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Manchester Foyer

Nuradin Abdi:

I am a resident at the Manchester Foyer. I came to England from Somalia as a refugee in 1991. As English is my second language, I have to study very hard to keep up with my GNVQ Advanced Health and Social Care Course. There is a lot of written work, which has to be well presented.

I can not afford to but my own computer so I must use the machines at college and at the Foyer. Without these computers I would not be able to keep up with my studies. After my course I plan to get a job as a psychotherapist.

I really think it is fantastic that the Foyer is providing these facilities. It helps me to have a future.

Report on the Manchester Foyer Resettlement Package

Laura Stancevic:

I have been place by Community Service Volunteers at Manchester Foyer, for three months, to help young people living at the foyer to make the most of their future, by helping them to start to live independently. I am trying to put together a resource that young people can seek advice from regarding moving on from the foyer, into their own unsupported accommodation.

Up to now I have spent my time researching and gaining resources that I feel may be able to use in the move on package. I have now come to the stage, in this CSV project where I need to begin to compile the information, in order to present it in a form that residents can easily access. I plan to produce a package of information that residents can use to seek advice and information regarding moving to their own accommodation. I am hoping that the residents will use this ‘move on pack’ now, and in the future to support them in the difficult transition from the foyer, into their own accommodation.

To make this pack clear and easy to read I hope to word process it, however, office space and computers are limited in the foyer, so I cannot always use them. Foyer staff need to use the computers in order to complete the work that is essential to keep the foyer running effectively, for example housing benefit accounts. This makes it very difficult to begin to produce the ‘move on pack’. Unfortunately I am only here to December the 17^th and so I do not want to be unable to finish the pack because I was unable to use the foyer’s IT facilities.

I thought that a laptop might be the answer to this problem. Not only would I have access to word process the information in the pack, but I would also be able to get on with my project whenever I am in the building and it would not take up too much space. Although the foyer already has three laptop computers, residents often use them to complete college work, or help them to seek employment. I would not want to prevent the residents from doing any of these positive things. So, if the foyer were to have a few more laptops, I would be able to complete my project, so the residents could benefit from it, and they could continue using the original laptops, for the constructive work they are doing.

I feel that the work I am doing is of great importance to Manchester Foyer. Young people will benefit from it’s advice and guidance. Also, the foyer provides nothing in the way of resettling support at the moment. Hopefully this project that I am working on will be the start of the future developments regarding resettlement for the young people at Manchester foyer.

Marvin Ormiston:

My name is Marvin Ormiston, I am a volunteer at Manchester Foyer, I have been working here for a month now. Whilst working for the foyer I have found that the laptop computers have proved really useful.

I have been able to get through lots of work that would have had to wait if I had not had access to the laptops. This is because the IT suit is now full everyday which means I cannot use the laptop computers.

I am part of the New Deal project which is for people who have been out of work for between 6-12 months. I used laptops for the kind of work I do which is word processing and graphics design. I also use desktop computers I find the laptops are convenient and they are mobile.

Due to interviews and meetings I don’t get to stay in one place for long. That’s why laptops are preferred. And also if other staff need extra computers the laptops can be packed away and given to the tutor or trainee. The It training class which is held by Pam is rapidly taking on more trainee’s and we do not have enough laptops. We desperately need more laptops.

Laptop Use

Michelle:

In September 1999 Michelle, on the recommendation of her friend Lyndsey, enrolled on the Manchester Foyer’s Cognitive Driving Course. Part of the curriculum is using IT.

For those with little or no prior IT skills, the first contact with a computer on this course is accessing the Theory Driving Test Programme. All students are given a weekly Practice Theory Test, but Michelle wanted to add to this and accessed the computerised version almost every day. As the IT suit at Manchester Foyer is full with students accessing mainstream courses, Michelle made use of the laptop provided by NIACE. This also had the additional advantage of access being gained away from the foyer training area.

On one occasion Michelle assisted the foyer training staff with a presentation help at Manchester Town Hall. While there she used the laptop to continue accessing the Theory Practice.

On completion of the Cognitive Driving Course, Michelle was the first to apply and take the Theory Test. The new Theory Test was administered on a computer, one of the first in a pilot programme. Michelle was not distracted, she was now familiar with keyboards etc. Her hard work on the laptop paid off. She passed first time, correctly answering all 35 questions.

Michelle is now accessing IT 2000 computer/word-processing course run by Manchester Foyer.

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