Issue NC09 Summer 2020
Our news issues are kindly funded entirely by a private donation from the Hawerby Trust
www.catzero.org
Foreword Something to celebrate Welcome to our summer 2020 newsletter – and we speak to you as life starts to return to a degree of normality, following a spring that none of us could have foreseen or predicted ... Since March, our teams on both sides of the Estuary have done a tremendous job in offering continued support to some of the most vulnerable people within our Humber communities. You can read about what has been happening in our last four-page newsletter on our website, with further pictures on pages 14 and 15 of this publication. With change a constant, and this year has evidenced that more than most, we have taken space within this newsletter to reflect upon our 11 years of success and how our direction of travel has evolved. Now one of the region’s leading independent charities, all here at CatZero are looking to this new decade with a fresh sense of purpose to extend our work with whole family units. This, in turn, identifies more people of all ages who need individual support. Young people, unemployed adults, lone parents, and adults with specific needs continue to be helped as a result. It is interesting when you look back and reflect upon how our work started with young people who were not in work, education or training – our region’s ‘NEETs’. For us and the area at that time, that work was vital and of course it remains so – our work with young people is a key ingredient to the future growth and success of the wider Humber region. However, what has emerged over time is the way in which our teams have to work with a young person’s wider family, in order that they can make real and lasting positive change to their lives. Indeed, it was our initial work with young people that led us to a greater awareness of the need for intervention at an earlier stage and how engaging a full family can make such a positive difference. This, in turn, gives rise to multi-generational support for the family as a whole and the individuals within that unit. We are supporting more people – young and old – as a result. So, evolve we certainly have, but one thing has
“The team didn’t belittle me if I did not understand what was said.�
remained constant and that is our desire to effect lasting and positive personal change. To continue this, the support of the private and public sector is vital, and we thank you all. Your support changes lives.
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2008 Our vision becomes a reality in Hull ...
CatZero gains its charitable status The story of our launch has been well reported over the years, and for those who wish to read the inspiration, drive and determination required by retired company director Jim Dick OBE, former Hull City Council youth development specialist Dave Bertholini and round-the-world sailor Danny Watson can do so here www.catzero.org/ about-us/#began
Dave, supported by Jim and Danny, embarked upon writing our very first programme. In his former role within the local authority, Dave was presented with the opportunity to join an advisory panel exploring children and family service development. This insight enabled Dave to analyse ‘best practice’ and capture the elements of UK programmes that were most effective. Each of these were then scripted into CatZero’s first ever programmes - from the way in which application forms were written through to the recruitment process, multi-needs assessments and personal action plans. Dave highlights one key factor without which any structured programme would fail - that is finding the right team. It remains vital that staff have the special qualities needed to develop understanding and trust between themselves and participants. “Our team members are critical to the success of our delivery and we have an interesting if not quirky recruitment process, which sees us employ people based upon their personalities. Without the right people, the programmes would not be as successful,” he explains. There followed the harnessing of support from local businesses that understood and shared our vision. The monies to purchase our yacht came from NHS capital and with programme funding for three years secured from the WNF (Working Neighbourhood Fund), our ‘OneHull’ project began.
2009 January Our first eight-week programmes started, all including residential sails. These were only for young people (18-25) in Hull who were NEETs. This category was a priority across the UK, identified nationally as a cause for much concern. Our target was to work with 386 young people: •
We achieved 415, a 108 per cent success rate.
•
We needed to achieve 262 positive outcomes, our result was 288, a 110 per cent success rate.
2010 First programmes for NEETS begin during the year
As we ended our first year, we vowed that our programmes would operate within a framework but would be flexible. Like a jigsaw puzzle the frame is a constant, but the pieces will fit with the needs of individual communities and people. Importantly, we will not replicate existing provision. Nor do we force our programmes upon our participants – be they young or old. From these early days we have maintained our ‘restorative practice’ approach and this is key. You cannot ‘force’ people to work with you to effect ‘forever change’. Nor can you take over and do things for others – although I am sure our teams are tempted from time to time! No, there is always a balance to be struck between challenge and support – our experienced staff are there to catch people if they fall, but they must take that tumble first!
