Pendle News Room

Before attending the Hub, Lydia Wallwork, of Nelson, lacked confidence and found meeting new people very challenging.

The Department for Work and Pensions felt Lydia would benefit from support at the Pendle YES Hub, a project supported by over £420,000 of Government Levelling Up money through the Nelson Town Deal.

The Pendle YES Hub is designed to build the confidence, and health and wellbeing of people aged between 16 and 24, as well as boost their employability through skills training and work experience.

Since signing up, Lydia’s confidence has grown hugely.

She said: “I suffer from social anxiety, but everyone at the Hub supported me to keep coming back and slowly but surely this has helped my confidence.

“I really like that you can sign up to free courses as this helped me to decide what I would like to do in life.

“I have gained more confidence thanks to the Hub which has pushed me to join the gym and even dye my hair!”

Lydia was initially given 1-2-1 sessions with Lancashire Mind which gave her the confidence to go on to complete four courses - a Level 1 course in Wellbeing & Resilience, a Digital Arts course and Levels 1 & 2 in Health and Beauty.

She’s also started to attend gym sessions, with support from Pendle YES Hub staff, to achieve some personal goals.

More recently, Lydia has been encouraged to join the Hub’s Youth Club to meet new people and is also benefitting from employment support.

She added: “I am now getting employment support from the Hub and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Councillor Asjad Mahmood, Leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: “Lydia has been on such a journey since coming to the Hub and we couldn’t be prouder of her growth.

“Despite her confidence issues, she has fully embraced all the opportunities which the Hub has presented to her and we look forward to supporting Lydia on her next step towards employment.”

Stephen Barnes, Chair of the Nelson Town Deal added: “Getting young people aged 16 - 24 into employment and training is a number one priority for the Nelson Town Deal and our local economy.

“It is heartening to hear Lydia’s story and know that the project is helping her grow in confidence and skills.”

The Pendle YES Hub is a one-stop-shop for Pendle’s young people, run by Active Lancashire with support from Nelson and Colne College, Pendle Borough Council and In-Situ arts organisation.

Funding for the pilot scheme, which was launched in February 2020, was originally provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide much-needed support to young people during the COVID pandemic.

The Hub was developed through a partnership between Pendle Borough Council, Job Centre Plus, Lancashire Adult Learning, Nelson and Colne College and Active Lancashire.

Thanks to Government Levelling Up funding, the YES Hub, which helped 100 young people into employment in its first year, has been extended until the end of 2025.

How to get support from Pendle YES Hub

Pendle YES Hub is based at 39-41 Scotland Road, Nelson, BB9 7UT and is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 – 15:30.

For more information, visit Pendle YES Hub | Active Lancashire