With funding from the Baily Thomas Charitable trust, CSV Education has been able to establish a pilot project with 5 special schools in the Manchester area.

The CSV RespectUS project staff help young people and school staff identify suitable projects, run sessions with the young people and provide with media training to support the recording of the project. We are able to provide some financial help with volunteering project expenses, which is given to the schools to manage.

We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of both staff and pupils for this project. Teachers have met and risen to the challenge with imagination and energy, but it is the young people that have shown how much they have to offer the their communities. The schools that we have chosen to work with include special schools for children with moderate to severe and complex learning difficulties.

We're clearly seeing that with the right support, all the young people involved have a significant contribution to make.

For more information, please contact Melanie Elkan at melkan@csv.org.uk.