“I’ve enjoyed meeting others from a military background” – Stephen’s Story
Background
Groundwork have been engaging residents in Stockport and Tameside who are currently not employed through a series of group activities and individual support to improve peoples overall wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
Stephen is a veteran who after leaving the military in 1998, became self employed running a catering business inside a pub. His business ended during Covid, and this had a knock-on effect on his mental health. He reached out to the employment team at Groundwork for support with his motivation and confidence.
Reducing social isolation
Stephen began attending 1-2-1 sessions with Sam, an Employment Coach at Groundwork, to work on overcoming barriers which were increasing his social isolation. Sam also referred him to a Veterans Cafe in Ashton where he could meet new people and receive support from others who also have a military background.
Stephen expressed an interest in volunteering his time to helping people learn how to cook. He had been working towards a few different qualifications in his spare time to work on improving his skills and confidence, and felt this would be a great opportunity to expand on this. He has since started running the cooking sessions for project, helping other people learn how to cook affordable, healthy meals.
This programme is made possible thanks to support from The Growth Company, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the UK Government
