A new youth hub in Rochdale has been launched to help young people with autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence become fitter, more confident, and marginally less terrified of CV formatting.
Set up by the social enterprise Upturn, the initiative promises a life-changing cocktail of job skills, gym workouts, and, crucially, the ability to attend something classed as “training” by JobCentrePlus. The sessions will take place weekly at Trident Health and Performance, which locals will be thrilled to learn is not a rebranded Cold War missile site.
The hub is aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds, particularly those struggling with employment – a cohort that, according to statistics no one really wants to hear at breakfast, faces an eye-watering 79% joblessness rate. The plan? Help them create CVs that don’t start with “I’m weird but try really hard” and teach interview etiquette that doesn’t involve bolting for the fire exit.
Gail Lavery, Senior Talent Coach at Upturn and part-time destroyer of stigma, says the programme is about more than just employment. “We’re also giving them access to gym equipment, hygiene products, and clothes,” she said, “so they’ll look good while panic-spiralling over their cover letters.”
Upturn hopes that the sessions will also help participants overcome social anxiety, something that’s not traditionally cured by rowing machines and weighted squats, but apparently we’re doing things differently now.
The pilot scheme has already seen success, with several young people tricked into education, employment, or volunteering, all while being “treated as individuals,” which is apparently a novel approach in Rochdale unless you’re a dog.
The hub is backed by the Well Foundation and the Workers’ Educational Association, and hopes to become a beacon of inclusion, support, and low-level cardiovascular exercise.
Gail added, “These may sound like small things to people who can get on a bus without a six-hour emotional preamble, but they’re monumental for those we’re supporting.”
The grand opening is on Friday, September 19, from 10am to 2pm. Locals, families, and anyone who’s ever used the phrase “thinking outside the box” unironically are invited.
Reporting from down the M62, we can confirm: Rochdale’s youth might soon be mentally strong, emotionally intelligent, and benching more than your average HR manager.