“I now know that I can achieve so much more in life if I put my mind to it. And there are always people who are around to help you.”
The people we work with are the best people to understand what their needs are and what their solutions are. The CatZero teams are there to assist and support each participant through agreed plans to achieve their step-by-step goals leading to them improving their life and health outcomes.
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2012 Our 12-week JCP Programmes for the long term unemployed began – again for those aged 18 to 24. Our initial commission of five was extended to six and by June we had expanded into North East Lincolnshire with our first programmes in Grimsby and then Immingham – again these were for young people only.
2013 Beautiful people The year 2013 saw more privately funded and JCP 12-week programmes – this time extending into North Lincolnshire & the East Riding. In 2013 alone, 14 such programmes ran, followed by a further 17 in 2014, with further support from JCP, local authorities and private and business donators. It was three of these programmes, for ‘hard-to-reach’ school leavers and those who had been excluded from education, that provided real food for thought. As exploration into programme expansion continued, Dave Bertholini shows his true understanding and passion for CatZero’s work over the years: “A key area of our development is based upon an understanding that many participants, particularly children and young people, are influenced by the ‘norms’ within their communities. These are somewhat historic based upon traditions. Take the fishing industry across both sides of the Humber as an example. Its lack of commitment to education coupled with a lack of geographical movement saw communities develop into ‘isolated villages’ with little change as the years went by. When the industry died, what opportunities were then left for the people within those communities? The people we work with are lovely people, and many are victims of isolation and a lack of development and change through no fault of their own. This leads to few opportunities that, in turn, brings unemployment, financial difficulties and challenging and often unhealthy lifestyles. I can reflect on this myself. I was born into a relatively poor family living in East Hull, my parents had low-level jobs and my Dad worked hard to keep a roof over our heads. Meanwhile Mum worked from home to boost the family income. But what we lacked in material possessions, we gained by living within a great community – nice people looked after each other. Working in local government for 30 years I have seen many regeneration plans and programmes
2014
2015
From 2013 to 2015, our work with young NEETs continued with programmes supported by JCP (Jobcentre Plus) moving into North Lincolnshire and the East Riding.
“Staff came to meetings with me and assisted me when I needed to contact the authorities while offering me constant help and support.” that centre upon buildings and infrastructure. It has not been recognised fully how people will develop themselves if they are supported. They understand their needs better than anyone and will know what the solutions are. Step-by-step we assist with that journey and agree the best actions to support them – but we will not do it for them. By taking this route it is their path, their selfdiscovering and their goals to score. They will then, over time, change both themselves and their communities for the better.”
“They saved me and now I look to a new future. I cannot thank them all enough.”
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2015: 2016: 2017: 2018: 2019: 2020 As our reputation, as a successful and trusted organisation grew, our programmes for NEETs and the young long-term unemployed continued with bespoke projects aimed at young entrepreneurs too. There was also one pioneering and exciting development – that being our pilot Barton-upon-Humber Full Families programme, funded by a range of individuals and organisations, with social housing provider ONGO in support. This was a true forerunner to our work with full families and cemented our views on the need for inter-generational support – evolution was around the corner. This ‘evolution’ has taken place over the last four years as we were determined to prove how, by working with a ‘full family’ we can have a significant impact upon a troubled child or young person. That in turn, can lead to positive changes within communities.
“I was petrified of everything before I started, in fact terrified to do anything. But the team at CatZero believe in you, so you begin to believe in yourself. To start with I simply thought I would pretend to be enjoying what I was doing, and then I realised I was actually having the most fantastic experience and journey of my life.”
