individual time and attention. They can be initially difficult to engage in mainstream activities due to the complexity of their needs, and their disengagement from main stream society. Many of the young people that Look Lively works with are socially isolated and lack the opportunity to get involved in group activities.

Look Lively runs two drop-in services across two sites, City Centre Project in Manchester and Signpost in Wythenshawe, where cooking projects are a central theme. Young people are supported to try there hand at ambitious recipes but also meals they can afford. Sitting down to eat as a group has presented the perfect opportunity to start discussion around the issues that affect young people's lives, which has formed the basis for further issue-based work. Every 4-6 session’s young people can take part in off-site group work with an emphasis on skills development and team building. This has included Get Active, a sports event at Sports City, and Rock Climbing

Through these services young people are invited to Y-Club gym sessions once a week, where they have a choice of swimming, sauna, sports hall activities such as football and gym work which can lead to a tailored physical activity programme. Young people who attend college or work, or those who have shown a keen interest in the gym, can get a 1-month gym pass at their local serco gym.

Look Lively also runs a women's group called 'Fresh Thinking' in partnership with Women's Aid. The focus of this group has been to reach out to isolated young women, who primarily have children, have suffered domestic violence, have mental health issues or would just like to join a group with like-minded people. The focus has been on young women planning their own series of activities which changes every 8 weeks.

With those young people who have been attending the service regularly Look Lively have been able to support young people to access college courses, other activities that will benefit them to get into employment or specific requests such as accessing sports funds for equipment. Look Lively also identifies young people who do not have the confidence or resources to access the right support and can act a stepping stone into mainstream structured services.

Look Lively is proud of the fact that the programme supports the development of personal confidence and self esteem and continually sees the developments in the young people who attend.

“I’ve learnt to express myself more” (young woman aged 23)

“I’ve got more confidence in myself” (young man aged 24).