Your new Together Project team at the Mix
Our Together Project team at The Mix provides essential support for young people aged 15 to 25 who are navigating the transition from education and seeking guidance for their future paths.
The primary objective of the Together Project is to assist young individuals in their post-school journey, whether it involves further education, training, or employment opportunities. This support is delivered through one-on-one sessions, participation in workshops, and gaining valuable work experience.
Following recent team changes, the Together Project is now led by Chloe, supported by youth workers Astrid and Ella. We are currently in search of another passionate youth worker to complement our team (see job advert here).
The ongoing success of the Together Project is made possible through funding from The National Lottery, PPG, and the Skinners Foundation (formerly known as Lawrence Atwell). This sustained support has facilitated the expansion and evolution of our programme over the years.
Chloe, Astrid, and Ella remain committed to building connections with local businesses, organisations, colleges, and universities to provide work experience, training, and various opportunities for the young people we support.
Throughout 2023, the Together Project has delivered a total of 741 hours of support, with 661 attendances recorded, engaging 178 young people aged 16 to 25.
In addition to our one-on-one interventions, we have conducted various workshops and groups, including:
• Job Squad: Delivered over a few weeks at different times during the year, offering young people access to resources and support for job-related matters, totalling 30 hours of engagement in 2023.
• Drop In Lates: Collaborating with our Open Access program, this weekly social space caters to 16–19-year-olds, addressing the issue of isolation and fostering social connections. We delivered 92 hours of Drop-in lates in 2023.
• Expression: An art group designed to engage young individuals facing significant barriers, organised, and led by our SEN youth worker.
• One-off Workshops and Events: Participating in career fairs, volunteering fairs, and employability workshops with local colleges and organizations.
• Symmetra: A fun and inclusive activity-based session for young people with neurodiverse conditions, facilitated by our SEN youth worker.
• Train Together: Offering real-life work experience in our onsite café, Cabbages & Kings, to young people who are not in education, employment, or training.
• Mulberry Unit at Stowupland High School: Providing support sessions for high-risk and high-need SEN young people, integrating them into school life.
• Home Education Drop-in: Offering a specialized space for young individuals between 11-16 who are home-schooled or transitioning out of mainstream education. Led by our SEN youth worker and supported by us.
A bit about the team
Chloe has just joined The Mix as project lead. She comes from the Suffolk IPS Employment Support Service and previously worked within HMPPS as a Rehabilitation Facilitator. Her passion for supporting young people to become their best selves, inclusivity and having access to equal opportunities is rooted within her own experience as a young person. Chloe comes to the project with fresh and exciting ideas for the project including becoming more community based, increasing involvement in schools to increase the number of young people we can support across a wider area, as well as partnership working with local and national businesses / organisations.
Fun fact: Chloe was a majorette for 18 years and won multiple national titles, both as a team and individually.
Ella works for both the Together Project and Open Access teams at The Mix with a passion for SEN and has been involved in many youth work projects and sessions since she joined last summer. Her ability to swiftly build rapport with young people has been invaluable, and because she works across two programmes there is a link when young people see her out and about on detached with open access or in groups such as neurodiverse Diadem. Ella also attended The Mix herself, she joined the coaching and mentoring scheme (now under the Together Project) and had support from our overcoming barriers coach.
Fun fact: Ella does an amazing Cher impression.
Astrid's journey with The Mix dates to its inception. Having benefited from the organisation's offerings herself, Astrid's trajectory epitomises the transformative impact of our programmes. Astrid attended events and sessions at The Mix and was supported by the Together Project to get into West Suffolk College. After completing college, she volunteered in our café, before becoming a paid member of the team, then becoming a youth worker with the team that supported her. Astrid combined her knowledge of hospitality and youth work to form the Train Together programme, which is a hospitality training programme at Cabbages and Kings to support young people into hospitality by gaining two qualifications through eight weeks of work experience.
Fun fact: Astrid is also a trained barber and hairdresser.
Across The Mix, our youth work programmes have seen an increase in popularity and demand. Many of our youth work programme have grown due to increased demand. These exciting changes mean that we can offer more support, group sessions and activities, all for young people in our community.
To find out more about our youth work programmes visit www.themixstowmarket.org.
To support our programmes through monetary donations, email rose@themixstowmarket.co.uk.
If you would like to volunteer with us, email volunteering@themixstowmarket.co.uk.
For regular updates, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn by searching The Mix Stowmarket.