2016
2017
Working with the whole family ... Disadvantaged young people were supported thanks to talent match funding, commissioned through the Humber Learning Consortium. But in this year, it was another series of programmes funded by Jobcentre Plus and for older people that proved to be another turning point in our work. One of these programmes was with some of area’s most vulnerable lone parents. “Working with lone parents who needed our support, encouragement and long-term guidance really exposed our teams to the de-stabilising, disruptive and often chaotic environment some children are raised within and the long-term effects of that experience upon them,” explains Dave. Our work with care leavers and homeless young people further highlighted the need for a long-term programme that worked with mums, dads, grandparents and siblings.
This year saw our work with the Humber Learning Consortium continue and more Lone Parents were supported, along with Greenport Hull programmes north of the Estuary, in Hull and the East Riding. 2017 was the start of our pioneering Full Families work. Partnering with CPO in Grimsby our bid for monies from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund was successful. Over the next three years – bringing us to the present day – we would continue to run our successful bespoke programmes for Lone Parents, Armed Forces Veterans, NEETs and the long-term unemployed. Of course, this work remains a true focus to us, but it was the impact of our Full Families work in Grimsby that struck a chord. One important thread that has enabled our success is the core framework by which we work. As our programmes have diversified our ethos has not. The ‘jigsaw frame’ has remained as has our commitment to ‘Once CatZero Always CatZero’. Days, weeks, months and years after a course is complete we remain in touch with the participants. As members of our CatZero family, we understand that change occurs, and a positive initial outcome can sometimes be dented by life’s passage – we are there if that happens.
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2020 Solutions that will last for a lifetime ... This year saw us roll out the Full Families’ programme into Hull and the outcomes across both sides of the Humber have been impressive. The work has shown how, when put into practice, this methodology can really change the lives of families for the better. To achieve this success we have modified and adapted our core programming, ensuring that we work with key partners and other services, which will support families and the individuals within those units – that is key, to find long-term solutions. For more on Full Families go to www.catzero.org/ full-families
“You were never spoken ‘at’ or made to feel that they were better than you, instead it was like talking to your friends. I was able to build trust and understood that they really did want to help. The on-going support is really good, and needed.”
2020/21 Strong&Robust There are several areas of committed development and all of them involve our continued ability to respond to participant feedback whilst evaluating best practice nationally and internationally. In doing so we pay significant attention to feedback and the experiences of our teams who are always considering ways in which we can improve. We will continue to concentrate on those in need around the Humber, to explore our work with families – children, young people, parents and siblings, using our key principles that have been developed over the last 11 years. Our aim is to secure finances from different funding streams allowing us to work with individuals in specific age groups, all with varying needs and challenges – our ‘jigsaw puzzle’ will fit to their requirements. The funds we win will enable us to look at families and the individual needs within those families and their wider communities. It is key for us, as with any successful organisation, to maintain strong and robust governance and ensure we have proven impact assessment records – this, in turn, enables us to meet our contractual agreements with funders and assist with programme development. Our trustees are strong, adept, passionate about our work and supportive and challenging in equal measure. Together we ensure transparency both in our methods and our finances – funders and stakeholders speak to our teams and our participants frequently, proving us to be a strong and open organisation. All of the above enables us to continue to
learn and to share our ‘new best practice’ with others across the UK – our success was initially based upon learning from others, and we want others to now do the same if they so wish. If our work can influence others, then it has the potential to help thousands more families and individuals nationally – we wish that more than anything.
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2008-2020 Sailing into the future with CatZero Dave Bertholini examines the success of sailing as a tool to deliver lasting personal change ... More than a decade on from the purchase of our 72ft challenge yacht, our ambition to use sailing as a tool to effect positive and lasting change in people of all ages has been more than proven. When our participants step aboard, the primary aim is not to teach them how to sail – to simply do that would be missing the point and the purpose. Instead it is the most fantastic ‘floating classroom’ – 18 people living, working and learning in a restricted area. Day-in, day-out in this highly disciplined and structured environment they must face their fears, overcome challenges, learn to interact and get along. There are research models that have identified how sailing can have a long-lasting personal development impact upon those who partake. We have found this to be the case. Our participants are taken away from their normal environments and the safety nets that exist, which could be their family, relatives, friends or indeed the food they eat, the cigarettes they smoke or the alcohol or drugs they may have consumed in the past. In short, our participants are breathing new and fresh air – sometimes for the first time. We build upon the skills people have harnessed whilst with us – communication, leadership, teamwork, cooking ... and coping with sea sickness! Again, restorative practice remains at the heart of our success – we use it as we sail, with everyone on board taking part as active crew members.
