Work with us
If you work with people who need structure, belonging and a way forward, we'd like to work with you. ULA is built to sit alongside the services that already exist, not to compete with them.
The hardest to reach are the ones who need it most.
The need
Who we want to reach
ULA exists because of what's happening to people in parts of Manchester like Wythenshawe: young people disengaging from everything, knife crime, poor mental health, a lack of structure at home, and not enough consistent, positive role models close by.
The people we most want to reach are the hardest to reach. Persistent offenders. People leaving prison. Young people who've been excluded or referred out of mainstream education. Adults who aren't in education, employment or training. People whose ADHD or mental health has never been properly supported, so they've been pushed out instead of helped.
These aren't problems to be managed. They're people, and given the right environment, structure and belief, people change.
Who we want to work with
Six kinds of partner
Police
We want to work with officers and teams who know which persistent offenders would benefit from structure, discipline and a place to belong.
Probation service
A ULA camp can sit alongside supervision, giving people leaving prison or on licence a positive routine and a community.
Pupil referral units and schools
Further down the line we plan to work with pupil referral units and schools on provision for young people. We'd like to start those conversations now.
Churches
Partner churches can refer people, provide volunteers and mentors, and help ULA put down roots in the community.
Councils and funders
We're seeking launch funding and long-term partners who want a measured, replicable model for community transformation.
Local businesses
Sponsor the space, donate equipment or offer work experience and opportunities to people who complete a camp.
Referrals
How a referral would work
We keep the first step simple and we keep people's details out of web forms.
Step 1: You get in touch about your organisation
Use the contact form and choose "Partnership or referral". Tell us who you are, who you work with and what you have in mind. Please don't include details about any individual at this stage.
Step 2: We talk
We'll arrange a call or a visit to understand your needs and explain the programme, the group size and what we ask of participants.
Step 3: We agree how we'll share information
Before any referral, we agree with you how personal information will be shared, stored and kept safe, in line with our data protection and safeguarding policies.
Step 4: The person joins a camp
We keep you updated on attendance and engagement in the way we've agreed, and we ask for your feedback as part of measuring what works.
Measured properly, from the very first camp.
Evidence
How we'll measure what works
We're starting out, so we won't quote you figures we don't have. What we will do from the first camp is measure properly.
- Attendance and engagement, tracked every session
- Participant self-assessment at the start and end of each camp
- Facilitator and coach observations
- Feedback from referral partners
- Follow-up on progression into education, employment, training, volunteering or continued engagement, wherever we can
Alongside the numbers we'll collect people's own accounts of what changed, with their permission. We'll share what we find with partners and funders, including the parts that didn't work.
In 2024 a 10-week pilot of this model with six men saw improvements in fitness, confidence, discipline and routine, and some of those men are still training. That's a start, not a statistic, and we intend to build a proper evidence base from here.
Safeguarding, policies and data
ULA is finalising its policies with its board, including safeguarding, anti-bullying, behaviour management and data protection. Adopted policies will be published on this site. Partners can request the current drafts.
Back a model, not just a project.
Funding
Invest in more than a programme
ULA is seeking launch funding. The first phase, getting the unit ready, is being crowdfunded now. Beyond that, ULA needs equipment, paid coaching time and the operating costs to run camps for adult men and then extend to women, young people, children and people with physical disabilities.
Long-term sustainability will come from a mix of grants, donations, sponsorship, partnerships with schools and churches, and contributions from participants where that's appropriate. Growth will be measured by depth of impact, not speed.
If you fund community work in Manchester and want to talk about ULA, get in touch and we'll share the full plan and budget.
Credits
Who built this site
(opens in a new tab)Designed and built this website. JW Digital (opens in a new tab)
Start the conversation
One message is all it takes. We'll come back to you and arrange a proper conversation.