Five to Strive Project

 

A direct way to making a difference and creating confident communities

The Five to Strive project involves training and supporting individuals through a confidence course. The Project was inspired by the New Economics Foundation Five Ways to Wellbeing principles.

The courses were delivered in Blacon, Ellesmere Port and Winsford, and were completed by over 30 residents.  At the start of each course, residents were assigned their own Volunteer Mentor to help them to achieve up to three personal wellbeing goals (e.g. finding employment, monthly budget planning, discovering new hobbies, increasing physical activity etc). 

The project is running from March 2011 to December 2011. During this period, participants have attended a nine-module confidence course and Volunteer Mentors are now spending up to 30 hours each supporting their Mentees to achieve their goals. This has involved face-to-face meetings, telephone calls or e-mails.

Volunteer Mentors

Cheshire West and Chester Council recruited over 40 Volunteer Mentors from organisations including Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chester and District Housing Trust, Weaver Vale Housing Trust, Muir Housing, Cheshire Constabulary, Places for People, and The Grosvenor Estate. These Mentors have worked alongside individuals and have provided support such as:

• providing advice
• managing money
• help with form filling (including application forms)
• job interview techniques
• accompanying people to appointments and meetings
• directing people to specialist services  

Five Ways to Wellbeing

The Five Ways to Wellbeing was developed by the New Economics Foundation.  It seeks to raise awareness of the fact that if we build the Five Ways to Wellbeing into our daily routines, we could add 7.5 years onto our lives.  The Five ways are:

• Connect: building connections with family, friends, neighbours and colleagues;
• Give: join a group, volunteer your time, do something nice for a friend or stranger;
• Be active: discover a physical activity you enjoy, exercising helps you feel good;
• Take notice: be curious, take notice of your environment;
• Keep learning: try something new, rediscover an old interest.