The popularity of our sailing is evidenced by the number of ex-participants who return to volunteer or join our sailing crew. Our yacht is also a vital fundraising tool – when not used for programmes, it is used for day sails, team building and national and international competition events, with all profit made going back into our funds. Our name, CatZero, in nautical terms represents the highest registration of the vessel ‘category zero’, which means it has no limitations and meets the highest safety standards. Our aim is that our participants should grow in confidence and belief to ensure their aspirations have ‘no limits’. For more on corporate sailing and our fundraising go to www.catzero.org/sailing
Dave Bertholini
“I have always been passionate that people, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, are given opportunities and the values of CatZero match those of my own.� The words of valued trustee Terry Moran, the former Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer at the Department for Work and Pensions responsible for all employment, pensions and benefits services nationally.
Skipper Danny Watson
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2020
March-June
The CatZero family: Life during lockdown As the world battled the early weeks of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, remaining staff at CatZero put together a number of fun projects for families across the region to do at home. The fundraising Chick family sent out care packages of seeds and sweet treats, which were welcomed by many children stuck inside and away from school.
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CatZero’s O-Zone magazine is written and produced by Southbank PR, Grimsby. Copyright 2020.
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Veteran Case Study Something to celebrate
At just 16 years-of-age, Grimsby teenager Lee Piggott followed a family tradition and joined the Army. Lee was destined for a career in the forces and in 1991 signed up to the Royal Pioneer Corps, which two years later became the Royal Logistics Corps Deployed in the jungle, he spent time in Belize, the Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland and experienced two car bomb attacks during his nine years of active service, which ended in 2000 – a choice made by Lee as he began to struggle with some aspects of army life. Lee still recalls how he felt – and how, as a veteran – he still finds it hard to come to terms with some aspects of his life, post-army. “I signed off back in 2000 because I was feeling unwell both mentally and physically. I recall feeling that things seemed to be going wrong, I knew in myself that something wasn’t right within me,” recalled Lee. Being honest about his feelings to others was difficult for Lee in the environment he found himself in. “I would say I was a ‘yes’ man, someone who wanted to please. I would hide a lot of emotion and these feelings are not what you tend to talk about, it would have been embarrassing to do so,” explained Lee. Upon his exit from military life, Lee is the first one to admit how he wanted to keep himself busy, and as a result went too fast in trying to find work – not giving himself the time to ensure he was in the right frame of mind. “I tried to get on with things myself, at the time I
didn’t want to be a burden for other people. But I couldn’t settle, and things fell apart,” he said. After his third separate redundancy, Lee was triggered into action – he realised he needed to see someone: “It was getting beyond the joke, I needed help but instead I was just jumping into work to keep myself busy,” he added. A visit to Open Minds in Grimsby proved a turning point, along with a meeting with the group, Veterans Still Serving. “It is hard to open up, but by doing so you express a lot of demons and can start to move on,” said Lee. Now in his mid-40s, the next step on his journey was a CatZero programme for Veterans that was run in 2019 in Grimsby. “It was really good, an eye-opener that there are people out there to support and encourage you. Getting to meet the CatZero team and participants was one of the best things about the programme – being involved and pulling together, along of course with the long sail to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. What a fantastic experience,” he added. Lee’s course was supported in Grimsby by JobCentre Plus and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. He has since spent more time with the Grimsby-based charity Veterans Still Serving and has now joined forces with fellow veterans Steve Baxter and Steve Roberts to begin a charitable organisation called Valkyrie Wilderness Workshops. Lee is certain that it has been the support he has received from CatZero, along with the VSS and Open Minds, that has seen him arrive at this positive point in his life. For more information on Valkyrie go www. wilderness-workshops.com