MFC Foundation are the pioneers of the Stepping Up Transition project.

Starting in May 2016 after consultations with schools and local authorities, it was recognised that the gap from primary to secondary school was too big for some vulnerable young people.

The project initially started with three secondary schools and 12 primary schools; it has now grown to four secondary schools and 28 primary schools (three of the four secondary schools have remained, with one new secondary school being added with an expansion in to East Cleveland).

Four full time staff are all assigned to a secondary school, and a cluster of their associated feeder primaries. Their delivery timetables are split in half across the year. From February through to July, staff work within the primary school setting, getting to know young people in year six and preparing them for their step up. In September, staff actually transition to the secondary school with them and stay with them in their new educational environment until February (the cycle then begins again with a new cohort of young people).

To supplement their school delivery, staff also deliver Premier League Kicks three evenings a week in their local communities, signposting young people from schools to the sessions. This provides wraparound care and allows more consistent and regular access to a role model for the young people to look up to.

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent closure of schools, staff have created a menu of support for young people to access to aid them with their transition to secondary school. This year in particular is going to be especially challenging, so the importance of having a ready-made mentor is going to be even more beneficial. This support can be tailored to the individual, or used as a whole by schools. Our valued partner schools will all receive these transition packs and resources.

For further information, please contact steven.bell@mfcfoundation.co.uk

A purposeful day mixed with joy and celebration, as the first-ever Eid Party was held at the Riverside Stadium.

Working alongside Amal Project Teesside, six local primary schools were invited to attend the summer showcase, with representatives from Abingdon, Ayresome, Newport, North Ormesby, Priory Woods and Sunnyside filling the Legends Lounge.

The event coincided with Eid al-Adha, the second of the two main festivals in the Islamic calendar, as well as the fifth birthday of the Amal Project Teesside, which has remained a long-time partner of MFC Foundation since our joint work supporting the Teesside community during lockdown.

Throughout the morning, students enjoyed a guided tour of the Riverside, an inclusive workshop and a range of activities including footgolf, table football and the Foundation speed cage in the Generation Red Family Zone.

On the menu for lunch was a meal box courtesy of Punjabi Kitchen, before a presentation led by Sahida Ditta, founder of the Amal Project, and national speaker Imam Wajid Malik celebrated the students’ work, with each child having submitted a celebratory Eid card prior to the event.

Two giant banners exhibited the hundreds of entries, while the 18 winners were invited to the front for a commemorative picture and prizes. At the end of the event, all children received a designated MFC and Amal Project goodie bag.